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Greetings One & all,
My longest trip between ports was Port Arthur in Texas via the Panama Canal to Brisbane 6 weeks and two days out from Brisbane we ran into a Cyclone not very comfortable.
Best wishes to all,
John Aspin (R685343) Ormesby-Middlesbrough.
I did Nova Scotia to Brisbane via the canal but ah cannae remember how long it took. I know we had Christmas and New Year in between.
7 weeks towing a cable laying barge from Stokholm to Halifax Nova Scotia on the tug Afon Goch, routed all the time by Bracknell weather station and not allowed to exceed 4 knots by the insurers. Launched the boat every day we could to check the machinery on the barge. We had been on salvage station in Stockholm for 9 weeks previous to sailing so we all planed to steam for home like a bat out of hell. So much for plans , we had a salvage job off the Azores and ran into a bloody huricane
When I was on the VLCCs we were on slow steaming, called BUFCON, bunker fuel conservation.
We were at 8 knots round the Cape from Europe to the Gulf Eight weeks,then anchor off Ras Tannurah for four weeks,tie up to Sea Island, a platform for six ships, 40 miles off shore then slow steam back around the Cape to Europe for twelve weeks, pick up the Aghulas Current, stop engines and drift a couple of thousand miles to the Cape, the pick up the Benguela Current stop engines and drift for a few thousand miles up the African coast, until a market had been found for the 300,000 tons of oil, then steam to Norway. taking another12 weeks. Up to six months without seeing land. 28,000 miles.
Cos Ive got those Abadan Blues,
Blues I sure would like to lose
You can keep your New York and New Jersey
theres a place on the River Mersey
I`m coming back to you sweet Liverpool
but dont know when.
Yes I did something similar in 1989,the year before redundancy finally claimed me…..
60 days at sea(that’s two whole months)from Hay Point in Queensland to Aabenraa Power Station,Denmark with 166,000 tonnes of coal in a very large bulk/ore carrier.
Charterers speed was 10 knots.
First it was 30 days of near-continuous 'stiff' rolling across the Southern Ocean .(A‘stiff ‘ship has ample stability but tends to roll fairly quickly ,then returns just as quickly to the upright, in a form of jerky movement,and is fairly uncomfortable for long periods).This was a 950 feet long ship with a 150 feet beam,just to prove to the non-seafarers reading,that big ships roll too!
Then we were scheduled for a 'helicopter mail/fresh provisions drop' off the Cape,but the Old Man was instructed by the charterers to proceed direct to Denmark in order to berth prior to the Xmas/New Year deadline.So another tedious ,mind-numbing 30 days to Denmark thus ensued..
I couldn't bear the thought of any more trips like that and I was glad to take redundancy about a year later.
On that 12,250 mile passage, I estimate that it was after the 798,599th completed roll (!)that the magic of being at sea,for me, finally ended……and all the memories put on hold,till I joined this site twenty years later….:)
I was at sea 1947 to 1977 on a wide variety of ships and companies and I enjoyed most of my time at sea.I posted on this theme earlier on a 35 day voyage Abadan to Wellington no stops except breakdowns and no canals to break the monotony. First ten years changed companies almost every trip,you could in those days and saw ports had great shore runs etc, Tried to avoid tankers but sailed on BTC,Shell,Esso (longest trip 11 months) and athel Line the favourite of that buch because of the run to West Indies and time in port. Also in latter years did a trip on Panocean the Postrunner with a brilliant crowd ,crew was Chinese, but by then I was the oldest aboard at 43,even Captain was younger.
My point in all this though is reading the most recent threads above like Gullivers & King Kongs threats Im sure I wouldnt have stayed thirty years doing voyages like that. I left Cunard after over thirteen years after being sent to Atlantic Conveyor, it was too much like tankers runs quick turnrounds,no port time I personally didnt go to sea for that.
Think the fifties/sixties were best
Stuart
for i always get my sugar from the wagons in love laneQuote:
Originally Posted by Captain Kong
Thats right Lou, I have forgotten all the words of a great song now
Cheers
Brian
I can't claim any great feats here but what about time waitng for a berth alongside? We regularly had to wait on the hook outside Columbo, Ceylon ( now Sri Lanka ) in Brocklebanks for five weeks. We had to be ready to go in at a moments notice so had to maintain sea watches down below on main steam.With no powered vents in the E/R and the ship stopped it used to get to 145F.
We would often watch a Blue Flue ship sail straight in with the Blue Peter flying !!. Hells bells. I counted nine ships waiting once, many waiting longer than us.
Wonder what it's like now......
Kevin
KevinQuote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Mercer;59602
We would often watch a Blue Flue [B
Just curious, why would they be flying the Blue Peter on entering port, it is usually only used once in port and the vessel is due to sail
In port "P" meaning "All persons should repair on board as the vessel is about to sail"
"P" when at sea ""Your lights are out or burning badly" (on the Aldis lamp off course and not the flag)
Rgds Ivan
p.s. In Dubai in the 60's it was common to have more than 30 plus ships waiting to enter port even more off Lagos