# Wooden Derricks



## alaric (Feb 27, 2012)

See post #37 Smoko Milk thread in the Shaw Savill forum.
Allister Spiers advises that Waipawa, built by H&W in 1934 had wooden derricks, but only at number 4 hatch. This was at the end of Waiwpawa's life in the 1960s.
How common were wooden derricks on steam or motorships? 
Could Waipawa have been built with wooden derricks and had most replaced with conventional steel units during the course of her life, or was it the other way round? Built with steel throughout, but number 4 units replaced with wood during WW2 due to steel shortages?


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

In 1949 sailed AB on ss Folda built 1920, she had wooden derricks, grass rope topping lifts. Trading Scotland/Norway. Wooden hatch boards, chain and rod steering, quarter points. A happy ship.


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## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

In 1958/59 a temporary wooden derrick rigged above small hold/ deeptank on either a Palm Line or Guinea Gulf vessel on Dents Wharf Middlesbrough..as the drums being loaded were spark sensitive.....I believe that hold had cocoa matting to separate them...

Geoff


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## stan mayes (Jul 22, 2006)

In 1942 I was an AB in Viking Star...She had wooden derricks.
Built in 1920 as Lusiada, on completion she was renamed Viking Star of 
Blue Star Line..
Outward bound for the Argentine we scraped and repainted the wooden derricks gray ( I believe they were varnished prewar)...We also removed the stars from the funnel and stowed them in the No3 tweendecks.
Homeward bound we were torpedoed and sunk by U 130.
Stan


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## Split (Jun 25, 2006)

alaric said:


> See post #37 Smoko Milk thread in the Shaw Savill forum.
> Allister Spiers advises that Waipawa, built by H&W in 1934 had wooden derricks, but only at number 4 hatch. This was at the end of Waiwpawa's life in the 1960s.
> How common were wooden derricks on steam or motorships?
> Could Waipawa have been built with wooden derricks and had most replaced with conventional steel units during the course of her life, or was it the other way round? Built with steel throughout, but number 4 units replaced with wood during WW2 due to steel shortages?


"Forts" had wooden derricks. Built in Canada, I suppose that was logical in the WWII period.


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

"I did but see her passing by''... I saw Holt's Agamemnon(sp) coming down the Melbourne river in about 1960... I think she had wooden derricks...


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## Neil McInnes (Jun 24, 2005)

Lairscrest had wooden Derricks and rod and chain steering 21 bob a week for feeding, but a happy wee ship.


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## LANCE BALL (Sep 4, 2007)

wooden derricks were common on Fort and Park boats built in Canada during the war when timber was used as a substitute for steel whenever possible,often with surprising results. Breakages were not uncommon when they were mistreated.


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## Bligh (Feb 18, 2013)

Blue Funnel used standing oregon pine derricks on quite a few vessels. My experience was 18 months on "Idomeneus" Malaya to Oz with 10 out of 24 derricks in standing timber. used a deadman principle with a coil of wire hung outboard to create a swinging derrick.
Wonderful old days - God knows what work-safe would say today !!!!!!!!!!!


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