# Seeking Caltex Adelaide, Manchester and Newcastle 1957-60 crew



## robcavender (Jan 29, 2017)

My father, Daniel Austin Cavender, was an engineer with these Caltex tankers. He is now 80, still going strong and still regaling us with tales of his adventures. I wondered if there were any former crew members or family of former crew members who might remember him.


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## Ian6 (Feb 1, 2006)

I sailed in 8 Caltex tankers (1954-58) nut sadly none of them match your Dad's list. You might try tota.co.uk the website of Texaco Overseas Tankship the later name for Overseas Tankship UK (who operated Caltex ships in those days). That site seems to have been a bit dormant lately but you can get details of the ships involved and possibly more. Good luck.

Ian


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Greetings *robcavender *and welcome to *SN.* Bon voyage.


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## Split (Jun 25, 2006)

robcavender said:


> My father, Daniel Austin Cavender, was an engineer with these Caltex tankers. He is now 80, still going strong and still regaling us with tales of his adventures. I wondered if there were any former crew members or family of former crew members who might remember him.


I was a mate, 2nd mate, if I remember correctly, on the Adelaide. John Nicholson, . John Gillies, mate, John Sears 3rd mate. I'm pushing 85, everything seems to work ok, except for my sex drive, can't seem to get interested, these days.


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## robcavender (Jan 29, 2017)

Good to hear from you and thanks for the reply. Could you just clarify who you are so I can let my dad know as your name doesn't appear on your profile? My dad remembers John Nicholson the skipper who he describes as a 'lovely Christian man'. He has also managed to find a photo of John Gillies though he doesn't recall John Sears.


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## Split (Jun 25, 2006)

robcavender said:


> Good to hear from you and thanks for the reply. Could you just clarify who you are so I can let my dad know as your name doesn't appear on your profile? My dad remembers John Nicholson the skipper who he describes as a 'lovely Christian man'. He has also managed to find a photo of John Gillies though he doesn't recall John Sears.


John Davies. I joined in Cronulla, along with a few engineers. I remember that one played the hotel piano very well!


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## robcavender (Jan 29, 2017)

Split said:


> John Davies. I joined in Cronulla, along with a few engineers. I remember that one played the hotel piano very well!


Thanks for the reply. My dad, known as Danny in his navy days, was only on the Adelaide from October 1957 for about 9 months. He remembers 'big' Tom Cowan and Chris Robertson (engineers) and a chap called Angus (radio operator) who broke his leg in a bar brawl in the Philippines and had to be flown home, so the ship was held up for 16 days before a new radio operator was sent. Regrettably, my dad is not the least bit musical. 
Best wishes.


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## howardws (Aug 15, 2009)

Split said:


> John Davies. I joined in Cronulla, along with a few engineers. I remember that one played the hotel piano very well!


Cronulla - that brings back memories of loading lube oil in Texaco Glasgow, ex Caltex Liverpool, in 1968. We went to a couple of ports in New Zealand with it. We loaded via 4" hoses through the tank hatches as I remember. Caltex had a Captain called Cook who always had problems getting a taxi from or to Cronulla for some reason!


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## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

Was on the Newcastle in August 1971, ship had seen better days. Gone downhill since your father left it.


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## robcavender (Jan 29, 2017)

Ian6 said:


> I sailed in 8 Caltex tankers (1954-58) nut sadly none of them match your Dad's list. You might try tota.co.uk the website of Texaco Overseas Tankship the later name for Overseas Tankship UK (who operated Caltex ships in those days). That site seems to have been a bit dormant lately but you can get details of the ships involved and possibly more. Good luck.
> 
> Ian


Thank you Ian. Apologies for the delay in replying. Thanks for the suggested website.


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## howardws (Aug 15, 2009)

Calling Josef Whelan from whom I received a message asking why Captain cook had problems when calling a taxi. I sent a reply via your registered SN email address which doesn't work. Anyone in the Botany Bay area calling themselves Captain Cook would be liable to a frosty reception I would have thought. He's supposed to have found the place!


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## Joe Whelan (Nov 2, 2006)

Thanks for info re Capt. Cook.


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## Split (Jun 25, 2006)

Engine Serang said:


> Was on the Newcastle in August 1971, ship had seen better days. Gone downhill since your father left it.


Capt. Hall was a super who stood by the Newcastle building. He left the company and one of the reasons he gave me, when I ran into him as a Barrier Reef pilot, was the poor finish that was being given the Newcastle over her sister ship, the Edinburgh. One example that he gave me was the wooden bridge deck on the former and no wood on the latter. In fact, he said, the lowering of standards on new ships was quite evident.


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## howardws (Aug 15, 2009)

I did my apprenticeship and a two year contract with Caltex. I sailed on Brisbane, Perth, Calcutta, Saigon, Bahrain and Texaco Glasgow (ex Liverpool). I didn't know any better at the time and came to assume that all ships had dreadful accommodation, little or no air conditioning, minimal annual maintenance, stinking hot engine rooms, deckhead leaks (I had to rig a tarpaulin over the switchboard on Glasgow as on deck seas leaked into the valve compartment which in turn leaked into the engine room) and ten month trips. The only good thing was the food which was excellent!

In 1969 I joined Container Fleets which had six ships building - the 'Small Bays'. What an eye opener. Superb accommodation, proper refits, air conditioning, a control room (Central control in Caltex was a twenty foot long extended spindle to the feed make up) and five month trips which very soon became ten week trips. The food wasn't much cop though!


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## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

#2 
Often drop in at website tota, it seems to be frozen for over 12 months now.


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## JMPC (Sep 24, 2021)

robcavender said:


> My father, Daniel Austin Cavender, was an engineer with these Caltex tankers. He is now 80, still going strong and still regaling us with tales of his adventures. I wondered if there were any former crew members or family of former crew members who might remember him.


My father Jim Cunningham was an engineer with Caltex and later Texaco. He was born in Liverpool in 1912 and died there 1984. Just wondering if anyone might know someone who sailed with him. Many Thanks


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