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31st January 2022, 10:46 AM
#11
Re: New Member
Welcome Barry, as Red Lead Ted says, I was on Achatina in 71 from Feb to Sept. I was 4/E then promoted on board to 3/E.
I was on board when we had collision with trawler in N. Sea en route to Bremerhaven drydock.
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31st January 2022, 11:30 AM
#12
Re: New Member
Originally Posted by
Tony Taylor
Welcome Barry, as Red Lead Ted says, I was on Achatina in 71 from Feb to Sept. I was 4/E then promoted on board to 3/E.
I was on board when we had collision with trawler in N. Sea en route to Bremerhaven drydock.
Just a relevant snippet for this thread:-
[30th August 1971- in a position 25nm west of Heligoland-the West German trawler Bertha Denz was in collision with the 18,577 dwt.British Shell steam tanker Achatina (ON 187831) and sank,2 trawler crew rescued by the Achatina.]
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31st January 2022, 12:49 PM
#13
Re: New Member
There you go Graham, You cant keep her out of the news on here amazing how many times she gets a mention, Terry.
{terry scouse}
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31st January 2022, 03:22 PM
#14
Re: New Member
Originally Posted by
Graham Shaw
Just a relevant snippet for this thread:-
[30th August 1971- in a position 25nm west of Heligoland-the West German trawler Bertha Denz was in collision with the 18,577 dwt.British Shell steam tanker Achatina (ON 187831) and sank,2 trawler crew rescued by the Achatina.]
Correct, it was late afternoon, about 16.40 ish, I had just changed and was going out for a spin round the accommodation when the port side door flies open and a steward flies in and said , we just hit a buoy, I told him we are too far out for any buoys (we were slow steaming due to tank cleaning and heavy weather). As I rounded the front of the accommodation I saw, some distance off the starboard bow, the bow of another vessel slipping rapidly under the sea and at the same time time I saw the mate trying to start no1 lifeboat engine. I ran up to the boat deck midships and took over from the mate and fortunately I had recently renewed all the fuel lines on the lifeboat so she started first swing.
We launched the boat and headed off but needed, direction from the bridge as the sea was running quite heavy and we couldn't see anything while down in the bottom of the swell, fortunately we had walkie talkies (fairly new just then) as we could only see the casualties when on top of the wave, it was like driving a bus uphill then having to back off the revs going down the other side. The mate was a little Irish guy who handled the boat superbly, cant remember his name tho. We did pick up two men but there was no sign of the third (master of the vessel). Getting hooked on again to the falls was a bit hairy but we managed.
Apparently the master of the fishing boat was at the wheel and was taking a lee from us due to bad weather. He had lashed the wheel and gone below when the boat surged ahead and then swung under our bow.
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1st February 2022, 02:52 PM
#15
Re: New Member
I think we have got more chance of meeting Trevor McDonald, Than our Barry.
{terry scouse}
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1st February 2022, 11:22 PM
#16
Re: New Member
Barry . Welcome to the site . Just enjoy like we do .
Ron The batcave
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9th February 2022, 09:08 AM
#17
Re: New Member
Welcome Barry, always good to see new members. I was on Shell Tankers in 1959 & 1960, these being a Maiden voyage on the "ASPRELLA" followed by the "ZENATIA" back in those days the 38,000 tonnes "ZENATIA" was classed as a super tanker but within a few years she was almost a lightener tanker for the massive ships.
Phil Hughes.
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