Oldest ships sailed on ?

[Sara Kalis Gilbert]

What years were you on the Estevan? My father, Pieter Kalis,was also on the Estevan, along with several other people I am in contact with. I am sure you know some of them. I would love to hear any stories you have about your time aboard. A few of the people I know from the early years include Peter Golden, John (Aussie) Gronow, Bob Mellis, Reg Gunn's family, etc.

[j.sabourn]

The halfpenny dodger. Pedestrian ferry between N and S Shields. Was old in 1952, so don't know when built. Even Cappy refused a job on her, and he can go back to the Viking Longships. JS

[j.sabourn]

There is a large fish merchant in Fremantle called Kalis. Believe they have their own fishing boats as well. No relation I suppose. JS

[cappy]

The halfpenny dodger. Pedestrian ferry between N and S Shields. Was old in 1952, so don't know when built. Even Cappy refused a job on her, and he can go back to the Viking Longships. JS

morning john .......funnily enough im of to sunny shields this morning for a quick visit ........shall be down by the ferry landing and always loookover to where smiths dockused to be .....have an old mate up there just diagnosed with lung cancer .....too advanced to operate ....worked at swans all his life.......new all about the bully boys in the strike after strike they had there.......lots of eras coming to an end at the minute ......such is life...regards cappy

[j.sabourn]

#25 The Waverley was still going on the Clyde trips in the early 80"s if the same paddle steamer. used to pass us in the river at Customs House Quay up from Greenock. looked very similar to the one which ran from Cardiff down the Bristol Channel with sightseers been on that one as a passenger with wife and kids but cant remember the name. JS

[j.sabourn]

#106... The halfpenny dodger didn't run from the established landing spots, but further towards the entrance to the river, but still above the Fish quay, just in the area of that pub on the riverside ( forget the name) opposite the jungle. Used to land on the south side in the vicinity of the old lifeboat on radial davits which the Ocean Road school used to use for boat work and exams. This was well down the river from the South Shields landing stage. Anyhow don't think they would of let Ginger Squirrels on. Cheers all the breast. JS

[Clive Burrows]

Jimmy

I sailed as an engineer on the Talthybius (Ex Salina victory) with Blue flue 2 jags over 12 months at sea UK to Far east China and back twice. Sister ship Tantalus photo attached.TantalusXXX.jpg
1968 to 1970. TantalusXXX.jpg
It had two Babcock and Wilcox boilers, 525 PSI and a westinghouse cross compound steam turbine which gave us about 15 knots max.

Clive Burrows
Australian

[Colin Wood]

My oldest ship was the Coral River, official no. 149490 which had been built in 1926 as a tanker. Shell had her re engine in 1948 and bought by Mollers of London & Hong Kong for scrap and converted into an ore carrier. Great ship, the midship saloon hot press worked in the tropics and fridge in the winter. Could not use midship saloon toaster if radar was in use. While I was on her we were running into fords wharf at Dagenham. Did one voyage fromWabana to Middlesborough, we were the last ship to load for the season, and when we arrived, could not discharge as cargo gad frozen solid. We had loaded during a snow storm. Great, left ship late xmas evening and returned 2nd Jan 1960.

[Ken Trehearne]

Of the several ships I sailed in the oldest was the Boston City, built 1920 by Charles Hill, Bristol and owned by Bristol City Line when I joined as EDH in August 1950. Of 2869 GRT and with 243 HP she wasn't exactly large. Capt Harris in command.
We left Avonmouth with general cargo for Port Tampa though while in mid-Atlantic the chippy accidentally put his knife through the hull while checking reported inner dampness in a hold. Luckily, chips was able to sort the hole while we hot-footed it to the nearest port which was Savannah for replacement hull plates - plural because new rivets wouldn't hold the new to the old. Before dry-dock all cargo needed to off-loaded into sheds. Overall we were in Savannah several weeks before leaving for Avonmouth. My Discharge Book tells me that we left Avonmouth on 19 Aug.1950 and paid off at Avonmouth on 10 Oct. 1950 without going anywhere except Savannah, and return - latterly with the holed plate secured to the after-deck. It's probably still there.
Ken T

[Brian Charles Williams]

Thought the old ss Loadstone built in 1938 was old,but then I am a `youngster`! Joined her at Dagenham Ford`s dock (didn`t know they had one ) went light ship to Newport News for coal for Rotterdam, then back for more, then back for more ! The old girl was almost on her last legs, the North Atlantic was finding her out !
Brian w.