New Member - Tony Skilton

[Tony Skilton]

Hullo All - another new member - name is Tony Skilton from Auckland, NZ.
I'm a 5th-generation Kiwi, but have spent considerable time in the UK digging around my old family tree roots.
Joined RNZNVR in 1969 while doing a Fitting, Turning & Machining apprenticeship in Wellington.
Some time as relieving 4th engineer on NZ coastal self-discharging bulk cement carriers during last year of apprenticeship (the ships were all Scottish-built by APCM-Blue Circle Cement UK). Spent the next 20 years on 4 different cement carriers from this company - C/E from 1982.
Back got damaged at the end of 1990, so ashore (but eventually working back in the marine industry) until doing a trip on QE2 in 2008 (my son was 3/O on the final voyage to Dubai).
A good chat with the doctor on there prompted me to try and pass the seagoing medical again (which I eventually did).
Revalidated my FG tickets again 2008-09, back to sea on the cement ships again for 6 months, then off to Australian Offshore Industry where engineers were in high demand and the remuneration wasn't too bad either! Spent 5 years on all types of vessels working between Pt Lincoln/Fremantle/Darwin/Singapore, then back to NZ when the work wound down.
Promptly invited back to my 36-year old cement carrier again for "two weeks relieving". Yeah, right! Two years later that job has finally finished, and blow me down the Aussies have just rung me up again, but this time I declined. At 67, gotta stop somewhere and enjoy the time I have left.
Good to see Rod Fair already on board (just!!).

I enjoy sharing experiences and having a good laugh when someone's writings bring back memories of being in similar situations.
Cheers,
Skilly

[Ivan Cloherty]

Welcome aboard this virtual ship Tony, most sailing on calm seas, but a bit of turbulence now and again to liven things up, happy sailing

[Lewis McColl]

Welcome Tony to the forum ,mostly calm waters on here but now and again we hit the odd tropical storm.

[Red Lead Ted]

Tony good to have you aboard mate, I had a good friend from N.Z. Around 1970 for a couple of years he sailed in and out of Liverpool, He nearly got hitched with my cousin, We new him as Tubby, I remember him bringing a moriori seaman to our house for a booze up one night he was known as Mouse probably because he was bloody huge, Happy days Cobber Regards Terry.

[Peter F Chard]

Hi Tony, I'm an Aucklander also, welcome to the site. A question -- are you related to Skilton Auto parts of Drury, South Auckland ? I am retired now but did spend 21 years as a Ship Surveyor with the Marine Dept so probably have surveyed some of the cement boats you served on. Regards Peter in Highland Park, Auckland.

[j.sabourn]

Hi Tony, and welcome. Re. Your sojourns in. Fremantle, were you working for Total. Marine, or Mermaid Shipping. Your a bit after my time when there but think they would still be in business when you were working out of Fremantle. Regards JWS

[Tony Skilton]

Hi Peter, - yes, Paul at Drury is a 1st cousin - we usually end up swapping e-mails every couple of weeks or so. I was with Wellington-based Golden Bay Cement (until 1988 it was a subsidiary company of Blue Circle UK, then bought by Fletcher Building and HQ transferred to Auckland) - started on the original MVGB in 1972, then through Ligar Bay, John Wilson, and finally got off the current Golden Bay II a couple of months back. Still remember Peter Betteridge & Bob Box from Wellington office - got on well with them both.

JWS - yes - I was TMS from 2009 till about 2014 (Barrow Island jobs/Domgas pipeline, Janz Field spooling) Ichthys Project), then Miclyn till 2015, when TMS rang me up again, so I returned there for another year. Programmed Marine (was P-TMS) have just rung me again - they are manning the 5 Teresea boats that are towing the Shell Prelude (600,000 tonnes) from Sth Korea to W.A. and were looking for C/Es with lots of towing experience. But, enough is enough. Time to stop while the body still functions!
Cheers,
Skilly

[j.sabourn]

On arriving out here was with Total marine as soon as got Guild clearance and was master on with them. First ship was the Pacific Dart one of Swires and managed by them. Was later with Mermaid and started Off the sea bottom survey from Bondi beach area To Auckland for laying a cable for Optus. What was supposed to take 9 months took nearly. 2 years I believe. Ship was the Mermaid Raider. Did 1991 to 2002 on the coast with a few run jobs bringing down and taken ships back to Singapore. Very interesting and good working conditions experienced. Still retired at 65 though let some one younger have it. Funnily enough along the street from me about 200 yards is the start of a small village called Golden Bay, is that where the cement factory originated. Cheers JWS. Ps those ships you mention for the tow job coming up,are they fairly new. What sort of manning down the ER do they have now as the chief engineer was always on call for the driving of the big towing winch on my time on anchor handlers in the North Sea and out here. I was a late starter in the offshore but they still used pelican hooks then, when sharks jaws came in made the mates job a lot easier. That's what I call progress combined with safety. Cheers JWS.

[Fouro]

Hello Tony, Welcome Aboard, as engineers are few aboard this old tub.
Quite an accomplishment being a Relieving 4th engineer at sea before completing your shore apprenticeship. Did you or didn't you have to aquire a pre-sea grading certificate before going to sea as such?.

FOURO.

[j.sabourn]

Fouro I may be speaking out of turn here. But if my memory hasn't deterioted too bad, when I disappeared on foreign ships about 66/67 think the old grading for engineers was still there for British ships which to my mind was your background in engineering whether heavy or light. I have sailed with engineers who served their time in razor blade factory's and those who served their time as Blacksmiths. Am sure the one I sailed with was shoeing horses he was of that era. However in Australia and NZ may have been different, so is a very interesting question.Look forward to the answer, we can always learn something on this site. Cheers JWS