# Loch Offshore



## Alex Salmond

Hi,
Are there any guys out there who worked for this company in the 80s I was with them for about 4 years on various supply boats
Loch Shuna
Loch Rannoch etc they were taken over by Farstad about 89 or so ,they were a great little company to work for ,started out with one ship and ended up with five before being taken over .The Loch Shuna was working by the Piper Alpha and had just pulled off when it went up,I was on leave at the time but joined a few days later and got the stories from the guys who were in the Zodiac pulling guys out of the water who had jumped off the side of the rig ,think one died but one survived we were up there for a while when Red Adair and his crew were fighting the fires,Sad times.
It was always interesting working up in the North Sea,another time we had six SBS guys join us on the quiet who were going up to do exercises on how to combat terrorism if a rig was taken over,the weather was so bad most of them couldnt get out of their bunks for days God knows how they were going to fight terrorists,
Cheers,Alex.


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## Blackal

I'd completely forgotten about Loch Offshore. Of course Loch Grimshader (of all the choices of lochs...........) was one of their vessels.

Ray Shand will have sailed on them for sure.

Al


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## Alex Salmond

Blackal said:


> I'd completely forgotten about Loch Offshore. Of course Loch Grimshader (of all the choices of lochs...........) was one of their vessels.
> 
> Ray Shand will have sailed on them for sure.
> 
> Al


Hi Mate,
Yes your right Grimshader wasnt a name I would have chosen for a ship ,I spent a bit of time on that one too I have no idea how they came to choose that name out of all the Lochs in Scotland.Their offices were in King Street in Furryboot toon (Aberdeen) and the main man was a guy called Jim Donnelly,nice guy no airs and graces at all,they were a small enough company that the personal touch was still there,for example they had all the guys wifes birthdays and used to send a bunch of flowers to them on their birthdays,how good is that it was a sad day when they were taken over ,
Alex


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## michaelF

Hi Alex ,
sailed on most of Loch Offshores vessels , was with them 5 years 88 to 92.

mike


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## Ray Mac

Jim Donnelly was area manager for Tidewater North Sea and West Africa Douala Cameroon. Nice man like you said would talk to everyone with no airs and graces.

Ray


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## Nick Balls

Anyone remember Tom Paterson 2/E with Loch ? Brilliant Bloke to sail with


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## michaelF

Remember him well Nick, he was always drinking my beer on the Grimshader.
Seem to think i sailed with him with Star also.

mike


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## Donnie More

aye Alex , i remember when you left and went to NZ , I was with Loch in '88 , for a couple trips and still with the crowd yet , your name has cropped up a few times over the years , still a couple of the originals left , most now retired or moved on .


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## Alex Salmond

Nick Balls said:


> Anyone remember Tom Paterson 2/E with Loch ? Brilliant Bloke to sail with


I,m sure I remember Tom ,did he come from Blackhall in Edinburgh and have a Beard?if its the same guy then yes he was a great guy ,I was Motorman on the Loch Shuna and he was 2nd eng.just let me do my job we got on well,Chief was a nice guy too Dundonian owned a B & B in Perth but memory fails me when it comes to his name,
Alex.


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## john fraser

Nick Balls said:


> Anyone remember Tom Paterson 2/E with Loch ? Brilliant Bloke to sail with


Sailed with Tom in Ben Line before he joined the Loch boats. He was a super bloke then to sail with


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## Nick Balls

Good to know you all remember Tom............... I sailed with him when he was working for Star.......... Once watched him get into an 'argument' with the Super , who was exasperated over a very urgent job, Tom had been Shanghaied from a different ship and brought in to fix something fast. Tom was not happy about having to do someone else's work and put the super in his place in double quick time!!! A really great chap to work with!


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## Donnie More

Tom retired aged 62 ,more than ten years ago , he did a part time job servicing police motor bikes in edinburgh and is still a biker , getting the job ready to sail ,would call up the bridge and say ," you can go now captain , I'm ready ".


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## michaelF

> Remember him well Nick, he was always drinking my beer on the Grimshader.
> Seem to think i sailed with him with Star also.
> 
> mike


And here is the proof taken in my cabin. on the left C/E whos name escapes me ,perhaps somebody can help , tommy and wife.

mike


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## Alex Salmond

michaelF said:


> And here is the proof taken in my cabin. on the left C/E whos name escapes me ,perhaps somebody can help , tommy and wife.
> 
> mike


Hi (Applause)Mike,
Well done on posting Tommys photo ,yup thats the man i remember beard and all,probably just made some dry comment a very sardonic sense of humour that man,if anyone does happen to talk to him please give him my best regards from Aotearoa.
Mike I see your were also with a couple of other companies I sailed with
Bibby Line =Wiltshire
Star Offshore =Star Spica for about 18months before the ex skipper(Ian Cardno?) came and poached a few of his ex guys off the Spica,very naughty and a move that didnt endear him to Star,
Slainte Mate,Alex.


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## michaelF

Alex Salmond said:


> Hi (Applause)Mike,
> Well done on posting Tommys photo ,yup thats the man i remember beard and all,probably just made some dry comment a very sardonic sense of humour that man,if anyone does happen to talk to him please give him my best regards from Aotearoa.
> Mike I see your were also with a couple of other companies I sailed with
> Bibby Line =Wiltshire
> Star Offshore =Star Spica for about 18months before the ex skipper(Ian Cardno?) came and poached a few of his ex guys off the Spica,very naughty and a move that didnt endear him to Star,
> Slainte Mate,Alex.




Hi Alex,
yes we have both sailed with some decent companies .With regards to Star i was on the sirius as mate from dec 85 to dec 86 on the Amoco charter, then left or rather took voluntry redundancy in those strange times to go skipper with other companies. Ian also poached me a year latter to go with Loch , for which i owe him , he too was a gentleman .
Here's some names to conjour with , Vic Gibbson and Jack Parkinson both on the Sirius .

mike


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## Nick Balls

Thanks for the Pic ....Mike thats great! and Donnie thanks for letting us all know that Tom is still around.......I had forgotten he was a Biker ..... A Brilliant Bloke!


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## Alex Salmond

Hi guys,
Check out the gallery for a photo of the Loch Shuna in Peterhead ,had to put under special purpose vessels ,shame about the scruffy dude in front but never mind and it was a sunny day too!! who said if you go to PD dont take your beachball.This photo prompted a memory,when you tied up here you had to walk up the hill past the prison and around the bay if you were going to town,walking past the prison was quite an experience as all the real desperados were in there ,I was walking past one time and this clown started yelling at me out his cell window cos they were pretty close to the path "Hey you Radgeworks,poofter gonny meet your boyfriend?"and other not very nice things so I looked up and yelled back" Naw mate im away up the pub for a few pints and meet my bird and then back for a shag what are you up to?" you can imagine the abuse after that,Priceless,
Cheers,Alex.


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## Blackal

I remember the top-floor window of the prison too.

A hand used to hold a piece of card with 'HELP' on it 

When we indicated that we were headed for the pub - the hand became a fist and shook at us............. shortly followed by a wave............... 

(I always thought that it was no way for the Governor to behave.......... )

Al


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## Nick Balls

Do you recall the riot when the inmates ended up on the roof? 
There was also the Prison officers club...... (now closed)( Even Asco had its own bar at one time!!! (South side) I always found the Bloo Toon to be one of the friendliest places and while so famous for its bleak outlook always made me welcome!


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## highland hun

Great company great ships and great crews had fantastic time there,first one for me was Loch Carron,Loch Grimshader,Loch Rannoch,was with them and during Farstad takeover for about 6 years...good times indeed


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## Diesel Dan

The last time I saw Tom Paterson was about 4 years ago in Kinlochleven where he was observing at the Pre 65 motorcycle trial. He was still riding a trials bike.


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## Nick Balls

Good to know that Tom was still going


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## donaldmurray88

*Donald Murray S Y*

HI ALL EX LOCHS LADS GOOD TO READ SO MUCH OF HAPPY MEMORIES TO ME, I CAME IN TO LOCHOFFSHORE FROM DENHOLM FIRST WAS THE LOCH CARRON EX ATLANTIC DENHOLM EX ATLANTIC ROLGO IN 1983 
AFTER SHE WAS SOLD TO O I L WHEN FARSTAD TOOK OVER LOCH, SHE WAS RE NAMED OIL TRAVELLER AND LEFT THE NORTH SEA FOR BRAZIL NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN, GOOD HAPPY SHIP. THEN I JOINED LOCH SHUNA Far Spirit, LOCHNAGAR, Far Ulstine, GOOD COMPANY BY GOOD MANAGEMENT JIM & MARGRET DONNEIY PETER MAUDSLEY WAS OPPERATIONS MANG HE WAS SKIPPER ON THE DENHOLM 
IAIN CARDNO, RON MACLEAN, DONALD MACAULAY, JIM COUHOUN,
DERRICK BELL, FRED WHITKER, WERE THE SKIPPERS I REMEMBER IN MY 21 YEARS FROM 1983--2004 HAPPY DAYS NOT SAME NOW


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## Diesel Dan

Hi Donald, good to hear from you. Are you still in Baker's Road?


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## donaldmurray88

hi, as you say the name loch grimshader was an unusual name more than any other loch for a ships name, the little i know on this subject is second hand information or galley radio news is that the owner of the lochoffshore company a buisiness man MR. MITCHELL from the oban area or the islands used to anchor his yacht for safe anchorage while ashore in LEWIS & HARRIS probably fishing /shooting or whatever, loch grimshader is a sea loch near loch seaforth between the two islands so it was ideal to be in the middle. i would like to ask jim donnely that one he is the only one to beleve good guy. ]


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## donaldmurray88

highland hun said:


> Great company great ships and great crews had fantastic time there,first one for me was Loch Carron,Loch Grimshader,Loch Rannoch,was with them and during Farstad takeover for about 6 years...good times indeed



HI HIGHLAND HUN,
LOCH AS YOU SAY WAS A GOOD COMPANY THEY WERE GOOD TO US 
JIM DONNELY AND HIS WIFE MARGRET WERE RESPECTED BY ALL WHO WORKED FOR THEM, I THINK THEY WERE THE ONLY OUTFIT IN THE NORTH SEA WHO HAD PRIVATE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL THAT WAS GOOD IN THE 80s WHEN FARSTAD TOOK OVER I STAYED. 21 YEARS OVERALL 
ATLANTIC DENHOLM FROM NEW THEN LOCH CARRON/ LOCH SHUNA/ LOCHNAGAR/ FAR SCOTSMAN/FAR SCOTIA/ FAR MINARA/ FAR SKY/
FAR TURBOT ON ENGLISH CHANNEL FOR 3 SEASONS BEFORE BEING SOLD TO THE CHINISE I RETIRED IN 2004 AFTER 35 YRS IN M.N.


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## Alex Salmond

Nice to see the Loch Offshore thread popping up again ...still have many fond memories of this company and my 5 years working in the North Sea ,still got my bright orange overalls with the logo on the back and a sweatshirt with the same ,which to be fair has seen better days


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## donaldmurray88

Hi Alex I Remember The Day You Payed Off The Shuna For The Last Time As You Were Going To N. Z.did You Go It Was Me Who Took Over As Motorman From You Don Murray 
I Came From The Lochcarron As She Was Sold To Oil 
After The Shuna Went Back To Norway As The Far Spirit I Was Moving From One To Another Lochnagar, Scotia, Scotsman, Minara, Sky, Turbot, I Enjoyed The Turbot As We Were On A Coast Guard Charter In The English Chanel From Oct-mar 
For 3 Seasons A Change From North Sea But Back To Aberdeen 
On Spot From March Mostly In Norway,; All The Best To You.


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## Mike R757550

Just came across this tread, of Loch Offshore, Its great to hear from some of the shipmates I sailed with, indeed Donald they were a good company, also my friend Highland Hun. good times and good crews.


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