# Wild Avocet



## vjfairs (9 mo ago)

I was a 6 year old child on the Wild Avocet in 1976 and was wondering if anyone remembers me and would be willing to have a chat about that time.
Thank you 
Vicki


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## saltybobuk (Oct 12, 2012)

I was on the Avocet sept76 to march77, doing multiple trips on wildboats till 1983. I do recall carrying passengers on some vessels, We did carry a family on the Avocet if I recall, possibly Japan to Kiwi, memory not so good.
Regards
Bob


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Was that on the NZ-Japan run, think it was called "Crusader" or somat like that.?

John T


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## saltybobuk (Oct 12, 2012)

Hi John, 
I do remember sailing with guys who were on the crusader run as you say, these were ex NZS lads but believe other shipping companies did the same.
The Wild boats I sailed on were 22k reefer vessels, you never new where you was going next or what cargo, which made them more interesting.
regards
Bob


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Thanks Bob. I remember seeing some of the "Wild" reefers turning up off the Shatt-al-Arab during those lengthy anchorages and they seemed to get straight in (for obvious reasons but Ya Boo all the same).

John T


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

September '75. I recall seeing WILD AVOCET up the Shatt. Next berth. Loaded frozen lamb at Bluff on a Lauritzen charter. Went alongside for discharge. The lambs went into steel railway wagons and NO REFRIGERATION! From there to Davao for bananas. Back to the Shatt for six weeks at anchor. I paid off after the first month.


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## saltybobuk (Oct 12, 2012)

As said, normally the Wildboats were in an out ports of the Gulf especially with perishable cargoes. The Avocet late 76 loaded seed potatoes in Charlottetown in PE island, took 10 days to load due to bad winter weather destined for Algeria. 30 days to unload in Oran and Algiers over the Xmas period, not so good.
Bob


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Was WILD AVOCET on charter to Salen or was under P&O?


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## saltybobuk (Oct 12, 2012)

The 10 Wild class P&O owned vessels were on charter to LPR, Lauritzen Peninsula Reefers, a joint venture between the two companies.
Bob


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## john24601 (Nov 18, 2008)

vjfairs said:


> I was a 6 year old child on the Wild Avocet in 1976 and was wondering if anyone remembers me and would be willing to have a chat about that time.
> Thank you
> Vicki


I was the 3rd engineer a year later from August 77 until Jan 78


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## Pilot mac (Jun 28, 2005)

I was on Wild Avocet about 1973, she was very new then, think she may have only done one voyage since delivery.
Loved my time on her. Joined Hamburg, ballast to BA and Montevideo, loaded Beef and Citrus for N Europe. Loaded Potatoes in Zeebrugge for Montevideo and backloaded in BA and Monte for N Europe. Loaded cars in Felixtowe for Long Beach and San Francisco. Ballast to New Westminster and Seattle to load Apples for Rio de Janeiro and Santos. Six months total. Old Man was Popeye Milner and Chief Eng was Eddie Smith.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

saltybobuk said:


> The 10 Wild class P&O owned vessels were on charter to LPR, Lauritzen Peninsula Reefers, a joint venture between the two companies.
> Bob


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## saltybobuk (Oct 12, 2012)

Vicki,
The family we carried on the Avocet consisted of a couple of kids and their mother, I believe she was frightened of flying. One day one of the kids climbed onto the bridge control console and pressed the stop button on the telegraph, there we was doing 22 knots and the engine just stopped, what panic that caused.
Bob


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## Pilot mac (Jun 28, 2005)

She was easily the fastest ship that I was ever on ,when she was new coming down the Channel in ballast we hit 27 knots


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## saltybobuk (Oct 12, 2012)

She was fast as you say. We hit the 27k in ballast on leaving Sheerness in 78, she often gave pilots a scare on manoevering.


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## Pilot mac (Jun 28, 2005)

In some respects it was too quick, DSAhead was 7.5kts. I was a Pilot for 25 years and considerable areas of my district were 6knots max


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## saltybobuk (Oct 12, 2012)

Mac, The Avocet was a real workhorse down below, the main engine threw bits off all over the place and suffered with scavenge fires. On picking up the pilot for Antwerp the bridge control failed, reverted to ER control which also failed. Emergency sticks were fitted to the ME but these vessels had very little instrumentation outside of the ER control room. Bits of card with telegraph orders and also engine revs were held up to the control room window for the 2/e who was operating the emergency gear. It was a difficult task with the revs up and down like a yo-y, bits of card everywhere. Finally the 3/e attach a welding rod to the engine linkage and when the 2/e managed constant revs these were written down on the engine casing, so after a short while he had a rev scale to work to. They never rang Full as she was too fast. 
In port all the experts were there checking their individual equipment. On sailing all was ok, we constantly changed from BC to E/control, all ok. The experts got off with the pilot and yes it all failed again. We proceeded to Newport our next port, on emergency standby. In Newport the ships Lecky found and rectified the fault. Good old Lachie Henderson.
Bob


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## shinz (Sep 29, 2018)

I recall the Avocet in Nelson loading Apples, maybe a few times, mid to late 70s. Somewhere I have a photo of her, she was in P&O colours, light buff hull, white upper works. I thought she was a beautiful looking vessel, not surprised to find out she was quick, she looked it while moored. 
Steve.


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## b.m.w (12 mo ago)

vjfairs said:


> I was a 6 year old child on the Wild Avocet in 1976 and was wondering if anyone remembers me and would be willing to have a chat about that time.
> Thank you
> Vicki


Hi Viki, I was on the Wild Avocet in 76, I was a deck hand known as Ginger, I have little memory of the trip I had to look at my discharge book.


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## Robert Logan (7 mo ago)

Seem to recall the Wild Avocet ran hard aground departing Jeddah in the late 70’s - soon after the Pilot had disembarked - fortunately it was soft coral - I boarded the vessel to discuss the situation with The Master and Chief Officer - it was not the first vessel to have navigational problems and grounding.


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## saltybobuk (Oct 12, 2012)

Yes she did Robert, I think it was 77, Anson was the master.


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## Robert Logan (7 mo ago)

Saltybobuk - Thanks for the info - Unfortunate situation - appeared to be some confusion with the vessel exact position after disembarking the Pilot - who seeing the course the vessel was steering turned the Pilot Boat round and followed the vessel whilst calling them up on the VHF but he noted the vessel was increasing speed. An internal enquiry was carried out by the Authorities.Subsequently the approach channel was dredged and “ straightened “ which meant vessels could arrive / depart directly into deep water with full navigational aids.
It was the initial approach to the Pilot Station that required careful navigation - unusual to have a problem with a departing vessel during my four years there.


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## saltybobuk (Oct 12, 2012)

She was a fast ship and surprised a few pilots around the world. She was fully automated with a push button telegraph which on full ahead she did 19kns. Most voyages were 22/23 kns and occasionally hit 27 in good ballast conditions. I rejoined her for the 2nd time shortly after this incident as 4th engineer, The downside was the high maintenance, bits broke all over the place. The master lost his command for a while after this.
regards
Bob


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## Robert Logan (7 mo ago)

Bob - All noted - think she had discharged bananas and departed in ballast - obviously The Company took “ drastic “ measures after the incident - no doubt “ Lessons Would Be Learned “ but, as I mentioned previously, at the time Jeddah passage required careful navigation and the outbound Pilot always pointed out the departure course to The Master Prior to his disembarkation ( It was a British Pilot )


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