longest time between ports

[happy daze john in oz]

Des, maybe you should have moved out of Cardiff to maybe Liverpool or Southampton, could maybe have got a better deal.

[Stuart Lawrence]

Whilst they were unusual times. We departed Stanley, Falkland Islands on 31st March 1982 and only arrived back in Southampton on 14th June as the QE II was departing South, having been MOD routed via a basically mid atlantic passage, however given the first part of our passage when we, as the largest vessel registered in Stanley, must have been very close to the Argentine Invading Force as our next port of call was scheduled to be Punta Arenas. However we only went as far as the East Magellan Strait Pilot Station where the pilot cutter brought out most of the essential parts that were required by one of our Antarctic Stations. This did not free us from interrogation by the Argentine coast station at Cabo Virgines on our way back out from the Strait.
I, as Master, have never encountered a worse situation for my vessel and my crew, as with several Falkland Islanders amongst our numbers we then had to listen to the invasion of Stanley.
Stuart

[Des Taff Jenkins]

John.
Swansea mate Swansea not Cardiff, "You fink I Arab or somfink"
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

John.
Swansea mate Swansea not Cardiff, "You fink I Arab or somfink"
Des

Sorry Des, only in Cardiff once, never got to the other place but my step grandmother was from there, should have kept here there if you ask me. LOL

[Kenneth Rose]

Dear Taff Jenkins. I think you might have got your towns mixed up because I definitely signed on the mv great city on 14.2.63 in Dublin and all the corrispondence prior between my self and the company was to and from Cardiff. But I suppose we are all at the stage of for getting things or just getting them mixed up. But I. Remember paying off on the 13.2.64 in belfastafter tramping around the world. And having my eyes opened wide. And leading me to seek some ware with a bit of sun shine. Ken rose Brisbane AUSTRALIA. Before I forget. I have recently found my discharge books number. 782704. Still remember the good times our engine room Arabs were good workers from SOUTH SHEILDS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Kenneth.
John may have been confused by the fact that I signed on the Trevose in Cardiff on my first trip to sea in 1949.
Des

[Bryan Ashton]

My longest period before entering port was while on a round the world tramping on the Temple Main.
We left Masawa in Etheopia for India where we anchored off what looked like jungle and all these barges appeared from the jungle and loaded us with iron ore. There was no port that we could see so never got to go ashore.
After leaving there we sailed for Japan stopping briefly to anchor off Singapore to refuel, again no shore leave, then sailed to Japan.
After leaving Japan on Christmas Eve we sailed to Vancouver Island to load timber for Liverpool, UK
Brilliant trip.

[Gordon Sherrard]

Hobart to Hamburg non-stop, 34 days I think in the early 70s on the Port Alfred. Don't know why it took so long, maybe waiting for a berth.

[corrientes]

47 days from Igarka to BA is memorable on several levels!!

[Chris Thompson]

Was 4/E on the mvBaknes later SilverClyde, joined in Antwerp in the November and sailed for Shanghai apart from bunkering in Dakar for a few hours we took 55days to arrive. It was driven by 2 medium speed B&Ws that constantly broke down so we limped along at one time or another at 8 knots.
On the way back to Europe we bunkered and took lube oil on in Australia, lube oil was delivered in 45 gallon drums, donkey man spent the next couple of weeks hand pumping the oil to the tanks, took the Mick saying the next lot in Cape town would come the same way, Guess what! Chief took pity on him and got them to pump it for us. Was a memorable day though because Newcastle beat Burnley to reach the cup final, 2weeks at anchor off Sceczin scuppered my dream of seeing the final though