longest time between ports

[Neville Roberts]

I think its been done before but whar was your longest time at sea between ports mine was on a blue star boat too the west coast of the states it took us 28 days too get too panama, kept breaking down in mid atlantic , and doing about 5 knots some days , when we got into the carribean we saw land and it was like we had never saw it before WOW look lads land

[Dennis McGuckin]

Think mine was on the Tasmania Star from Mombasa to NZ.
Can't remember how long it took, but know we all got excited when we saw a log with some Gulls sitting on it.
No TV or radio reception [most times] on board in thoes days! so didn't take much.
Den.

[Doc Vernon]

Never had any Long trips between Ports,but wish i had now,as i am sure it would have been a lot more exciting just being able to stay away from Land for a while!
Just let the Sea,Sun and wonders of the Ocean get right into your Bones! haah!
Mind you i suppose not to long,as in the Younger years one wanted to have some shore fun too haha!

[Richard Quartermaine]

I don't know if these qualify but I joined my First Ship, Port Line MANZ run (Montreal Australia New Zealand Scedule) MV LOWLANDER at Newcastle NSW 21 January, 1947. Ports of call were Tahiti, Pitcairn Island, Panama Canal (Crisobal/Balboa where I was introduced to cevezza and hangovers!), Curacao, New York, Boston, Halifax NS, and then - across the Atlantic to Cape Verde Islands where we dropped the pick for a couple of hours and then direct to Cape Town. Special nostalgia for me for my father was sick bay attendant on the SS Benalla working his way to Australia and my mother was a Bradford lass immigrating to the Goulburn Woolen Mills in NSW and got horribly seasick. they had their first date in 1924 taking the tram up to Kloof Nek.

Where was I? Oh yes, We then went across the Indian Ocean to Fremantle, then to Melbourne and I paid off on the 19th June 1947. It was the run from Halifax Canada to Cape Town that took a long time but I can't remember exactly how long.

My next trip six weeks later on the old coal burner SS&A SS RARANGA at 6 knots (or 8 in a following sea) across to Cape Town from Fremantle seemed to take forever. I'd give quids to do it again!!

Richard Q

[casso]

In mid 1960 I was on the Cape Grenville, we left the Panama canal for Hong Kong, it took 6 weeks. I think we stopped every Saturday to change a piston (a different one each time). We were at sea so long the eggs started to go off so on the last weeks we had scrambled eggs mixed with Lee and Perrings to disguise the taste for breakfast. I must admit Hong Kong was well worth the time it took to get there.

[Doc Vernon]

Heck Richard
That Pic does really bring back memories!
What a great old Pic of Cape Town Harbour!
Pity the Table isnt there! Quite an unusual angle!
Cheers

And Kloof Nek! Used to go up there many a Day before the Merc with my friend Richard Glintenkamp,we both had Air Rifles then and Drop Handle Raleigh Cycles,and used to pop the Pidgeons off up there in the Kloof!
Then ride all the way round the Mountain towards Hout Bay,and back along the old road leading to Paarl! Used to take the entire Day!
Mum used to make delicious Pidgeon Pie! Yummy!
Cant do that anymore though!
Cheers

[happy daze john in oz]

Think my longest was Hull to Melbourne via the canal. Stopped at Gib and Port Said but no shore leve as we were only at anchor. Took about five weeks I think,

[Stuart Henderson]

Mine was in 1948 on British Tankers (BTC) between Abadan in the Persian Gulf as it was then known to Wellngton NZ. It took 35 days with lots of breakdowns,shortage of fresh water. No TVs,films and weekly rum tot issue. Them we the days. Think we had two nights run ashore and left Christmas Eve back for Abadan. Ship was BRITISH MIGHT
Stuart
R396040

[jimmys]

Bahrein to Long Beach a long hike can take up to forty days depending on Pacific currents. Did it a few times the Yanks were short of oil during the Veitnam war. Texaco tankers. Back load Long Beach to Saigon. A lot of hiking. I just would not do it now even if I could, I know better.
Some idiot says you spend the best years of your life at sea, I did not feel that!!! They do not know what being to sea is.

regards

[Captain Kong]

On the VLCCs in the 70s we were on slow running, BUFCON, [ bunker fuel conservation,]
a trip to the Gulf took two months load at Sea Island, just a platform , many miles off shore at Rastanurah, and then nearly three months back to Europe.
When we picked up the Aghulas Current we stopped engines and drifted all the way to the Cape, at that time there at least a dozen other tankers within sight all doing the same thing, British Tankers were doing it as well, just like travelling on a conveyor belt. when we got down by the Cape we would steam around until we found the Benguella Currnet and then drift North up near to the equator then carry on steaming at 8 knots towards the Channel.
The tankers saved a lot of fuel oil doing that, meanwhile the price of oil was rising and with a ship carrying two and a half million barrels of oil a $2 barrel rise means a five million dollar increase in profit.
so we would travel 30,000 miles in five months. and hardly ever see land.