# Suez canal searchlights



## Roy Fox (Dec 2, 2006)

Has anyone got a decent B/W photo showing the searchlight on the bow (preferably a tanker) that used to be fitted at Port Said and Suez before transitting the canal. (Do they still do this????????).


----------



## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

On P&O ships you remove the crest on the bow and underneath it is the searchlight. a permanent fitting. The first electrician used to get a bottle of rum for sitting up there on night time transit.


----------



## Tony Crompton (Jul 26, 2005)

Went through last time in 2006 on the Maritime Memories Cruise on "Discovery".

There was still a searchlight brought aboard and a Canal man to operate it.

However it was nothing like the old ones that were picked up with a davit from the Focstle head.
Obviously a halogen light (or something modern like that ) and was about the size of a small suitcase and fitted on top of a small tripod.

---------------------------
Tony


----------



## exsailor (Dec 18, 2005)

Roy,

Colour picture at http://gemo-netz.de/rostock/diesunddas/Traditionsschiff_2007/img/Traditionsschiff_2007_29.jpg

Regards,
Dennis.


----------



## ed glover (May 3, 2006)

my first trip through the suez on the Pegu I was in the focstle all night with the lamp. We had a door in the bow that opend for the permenant light. If I remember the light split so that it lit up the port and starboard bouys I would have to tweek it now and again.
Ed Glover
Controlled drifting


----------



## price (Feb 2, 2006)

The last time that I did a southbound transit of the Suez Canal was in 1967 a day, or possibly two days before the closure of the canal, this was on the 'Darvish Vananca' ex 'Seine', being an ex London Paris Ship, she had very little freeboard and no davit on the focsle head, we had great difficulty lifting the canal light out of the water, the roof of the light was only about a foot or more below the rail, consequently, we steamed through the canal with a partially submerged canal light.
Bruce.


----------



## Roy Fox (Dec 2, 2006)

Thanks for your posts, guys. I guess you're all a good deal younger than me. My canal transit days were in the mid 40's through mid 50's. The searchlight in those days - as my capricious memory remembers it - was a great box thing probably a good metre cube. Your searchlight, Dennis, would have fitted very comfortably inside. Thanks for the photo just the same.


----------



## Roger Bentley (Nov 15, 2005)

*Searchlight on Manipur*

Roy, This is a picture of the Manipur at Port Said in 1956. You can just make out the searchlight. Hope it helps. Regards, Roger


----------

