# Decca Survey Fleet in the 70's



## LochinvarLad

The vessels were the Decca Surveyor,Mariner,Engineer and Recorder.
Two questions.
1.What was the name of the company that ran the ships? It was a Decca company but did not have Decca in its name. Jim McKee was the head lad.

2. The Captain of the Decca Surveyor was always known (behind his back) as The Talking Teapot.Anyone remember his real name.

Decca,the company that turned the Beatles down,you have to wonder.


----------



## Nick Balls

J Mckee and Co from Great Yarmouth if memory serves me, the surveyor ended up as the 'Bon Entente'


----------



## RayJordandpo

I maybe wrong but I'm sure I recall Decca having a couple of wooden ex Navy minesweepers back in the seventies. There was also a company called Gardline Surveys (GSI) which I'm sure used Decca equipment. They were based in Great Yarmouth, I remember their agents, Smalls of Yarmouth.


----------



## 5036

Gardline was a play on the founders' name, George Darling, a shrewd operator. When the large concrete production platforms were under construction at Ardyne Point on the Clyde, a letter from George appeared in a national newspaper questioning whether there was sufficient depth for these monsters to pass over at the bottom of Arran. There was immediate panic and route surveys were hastily arranged and the only vessels immediately available were from one Gardline Shipping of Great Yarmouth.

They are still thriving in the hydrographic and seismic industry with a website www.gardline.com.

Ships I remember were Gardline Seeker, Locater, Endurer and Tracker. Seeker became a pirate radio ship.

Other survey vessels I remember being around were the Sperus (ex Hesperus with the "He" removed!), Bembridge and a great little seaboat called the Akraborg, an ex Icelandic ferry run by the Bannan brothers if my memory serves me correctly.


----------



## Ron Dean

RayJordandpo said:


> I maybe wrong but I'm sure I recall Decca having a couple of wooden ex Navy minesweepers back in the seventies. There was also a company called Gardline Surveys (GSI) which I'm sure used Decca equipment. They were based in Great Yarmouth, I remember their agents, Smalls of Yarmouth.


Small & Co. were (and still are) based in Lowestoft, though they did have a subsidiary "Seagull Design Services" who were in Great Yarmouth.
Gardline - as posted by Nav are still thriving in Great Yarmouth, with a fleet of around 20 vessels at their disposal.


----------



## RayJordandpo

That's good to hear that Gardline are still on the go. I remember them from many years ago but I thought they had been taken over, how wrong was I.
We once did a charter for Gardline on a tug working from Great Yarmouth. We were laying buoys for a Brown & Root lay barge to follow whilst laying the pipe (Hugh W Gordon) and we had Gardline surveyors on board. I don't profess to know that much about the survey side of it but I'm sure we were using Decca Hifix for position fixes.


----------



## Nick Balls

More than still going! Now own and operate a whole range of companies. 
Still doing ship construction in Yarmouth (all be it on a small scale) http://www.alicatworkboats.com/page/buildaboat


----------



## chadburn

RayJordandpo said:


> I maybe wrong but I'm sure I recall Decca having a couple of wooden ex Navy minesweepers back in the seventies. There was also a company called Gardline Surveys (GSI) which I'm sure used Decca equipment. They were based in Great Yarmouth, I remember their agents, Smalls of Yarmouth.


Georgeham was one of the Ham's with Decca Equipment, think she is still around but now a houseboat I believe.


----------



## LochinvarLad

Glad to hear Gardline is still going strong.Strange how they are still independant where as Decca became Racal and now is swallowed up by Fugro.
Mind you what do you expect from Decca. They turned down the Beatles.Not exactly pro-active management.


----------



## LochinvarLad

Just remembered. McKee was boss of Oilsearch Marine Management. A Decca owned company although Jim ran it as his own.


----------



## RayJordandpo

Driving past Albert dock in Hull yesterday I saw a big survey vessel which looked like it was either being converted or under refit. Couldn't catch the name but it had 'Gardline' painted on the superstructure.


----------



## Rafal Zahorski

*Cosag Marine Services ex Great Yarmouth*

Hello LochinvarLad and others,

I have just found your thread. It is a subject related to my research too. 

Decca Survey was chartering many years vessels from Cosag Marine Services. I know quite a lot about a period from 1972 - 1976 when our Bembridge had many Decca Surveyors on board, when she had Decca Hi Fix and when Decca team was working on North Sea in building of first British underwater pipeline and first oil rig.

Here you can find everything what we have about that period - sorry it is not so much - I even do not have even a Cosag badge - I only know a bit how it was looking. Anyway you can find several nice photos, data, other vessels of Cosag servicing Decca Survey.

You can see a nice gallery of Linda Sutton where you can find several Decca Surveyors painted by Linda - some of them we still did not described - maybe someone of you can help.

Our Cosag page is here:

http://www.bembridge.pl/cms.php?pid=342

Cosag stories are here:

http://www.bembridge.pl/cms.php?pid=343

Linda's gallery with Decca guys is here:

http://www.bembridge.pl/cms.php?pid=332

You can find a links to Log book from 1976 and Chief Mate Log book from 1976 too. So you can find over there several data concerning Decca works too. 

I was trying to follow a Decca team. First they had a Decca Yahoo Group - already suspended. Later on they created following www:
http://www.deccamen.co.uk/ but this page is suspended from two years too. 

I opened my own thread here too: http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=30107 and you can find something interesting for you over there too. 

Anyway I will be very grateful for any help in my file too.

Best greeting Rafal


----------



## LochinvarLad

Great work Rafal.I loved Linda's works. In Decca Surveys back then we had two types of surveyors.The politicaly correct types (like me) who worked the Decca Vessels and the "unconventional" lads who worked Cosag and other vessels.I still recognize some of the lads in Linda's work.


----------



## LochinvarLad

Another thought Rafal, mid to late 70's I was seconded to Decca Holland doing all the work for NAM. We used vessels from a Dutch company,I think they were named after stars, Arcturus etc. They were (at least they looked like) 1930's design minesweepers/patrol craft. Ring any bells?


----------



## Rafal Zahorski

*Great thanx*

Hello,

Great thanx for your good words. As you see I am more interested in that second worst group of decca guys. There is still a lot of facts, stories to be placed next to Bembridge hull. I am hunting to any person, any fact, any story related to so called by us "Cosag time" so period 1972 - 1976. Any help more than welcome. We are counting now only for human memories. Great thanks for any possible help. 

Best greeting Rafal


----------



## Rafal Zahorski

Sorry, one question, who else can you find in Linda's gallery?

Greeting Rafal


----------



## andybogle

I am new to this site and was intigued by the posts on the Decca Survey fleet. I am an ex-Decca surveyor and spent many days bouncing around the North Sea on their survey ships. The original ships, probably around 1966 were the Viking Blazer and the Trailblazer, both owned and operated by Smalls (?) out of Lowestoft. Two new ships were added a couple of years later, the Highland Blazer and the Galway Blazer, both former Norwegian coasters. The Jackson 2 was a Dutch trawler that was chartered for a spell in 1968. Before Gardline became a survey company in its own right, it also chartered ships to Decca. The company started its own fleet in 1970 or thereabouts with the Decca Engineer, Decca Surveyor, Decca Recorder (formerly the Clearwater) and the Decca Explorer which I believe was an ex-German hospital ship that had most recently been used as a support vessel for far flung fishing fleets. She was unusual in that it was the first ship I had ever sailed on that had a bathtub. It made for a great jacuzzi in a Force 8!


----------



## andybogle

I remember the Benbridge well. She was an ex-north Sea pilot vessel and had this huge lounge which was great for parties! We were invited on board one night in Aberdeen and duly arrived after the pubs closed carrying a stock of beer. The first case I carried on-board was "confiscated" by the ship's first mate. When I protested she (yes "she") threatened to punch my lights out. Being taught from an early age never to argue when drunk I let her keep the beer. I heard later that the ship hurredly left Abrdeen the next day due to what I understand were "irregularities" with the lifeboats. While anchored offshore the police were called out to the ship after the cook had been threatened with an axe and, so the story goes, the first mate was arrested.


----------



## andybogle

The Decca man Yahoo site was unfortunetly abandoned a couple of years ago. Roger Baseford did an excellent job but didn't have the time to manage it any more. Someone put up a second site but it was subsequently infected with a virus and taken down.


----------



## pilot

*Gardline*



RayJordandpo said:


> Driving past Albert dock in Hull yesterday I saw a big survey vessel which looked like it was either being converted or under refit. Couldn't catch the name but it had 'Gardline' painted on the superstructure.


Ray. AIS shows 2 Gardline vessels in Hull at the moment. "Ocean Reliance" in Wm Wright Docks and "Ocean Researcher" in Alexandria Dock.
Rgds.


----------



## LochinvarLad

Bogle, you hardly did half a dog watch.You got yer feet back on land asap ya geordie git. You and McCaffery must hae been separated at birth.Arf Arf. Ken wha this is?


----------



## LochinvarLad

Anyway back to topic.Didn't the Exploder get sent to the Middle East? Best one was the Decca Mariner, cloggie flagged so she had Heineken aboard.Woo Hoo. One time I was PC on her and Drunken Duncan was PC on the surveyor.We're heading home DD is heading out.Calls me up and asks if I had any Deso 10 paper he could have.Reading between the lines I load up a box of Heineken, do a quick zodiac transfer and go on our merry ways. Hour later he's on the radio raging.He actually did need Deso 10 paper and had opend the box in front of the company man.


----------



## RayJordandpo

pilot said:


> Ray. AIS shows 2 Gardline vessels in Hull at the moment. "Ocean Reliance" in Wm Wright Docks and "Ocean Researcher" in Alexandria Dock.
> Rgds.


Spot on! I managed to see their names the other day.
Cheers (Thumb)


----------



## Searcher2004

andybogle said:


> The Decca man Yahoo site was unfortunetly abandoned a couple of years ago. Roger Baseford did an excellent job but didn't have the time to manage it any more. Someone put up a second site but it was subsequently infected with a virus and taken down.


Hi Andy,

Just signed-on with this group and my ears were burning when I saw this thread! Hope you're well? Still pounding the North Sea here, two years to go until retirement.

Yep, Martin Kelly took over the Yahoo group and then set up a better effort but I think the interest wasn't there and as you say it got a virus. BTW, Martin has been very ill after several heart-attacks but is well on the mend. 

Anyway, very good to see all the discussions coming from this thread and I remember nearly all of the ships mentioned, the Bembridge especially, I spent several trips on that ship with Dave Barnes. As to Gardline, an ex-employee recently showed me an interesting book about the company, think it was to commemorate 40 years of business. Worth a look if you can find a copy, lotsa nostalgia! 

All the best to the ex-Deccamen.

Roger Basford


----------



## Searcher2004

nav said:


> Gardline was a play on the founders' name, George Darling, a shrewd operator. When the large concrete production platforms were under construction at Ardyne Point on the Clyde, a letter from George appeared in a national newspaper questioning whether there was sufficient depth for these monsters to pass over at the bottom of Arran. There was immediate panic and route surveys were hastily arranged and the only vessels immediately available were from one Gardline Shipping of Great Yarmouth.
> 
> They are still thriving in the hydrographic and seismic industry with a website www.gardline.com.
> 
> Ships I remember were Gardline Seeker, Locater, Endurer and Tracker. Seeker became a pirate radio ship.
> 
> Other survey vessels I remember being around were the Sperus (ex Hesperus with the "He" removed!), Bembridge and a great little seaboat called the Akraborg, an ex Icelandic ferry run by the Bannan brothers if my memory serves me correctly.


Hi Nav,

Just my twopennyworth;

Seeker's first name in Gardline was "Charterer". They also ran "Surveyor", "Observer", "Profiler" and "Researcher", some of those names have been reused on later ships. There was also an inshore boat called Isis Corer. 

The Seeker, Tracker & Endurer were, I think, ex-Stavanger Steamship Co, built as war reparations by the Germans. Legend has it that Tracker was a "buy two, get one free" purchase! Seeker became the M/V "Communicator" and then Radio Laser. The DTI hired Tracker to act as a picket boat to stop supplies getting to Laser! 

Cheers

Roger/Searcher2004

Gardline 1974-1982.


----------



## Rafal Zahorski

*My post #12 and your presence on Bembridge*

Hello to all of you,

I see that our Bembridge is appearing in some posts. Please help us to restore her history. I have no knowledge about Decca activity on her board. 

I intend to add all facts, stories, pictures and anything concerning that period of time so Decca Survey activity too. Only you can help us.

Everything what I know is here: http://www.bembridge.pl/cms.php?pid=342

Please look at my post No. #12 in this thread. 

Many thanks in advance for your brain storming here. Only your memory is now available.

I am attaching a nice thing what I received from my friend from UK. This medal was issued in 1975 to memorise a first drop of crude oil delivered via ekofisk pipline. I know that Decca Survey, Cosag Marine Services were involved in this project and Bembridge took direct share in that project.

Once again - I bag for your help !!!

Best greeting Rafal


----------



## Searcher2004

Hello Rafal,

I have been reading through your postings about "Bembridge" and we did speak on the old DeccaMan forum a few years ago. I was on Bembridge as a Decca HIFIX technician during the time that the Tees to Ekofisk pipeline was laid. I did 2 or 3 trips, as I can recall, with a Surveyor called David Barnes. I think this was in 1973 or 74, as I left Decca at the end of '74 to go to Gardline. 

The Captain was called Gordon, but I don't remember his family name, and the mate was Irish, with a young couple of Australians as cook and steward who had been hired in a bar in Aberdeen by Mike Davenport (probably "The Yardarm" as the whole offshore survey world passed through that bar!). 

There were three construction companies on the pipeline; McDermotts, Santa Fe and another (Brown & Root?). We worked out of Blyth as there was less trouble with the authorities there! 

Life for a Decca engineer was easy on Bembridge, plenty of beer and not much work unless something broke down. One thing I recall about Bembridge was that she looked OLD! I was on deck one day when we were in Blyth and a taxi arrived at the gangway. We were expecting a new Chief to arrive shortly so that we could sail, as Capt Gordon had sacked the previous one! A head appeared out of the back window and a Geordie voice asked if this was Bembridge. I replied that it was, "F**k me, it's the African Queen!* Take me back to the railway station, Mate!!!" was the reply, and the taxi left. 

There was also a bench seat on the bow, which had been stolen one night from a local municipal park somewhere, do you still have that? 

Happy Days!

Regards

Roger Basford

* Google The African Queen, it's a famous movie. You'll see the similarity!


----------



## Rafal Zahorski

Hello Roger,

Great thanks for your nice post. Yes I remember you perfectly. Thank you for a nice and interesting contents. More very welcome!

Bench seat? When we bought her in 2009 it was not on board. 

You can see her pictures from "your" time on our Cosag page: http://www.bembridge.pl/cms.php?pid=342

I will update it by your sentences too still today

Greeting Rafal


----------



## Chris Ash

Ahhh Found you old crinkleys at last had to be somewhere

Re the charterer my first Decca ship in 1973 with John Haige as PC doing a survey off Holland, Ran from a storm into Den Helder and bounced off the bottom coming threw the northern entrance

Had a single rotary converter for the Ships radio 6 channel fixed freq and that was it all the other electrics were DC, I don't think she became the Searcher but was sold soon after and the searcher was a New!!! buy in 1974

Nice to hear the old names, Little recorder was my favorite ship, then the explorer, Great times


----------



## andybogle

Hi Chris. I assume you are talking about Gardline's Recorder rather than the Decca Recorder (ex-Clearwater). I remember the latter limping in to Aberdeen one time with a bridge window broken and one of her lifeboats missing after being caught in a Force 9. Or the Tracker breaking down in the middle of the North Sea with one of those ".....Forties, Fisher; gale force 8; Imminent....." shipping forecasts coming over the radio! We could make about 2 or 3 knots with the engine banging every now and again, sending perfect smoke rings into the sky. Happy days!


----------



## Chris Ash

Hi Andy

No the Decca recorder was the one I liked, Think that was Druncan duncan who was PC when she took that wave, and the youngish mate was on his first trip as skipper, she was limited to only as high as Aberdeen in the winter after that, before we went everywhere.

Had the Decca Scanner for a few months and she was a real pig had her plimesole line about 8 feet clear and rolled like DD after 15 pints


----------



## Searcher2004

Chris Ash said:


> Ahhh Found you old crinkleys at last had to be somewhere
> 
> Re the charterer my first Decca ship in 1973 with John Haige as PC doing a survey off Holland, Ran from a storm into Den Helder and bounced off the bottom coming threw the northern entrance
> 
> Had a single rotary converter for the Ships radio 6 channel fixed freq and that was it all the other electrics were DC, I don't think she became the Searcher but was sold soon after and the searcher was a New!!! buy in 1974
> 
> Nice to hear the old names, Little recorder was my favorite ship, then the explorer, Great times


Saw John Haigh at Schipol earlier this year, on the Norwich flight, so he's still with us!

Roger Basford


----------



## LochinvarLad

Hah! Drunken Duncan.One time I was PC on the Mariner heading back to GY.Stuart was PC on the Surveyor heading North .He calls me up asking if I had any Deso 10 paper.Reading between the lines I got a box, tipped out the Deso 10 paper and filled the boxes with tins of Heineken.We met up transferred the goodies and went our separate ways. Hours later he's back on the radio screaming.He did actually need Deso 10 paper.He opened the box with the company man looking on.We were now to far apart to do anything.I proceeded to GY and got a bollocking from Ken Blaiklock, Stuart had to pull into Aberdeen and get a bollocking from Budgie for forgetting the Deso 10 rolls to start with and causing his reputation to cause embarrassment to the company.Happy days.


----------



## Chris Ash

So what is everybody doing nowdays?

I run a internet workwear shop, and just started to get my pension, gave up the Sea about 2003(Scribe)


----------



## LochinvarLad

Ola Chris,Eric Swinney here, I remained in the business until about 6 years ago when health went seriously down the toilet.Recovered now and do consultancy and expert witness testimony.Trying to get back full time for a coupla years.Al Corden disappeared up New York way back to Aviation. Jeff Hume got into a load of mess personally and business wise.Have'nt heard of him for years but no doubt still out there flogging the latest and greatest.Most of the others are in the evil empire of Fugro.


----------



## Chris Ash

Anyone know where Tony Williams or Nick Wade are these days

is Ken Blaiklock who was Chief Surveyor still going well he was a Gentleman and on the Last of the antartic south pole
exped's with dogs, think he retired to Wroxham

Andy we must pass each day as I am on the corner of Swanstons road about 50 metres away


----------



## LochinvarLad

Think AJ and Nick are probably retired.Nick might be in academia.I agree about Ken, a class act, heard a few years back that he had passed away. Those were good days


----------



## joebuckham

chadburn said:


> Georgeham was one of the Ham's with Decca Equipment, think she is still around but now a houseboat I believe.


georgeham was a fishing party boat for a few years in the eighties running out of hartlepool on corporate junkets. at sea for a couple of days at a time


----------



## maxchord

Well, this is scary.. Just found this forum for reasons too obscure to contemplate, but I recognize a couple of you bastards from way back... Eric Swinney and Andy Bogle to be exact - and I have cause to remember DD as well. It's Al Corden here, and you're right Eric, I'm retired from aviation and living outside Philadelphia. So where are you guys...?


----------



## Faversham

*Decca*

The management company for Decca was Oil Search Marine Management. My first job was with them as receptionist/typist approx 1974/5!! Jim McKee was managing director.


----------



## chris ashdown

Jim McKee still going strong, met him at the bank about a month ago.
He has a ship called Southern Star which has been tied up in Yarmouth for about last 10 months

Don't know if his other boats were sold they were all named Bon xxx

Gardline seem to be doing very well buying up all of great yarmouth, though I guess all the old crinkleys have either died or retired by now

Nice to hear all is still around as a ex PPL I could never understand him giving up flying to drive a desk at Decca


----------



## Muller1

LochinvarLad said:


> The vessels were the Decca Surveyor,Mariner,Engineer and Recorder.
> Two questions.
> 1.What was the name of the company that ran the ships? It was a Decca company but did not have Decca in its name. Jim McKee was the head lad.
> 
> 2. The Captain of the Decca Surveyor was always known (behind his back) as The Talking Teapot.Anyone remember his real name.
> 
> Decca,the company that turned the Beatles down,you have to wonder.


The skippers name you are looking for was Tom Sheehan born in Ireland and stayed in Pinner in London.
My wife and my family were his second home from home and he used to babysit for us to let us out sometimes as he loved the home life and he had a wee break from ship board duties.
Tom was the last of a breed and I wish we had a few more like him.
He used to love telling my kids old sea tales and they called him uncle.
My wife was at his funeral when he passed away.

Mike Muller


----------



## chris ashdown

Think tom was called Hollywater, which is what he called his rather large mug of cold tea. 

A great man to share a watch with and great ship handler especially turning the Surveyor around by the bridge in Yarmouth with a strong tide


----------



## extravert

LochinvarLad said:


> I agree about Ken, a class act, heard a few years back that he had passed away. Those were good days


Dragging up an old thread I know, but I have some information. Ken Blaiklock (my father) is still very much alive. He did retire to Wroxham but a decade ago moved to Cheshire where at 87 he still lives. The Antarctic information in this thread is correct, and he is _still_ banging on about it after 50 years. He is now one of the last survivors of his era of Antarctic exploration. He has full memory faculties and although was shore based for most of his time at Decca Survey and hence less involved with their ships I'm sure he can still recall information about them, their work and crew if required. I remember clearly as a child being taken to see them at the quay in Great Yarmouth and visiting the Decca home chain transmitting station at Happisburgh.

Regarding the Beatles thing - yes, Decca turned them down, but they signed the Rolling Stones, so win some, lose some.


----------



## Searcher2004

extravert said:


> Dragging up an old thread I know, but I have some information. Ken Blaiklock (my father) is still very much alive. He did retire to Wroxham but a decade ago moved to Cheshire where at 87 he still lives. The Antarctic information in this thread is correct, and he is _still_ banging on about it after 50 years. He is now one of the last survivors of his era of Antarctic exploration. He has full memory faculties and although was shore based for most of his time at Decca Survey and hence less involved with their ships I'm sure he can still recall information about them, their work and crew if required. I remember clearly as a child being taken to see them at the quay in Great Yarmouth and visiting the Decca home chain transmitting station at Happisburgh.
> 
> Regarding the Beatles thing - yes, Decca turned them down, but they signed the Rolling Stones, so win some, lose some.


Funnily enough, I looked at this thread today for the first time in months, so was surprised to get a P/M that you had posted. 

I recall your Dad being a big name when I came on the North Sea for Decca in 1973, think he was at the Maincross Rd HQ when I was working at ABC Wharf. As a mere HIFIX tech I didn't get to meet Real Surveyors like Ken and Spike Hammick but had to make do with the Beach Road Irregulars like John Haigh, Barry Earle, etc. 

Was with Decca from 1969 to '73 with HIFIX and later worked for Doug Hampson in the Underwater Dept. Left DSL in '74 to go to Gardline, who had just four sea-going techs at that time with Dave Bird as Snr Engineer. 

Enjoyed the time overseas with DSL, I was only 19 when I joined and had never been out of the UK, their solution to that was six months in Indonesia. Moved on from Gardline to Palmers, then Geoteam and finally ended up at Fugro for my last 22 years, retired last July with 45 years in, last ship was the Fugro Meridian. 

I have a couple of the old 1970's DSL "who's where?" staff lists here and your Dad is listed under N.Sea Ops. 

Happy Daze!

Roger Basford


----------



## extravert

Searcher2004 said:


> I recall your Dad being a big name when I came on the North Sea for Decca in 1973, think he was at the Maincross Rd HQ when I was working at ABC Wharf.


I remember Main Cross House, Main Cross Road. Sometimes when my Dad worked a Saturday morning I would go with him and head to the beach on the other side of the road beyond all the caravans.

Now here's a factoid - during my Dad's time there they did some refurbishment to the building which involved replacing a door, which was unceremoniously dumped in a skip. My Dad had at the time recently bought and was doing up a derelict former crofter's cottage in Scotland. Quite a bit of the wood used to do up the house, including what is still today the kitchen door, came out of that skip outside Main Cross House.


----------



## Searcher2004

extravert said:


> I remember Main Cross House, Main Cross Road. Sometimes when my Dad worked a Saturday morning I would go with him and head to the beach on the other side of the road beyond all the caravans.
> 
> Now here's a factoid - during my Dad's time there they did some refurbishment to the building which involved replacing a door, which was unceremoniously dumped in a skip. My Dad had at the time recently bought and was doing up a derelict former crofter's cottage in Scotland. Quite a bit of the wood used to do up the house, including what is still today the kitchen door, came out of that skip outside Main Cross House.


Glad to hear a bit of the old place is still in use. For the last few years I was working offshore Fugro sent me to a place on Maincross Rd for an annual offshore medical and I'm pretty sure the refurbished building that the medical company occupy is the old Decca building, or part thereof. You'd find that the beach area has changed little but south towards the harbour mouth they have built the new outer harbour and blocked the road in from the town.


----------



## Goglesby

Rode Profiler and Locator in late 70's for seismic operations in the Gulf of Mexico.


----------



## ReDCee

I was on the Decca Engineer. BON espoir. Lady Harrison


----------



## ReDCee

Remember Ken Blackelock well


----------



## GrahamBurn

I was on Bon Entente Bon Accord and Bon Esprit in the eighties working for JimMckee. Spent a winter on Bon Esprit on Bollard Quay getting her ready for her first charter with the Navy Hydrographer


----------



## Nogginthenog

I remember those Mckee boats, a neighbor of mine was ships manager - a Geordie named Wally ??? . Did a wind and waterline thickness survey for him on the Bon Entent I think it was. The forepeak was full of small holes and you could see daylight outside . Those vessels were run on a shoestring but I always thought the Bon Espoir had nice lines.


----------



## GrahamBurn

Wally Slater lived near Beccles I think his brother was the NUS Big noise back in the day. 
Norman the foreman was the engineer super second home the gallon can!
Happy days


----------



## philmessinger

Anyone recall Sea Services Shipping of Yarmouth - Border Boats?


----------



## David Barnes

*Decca Survey*

I worked on all the Decca Boats at one time or another including the Bembridge working out of Blythe.I remember Andy and of course Nick Wade who i have lost touch with.I joined BP [Sonarmarine]which became Subsea Offshore and eventually Subsea 7 [via DSND]I retired from Subsea 7 in 2005 in Brazil but still work with a number of companies in Brazil.The Bembridge was notoriously unreliable-we were once without all power for three days.The HMS Ark Royal offered assistance but the captain refused based on an unwillingness to sign Lloyd's open Form if I remember correctly so we carried on drifting.


----------



## extravert

An update to an old thread...Ken Blaiklock (my father) who was chief surveyor at Decca Survey and subsequently Racal in Great Yarmouth died on the 20th September after a short illness. He was 92 and was living independently until the end.


----------



## Phil Messinger

LochinvarLad said:


> The vessels were the Decca Surveyor,Mariner,Engineer and Recorder.
> Two questions.
> 1.What was the name of the company that ran the ships? It was a Decca company but did not have Decca in its name. Jim McKee was the head lad.
> 
> 2. The Captain of the Decca Surveyor was always known (behind his back) as The Talking Teapot.Anyone remember his real name.
> 
> Decca,the company that turned the Beatles down,you have to wonder.


What about the ships owned by the Bruce brothers - Galway Blazer, Trail Blazer and Border Blazer?


----------



## andybogle

David Barnes said:


> *Decca Survey*
> 
> I worked on all the Decca Boats at one time or another including the Bembridge working out of Blythe.I remember Andy and of course Nick Wade who i have lost touch with.I joined BP [Sonarmarine]which became Subsea Offshore and eventually Subsea 7 [via DSND]I retired from Subsea 7 in 2005 in Brazil but still work with a number of companies in Brazil.The Bembridge was notoriously unreliable-we were once without all power for three days.The HMS Ark Royal offered assistance but the captain refused based on an unwillingness to sign Lloyd's open Form if I remember correctly so we carried on drifting.


Just came across this thread after many years! You still around Mr Barnes?


----------

