# we get the blame for everything!!



## oca999 (Aug 16, 2015)

Departed Port Louis bnd Uk with sugar....everyday a constant stream of staff asking for our arrival port...london or liverpool?? Passing Cape Town still no decision from the oweners...approaching Senegal, same questions same answer...approaching canaries ..same question, same answer....passing Lisbon, same question..same answer....some very nervous crew now! Halfway across the bay the answer...tate and lyle liverpool. Those staff living south of Birmingham obviously blaming the sparks..eg bloody sparks cant do anything right.., useless, dont know why we have them,,, those north of Birmingham rejoiced and supplied me with loads of beer... some 50 years later I seek forgiveness as I had nothing to do with our destination honestly. Sometimes you cant do right for doing wrong (==D)


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

In 1971 after a year at sea on the Weybank we loaded sugar in Lautoka, Fiji for Tate and Lyle in Liverpool. So we trucked across the Pacific (and we already had the channels !!! :sweat and then up across the Atlantic and when we got to Liverpool we were told to anchor off for several days until a berth was free.

So, by now 13 months on the ship, and after a month at sea (not counting Panama as we passed straight through,) run out of beer, food getting a bit thin on the ground, we had to anchor off for three days with the lights of Liverpool on the horizon.

Who do you think they blamed for this ???


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## oca999 (Aug 16, 2015)

*Kieth Critchley*

Bob did you ever come across kieth Critchley from the navigation side? BLackburn lad served with bank line


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

Sorry Oca, no. However bear in mind I worked for Marconi at the time, so getting a Bank Boat was just the luck of the draw.

But in all fairness, I have say considering this was my first deep sea trip on my own that I did enjoy it, because those ships went everywhere and anywhere and you got quite a time for a run ashore in places like (and I'm going from that one trip here) Dakar, Capetown, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Lourenco Marques (as was then,) Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, Colombo, Cochin, Madras, Calcutta, New York, Wilmington, Mobile, Houston, Cristobal, Auckland, Lyttelton, Bluff, Suva, Lautoka, Liverpool ... I mean .. what chances of doing all that on a modern boxboat ?

Maybe just me, but the appeal of going to sea faded with the demise of ships like Bank Boats.


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## tsell (Apr 29, 2008)

BobClay said:


> Sorry Oca, no. However bear in mind I worked for Marconi at the time, so getting a Bank Boat was just the luck of the draw.
> 
> But in all fairness, I have say considering this was my first deep sea trip on my own that I did enjoy it, because those ships went everywhere and anywhere and you got quite a time for a run ashore in places like (and I'm going from that one trip here) Dakar, Capetown, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Lourenco Marques (as was then,) Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, Colombo, Cochin, Madras, Calcutta, New York, Wilmington, Mobile, Houston, Cristobal, Auckland, Lyttelton, Bluff, Suva, Lautoka, Liverpool ... I mean .. what chances of doing all that on a modern boxboat ?
> 
> Maybe just me, but the appeal of going to sea faded with the demise of ships like Bank Boats.


... and I have no doubt that the port you found to be the most exciting, exhilarating, entertaining and spectacular, was... Bluff??(==D)(A)

Taff


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

I was never to visit New Zealand again after that trip, but I will tell you this, it's the only country I ever visited that I thought_ 'I could live here,'_ and I mean no disrespect when i say I liked it because it reminded me of the UK, only set a few years back. (Thumb)

The only downside to that was, if you want to be in a place that was as far away from home as it's possible to get, short of the Moon (let's forget interplanetary and interstellar travel for a bit) then New Zealand it is.

And I'm an old fashioned f*cker but that country impressed the hell out of me. (And that's before Peter Jackson made the Lord of the Rings films and showed what magnificent country was there.)


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## tsell (Apr 29, 2008)

BobClay said:


> I was never to visit New Zealand again after that trip, but I will tell you this, it's the only country I ever visited that I thought_ 'I could live here,'_ and I mean no disrespect when i say I liked it because it reminded me of the UK, only set a few years back. (Thumb)
> 
> The only downside to that was, if you want to be in a place that was as far away from home as it's possible to get, short of the Moon (let's forget interplanetary and interstellar travel for a bit) then New Zealand it is.
> 
> And I'm an old fashioned f*cker but that country impressed the hell out of me. (And that's before Peter Jackson made the Lord of the Rings films and showed what magnificent country was there.)


There are few better places, Bob and I never regret the many years I spent there. I only left for business reasons and may yet return.

Taff


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Auckland is a GREAT run ashore....


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## Bill Greig (Jul 4, 2006)

But the Mission in Bluff did a mean steak egg and chips.
Bill


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## n. liddell (sparks) (Nov 21, 2008)

Oh yes!!! Thirteen months on a "Border" tanker and then it came winging across the air waves - LEFO ( for those who don't know - Lands end for orders). We had just 
left Dass island so I realised anything could happen in the next few weeks, but word inevitably got out and only my mother could have loved me more! Then. Off Le Havre. Nearly home. It happened. SOS. Gave position to 3rd. We are fairly close he replied, but we passed there last night. Old man's decision - better go back and take a look. No problem I thought, but unbeknown to me one of our engineering colleagues had decided to " come up for air" and on peering astern noticed a 180° shift in our course. ARMAGEDDON . All that bloody Sparkies fault. Thirteen months sitting on his a***e doing b****r all and now he bursts into action. At this point only my mother did care if I took my next breath. To cap it all when we arrived at the position given there were several other vessels there but no sign of anyone in bother. Sanity restored we sloped off and finally made IOG and home.


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

Love Kiwi. Been up and down the coast with Swire in the 80s. Bluff had a weird fish and chip shop with no vinegar. Kiwi beer is not good however. Been back on hols a few times. Wonderful country.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

tsell said:


> ... and I have no doubt that the port you found to be the most exciting, exhilarating, entertaining and spectacular, was... Bluff??(==D)(A)
> 
> Taff


I knew a fisherman from Bluff in Grimsby. First time in Bluff, I thought I'd look him up. He was a pretty gregarious fellow and would have been known around the pubs so I went into the first one and was about to ask the barmaid when it dawned on me, the only name I knew was "Kiwi". Glad I pulled myself up, it would have brought the house down if I'd asked for him.

John T

PS Bluff oysters are rubber gobstoppers, not a patch on Sydney rocks.


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## george e mitchell (Jan 22, 2016)

TO TSELL post no,5 My first voyage to Bluff was after a discharge in Australia, We were there for nearly a month, in 1963 on board the Shaw Savill Waiwera. I don't think the automatic loaders were working to well and a number of strikes. the locals were very friendly to ships crews, I played the accordion at the time and played at ships and shore parties many times, one time we had arranged a party with the nurses home in Invercargil followed shortly by a phone call from the girls at Bluff telephone exchange Can we come to your party, we also hired a bus to go to Milford sound. Great people, but that was over 50 years ago


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## tsell (Apr 29, 2008)

george e mitchell said:


> TO TSELL post no,5 My first voyage to Bluff was after a discharge in Australia, We were there for nearly a month, in 1963 on board the Shaw Savill Waiwera. I don't think the automatic loaders were working to well and a number of strikes. the locals were very friendly to ships crews, I played the accordion at the time and played at ships and shore parties many times, one time we had arranged a party with the nurses home in Invercargil followed shortly by a phone call from the girls at Bluff telephone exchange Can we come to your party, we also hired a bus to go to Milford sound. Great people, but that was over 50 years ago


Hi, George, sounds like you had a great time. I found the people in the south fantastic, who'd go out of their way to help strangers. My wife and I arrived there on 23rd December 1972, on a camping tour of both islands. We intended to go to Stewart Island but missed the boat by about twenty minutes. There was only one person in sight and he told us that the boat would be laid up for a few days and no point hanging around, which suited us as the place was dead.
We intended going back but had such a great time camped at remote White Cliffs beach, stuffing our faces with toheroa, fish and wild duck, that we sadly never made it to Stewart Is.

Cheers

Taff


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

Like Bob only went to NZ once and that was on Jebsens Sealnes and it was to Bluff. Quick ride to town for a hair cut and a beer and back to the ship. The large glass jar of oyster rejects were lovely and formed the basis of a dinner time drink with co owners, 2nd mate and wife Daphne, for a few days.
NZ is high on the places to go back to when I get over this bad case of "work" I am caught in.


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## Johnny Walker (Mar 27, 2010)

I was on the Bulkness (Jebsens) from 7/73 to 5/74 I had joined her to do a run job to Bluff, The ship had drydocked in Rotterdam (I think) to alter some of the accommodation for the use of Kiwi/Aussie crews. We loaded alumina in Sardinia went through the Panama and discharged the cargo at the smelter works in Tiwai Point. The ship should then have been handed over to the Kiwis on a long time bare Boat charter, unfortunately the local unions could not agree on who was going to crew the ship and for how long. So the in***bent Brits started the charter for them running from Gladstone in Queensland loading alumina and discharging at Tiwai point on a regular basis for several months. There was not a lot in Tiwai besides the smelter so we used to get a taxi to Invercargill which was a rather small town with very friendly local girls and a couple of decent bars. It was that friendly that one of the ships engineers married a local. I have been to a few of the smaller ports in Kiwi over the years and have always found them a great run ashore.


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## Loptap (May 2, 2016)

Johnny Walker said:


> ... The ship had drydocked in Rotterdam (I think) to alter some of the accommodation for the use of Kiwi/Aussie crews...


The mind boggles!! I wonder what the specific requirements were? Cages? Irons? Facilities for 'roos and koalas? Plumbing for the amber nectar? (*))


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Loptap said:


> The mind boggles!! I wonder what the specific requirements were? Cages? Irons? Facilities for 'roos and koalas? Plumbing for the amber nectar? (*))


Probably cabins with toilets and other luxuries.

Eventually, due to some union haggling, she ended up with half Australians and half Kiwis. She had a kangaroo on one side of the funnel and a Kiwi on the other.

John T

PS That is half Australian crew and half NZ crew - all the Australians and Kiwis were whole people. Just noticed that my post could be misconstrued.


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## Johnny Walker (Mar 27, 2010)

Posts #17 & 18 the original messroom, crew pig and I think the officers bar were re-jigged to make room for the different unions. The cooks & stewards had a different mess from the deck guys etc.
The reverse of this was when I was part of a Hong Kong outfit, we took over a bulk carrier from B.H.P the previous crew had a Gym table tennis rooms mess rooms galore the mainland Chinese crew had never seen such space and luxury. Neither had I


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Johnny Walker said:


> Posts #17 & 18 the original messroom, crew pig and I think the officers bar were re-jigged to make room for the different unions. The cooks & stewards had a different mess from the deck guys etc.
> The reverse of this was when I was part of a Hong Kong outfit, we took over a bulk carrier from B.H.P the previous crew had a Gym table tennis rooms mess rooms galore the mainland Chinese crew had never seen such space and luxury. Neither had I


I forgot about all those bars!

Which BHP ship are you referring to Johnny?

John T


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

trotterdotpom said:


> Probably cabins with toilets and other luxuries.
> 
> Eventually, due to some union haggling, she ended up with half Australians and half Kiwis. She had a kangaroo on one side of the funnel and a Kiwi on the other.
> 
> ...


Yes - I remember her....


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## Johnny Walker (Mar 27, 2010)

trotterdotpom said:


> I forgot about all those bars!
> 
> Which BHP ship are you referring to Johnny?
> 
> John T


Now I think about it the ship might have come from A.N.L she was the Baron Murray and the year was 87.


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## Dickyboy (May 18, 2009)

oca999 said:


> Departed Port Louis bnd Uk with sugar....everyday a constant stream of staff asking for our arrival port...london or liverpool?? Passing Cape Town still no decision from the oweners...approaching Senegal, same questions same answer...approaching canaries ..same question, same answer....passing Lisbon, same question..same answer....some very nervous crew now! Halfway across the bay the answer...tate and lyle liverpool. Those staff living south of Birmingham obviously blaming the sparks..eg bloody sparks cant do anything right.., useless, dont know why we have them,,, those north of Birmingham rejoiced and supplied me with loads of beer... some 50 years later I seek forgiveness as I had nothing to do with our destination honestly. Sometimes you cant do right for doing wrong (==D)


"Don't shoot the messenger" Was a rule that never applied at sea. (Jester)


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Johnny Walker said:


> Now I think about it the ship might have come from A.N.L she was the Baron Murray and the year was 87.


Ahhh! The R/O had the owner's cabin. Wood panelling. It was lovely.

A nice ship. Good redifon station. 

GWES


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## Johnny Walker (Mar 27, 2010)

Troppo said:


> Ahhh! The R/O had the owner's cabin. Wood panelling. It was lovely.
> 
> A nice ship. Good redifon station.
> 
> GWES


I had the Catering officers Accommodation on the starboard side ditto wood and space. Huge bathroom, bedroom, dayroom and an office and if my memory is correct? carpeted curtained t.v like the suite in an upmarket hotel. I was envious of how you Aussies lived. (Was the ship B.H.P or A.N.L.?)


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

She was ANL. Nice ship.


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## Johnny Walker (Mar 27, 2010)

*Epirb*

When we were in the process of taking the Baron Murray over from ANL. One of the things that was noticed was that all the Ships life jackets had an epirb beacon attached to them. These were immediately exchanged for Life jackets without the attachment, as under the Hong Kong flag there was no legislation in place demand such a thing. (In 1987) I very much doubt that there is at present either. I was wondering if the epirb system is an expensive thing to run and maintain ? Are there many maritime countries that have legislation demanding it ?


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## tsell (Apr 29, 2008)

Johnny Walker said:


> When we were in the process of taking the Baron Murray over from ANL. One of the things that was noticed was that all the Ships life jackets had an epirb beacon attached to them. These were immediately exchanged for Life jackets without the attachment, as under the Hong Kong flag there was no legislation in place demand such a thing. (In 1987) I very much doubt that there is at present either. I was wondering if the epirb system is an expensive thing to run and maintain ? Are there many maritime countries that have legislation demanding it ?


That seems a strange decision as they could have waited for the Epirb expiry date. These days, the batteries are good for around ten years, much longer than in the 80's. Replacement batteries are around $200 each, here in Oz, and last four to five years, while a new unit costs between $250 to $300 approx for a ten-year life. I haven't owned one for a couple of years, but new technology may have improved the battery life. Perhaps the new owners didn't want the risk of litigation in the event of a failed unit if deployed in an emergency. It happens.

Taff


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