# Ocean Fleets Cadet 1972 to 1976



## britman (Oct 23, 2019)

Looking for old colleagues, friends, shipmates, Aigburth Arms drinking buddies!!!
The name is John Seymour. Was at Aulis and Riversdale from ‘72 to ‘76.
First Trip was on M.V. Mano, starting in Liverpool on November 23rd 1972.
Later served on Fian, Glenlyon, Troilus, Autolycus, Falaba, Priam and Tokyo Bay.

I saw there was a reunion back in 2019 which unfortunately I missed.


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## stevie burgess (Oct 9, 2008)

britman said:


> Looking for old colleagues, friends, shipmates, Aigburth Arms drinking buddies!!!
> The name is John Seymour. Was at Aulis and Riversdale from ‘72 to ‘76.
> First Trip was on M.V. Mano, starting in Liverpool on November 23rd 1972.
> Later served on Fian, Glenlyon, Troilus, Autolycus, Falaba, Priam and Tokyo Bay.
> ...


Hi britman, I sailed on the Tokyo Bay several times infact all of the Liverpool Bay class when P&O Containers took them over from Ocean Fleets early 80's. They were lovely ships and had great accomodation...my favourite was the Liverpool Bay.


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## britman (Oct 23, 2019)

stevie burgess said:


> Hi britman, I sailed on the Tokyo Bay several times infact all of the Liverpool Bay class when P&O Containers took them over from Ocean Fleets early 80's. They were lovely ships and had great accomodation...my favourite was the Liverpool Bay.


I was on Tokyo Bay 2nd May to 14th September 1975. Two round trips.


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Britman,
Were you deck?
Rgds.
Dave
Eng. Cadet Jan 80.


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## taffe65 (May 27, 2007)

stevie burgess said:


> Hi britman, I sailed on the Tokyo Bay several times infact all of the Liverpool Bay class when P&O Containers took them over from Ocean Fleets early 80's. They were lovely ships and had great accomodation...my favourite was the Liverpool Bay.


Steve I was on Tokyo mainly but did one trip on Kowloon Bay during 1993-95ish, chief eng on Tokyo was invariably "jumping jack" Lorimer, was you on them then I was 2OE. Pretty hard working ships with the 2 main sulzer rnd's, thank god the turbo alternator was a good runner which reduced the workload on the genys. Like you said great accommodation and a swimming pool too, the ships themselves were built like "brick shaitehouses"🙂


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## Tony the hippy chippy (Sep 24, 2021)

taffe65 said:


> Steve I was on Tokyo mainly but did one trip on Kowloon Bay during 1993-95ish, chief eng on Tokyo was invariably "jumping jack" Lorimer, was you on them then I was 2OE. Pretty hard working ships with the 2 main sulzer rnd's, thank god the turbo alternator was a good runner which reduced the workload on the genys. Like you said great accommodation and a swimming pool too, the ships themselves were built like "brick shaitehouses"🙂


Hi Chris I was on the Tokyo bay as poe same time as you maybe a little later I remember the sulzer rnd engine dirty filthy beast's 😜 tony


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## britman (Oct 23, 2019)

makko said:


> Britman,
> Were you deck?
> Rgds.
> Dave
> Eng. Cadet Jan 80.


Good point! Sorry. Yes, I was a deck cadet. However, a really good childhood friend of mine was an Engineer cadet at the same time as me at Aulis, Michael Wiles. Also, my brother, Michael Seymour, was an Engineer Cadet from 1975 to ‘79 at Riversdale.


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Thanks! The names don't ring bells though. I knew a lot of ECs through the Judo Club at Birkenhead Tech over the years, until I too became an EC.

Talking of Tokyo Bay, I sailed with Dave Hooper 2/E on Barber Priam. I think he was getting his hand back in on motorships as this was the time that they were re-engining the Bays.

While I never sailed on the Bays, intelligence received after the re-engining was grim! Constant scavenge fires, burst pipes, etc. One of the big problems was that they retained the original angled shafts, giving rise to considerable pooling of "crud" in the scavenge space. There was also talk of reutilizing original pipework ("cost cutting") leading to a hodge-podge of different materials and, thus, galvanic corrosion.

On B. Memnon, there was a steel pipe (I think a SW inlet line of smallish bore, maybe 4") which had one "spool" of brass. You guessed it, aponge brass! Every day, there was a little more Thistlebond to stop the leaks, until the spool was completely encased. I had measured up and forwarded a drawing for fabrication in steel, remembering (of course!) to leave one flange unwelded. We got it in Venezuela and, when the original was removed, it was mostly thistlebond and no brass. I welded the flange and the job was a good'un, no more worries.

Rgds.
Dave


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

*sponge brass.


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## Tony the hippy chippy (Sep 24, 2021)

makko said:


> Thanks! The names don't ring bells though. I knew a lot of ECs through the Judo Club at Birkenhead Tech over the years, until I too became an EC.
> 
> Talking of Tokyo Bay, I sailed with Dave Hooper 2/E on Barber Priam. I think he was getting his hand back in on motorships as this was the time that they were re-engining the Bays.
> 
> ...


Hi dave never knew you were from Merseyside but you are right about the Liverpool class ships with the rnd sulzer engine they were trouble piston and linerswere frequent bottom plates coverd in oil from leaks beautiful cabins but never had much time to appreciate it 😉 tony


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Hi Tony,
I am Wallasey born and bred!

Yes, pistons/liners, probably also due to the engine inclination. Diesels like to be level!

Rgds.
Dave


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## stevie burgess (Oct 9, 2008)

britman said:


> I was on Tokyo Bay 2nd May to 14th September 1975. Two round trips.


Bit before my time on them but i sailed with loads of ex Ocean Fleets guys that came over.


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## stevie burgess (Oct 9, 2008)

taffe65 said:


> Steve I was on Tokyo mainly but did one trip on Kowloon Bay during 1993-95ish, chief eng on Tokyo was invariably "jumping jack" Lorimer, was you on them then I was 2OE. Pretty hard working ships with the 2 main sulzer rnd's, thank god the turbo alternator was a good runner which reduced the workload on the genys. Like you said great accommodation and a swimming pool too, the ships themselves were built like "brick shaitehouses"🙂


I was on them all until i took redunancy in Dec '98 and last one being the City of Cape Town.I possibily could have sailed with you but i would need your name and even at that i might not remember! Jumping Jack now that's a name i remember lol. I was on deck with the company but as you know we were GP so did plenty in the engineroom and at least the scavenge cleaning on them were seperate units compared to the Res and Mairangi. Yes the Liverpool Bay Class were certainly solidily built for sure!


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## stevie burgess (Oct 9, 2008)

Tony the hippy chippy said:


> Hi Chris I was on the Tokyo bay as poe same time as you maybe a little later I remember the sulzer rnd engine dirty filthy beast's 😜 tony


Tony who? I might have sailed with you!


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

The Bays were the last of the Marshall Meek ships, Stevie. Design completed when the Super P's were just being delivered and entering service. There were Lloyds, DNV, ABS etcetera class vessels and then "Holts Class". Truly "brick built outhouses" to be polite. 

Having said that, the Mk1 RoRos (Mitsubishi HI) were well built too. We grounded, momentarily, in Barber Priam passing the bar in Savannah. Dave Hooper was freaking out, fearing dry docks, surveys etc. The C/E Bill Turner, in his soft NE brogue just said,"No problem, I was in the yard when they laid the keel. No need to make a note in the log!". and that's how it was. Barber Priam (1979) is still sailing as Cape Henry! 

Rgds.
Dave


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## GrahamHoll (Jan 4, 2021)

britman said:


> Looking for old colleagues, friends, shipmates, Aigburth Arms drinking buddies!!!
> The name is John Seymour. Was at Aulis and Riversdale from ‘72 to ‘76.
> First Trip was on M.V. Mano, starting in Liverpool on November 23rd 1972.
> Later served on Fian, Glenlyon, Troilus, Autolycus, Falaba, Priam and Tokyo Bay.
> ...


My first trip as an engineer cadet was in 1977 on the Falaba. Lagos being the first stop at a time there was a vast Amanda of ships waiting outside the port to discharge concrete etc. I remember Ian Dalgliesh was cadet supervisor.. ( I never saw him smile.) I also sailed on the Clytoneus and the Ajax. The Falaba was definitely a contender for the title of Thistlebond Maru.


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## Amanda strachan (May 18, 2021)

britman said:


> Looking for old colleagues, friends, shipmates, Aigburth Arms drinking buddies!!!
> The name is John Seymour. Was at Aulis and Riversdale from ‘72 to ‘76.
> First Trip was on M.V. Mano, starting in Liverpool on November 23rd 1972.
> Later served on Fian, Glenlyon, Troilus, Autolycus, Falaba, Priam and Tokyo Bay.
> ...





GrahamHoll said:


> My first trip as an engineer cadet was in 1977 on the Falaba. Lagos being the first stop at a time there was a vast Amanda of ships waiting outside the port to discharge concrete etc. I remember Ian Dalgliesh was cadet supervisor.. ( I never saw him smile.) I also sailed on the Clytoneus and the Ajax. The Falaba was definitely a contender for the title of Thistlebond Maru.


My dad Brian Strachan was on the Falaba around that time .


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## Dick Cross (Feb 20, 2021)

britman said:


> Looking for old colleagues, friends, shipmates, Aigburth Arms drinking buddies!!!
> The name is John Seymour. Was at Aulis and Riversdale from ‘72 to ‘76.
> First Trip was on M.V. Mano, starting in Liverpool on November 23rd 1972.
> Later served on Fian, Glenlyon, Troilus, Autolycus, Falaba, Priam and Tokyo Bay.
> ...





britman said:


> Looking for old colleagues, friends, shipmates, Aigburth Arms drinking buddies!!!
> The name is John Seymour. Was at Aulis and Riversdale from ‘72 to ‘76.
> First Trip was on M.V. Mano, starting in Liverpool on November 23rd 1972.
> Later served on Fian, Glenlyon, Troilus, Autolycus, Falaba, Priam and Tokyo Bay.
> ...


Hi I was an Engine Cadet with City line at Riversdale, starting in 1971. I am still in touch with a few Engineers who were with Ocean Fleets. they use Facebook so if you want to let me know who you remember then I can point you in the right direction. Regards Dick Cross


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## Tony the hippy chippy (Sep 24, 2021)

stevie burgess said:


> Tony who? I might have sailed with you!


Hi stevie names tony hines I was poe from liverpool


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## stevie burgess (Oct 9, 2008)

Tony the hippy chippy said:


> Hi stevie names tony hines I was poe from liverpool


Nice one Tony and i've heard the name many times but i don't think i actually sailed with you though! Just asking but are you on the bay boat site?


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

GrahamHoll said:


> My first trip as an engineer cadet was in 1977 on the Falaba. Lagos being the first stop at a time there was a vast Amanda of ships waiting outside the port to discharge concrete etc. I remember Ian Dalgliesh was cadet supervisor.. ( I never saw him smile.) I also sailed on the Clytoneus and the Ajax. The Falaba was definitely a contender for the title of Thistlebond Maru.


Graham,
Daggy did smile, in fact he would chuckle! Examples:

- Yesss, the "mile a CC club". Twelve went out, 6 returned, three later after hospital food. The other three came back in pine boxes! [Chuckling]

- Dalgleish on the top floor, the radar school, gazing into a radar hood."Mr. Dalgleish, I have a question about your talk tonight regarding double reduction gearing. Is that thing actually operating?" Daggy,"Yes! I can see the whereabouts of any Cadet at any time! What's your question?", looking up from the radar hood. [Gleeless, menacing, smirk.]

- "So, boy, you are being released from the workshop. Mr. Brown [aHA, aHA - laughter from Daggy] had a "small accident this weekend. [Tee HEE!] He's in the hospital. He had a few too many drinks - He fell four floors on the staircase at Iliad House [Barely containing laughter] and broke his leg and arm [Laughing out loud] He was lucky [GUFFAW] that he bounced from banister to banister and not directly on his thick head! [Guffaw, chuckle!] You shall therefore replace him and travel to Loch Striven, in uniform, to reactivate Nestor. Get over to India Buildings for your travel pass and such." However, when I reported back, I was "Mr.", no longer boy, having wactually worked on a ship, got a good report, and I even got invited to partake of tea and biscuits (delivered by Aunty Pat) while I related what I had been up to!

On his last day as Super, I gave him a bottle of good whisky, cognac, a good red wine and a card. I shook his hand and, sincerely, thanked him for his guidance to turn me from a dreamy spotty teen into a good, competent Marine Engineer Officer. He was a very strange person but he always had us "at heart", whatever his reactions!

Rgds.
Dave


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## Tony the hippy chippy (Sep 24, 2021)

stevie burgess said:


> Nice one Tony and i've heard the name many times but i don't think i actually sailed with you though! Just asking but are you on the bay boat site?


Hi stevie just like you made redundant round the same time no mate I'm not on the bay boat site but I remember my first bay boat as poe it was an ex act steamer I think the new name was discovery bay I relieved Billy Graham aka the bay boat strangler I was a little apprehensive but no problem 😊 he was helpful and an OK guyl


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## stevie burgess (Oct 9, 2008)

Tony the hippy chippy said:


> Hi stevie just like you made redundant round the same time no mate I'm not on the bay boat site but I remember my first bay boat as poe it was an ex act steamer I think the new name was discovery bay I relieved Billy Graham aka the bay boat strangler I was a little apprehensive but no problem 😊 he was helpful and an OK guyl


ACT1 and ACT2 were Moreton and Discovery and i did a trip on the Moreton Bay joining her in Lisbon drydock...good crowd but hated the ship and she was infested with jaspers lol. You should get yourself on the Bay Boat Site and meet all the lads...Julian Shears is one of the Admins who set it up be a good laugh and they have a reunion every year but of course the last two were cancelled due to the COVID.


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## Amanda strachan (May 18, 2021)

Amanda strachan said:


> My dad Brian Strachan was on the Falaba around that time .


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Amanda,
Are you, perchance, related to Charlie Strachan (Engineer), Glasgow?
Rgds.
Dave


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## Amanda strachan (May 18, 2021)

makko said:


> Amanda,
> Are you, perchance, related to Charlie Strachan (Engineer), Glasgow?
> Rgds.
> Davenport


No my dad's name was Brian Strachan he was election on board the ships we went away with him a few times


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## Amanda strachan (May 18, 2021)

No my Dad's name was Brian he did the west Afican for 30 odd years


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## thecaptfelix (9 mo ago)

Hi John,
I was a cadet at Aulis from 1971 and with Ocean Fleets till I left them in 1978. I think I can remember you. I am from Sri Lanka and was known to all as Fred. My OND batch at Riversdale were Dave Scrutton , Dave Theobald, Ian Hill , Malcolm Baldwin , Ambrose Rajadurai and self. Ian Broad, Pete Mconammy and Richard Hughes were some of the others I can remember. Had some great times at Aigburth. Jim Turner , Jim Muir and Rob Symmonds were the Wardens and Assistants at the time. Ended up as a Pilot at Colombo Harbour for over 20 odd years and retired in 2009. Met some of my batch mates from Aulis who were Masters on the P&O ships calling at Colombo.


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