# p&o wild boats and strathboats



## chris james

sailed between 1979/1984 nickname (merlin) aka chris james cardiff anyone out their?(Applause)


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## Lofty Shears

Hi Mate, was on the Strathboro about 86, was already part of P&OContainers by then, but good days, regards
Lofty


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## Peter Fielding

chris james said:


> sailed between 1979/1984 nickname (merlin) aka chris james cardiff anyone out their?(Applause)


Chris.
Slightly before your time, but I stood by "Wild Curlew" during fitting-out at the builder's yard in Lubeck, did acceptance trials, and the maiden voyage. Signed on as 4th. Eng. June '73 in Lubeck, left her in December '73 in Los Angeles.
Joined "Wild Flamingo" as 3rd. Eng. March '74 in Long Beach, left in June '74 in Los Angeles.
Joined "Wild Cormorant" as 3rd. Eng. September '77 in Dover, left in January '78 in Rotterdam.
Joined "Wild Gannet" as 3rd. Eng. April '78 in Antwerp, left in September '78 in Busan.


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## saltybobuk

*Wild Boats*

Hi all,
I was with P&O from 74-83, I did many a trip on wild boats, wild avocet, wild curlew, wild fulmar, wild mallard along with trips on mataura, tekoa, strathleven and strathconon [container]. Enjoyed every minute, great people, great ships.
Bob


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## roy willcocks

Hi Guys
I was a first trip 2nd R/O on Wild Fulmar August 74 to Feb. 75. I think it was Fulmar's second voyage and we went to Capetown, Rotterdam, La Guaira Venezuela, Willemstad Curacao, Santos Brazil, Casablanca and back to Rotterdam. A great trip and if anyone was on at the same time do you have pictures of the crossing the line ceremony - I would really like to see them
Roy Willcocks


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## Rob Pithers

Hi All, 
I sailed in the Strathconon from 24 Dec 1977 until 02 June 1978
Wild Marlin 05 Mar 1980 05 Sep 1980
Strathmuir 27 Aug 1981 19 Oct 1981
Strathmore 20 Oct 1981 29 Nov 1981
There were other ships in other P&O depts. in between. I was a sprog. None of our intake were offered a job, and I think we were the last lot of Nav. Cadets trained by P&O, mind they seemed to be getting shot of ships at a rate of knots at that time!!
Happy Days.
Rob


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## Nick R

chris james said:


> sailed between 1979/1984 nickname (merlin) aka chris james cardiff anyone out their?(Applause)


Hi Chris. I was 2nd Cook on the Wild Mallard July 1979 to January 1980. 
And then the Strtatheden, March to August 1980.

I vaguely remember a Purser from Caerphilly, I think his name was Greame ... I was from Pentyrch at the time, I now live near Llantrisant. All the best, Nick


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## leo roberts

chris james said:


> sailed between 1979/1984 nickname (merlin) aka chris james cardiff anyone out their?(Applause)


hi there chris ha i rember how you got your nick name due to wining at poker not sure but it might have bean the hancocks that gave you the handle of merlin were good times on the wild boats , hope you are well 
Leo the cook


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## chris james

*Leo*



leo roberts said:


> hi there chris ha i rember how you got your nick name due to wining at poker not sure but it might have bean the hancocks that gave you the handle of merlin were good times on the wild boats , hope you are well
> Leo the cook


Hello Leo
Blast from the past mate,I remember you well.i have got a photo somewhere of us on the bondi beach puffing a fat one!!good days though.i think we caught the last of the good years.send me your e mail and share some nostalgia.chris


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## leo roberts

chris james said:


> Hello Leo
> Blast from the past mate,I remember you well.i have got a photo somewhere of us on the bondi beach puffing a fat one!!good days though.i think we caught the last of the good years.send me your e mail and share some nostalgia.chris


hi mate nice to hear from you get in touch on [email protected]


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## leo roberts

*good old k1wi trips*



leo roberts said:


> hi mate nice to hear from you get in touch now then merlin have taken my e address off for now i dont want it hanging about to long but will give you it again when you ready for it anyway i do want to see pic of us on bondi beach , i we did have a bit of a hoot [=P]


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## David Barnett

*Wild Fulmar*



roy willcocks said:


> Hi Guys
> I was a first trip 2nd R/O on Wild Fulmar August 74 to Feb. 75. I think it was Fulmar's second voyage and we went to Capetown, Rotterdam, La Guaira Venezuela, Willemstad Curacao, Santos Brazil, Casablanca and back to Rotterdam. A great trip and if anyone was on at the same time do you have pictures of the crossing the line ceremony - I would really like to see them
> Roy Willcocks


Hello Roy,
I was 3rd mate for 10 months, 2 consecutive trips, your voyage was the second.
I am sure I have some pictures. Will try and dig them out,
Regards Dave


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## leo roberts

hi i was cook on the fulmar bit after you guys were there ,79 and later in 80, was a fine ship with good crew good crack , sad that those days are all over and never gona come back , i did spot one of the f boats in europe a few years later looking in a sorry state but still in use ,


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## roy willcocks

David Barnett said:


> Hello Roy,
> I was 3rd mate for 10 months, 2 consecutive trips, your voyage was the second.
> I am sure I have some pictures. Will try and dig them out,
> Regards Dave


Hi Dave
I remember you and hope you are well. If you have photos from that trip I would be very interested to see them - especially any of the crossing the line ceremony - as I did not own a camera at that time (I was still broke from my student days). I later bought a camera in Cape Town and I still have the pictures from that time onwards. Many of the pictures yellowed with age but I was able to restore some with the computer. If you are interested give me your e-mail and I will send them. My e-mail address is: [email protected]
All the best
Roy


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## David Barnett

roy willcocks said:


> Hi Dave
> I remember you and hope you are well. If you have photos from that trip I would be very interested to see them - especially any of the crossing the line ceremony - as I did not own a camera at that time (I was still broke from my student days).  I later bought a camera in Cape Town and I still have the pictures from that time onwards. Many of the pictures yellowed with age but I was able to restore some with the computer. If you are interested give me your e-mail and I will send them. My e-mail address is: [email protected]
> All the best
> Roy


Roy,
Thank you I am very well, I hope you are also.
My email is [email protected]. I will have to get the wife in loft to hunt down the pictures. I see you live in Plymouth, we are in Bodmin, perhaps we could meet at a suitable watering hole once we have found them.
Regards Dave


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## saltybobuk

I have put some photos in the members faces forum. They are officers bar shots taken on Fulmar, Mallard and Avocet.


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## tonymar

was on taupo , wild mallard ,wild cormorant , wild gannet , strath ettrick , eden and ewe also strathduns and vosges 1979 till 1984 great ships and great adventures best job in the world for a young lad nothing at all like it is going to sea today .


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## leo roberts

*good times*

yea I was on the mallard , greeb twice on the fulmar 
devon ,doon, dirk , also pieako . was a gally rat 2, cook then cook 
had a great few years , went on to c.p. ships , had a brief time back with the pea and ham on the gas tankers ,then went to Maersk for a long time , still bopping about at sea but its just a job these days recently heard from merlin he was a canny bloke , met up with a few of the lads from time to time always good to bump into or sail with them , you take care and have a good one all the best Lawrence Roberts aka leo


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## cuttsy

Hi all, my brother Jim cuts is trying to catch up with a few, in particular a terry Norton; both served wild auk, cormorant etc.


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## leo roberts

I rember the name jimmy cuts , was I with him on a wild or strath boat or a pent marine gas carrier , not sure ? I was cook so need my memory jogged , what was jimmys job on board , were was he from ect ,im from Essex but live,d in Newcastle area I was on the srath devon ,doon ,dice, piako wild fulmar twice , greeb mallard, galconda and garala, also was in cp.ships and Maersk. 
hoping he is well and all the other people from those fun ships.


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## D Thomas

was on the Strathtruim early seventies, and the Wild Flamingo 1975, running Newark to Equador


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## geoffu

D Thomas said:


> was on the Strathtruim early seventies, and the Wild Flamingo 1975, running Newark to Equador


Hi,
Where those the only ships you were on and in what capacity? I was on the Wild Gannet in 1979 and the Wild curlew 179/80.
Geoff.


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## D Thomas

geoffu said:


> Hi,
> Where those the only ships you were on and in what capacity? I was on the Wild Gannet in 1979 and the Wild curlew 179/80.
> Geoff.


hi, I`m struggling to recall all of my ships. I was a deckhand. the Strathtruim was ex tree line and the trip was up the middle east, up the gulf to Iraq.
the wild flaming I joined at Rotterdam, crossed the atlantic to Newark. then was running between Newark and equador. around 3 week trips


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## geoffu

Hi D,
By the time I was on them, they were acting like trampers. We were anchored outside Seoul, I think, for almost a week , waiting for a cargo to appear.


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## Rob Arlington

saltybobuk said:


> *Wild Boats*
> 
> Hi all,
> I was with P&O from 74-83, I did many a trip on wild boats, wild avocet, wild curlew, wild fulmar, wild mallard along with trips on mataura, tekoa, strathleven and strathconon [container]. Enjoyed every minute, great people, great ships.
> Bob


Hi Bob, not sure if our paths crossed, I was a deckcadet with P&O from 74-78, sailed on the Mataura in 76, what a fantastic ship to be on!
Regards
Rob


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## saltybobuk

Hi Rob,
she was the best ship all round, no dramas and very reliable. I was on her 1975, 77, 79, and again 81.
great days and memories.
regards
Bob


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## Rob Arlington

saltybobuk said:


> Hi Rob,
> she was the best ship all round, no dramas and very reliable. I was on her 1975, 77, 79, and again 81.
> great days and memories.
> regards
> Bob


Must have just missed you I was there February to August 1976. As you say Fantastic memories.
Rob


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## saltybobuk

Rob Arlington said:


> Must have just missed you I was there February to August 1976. As you say Fantastic memories.
> Rob





Rob Arlington said:


> Must have just missed you I was there February to August 1976. As you say Fantastic memories.
> Rob


Rob,
Theres a P&O GCD Facebook group, a lot of ex cadets on there.
Bob


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## Rob Arlington

saltybobuk said:


> Rob,
> Theres a P&O GCD Facebook group, a lot of ex cadets on there.
> Bob


Thanks, I'll have a look.


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