Y boats and others

[John Neary]

I was an apprentice on Essequibo (The Squib) in 1957 I also served on Albany in the 60's and on Eden They were all good ships and if you had the right cook on board good feeders as well Does anyone remember a guyanan cook called Doc Parris?
He was a damn good cook and we apprentices used to benefit from his late night suppers of strange delicacies like flying fish,. breadfruit etc

[Willie Saunders]

Richard, I was on the Albany, signed on Victoria Dock 24/4/64, signed off Liverpool 6/8/64, as A.B., looks like we could have sailed together. We went to Bermuda, The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, then through the canal to Buenaventuera, and every hole in the hedge as far South as Tocopilla .A memorible trip, indeed , only ship I sailed on where we went to sea with the hatches open, because there was never any rain. Remember the officials going down the gangway in Callao, with their dropsies, boxes of cosmetics and whisky, and nice, different even, food made by the galley staff who were of Carribean origin.

[Richard Masson]

Willie, it looks like we missed each other by about a month. According to my Discharge Book I first signed on the Albany in Middlesbrough on 15th Sept. 1964. You probably signed off after the deep-sea voyage. Royal Mail used to take on coastal crews for discharge then sign on new deep-sea crew ready to load for the next trip. I remember we left Middlebrough to go down to London to load. My first trip as 3rd Mate.
Pity you didn't come back for another trip, we would have been on watch together for at least a third of the trip.

[Richard Masson]

I was an apprentice on Essequibo (The Squib) in 1957 I also served on Albany in the 60's and on Eden They were all good ships and if you had the right cook on board good feeders as well Does anyone remember a guyanan cook called Doc Parris?
He was a damn good cook and we apprentices used to benefit from his late night suppers of strange delicacies like flying fish,. breadfruit etc

John, I think you were Second Mate on Albany when I was 3/0. If you are the right John Neary you'll probably remember that we had Dickie Box as Captain for his first two trips in command. Not entirely successful if you recall. I think Leo Frayne was Mate and also remember a Scotsman called Geoff Barkes who was the Dip.

[John Neary]

On the Pampas one trip we ran out of water, so we rigged hoses over the derricks and had cold salt water showers all the way to London.

Malcolm

But on the Pardo we saved Bermuda's bacon by bringing 800 tons of fresh water in No 3 deeps and averting a drought. which annoyed the RN's off the Britannia in Hamilton at the time because we were more popular than they were!
John

[Bill Graham]

I had the good fortune to sail on the Pardo and the Parima. Compared to some of the other "tubs" I sailed on they were indeed sheer luxury. On a different note, does anyone have any pictures of the Pardo or Parima. thanks.

[John Neary]

I dont know about others' experience but I always found the food rreasonable on most of the ships I was on and have good memories of most of the cooks. Does any one remember Doc Parris the Guyanan? He was a great cook in my memory and used to make special west indian dishes for hungry apprentices!
Regards
John Neary