researching my Dads career

[Stephen McDonald]

Rachel
My name is Steve McDonald.I served with your dad as Chief officer on the Al Berry and the Al Bida.He was also a very good friend.I also attended his funeral. His death was a great loss to me personally as he was a very good friend.Any questions you have I would be glad to answer.Sue Leech was an assistant in Silver Marine services in Liverpool. The company we worked for who owned the Al Berry and the Al Bida was Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company (AMPTC), based in Kuwait, however after Sadam Hussain went wandering the company moved to Alexandria in Egypt.The company is still in operation.AMPTC was the Arab side of OPEC Called OAPEC.I was with him on these ships during the Iran/Iraq war.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Hi Stephen, Rachel has not posted since 2016,
pos best to try messaging or mail through this site.

Certain she would possibly be delighted, please let
us know if you do make contact.

Regards,

Keith.

[Steve Singleton]

Hi, The Steve McDonald I know (or knew) came from the Leeds area...
Does "Irish Wasa" ring a bell? ....If not, Then it's another person I know with the same name.
Cheers.

[j.sabourn]

#23. Steve your post to another person and mention of the Irish Wasa , the Finnish Wasa does to me. JS

[Brian Varrall]

Steve,

I too sailed with David Lycett, meeting him on the Denholm managed tanker, Nordic Commander. He was on board before I joined, so had left prior to my signing off in Feb. 1977, whereafter I joined AMPTC. As there appears to be no mention elsewhere of David being with Denholms, I’m wondering if his was a one-off freelance posting, perhaps contracted through Silver Marine? Unlikely and not something he mentioned, but not impossible I guess.

I’ve already written separately to Rachel telling her what an exceptional, likeable guy her father was, indeed one of the finest men I had the pleasure of sailing with. On learning of the tragic manner of his death, I had also written to his widow. A terrible affair!

My introduction to AMPTC came by way of fellow R/O, John Pacey, of Chester (or thereabout) whose career I seemed at the time to be shadowing. I completed three trips with the company, Bubiyan, Halul and Al-Rafidain, before a posting to their new-build gas tanker Al-Bida at St Nazaire. I was supposed to take the ship through sea trials before the customary 6 months but had to return to UK almost immediately for family reasons, so never left the berth with her. As things turned out that signalled the end of my seagoing career, having to resign AMPTC and remaining in the good old UK as a BT coast station operator (GKZ & GKA).

Before AMPTC I sailed with Alfred Holt, NZSCo, and a right gallimaufry of vessels with Kelvin Hughes, most of which were okay but one or two shockers!

I’m long retired now and a nasty spinal operation 4 years ago leaves me very much disabled, so can only dream of those times when I thought nothing of shinning up the monkey-island to fix a recalcitrant radar, or spent a night watch handling distress traffic for some poor beleaguered fishing boat in the North Sea. By no means the most relaxing way to spend one’s night!

Not a particularly profitable life maybe, but at least each and every one of we seafarers can be proud of the fact that we contributed something of value to the world.

Brian Varrall

[MikeiJones]

Hi Rachel,
I`m not sure if you still have access to this site and the thread but here goes...
I sailed as 4th EO on the Al Safaniya at the time. I was retelling the story to Family in Australia a couple of weeks ago and they wanted to see a photo of the ship.
In looking this up I came across your post. I`m back in the UK now and thought I`d get in touch as i can help fill in a small part of the picture as I was on board at the time.
Kind Regards
Mike