# Pasage to Wisbech



## beedeesea

*Passage to Wisbech*

Great little do***entary from the 80s about sailing in the coastal trade, apologies if it has been shown here previously:






Brian


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## Robert Hilton

Thanks, Beedeesea. I missed that when it was aired on TV because I was at sea. The master/owner is well known to me and I recognised various faces including one in the Beach Hotel at Exmouth. Truly a blast from the past. I'm really grateful.


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## beedeesea

Glad you enjoyed it, Robert. Sorry about the typo....I was able to edit the post title, but not the thread title itself. Somebody else on here had mentioned that the pilot boat "Norman Best" had been sold to Arklow, but that he couldn't find any trace of her when he visited here. I must enquire locally at the weekend.

Brian


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## pitcrew

Great film, what a professional self effacing crew.


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## Dartskipper

I think Wisbech is no longer much of a port anymore. Used to see coasters unloading timber. I think they dock at Sutton Bridge now.


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## tsell

Many thanks, Brian. Reminded me of my time 65 years ago, in the Afon Gwili and the drunken skipper and mate, who's motto was: Have cargo - go anywhere to any port in any sea! ... Sure did!

Taff


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## Bill.B

Great film. The joys of hatch boards and beams. I see the standard pain medicine was Grolsch. Sad to see the coastal fleets and life go. 
Thanks for the link


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## Bill Morrison

Hi beedeesea. Watching these film clips of what sea going was all about is all that is left to us. Most are of the large ocean going vessels so it's nice to see some of the smaller vessels at work.
Channel 4 T.V. did a six part series many years ago on all types of sea going vessels but they never released them to buy. I recorded one episode on VHS tape The Rough Trade which was mainly about the coastal trade from sail to steam it's a great watch.


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## beedeesea

Bill Morrison said:


> Hi beedeesea. Watching these film clips of what sea going was all about is all that is left to us. Most are of the large ocean going vessels so it's nice to see some of the smaller vessels at work.
> Channel 4 T.V. did a six part series many years ago on all types of sea going vessels but they never released them to buy. I recorded one episode on VHS tape The Rough Trade which was mainly about the coastal trade from sail to steam it's a great watch.


Don't remember the Ch.4 series, Bill. I had a look for it on YouTube, but no joy, I'm afraid.

Brian


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## inandaship

Never seen this do***entary before Brian thanks for posting, spent a lot of time on the Home Trade, hard work and no sleep but wouldn't have missed it for the world.


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## 8575

I remember seeing it on TV and was mighty impressed by the humanity and diligence of the crew from Master down.


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## Bill Morrison

Post #9 Brian. I also tried Youtube and likewise nothing. The series was called Classic Ships narrated by the late John Peel. This is all I did find on the internet.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/classic-ships/episode-guid

Bill


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## Bill Morrison

My post #12. Between programmes/ /episode is classic-ships I have tried to edit it to now avail.

Bill


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## beedeesea

Thanks, Bill. I can find the episode guide o.k., but not the actual programmes, sadly.

Brian


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## ALBY2

Wisbech is still a busy port with regular ships from the Baltic and Europe mainly timber and some containers, it has its own pilot to bring ships in from the wash. The town has seen better days and you struggle to hear english spoken in the town place, know locally as Wisbechistan for obvious reasons, shame as it once was a lovely town.


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## George Bis

Rowbottoms Tankers I.e. the Tillerman ,1000 tonne, used to deliver petrol and diesel from Immingham to Wisbech in 1973 
Cargo was pumped into storage tanks and delivered to filling stations in the Norwich area by road tankers
There was talk of them building a 2000 tanker for this trade and docking it on selected tides but I don't know if this was ever done!


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## tom roberts

I enjoyed the video but but that vessel was far much luxurious than any of the coasters I sailed on re J.Monks ,Savages,the Roquane out of the Channel Islands or even my all time favourite the little Torwood,I didn't see the acting cook go ashore for stores ,did the crew have to pay for their food?did they change to paraffin lamps when in port as we used to when the engine shut down? And radar wow, and slinging hatchboards that was the first thing I did as a 15yr old deck boy on the Hazelfield,and as was only 5ft6ins weighing in at 7st ringing wet and it was pouring down the boards were heavier than me I was knackered, and was I missing something they only covered the hatch with one tarp and a canvas style lorry strap across wouldn't have done in savages or any of the others I sailed on.Sad to see that the company was finished soon after but the video was a witness of the last real sailors under the Red Duster.


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## david freeman

I am unsure of the exact geography or my memory of this river that goes from the WASH to wisbeach? In the 90's travelling by road Norwich to Mablethorpe, I seem to remember a vesell beam on blocking the river just seaward of the road bridge [Nowich-mablethorpe-Boston], and the then anglia news covering the story for some 2-3 weeks, before the vessel as released from its position/predicament? No trade was permitted on the river. The vesel was a coaster dry cargo type??


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## George Bis

The river is the River Nene from the Wash to Wisbech. I think that you are talking of Sutton Bridge.
One trip to Wisbech in August 1973 the weather was so hot Sutton Bridge expanded and the fire brigade played their hoses on so that it could be opened to let us leave.


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## scooby do

I wonder where they are now. I would love to know. At the end of the film it was said the business had gone into liquidation.


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## david freeman

George Bis said:


> The river is the River Nene from the Wash to Wisbech. I think that you are talking of Sutton Bridge.
> One trip to Wisbech in August 1973 the weather was so hot Sutton Bridge expanded and the fire brigade played their hoses on so that it could be opened to let us leave.


Thank you, memories can be confussing. I passed along the road and many times Sutton Bridge, only once in 10 Years did I find the Bridge open to shipping


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## Ian Lawson

I was given an excellent little book once with the title ' A life in ships' (or very similar). It was penned by a Queensferry, North Wales owner by the name Tom Coppack. Worth a look.


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## brooksy

Dartskipper said:


> I think Wisbech is no longer much of a port anymore. Used to see coasters unloading timber. I think they dock at Sutton Bridge now.


Wisbech still sees 4or 5 calls a month.Mainly timber and a cargo of bricks on the import side.On the export side there is a scrap cargo every three weeks.Sutton Bridge deals in different cargoes to Wisbech.Mainly bulk imports and exports and quiet a lot of steel coil.It is also used by wind farm vessels


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## brooksy

david freeman said:


> I am unsure of the exact geography or my memory of this river that goes from the WASH to wisbeach? In the 90's travelling by road Norwich to Mablethorpe, I seem to remember a vesell beam on blocking the river just seaward of the road bridge [Nowich-mablethorpe-Boston], and the then anglia news covering the story for some 2-3 weeks, before the vessel as released from its position/predicament? No trade was permitted on the river. The vesel was a coaster dry cargo type??


That was a vessel called the Lagic.It was across the river upstream from Port Sutton Bridge.It had a steel cargo and it broke its back in 2 places.The port continued to be used whilst the Lagic was salvaged as they bought the ships up stern first.Wisbech was cut of whilst the salvage operation took place.


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## eddies girl

*Coast lines*

My dad sailed on Lancastria from 1930 but on his medical certificate on joining her, his previous employment was Coast Lines. I know he worked with his father who was one of the pilots in Wexford Harbour and then went to coast line. Problem is Irish or British ships. Hoping you can point me in right direction for my search. Enjoyed watching video you posted. Anne


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## price

brooksy said:


> That was a vessel called the Lagic.It was across the river upstream from Port Sutton Bridge.It had a steel cargo and it broke its back in 2 places.The port continued to be used whilst the Lagic was salvaged as they bought the ships up stern first.Wisbech was cut of whilst the salvage operation took place.


There were two incidents concerning two Rowbotham Tankers straddled across the Nene at different times in the 1960s, The Anchorman and the Tillerman I believe that there are photos and comments about both incidents on this site. The Tillerman became permanently sagged after the incident. If I remember correctly there were two pilots on the Nene, sometimes if there were more than two ship movements on a particular tide, the captain on one of the ships would be asked if he wouldbe willing to follow up, I believe that only occured with regular traders to the port. One of the pilots, was an ex Rowbotham captain, I have forgotten his name now. Bruce.


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## Ian Lawson

Robert Hilton said:


> Thanks, Beedeesea. I missed that when it was aired on TV because I was at sea. The master/owner is well known to me and I recognised various faces including one in the Beach Hotel at Exmouth. Truly a blast from the past. I'm really grateful.



Interesting do***entary. Is the owner still in business?


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## Winmar

Hi Bruce, the ex Rowbotham master would have been either Peter Vine or John Stewart. Probably Peter as I think John was a pilot at Boston or Kings Lynn. I sailed with them both. Two great chaps.


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## price

Hi Winmar, Peter Vine rings a bell, he was a fairly young man with fair hair, only a short pilotage but, could be tricky at times. Bruce.


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## Winmar

price said:


> Hi Winmar, Peter Vine rings a bell, he was a fairly young man with fair hair, only a short pilotage but, could be tricky at times. Bruce.


It was indeed a tricky little river and needed 100% concentration at all times! Peter was a good seaman and very professional. He actually lived in Wisbech while he was still at Rowbothams.


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## eddies girl

*Coast lines*

I have just watched the recording of the Coaster, Carrick again, very enjoyable. On my dad’s medical certificate as he signed on in Jan 1930 to Lancastria it says previous employer Coast Lines. Would he have had number on those ships and would it be the same as that shown on his Discharge book. First entry on that is Jan 1930 so Coast Lines would be late 1929.


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## Narwal

Does anyone recall the television programme on the "ADELPHIA" with Eric Goodall at the helm? Equally interesting insight into the coasting trade as "Passage to Wisbech" prove to be. Remember the coaster going into the heart of The Netherlands - but cannot find the programme on YouTube at the moment.


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## beedeesea

Narwal said:


> Does anyone recall the television programme on the "ADELPHIA" with Eric Goodall at the helm? Equally interesting insight into the coasting trade as "Passage to Wisbech" prove to be. Remember the coaster going into the heart of The Netherlands - but cannot find the programme on YouTube at the moment.


Some other folk were enquiring about availability of that film:
http://coasters-remembered.net/showthread.php?t=203

Brian


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## harry t.

beedeesea said:


> Some other folk were enquiring about availability of that film:
> http://coasters-remembered.net/showthread.php?t=203
> 
> Brian


trusting this link is okay

https://youtu.be/ZW0SxfRShI8


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## tugger

I was on the coastal tanker Leadsman in 57, I joined as I didn't want to go deep sea, I was waiting to emigrate to NZ so had to stay close. Did many a trip into Wisbech lovely little place, I loved steering up the river, went to more places on the Northeast coast than I ever did deepsea.
Tugger


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