hello just joined this site

[johnathan charles]

I worked on deep sea trawlers for 15 years out of Lowestoft as chief engineer then moved on to tugs sailing from Lowestoft and tilbury docks my name is john taffy webster

[Richard Quartermaine]

Welcome aboard John, good bunch here and relating experiences is par for for the course.
Cheers, Richard

[cappy]

I worked on deep sea trawlers for 15 years out of Lowestoft as chief engineer then moved on to tugs sailing from Lowestoft and tilbury docks my name is john taffy webster

######respects to all trawlermen regards cappy

[Doc Vernon]

Welcome to the site Taffy
Hope you will have a long and enjoyable stay here with all of us.
Lots to read and many many Pictures to browse through!
So sit back relax and enjoy the Nostalgic trip!
Cheers

[Keith at Tregenna]

RE: Lowestoft and tilbury docks

Doc, where did you pick up on a Taff link ?

K.

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######respects to all trawlermen regards cappy

DITTO. K

[Doc Vernon]

RE: Lowestoft and tilbury docks

Doc, where did you pick up on a Taff link ?

K.

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DITTO. K

In his Post Keith!



my name is john taffy webster

[j.sabourn]

#1...Johnathen, was the old Chieftan lying in mothballs in lowestoft when you were working out of Lowestoft. ? She was an ex Navy salvage vessel usually used for picking up over the bow. I was taken out from Dover to join her in the English Channel she was doing bottom samples in that area and up the Thames estuary and then around off Yarmouth, and back to lay up again in Lowestoft. Was there for 15 days as the skipper there wanted off, his excuse being it was his wedding anniversary, rather think he was an ex Green peace skipper, and as the fishermen were kicking up about the disturbance they thought might result from the samples taken, wanted off. She was on charter to Westminster dredging. I was on my way out of the country and short of money at the time but manadged to get 2 airplane tickets to WA out of it. Briggs Marine owned the ship and just brought her out on the spot market when the opportunity arose. She was laid up when I left her in Sept 91. Knew a few from that area. Mickey Slack and Mickey Reid, believe Mickey Reid went supt. for one of the Lowestoft companys may even of been Colne shipping which someone has recently put on the site. Cheers. John S.[COLOR="Silver"]

---------- Post added at 10:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 AM ----------

[/COLORKeith, with a middle name of Taffy, does that not ring any bells. If it had been Jock he could of come from South Shields, as is the league of nations there, in reality Cappy is a Zulu warrior which he never lets on Cheers JS

[Ron B Manderson]

welcome to the site John
Happy to have you here.
Ron the batcave

[j.sabourn]

Johnathen, just had a look back in past posts and see it was you who mentioned Colne Shipping. A couple of years back was in the Yarmouth area when over for a visit and saw a couple of their ships in Yarmouth. Was under the impression that they had an office now in Yarmouth, on the quayside close to the bridge on the north side. I worked out of Yarmouth on the Seaforth Victor and the Seaforth Commander both Anchor handling tugs/supply vessels, and later with a different company on the Veesea Topaz. Was surprised at the amount of shipping in the river at the time, there was probably a lot of it laid up I suppose. How did Colne start off ? I had it in the back of my mind they were a fishing boat company, however the ships I saw in the river were all related to the oil industry and some looked purpose built. Cheers JS

[johnathan charles]

hello js and thanks for post I left Lowestoft in 1987 to work on home trade tugs based at tilbury docks sailed with this firm for 5 years the tugs were called towing chieftain and towing wizard I was sent home from Gothenburg after a bad fall in engine room this was in1992 and have not been back. I have very bad osteoarthritis and have had both knees replaced and need new hip. history of colne shipping started as fishing company by mr Gordon claridge in 1940 at Lowestoft by the 1970 and 1980 the firm had got in to the supporting the offshore oil and gas industry by using old trawlers as oil rig stand by ships he started buying all the ex hull and Grimsby and Fleetwood deep water trawlers to use as stand by ships when I left he had about 84 ships the company stoped tradeing in 2002 all the ships went for scrap new all the lads from Lowestoft but did not sail with m reed all the best johnathan.