Originally Posted by
Dex
I was an AB from Scotland on the Port Nicholson almost all of 1975 was 'working by' then did the run job to Cardiff before a foreign trip to Hobart, via Port Melbourne. We were delayed in Hobart because the apples were not ready for picking. This gave us time for an adventure with local girls and some Hell's Angels, big Football match against a German ship (I think). The Hobart Bridge was down during this trip, a local ship hit one of the legs and a section had collapsed. I was sailing with my mate, Mr Dee EDH from Wigan, who met his future wife ashore on this trip. I still keep in touch with them; they stayed with us last year when they visited from Oz. Others on that trip were Terry EDH, Ross AB from Merthyr Tydfil, SuperTaff AB/EDH from Cardiff, 'Bruce Lee' not his real name a Steward. We hired a van & caravan and toured around England in the summer of 1975, it was hot but not as hot as the following summer.
I made the mistake of rejoining after leave. Same ship, different crew, different atmosphere. I was told by some wise seaman many years before that it was unwise to rejoin a ship that you had so much fun on. Anyway I did the same thing a few years later and both trips were good fun, so I’m not superstitious. Anyone out there from the Port Nicholson in 1975??