# Guaranteed "random" radio inspections......



## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

Does anyone recall the guaranteed "spot-checks" that were a feature of Cape Town in the '70s?

Were there any other ports where a "random" radio survey was guaranteed? 

I don't remember any.


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

When serving on the Cunard cargo ships manned by Brocklebank Line R/Os I got surveyed three times on three different ships in Boston - Mass. that is, not Lincolnshire. That may count. One of them was actually on a Brocks ship (Maturata) on Anchor Line charter in 1969 and we were stuck in a dock strike. The surveyor had seen me a few months before on Cunard's Samaria and could not figure out that I was actually working for the same company.


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

I got surveyed in Durban on my 1st trip,that was random in 1956.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

Tony........

It was Bill Currie who gave me advanced warning about the situation in ZSC........ Mostly wrt battery charge/discharge logs being up to the minute etc.

I assume one of ours was caught in a paper cobweb there at sometime or other.


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

I had a few random checks in the late 70s working for Unicorn Lines in Durban. They weren't so bad, we being a South African outfit. A few beers in the bar would set everything right.


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

sparkie2182 said:


> Tony........
> 
> It was Bill Currie who gave me advanced warning about the situation in ZSC........
> What a brilliant name from the past, Bill Currie (Curry?). An absolute gentleman now sadly Silent Key.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

I struggled with the spelling, Tony........ CURRY does seem right..... But perhaps not.

 

A few more names you may recall....... 

Arthur Orum
Angus Mcdonald
Ken Fawcett (the man if you wanted help not speeches)
Bill (Sparkie) Mullarkey..
Mike Norton
Ken(?) WIlliamson

Jenny the gopher...... Worked in the Cunard Kremlin since Nelson was a sea cadet.

Dr Entwistle...... Drove a posh sports car but I can't remember the make.

Frank Butler...... Ex Bosun with Port Line...... handled the signing on/off do***entation...... Top man.


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## dannic (Mar 10, 2013)

sparkie2182 said:


> I struggled with the spelling, Tony........ CURRY does seem right..... But perhaps not.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Jenny Petrie? Liverpool office? She was still working for them in her seventies! 
Dannic


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

That's the one......

70's eh?

I'm not surprised. 

I believe she was a magistrate at one stage. 
A story did the rounds that she was called upon to give assistance and support to a very inebriated seafarer one New Years Eve and got him back to his ship.... with hilarious consequences etc etc.

God bless her.


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

A few more names you may recall....... 

Arthur Orum
Angus Mcdonald
Ken Fawcett (the man if you wanted help not speeches)

I remember all three of them. In addition to Bill Curry the only other name I recall is Gordon Caddy. He did not like me and I did not like him. Arthur Orum interviewed me when I joined the Company in 1964 and then Ben Lonsdale signed the whole thing off. They were all dedicated and good men.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

Caddy was before my time, Tony.
They were, as you describe them.

Best regards.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

The "inspections" were actually what is known as "Portstate control inspections"- under SOLAS the "port" state, (as opposed to the "flag" state) is entitled to do random inspections of ships in their port.

I've been on both ends....and I've seen some real shockers...to the point we detained the ship - batteries stuffed, antennas rusted, tx'ers and a/a not working, etc...


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

It was sad to see it (in those few I attended as Harry Guilder's hand holder while whiling away a month helping out at East Ham) that one or two of those bad examples flew a red duster. However the worst was Ocean Energy, Indian flag and officered (a huge compliment using the ex passenger saloon as the officers' dining saloon). Ships staff had moved the radio room entirely without regard to observing any safety regulation or by the nature of the connections made not those of Mr. Ohm either - I did have a great curry 'though.


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## Hewie (Oct 3, 2007)

Yes Adelaide 1967. Was just about to go ashore all dressed up. In walks the RI with his bag of tricks. Had me checking all freqs MF/HF, batteries, logs, aerials, the lot. Four hours later forget going ashore. Pubs closed at 6pm in those days


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## howardang (Aug 3, 2008)

sparkie2182 said:


> I struggled with the spelling, Tony........ CURRY does seem right..... But perhaps not.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Another name from that era - Frank Dunn.

I was a 2/0 and sailed with Bill Mullarky and Frank Dunn, and I also well remember Ken Fawcett who had always had a very old fashioned hearing aid hanging from his wooley pulley! His deafness didn't seem to stop him from hearing the ships callsign wherever he was in tyhe ship! great character.

Frank and I were involved in some early Satcom trials on Atlantic Causeway in the early 1970'sinvolving NASA, the GPO and a welsh University (can't remember the name)

Howard 

Howartd


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

Howard, Frank is still alive and well and lives near Greenock, where he has lived all his life I think. Great supporter of the Radio Officers Association.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

F.A. Dunn...... brought a smile to the faces of many......that one. 

 

Greenock was a staple for Atlantic Causeway........ very convenient.

Atlantic Conveyor..... Malcolm Maclean.... of scotch whiskey fame.... from a slightly less convenient Hamilton.


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

A good memory about Frank Dunn is that his parents owned The Gordon Bar in Greenock. At that time and for many years previously Brocklebank's had sent their R/Os to James Watt College for their radar tickets. It was almost compulsory to drink in there and it was pretty much the Brocklebank Embassy. I personally spent a lot of nights in there along with the other two Brocks men on my course. Probably spent too much time actually because it was only with two weeks to go that I woke up and smelled the coffee, instead of the Tennents, and realised that I had better pass this ticket and just managed to do so. Very nice family the Dunns.


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## gordonarfur (May 27, 2018)

Yep Hobart 1963 , RI tried to collar me as I took off ashore, told me that they (the ozzies) had been monitoring our frequency wobble (QRI) ? just after we had sailed from NZ and if I did,nt do something about it they would prevent us from sailing. The main TX, (mf only) was a fugitive from Noahs ark and I told the RI, that although I worked for the USS I did,nt own the TX and I considered Hobart a pleasant port to spend time in anyway. Nothing further happened and we sailed on time.


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## Radioroger (Aug 17, 2008)

Tony Selman said:


> A few more names you may recall.......
> 
> Arthur Orum
> Angus Mcdonald
> ...



Hi Tony . Roger Latham here. I joined Cunard/Brocks early 1965 so must have gone through a similar interview! Strange how I don’t think we ever met but must have spoken on GWZM many times. I must check my diaries sometime!
I got to know Gordon Caddy very well as he often came aboard ships I was sailing. He was very thorough and remember him looking into the bulkhead wiring cabinet on one new ship build and tugging at all the wires as the person was crimping them to make sure they were crimped properly – he found a loose one too !


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## BobMac123 (Sep 29, 2014)

Tony Selman said:


> A good memory about Frank Dunn is that his parents owned The Gordon Bar in Greenock. At that time and for many years previously Brocklebank's had sent their R/Os to James Watt College for their radar tickets. It was almost compulsory to drink in there and it was pretty much the Brocklebank Embassy. I personally spent a lot of nights in there along with the other two Brocks men on my course. Probably spent too much time actually because it was only with two weeks to go that I woke up and smelled the coffee, instead of the Tennents, and realised that I had better pass this ticket and just managed to do so. Very nice family the Dunns.


Mr Fleming head of james watt would have put you through the RADAR course I suppose - he was a dedicated " BROCK " !! - great guy very respected - I was just an " IMRC " Bod !!


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