longest time between ports

[David G Sharp]

42 days, Melbourne to Dakar, on Melbourne Star, for Bunkers. 1968.

Buenos Aires 26 Jan; Singapore (6 hours for bunkering) 24 Feb, Saigon 1 March on board Deseado of Royal Mail Lines

[Red Lead Ted]

What about the shortest, We let go from Brunswick Dock and tied up in Birkenhead 20 minutes later. Is there a shorter run Terry.

[Captain Kong]

On the ESSO , VLCCs in the 70s we were on slow steaming, 56 days round the Cape to the Gulf, anchor 40 miles offshore to wait for a berth at a sea buoy, load 280,000 tons and slow steam back to europe round the Cape, another 56 days,
that was at least 120 days and never see land, and Dry ship.

[retarf]

Longest non-stop voyage 62 days slow steaming from Newport News to Hiroshima round the Cape of Good Hope. We were supposed to call at Durban for cargo and provisions, but this call was cancelled and we had to continue. Provisions had to be rationed and we arrived in Japan with a few tins of fruit and little else in the storeroom. Indian crew not happy !!

[Doc Vernon]

Cannot compete with any of these long Voyages I am afraid to say ,but wish that I could have done some that are posted,sounds like some fun at times and others not too much fun !
The only one that I recall that was of any special length of time but not between Ports was on the old Warwick Castle ,on a trip Round Africa ,she had a few troubles I think to do with her Engine ,and we had to sat in some of the Ports a bit longer than was scheduled.
Was supposed to take about Six Weeks from London KG5 around Africa,calling at most Ports on the way , some good and some not so good,anyway with the troubles she had it took almost 8 Weeks to get from point to point in place of Six.
Not too bad I suppose,but even that I really enjoyed as it gave us more time in the better ports to go ashore and enjoy the joys of life LOL oH lA lA!

[vic mcclymont]

What about the shortest, We let go from Brunswick Dock and tied up in Birkenhead 20 minutes later. Is there a shorter run Terry.

Hi Terry, think I can beat that, towed from James Watt Dock, Greenock to the new InchGreen Drydock. As the crow flies less than a mile.
Vic

[Ken Norton]

Unable to remember exact ports but joined a brand new build with the wife in Gothenborg (British Wye) what I do remember is not going down the gangway for over four months. I beleive we sailed from Gothenborg to the Gulf around the Cape as Suez was not open . Pulled a piston in the Gulf (six on six off) Durban pulled a piston (six on six off) Gulf another piston Lobito... Luanda pulled a piston in each Back up the Gulf another piston. Mitzsushima Japan got ashore for six hours first time down the gangway for just over four months. Back to the Gulf .....Walvis Bay .... Durban payed off over six months. just gone. The reason for this for the engineers was new technology ( A homogeniser for the heavy oil straight into the engine) creating heavy wear. Wonderful honeymoon trip!!!

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Last British deep sea trip, British Builder 8th Nov 1955 Newcastle-on-Tyne to 20th Sep 1956 North Shields, with only eleven days ashore.
Spent more days broken down and drifting than shore leave. example spent ten days drifting on a trip from Kuwait to Auckland, six days drifting from Al-Mahdi to Port Pirie, in South Australia.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

From Hull to Melbourne with NZSC some 49 days with a limit of two pints of fresh water per day across the Indian Ocean.
But we did get two cans a day!!

[Red Lead Ted]

Hi Terry, think I can beat that, towed from James Watt Dock, Greenock to the new InchGreen Drydock. As the crow flies less than a mile.
Vic

Vic, Did you take a pilot aboard we did