Anyone Interested in Ships

[New Haven Neil]

And only 20 years old so if the hull is sound her main problems are likely to be spares for engines etc.  

 

Our regular 'holiday' ship is now 36 years old and while the hull is in excellent condition she is a right handful for various mechanical parts with many having to be specially made as spares are no longer available and one engine is permanently shutdown having become something of a 'Christmas tree' for some of its brethren.  One amusing (except for the engineers) feature of her age is that she allegedly boasts at least one example of every sort of screw etc thread found in the western world, including US.  But on the other hand, perhaps not surprisingly her navigational related electronics and software fit is right up to date and is regularly updated.

 

 

I don't think engine parts are an issue yet (she recently had a major break down but was repaired under a week.  She has MAK engines), but she works a lot harder than Patricia!  In virtually all weathers, twice a day to Heysham (mostly) and back all year around.  It wouldn't surprise me if some of the hull is showing signs of stress in places. The seats certainly are!  There is currently a public consultation as to the future of the 'Packet's' services as it has just been bought by our Government.  Some of the questions are around replacement of the Ben and the fastcraft (hideous things).  I have 'had my say' needless to add!

 

PS - 'Ben-my-Chree' = 'Girl of my Heart'  It's not a blokes name as many seem to think!

Edited September 30, 2018 by New Haven Neil

[MarkC]

An old colleague of mine does some relieving work on the Ben, having been made to retire, due to age, from my outfit. As he says, it keeps him in drinking vouchers!

[The Stationmaster]

I don't think engine parts are an issue yet (she recently had a major break down but was repaired under a week.  She has MAK engines), but she works a lot harder than Patricia!  In virtually all weathers, twice a day to Heysham (mostly) and back all year around.  It wouldn't surprise me if some of the hull is showing signs of stress in places. The seats certainly are!  There is currently a public consultation as to the future of the 'Packet's' services as it has just been bought by our Government.  Some of the questions are around replacement of the Ben and the fastcraft (hideous things).  I have 'had my say' needless to add!

 

PS - 'Ben-my-Chree' = 'Girl of my Heart'  It's not a blokes name as many seem to think!

 

Interesting thanks Neil.  I do wonder about hull plating on more modern vessels as from certain things I've heard it does seem to be the case that if the hull and plating is designed to more recent standards for a life of, say, 20 years then that is how long (give or take) they will last as metal thickness is designed down to the most 'cost effective' level for the design life of the ship.

[Ohmisterporter]

https://www.dw.com/en/two-ships-collide-in-mediterranean-near-corsica/a-45792915

[JeremyC]

I don't think engine parts are an issue yet (she recently had a major break down but was repaired under a week.  She has MAK engines), but she works a lot harder than Patricia!  In virtually all weathers, twice a day to Heysham (mostly) and back all year around.  It wouldn't surprise me if some of the hull is showing signs of stress in places. The seats certainly are!  There is currently a public consultation as to the future of the 'Packet's' services as it has just been bought by our Government.  Some of the questions are around replacement of the Ben and the fastcraft (hideous things).  I have 'had my say' needless to add!

 

PS - 'Ben-my-Chree' = 'Girl of my Heart'  It's not a blokes name as many seem to think!

I thought it was a mountain somewhere.

 

Age of the engine is not always an indication of the availability of parts. In the early 2000s I was Chief Engineer on our fleets oldest ship built in 1974. The newest ship had been built in 1988. I never had any problems obtaining engine parts, but the Chief on the new ship had continual problems getting them; the difference? My ship had British Polar engines of a type, though then obsolete, that had been built in large numbers, the new ship had a Ruston engine which had had a production run of eleven engines and we had two of them! Not long before the ship was sold out of service there was a problem with the fuel pumps and spare pumps had to be specially manufactured.

[Bon Accord]

I thought it was a mountain somewhere.

 

Age of the engine is not always an indication of the availability of parts. In the early 2000s I was Chief Engineer on our fleets oldest ship built in 1974. The newest ship had been built in 1988. I never had any problems obtaining engine parts, but the Chief on the new ship had continual problems getting them; the difference? My ship had British Polar engines of a type, though then obsolete, that had been built in large numbers, the new ship had a Ruston engine which had had a production run of eleven engines and we had two of them! Not long before the ship was sold out of service there was a problem with the fuel pumps and spare pumps had to be specially manufactured.

 

In a similar vein an erstwhile employer of mine was one of the last companies to still run ships with a Doxford down below (3 and 5 legged variety), this going on well into this millennium. Getting parts was damn near impossible by then so several expeditions to the likes of Beamish and South Shields college were made by the Supers to either buy/barter for bits or use them as templates to make new!

The current chariot has twin Mirlees Blackstone K8 Majors (built 1995) and getting parts is getting similarly more difficult.

[jjb1970]

The Mirlees K Major, that was an engine, I never worked out how it was possible to build an engine that big which produced so little power. The old RRS Bransfield had two K8 Majors, to look at them you'd have estimated their power at more than double what it actually was. Solid and reliable though, other than being awfully big for the power they were an easy engine to look after and seldom seemed to throw wobblies.

[Bon Accord]

The Mirlees K Major, that was an engine, I never worked out how it was possible to build an engine that big which produced so little power. The old RRS Bransfield had two K8 Majors, to look at them you'd have estimated their power at more than double what it actually was. Solid and reliable though, other than being awfully big for the power they were an easy engine to look after and seldom seemed to throw wobblies.

 

The only bother we really have is that the port M/E has a recurring oil leak from underneath the engine which has been the case since 1995; since the space underneath is inaccessible without removing the engine then that is how it shall likely remain until we run her up the beach.The starboard M/E has a slightly out of alignment shaft (again since build), but it doesn't seem to do any harm.

Edited October 8, 2018 by Bon Accord

[62613]

https://www.dw.com/en/two-ships-collide-in-mediterranean-near-corsica/a-45792915

Was the weather clear? It doesn't say. If so, t-boning another ship is unforgivable!

[Ohmisterporter]

It says the collision happened at 07:30 so daylight in those waters. No mention of weather conditions or whether anyone was looking at the radar screen, or indeed on the bridge of the ferry. The ship that was rammed was stationary at the time so this qualifies as an allision; a word I learned on here and was itching to use.

[New Haven Neil]

JJB, did you ever sail with a Geordie engineer called Dick Pascoe on the Bransfield?

[steve W]

Spent a pleasent couple of hours in Bideford yesterday

Brought back memories of the 'old days' when you tied up at the end of the High street rather than miles from anywhere.

The Catania loading clay.

 

Trucks tip theclay onto the quay then a grab transfers it to the ship. A leisurely process that surely could be reasonably speeded up with a portable conveyor and decent sized shovel loader,

She should float agaian in about four hours after this pic was taken.

Edited October 12, 2018 by steve W

[jjb1970]

JJB, did you ever sail with a Geordie engineer called Dick Pascoe on the Bransfield?

Sorry, missed this! No, I don't remember that name however it's now over 20 years since I worked for BAS (it's 15 years since I left the sea full stop) and I struggle to remember names from ships. I used to laugh at people who struggled to remember stuff like that, oh dear......

[New Haven Neil]

Sorry, missed this! No, I don't remember that name however it's now over 20 years since I worked for BAS (it's 15 years since I left the sea full stop) and I struggle to remember names from ships. I used to laugh at people who struggled to remember stuff like that, oh dear...…

 

 

Memory?  No don't have one!  As ChrisF says, it is now a forgettory.

 

Dick was on the Bransfield in the late 70's, so the timescales don't fit.  Was it Tyne built?  I have a feeling he may have worked on building her when an apprentice on the Tyne, he didn't come via a cadetship. 

[jjb1970]

Bransfield was built in Leith, the JCR was built by SH on the Tyne. They were both lovely ships, I preferred the Bransfield but the JCR was a beautiful ship and built to a standard very few commercial ships get anywhere near to.

[MarkC]

Bransfield was built in Leith, the JCR was built by SH on the Tyne. They were both lovely ships, I preferred the Bransfield but the JCR was a beautiful ship and built to a standard very few commercial ships get anywhere near to.

I visited the Bransfield back in 1983, when she came alongside my ship, "Scottish Eagle", in the Falklands. She wanted to fill up with Gas Oil. Took the opportunity to visit the Engine Room. Very nice.

 

I know the JCR too - a very good friend of mine has been the Deck Engineer on her for a very long time now. Another lovely ship, whose time is almost up, when the new ship comes on line. I wonder if Gard Line will buy the JCR?

[MarkC]

Oops

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-6299947/Ferry-collides-two-yachts-Isle-Wight-dense-fog.html

 

And the aftermath

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-6303143/Isle-Wight-ferry-captain-mate-suspended-ship-hits-yachts.html

 

I'm surprised that nobody else has picked up on this.

[Bon Accord]

"I can see Chloe's from here...."

 

Taken from a Federal/NZSCo cadet brochure, showing the cadets on MV DURHAM in Melbourne taken 1947. The caps were being worn for photographic effect.

Changed days indeed....

 

[62613]

"I can see Chloe's from here...."

 

Taken from a Federal/NZSCo cadet brochure, showing the cadets on MV DURHAM in Melbourne taken 1947. The caps were being worn for photographic effect.

Changed days indeed....

 

702799824.jpg

Ah, yes, caps! I can't ever recall wearing mine, for any occasion. Not even Spithead in 1977

[jjb1970]

I had one as a cadet but after my first trip never took it away again, I can't honestly remember what happened to it. Proper waste of money that was, but it was on the P&OCL uniform list for cadets.

[alastairq]

My cap went with me on every trip.  They were worn, mostly when entering/leaving port within Europe or UK.  {As a nav cadet/apprentice, or, eventually, as a U/3/O....]  Deep sea, not often bothered with.  Went from cloth cap cover to plastic quite early on...easier to 'clean'....Much depended on the sort of discipline expected by the Old Man....

 

But then, we still used sextants deep sea....and the height of technology was Decca [no faith in LORAN]....and relative motion radar. Eventually some places required hard hats to be worn. Tropical whites worn on the bridge..boiler suits elsewhere on other [grubby] jobs..especially on cargo watches.

Definitely not PC World!

[chris p bacon]

My Dad never did like wearing one.

 

On the 26th July 1972 'British Surveyor' made a transit of the Dover Strait with Prince Phillip on board, the instructions were that full uniform was to be worn including caps.

Dad is on the right in the picture without his, and when I asked the Master Lenny Pugh why he wasn't wearing one, he replied.  "no one dare tell him"

 

 

The other chap with PP is Eric Drake BP's Chairman.

[The Stationmaster]

Oops

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-6299947/Ferry-collides-two-yachts-Isle-Wight-dense-fog.html

 

And the aftermath

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-6303143/Isle-Wight-ferry-captain-mate-suspended-ship-hits-yachts.html

 

I'm surprised that nobody else has picked up on this.

 

It did get on the some BBC news programmes with a mention of 'a previous recent incident involving the same ferry'

[alastairq]

My Dad never did like wearing one.

 

On the 26th July 1972 'British Surveyor' made a transit of the Dover Strait with Prince Phillip on board, the instructions were that full uniform was to be worn including caps.

Dad is on the right in the picture without his, and when I asked the Master Lenny Pugh why he wasn't wearing one, he replied.  "no one dare tell him"

 

Royal Visit.jpg

 

The other chap with PP is Eric Drake BP's Chairman.

 

Almost the exact month I left BP....and the sea!   Probably a bit of a celebration, then?? 

 

I note the rank insignia.....cannot see the top loops on the sleeves??

BP tankers was one of the companies that could find themselves 'called-up' to the RFA in times of stress......

Thus, rank insignia differed from that of other UK merchant navy insignia......in that the top [or inside] ring had a circular loop on it, as per the Royal Navy.  whereas other companies had a diamond for a loop. [i made the dizzy heights of a one-ringer!!!].....

 

I suppose nowadays, there's nobody left on board to  see whether one is dressed appropriately?  Must be an awfully lonely life on a ship these days?

[chris p bacon]

 

Almost the exact month I left BP....and the sea!   Probably a bit of a celebration, then?? 

 

I note the rank insignia.....cannot see the top loops on the sleeves??

BP tankers was one of the companies that could find themselves 'called-up' to the RFA in times of stress......

Thus, rank insignia differed from that of other UK merchant navy insignia......in that the top [or inside] ring had a circular loop on it, as per the Royal Navy.  whereas other companies had a diamond for a loop. [i made the dizzy heights of a one-ringer!!!].....

 

I suppose nowadays, there's nobody left on board to  see whether one is dressed appropriately?  Must be an awfully lonely life on a ship these days?

 

Yes there was a loop at the top of the rings. At the time Dad and Lenny Pugh (on the left) were 'Commodore' and 'Commodore Engineer'  which meant a change of insignia to his uniform. . . mum was so pleaed with all the extra sewing. . . . .