Hi From A Newcomer

[Richard Simpson]

Just a brief word.

I started with Manchester Liners as an Engineering Cadet after getting thrown out of school. I discovered motorcycles, beer and girls at just the wrong time. Stayed with them until they became absorbed into the Furness Withy Fleet then got knocked around from pillar to post for a while. Sailed on Houlders ships, Shaw Savile, PSNC, Prince Line, British Steel Bulkies etc.. Eventually as a 4/E with a Chief's Ticket I decided it was a waste of time so went ashore for a couple of years to run a small engineering workshop. Loved the job but couldn't afford the low pay so went back with Cunard as a 2/E. Stayed on the Cunard Countess for a few years, up to Staff Chief, then went ashore as a Fleet Training Officer for two years. Running the cadet scheme was the most rewarding period of my life. Time to go back on the ships but nothing to go back to so went to Disney Cruise Line as a Senior 2/E just as they were building their first ships in Italy. Up through the ranks to C/E on the Disney Wonder then the Disney Dream, where I stayed until a heart condition forced early retirement.

Despite the glamour of a large modern cruise ship I still miss days on the smaller cargo ships. I've done most things, hove to in the North Atlantic doing 40 degree rolls with lube oil sprayed over everything, drifting for two days mid Pacific with a broken counter balance drive shaft, scavenge fires, assorted other fires, holes in the hull, less than safe practises dictated by the demands of a schedule such as Peilstick rocker box inspections while on the North Atlantic, starting one engine from another by 'bump' starting it i.e. clutching it in to get it spinning by the running engine, and even starting up from dead cold in Montreal in Winter by starting the engine then holding the racks in position with a very large stilson wrench to prevent it overspeeding and remaining there until the racks all warmed up. Both boilers were dead. I learned to scuba dive and did my own underwater checks if I wanted to see something and even checked on other ships when requested. We 'tested' the lifeboats quite frequently then, with a box of sandwiches from the hotel lads, who came along for the ride, and a case of beer to see us all through the lunch break. Its been a pretty full on career that I wouldn't have changed for the world.

I sometimes think I should write a book but then think, who would be interested nowadays!

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Richard.
Welcome to the site, good story of your time at sea. Hope you stay and enjoy all there is to read here about the Good Old Days:::
Breakdowns at sea where part of life in the old days , though I was on deck spent many a day down below helping the Engineers with rigging, on the British Builder which broke down for six days in the Tasman, in 56.
Cheers Des