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25th March 2017, 06:23 AM
#31
Re: the suevic
Excuse my ignorance John but I had no idea there had been an earthquake in that part of the world. I am sure it was not reported in the UK. I have heard of the "Ring of Fire" but I didn't realise that NZ was within that ring. So Lyttleton as a port doesn't exist anymore? I never did see the town. I could never get further than the 'British'.
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26th March 2017, 02:05 AM
#32
Re: Mike Joyce
gday mike,my cabinmates name was Richie Tamasso,a really lovely guy.If you were on the Amazon was that with the bosun Sid the Yid.my last trip to sea was on the Richmond Castle,stopped in Durban on the way to China.My son is called Cameron,my brother mick,s son is Micheal.When i was in Wellington i worked on the Harbour board.Firstly as a painter,because i had an A.B.s ticket it allowed me to absail the crane jibs and so the painting crew were all ex seaman.I also did a stint on the pilot staff,taking the pilots out to the cook straight to board the ships.Bit rough at times.So we both became painters and decorators,and working in a nut house you can imagine the glazing that had to be done.terry
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26th March 2017, 03:17 AM
#33
Re: the suevic
Hi Mickey
If you saw the British you saw Lyttleton there wasn't much else there. Christchurch was flattened in the earthquake, the Cathedral collapsed and one big building that was supposed to be earthquake proof came down killing many people, can't remember how many were killed overall but I think in the hundreds.
When I lived there it used to shake a lot, lying in bed was like having waves running under the house, we shot through to Auckland. NZ is one of the countries in the ring of fire and have plenty of big quakes. On one ship in Wellington harbour standing at the rails watched as big waves suddenly appeared coming across the harbour rocked the ship thought we were at sea.
Cheers Des
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26th March 2017, 11:41 AM
#34
Re: Mike Joyce
Hi Terry, The only way I could get into the Merchant Navy back in 1968 was by joining as an Engineroom rating such as a Greaser. That was my position on the Amazon so I never came into contact with Sid the Yid or any of the deck crew. I hated that job with a vengeance so it was on the Suevic that I contracted a bad case of dermatitis and the Captain, God bless him, officially transferred me to the Deck Department. And as they say in fairy tales, I lived happily.., well for a few years anyway. Being one the Pilot staff must have been a handy job. I guess it must have been shift work, but nevertheless you were home most days or nights. And as for the nut house you weren't a patient then? . I had a thought that maybe it was you I was giving the radio to, in Auckland but apparently not. Any guesses as to who it may have been? My very best wishes to your family Terry.
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26th March 2017, 01:08 PM
#35
Re: the suevic
Sorry to hear about the Cathedral collapsing and the large amount of people killed I guess the Local Government will be very wary of building another Cathedral. While you were living there, did you feel that sooner or later NZ was going to get hit with a big quake?. What with that massive Tsunami occurring only a few years earlier in the Indian Ocean it would seem like the Ring of Fire was getting overheated, (pardon the pun).
Last edited by mickeyJ; 26th March 2017 at 01:10 PM.
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27th March 2017, 05:28 AM
#36
Re: the suevic
Originally Posted by
mickeyJ
Excuse my ignorance John but I had no idea there had been an earthquake in that part of the world. I am sure it was not reported in the UK. I have heard of the "Ring of Fire" but I didn't realise that NZ was within that ring. So Lyttleton as a port doesn't exist anymore? I never did see the town. I could never get further than the 'British'.
I did hear that when the big one struck in 2011 Lttleton was close to the epicentre of it. The docks were all but wiped out and no cruise ship has been there since. I think a bit of the quay is now open but no real shipping as such goes there.
From what i saw of the town on Boxing day in 2010 I doubt much would have survived as a previous had done significant damage. So many buildings propped up in the vain hope of repair.
So sad to see the devastation in both there and Christchurch.
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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23rd April 2017, 07:40 PM
#37
Re: Mike Joyce
(Reply capt kong
this is why I used to pick the big ugly ones, they always backed you up in a fight.
tom)
And also you were less likely to catch the pox or so we figured.
Last edited by mickeyJ; 23rd April 2017 at 07:49 PM.
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