Various voyages

[j.sabourn]

Does anyone else have a problem of remembering various trips and their sequence of ports. I can remember vividly first trip and most of second trip, which for the first 4 years really was one continuous trip. But after that really have to put thinking cap on for trips in following years with the assistance of discharge books, however as some trips did not involve discharge books is like a Sherlock Holmes mystery at times. Know definetly 1st trip was Avonmouth, Belfast, Cienfuegos (Cuba), via Panama to Japan,(Kawasaki) Cairns, Japan, Cairns, Purfleet (Thames) 2nd trip. Cardiff, Buenos Aires, Villa Constitution, Rosario, Buenos Aires, Japan (via Durban and Singapore) Cairns, Townsville, Japan, Cairns, Japan, Cairns, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Nordenham, loading coal for Italy. After that what sequence of ports have to sit and try and fathom out. Know finished up in N.Z.at various times and many times in Australia, in fact spent more time in Australia the first 20 years than ever in the UK. All my time deep sea time apart from a year or so during periods of lay off, on other foreign vessels, was done circumnavigating the globe with the sextant, sounding machine and hand lead at times on taking routes which even today some vessels with all their modern aids wouldnt do. e.g. the quickest route from Cairns to Japan was via the Jomard Passage, which had no lights in those days, the old masters of yesteryear like the British coastal skippers I sailed with knew all the tricks of the trade. They are all long gone now I would say. Cheers JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
I'm much the same; can remember my first trip, Cardiff, Galveston, Hamburg with wheat, then Tilbury. I went on to do three more trips on the same ship, two years in all, all to Australia via the Suez and Panama. I then joined a coastal tanker and went to just about all the ports in the UK and Ireland the Continent and Scandinavia, but which way around I don't know, watching TV I suddenly say to my wife I've been there but for the life of me can't remember which ship After that a series of tankers that went every where. With cargo boats in between, two of which went to Canada but which one did which trip I can't remember.
Cheers DEs

[happy daze john in oz]

Can recall all the ports on the Cape run, bit of a surprise when you think about it with all we drank. Some ports on other voyages but a times when looking at a map or thinking about the next cruise I recall some I had forgotten.

[john walker]

I can remember the first 4 deep sea voyages the ports, ships and some of the crew. I was advised to keep a log of the ships that I sailed on and the ports visited which I did for about the first 5 years, for some reason I did not keep the log going. I sailed on and off for about 22 years by looking at my discharge books I can tell where I joined and left various ships but I have no Idea where those ships went specifically just a general recollection of world trading. So I have about a 17 year memory loss (Honest it was not the booze) Wherever I went must have been good though because I still miss it.

[j.sabourn]

#2... Thank God for that Des, thought I was getting old or something, must be something in the diet causing the loss of memory. Probably a deprivation of 4 Bells Cheers JS

- - - Updated - - -

#4 Thanks JW. Another proof to the wife that my memory is still ok. Just because I hide the remote for the TV when Home and away is on, and cant remember where I put it. Cheers JS

[Dennis McGuckin]

#4
I started a log on my first trip.
Still have it. Although I stopped writing in it half way around Africa.
Maybe I found things to do that I didn't want to write about.
Looking through my discharge book, I can pretty well remember all of the ports of call.
Sadly don't recall much about the runs ashore.
Other than a thick head and sometimes a few 'war' wounds.

[happy daze john in oz]

Well Den war wounds are the sound of a mis spent youth, but I can assure you there is nothing wrong in that.

[Richard Quartermaine]

My Little Black Book has the following:

Port Line Ltd MV Lowlander (Left Newcastle, NSW 23.1.47)
Newcastle, Papeete,Pitcairn Island Through Panama Canal to Balboa, anchor for night, arrive Cristobal, Canal Zone early morning. Curacao (Dutch West Indies) left on 16th Birthday, . New York, Boston, Halifax, St Vincents (Cape Verde Islands), Cape Town, Fremantle, Melbourne. Discharged 19:6:47
Capt EE Roswell, Master, Mr Hodaker Chief Steward, Ncle to Hfax. Mr Deverill, Chief Stwd. H to Melb.

Shaw Saville & Albion Line. SS Raranga. (Left Sydney 13:8:47)Sydney, Fremantle, Durban (Bluff for coal), Las Palmas (Canary Islands) London (UK). Discharged 23:10:1947
KJ James, Master. Mr Bartholomew Chief Steward. Mr Carter 2nd Steward.

Aberdeen and Commonwealth Line. MV Moreton Bay. (Left London 4:2:48) London, Southampton (Pick up passengers), Valetta (Malta), Port Said, Aden, Colombo (had 17th birthday Colombo), Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney. Discharged 30:3:48.
Commander ET Grayston, Master. Mr Gozzard, Chief Steward. Mr E Fearhan, 2nd Steward.

Burns Philp Ltd. SS Morinda. (Left Sydney 4:6:48) Sydney, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Port Vila (Efate Island, New Hebrides),Havanah Harbour (NW Efate for water) Port Vila, Eneityum NH, Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, Sydney. (Left Sydney 8:7:48) Lorde Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Lenakel (Tana Island NH), White Sands (Tana, NH), Mimissi (Tana NH), White Sands, Lenakel (all loading timber and copra), Havanah Harbour, Port Vila, Epi Island NH, Luganville (Espiritu Santo Island NH), Port Vila, Lenakel, Eneityum, Norfolk Island (Cascades Bay), Lord Howe Island, Sydney.
Discharged 6:8:48. Voyage 1: Captain Colquhearn Master. V 2: Capt Bickles Master. Mr J Harvey Chief Steward. Mr A Gubby, 2nd Steward.

Burns Philp Ltd MV Bulolo. (Left Brisbane 20:8:48) Brisbane, Port Moresby, Lae, Rabaul, Port Moresby, Brisbane, Sydney. Discharged 18:9:48. Captain Rothery Master. Mr Gillard Chief Steward,Mr J Phillips 2nd Steward.

It's bed time. I'll copy some more another day. I did all my trips. Richard

[Richard Quartermaine]

Continued from #8:
Adelaide Steamship Company. MV Manunda Left Sydney 24.9.48.
Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle. Admitted to Fremantle Hospital with malaria 5.10.48
Captain Adie, Master. Mr Johnston Chief Steward. Mr K Urry 2nd Steward

Western Australian State Shipping Service. MV Koolinda left Fremantle November,1948.
Fremantle, Geraldton, Carnarvon, Onslow, Point Samson, Port Hedland, Broome, Yampi Sound, Wyndham, Darwin,Wyndham, Derby, Point Samson, Onslow, Carnarvon, Fremantle. Christmas 1948 spent in Fremantle.
28.12.1948 Fremantle, Geraldton, Carnarvon, Onslow, Point Samson, Port Hedland, Broome, Derby, Yampi Sound, Broome, Port Hedland, Point Samson, Onslow, Carnarvon, Fremantle. Discharged Fremantle
Captain J Airy, Master. Mr ?, Chief Steward. Mr Johnston, 2nd Steward.

Adelaide Steamship Company. MV Manunda.
Left Fremantle February 1949. Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney. Discharged Sydney February, 1949.
Capt Adie, Master. Mr Johnson, Chief Steward, Mr K Urry 2nd Steward.

Burns Philp & Company SS Morinda. Left Sydney 16.1.49
Sydney, Lord Howe Island, (Dangerously rough weather) Norfolk Island, Anietyum, Tanna, Havanah Harbour, Port Vila, Luganville Espiritu Santo, Port Vila, Eromango, Tanna, Anietyum, Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, Sydney. Discharged 29 March, 1949.
Capt Howe, Master. Mr Harvey, Chief Steward. Mr A Gubby, 2nd Steward.

MV Australian United Steam Navigation MV Coramba. Left Sydney 22.4.1949.
Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle, Adelaide, Sydney. Discharged 21.6.1949.
Capt Reid, Master. Mr Lewis, Chief Steward.

Worked by on various ships at Sydney, i.e. Wanganella, Wahine, Murkur. Decided to return to overseas vessels as unions unfairly controlled all Australian crew appointments.

Port Line Ltd. MV Port St John. Left Sydney 6.10.49.
Sydney, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Fremantle, Aden, Suez Canal, Port Said, Liverpool, London, Bremen, Newcastle. Discharged 14.3.1950. Then worked by on her at South Shields for three weeks.
Captains Rolland-Hill, Lavers, DF Morgan changed during voyage.
Mr J Rutherford, Chief Steward. Mr EF Jones 2nd Steward.

Port Line Ltd. Port Dunedin Left London 9.5.1950.
London, Curacao, Cristobal, Panama Canal, Wellington NZ, Lyttelton, Wellington, Balboa, Curacao, London. Discharged 8.10.1950.
Captain Morgan, Master. Mr Rutherford Chief Steward. Mr. Ray Black 2nd Steward.

Hospital at Dreadnought Seamen's Hospital Greenwich, London and rehab at Angus Seamen's Rehab, Cudham, Kent.

Shaw Saville Line. SS Gothic 15.1.1951. Left Victoria Docks, London 15.1.1951.
Victoria Docks, Curacao, Balboa, Panama Canal, Pitcairn Island, Auckland (at anchor in Hauraki Gulf) during NZ national dock strike, Wellington, New Plymouth, Wellington, Pitcairn Island Willemstaad Curacao, Liverpool, Birkenhead, (Cammell Lairds). 16.7.1951.Worked by at Cammell Lairds for three weeks.
Captain WJ Williams, Master. Mr C Coles, Chief Steward (Outward). Mr JC Smith (homeward)

It's bed time again; maybe some names will be familiar. One more to go. G'night. Richard

[eric fisher]

Des, With my Disc. Book, ship photos, movement cards (thanks to guidance from all you chaps) and a decent memory, the help of an easy voice recorder I am narrating each voyage, dumping them on this 'puter, then burning a CD with as much as I can remember. It beats trying to type it all as I'm blind in one eye. Still it's an enormous job and I may not get to finish it (like the unfinished symphony) since you probably know my age.

'Course you havta know 'twas the seafaring life keeps us all goin' ..on and on and on. Cheers All, Eric