Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

No, but something lighter than water.  She is almost discharged at that point, so not a lot left in her, here's the vessel we were discharging into....it too a LOT of trips for that coaster to take it all....7 weeks....

 

No, not dry cargo, Mike.

 

scan0002.jpg

Might well be lpg then - those midships structures look a bit like that and the ship is presumably the one built in 1977?

[New Haven Neil]

Bingo, Mike.  The 'Staffordshire'.

 

She went to lay-up immediately after being built, due to the deepwater ports to load LPG tankers of that size (75,000 m3) not being completed.  She had been trading for not quite a year when I was on her, which dates the photo to 1979.  We were discharging propane into that little coaster which was a right faff, as we carried the gas frozen at -30c, and she was not equipped to handle that, so we had to heat the liquified gas as it went into her - with a heat exchanger heated by seawater.  In all a delicate and dangerous process, so we were 'there' for 7 weeks, and we had little to do as everything was still under manufacturers warranty.  However.....'there' was Koh Sichang, Thailand....just up the road from Pattaya, which is how I got the opportunity to photograph the ship that way, on the launch going ashore some 5 miles away.

 

For those that are interested, the midhsips structure houses the enormous compressors that keep the cargo frozen, using a two stage refrigeration system.  The main engine was a Sulzer 7 cylinder RND90M, making about 25,000 bhp IIRC.  She was a fast ship, unlike oil tankers, it's worthwhile because of the cost of keeping the cargo cold, so quicker transit times are commercially advantagious.

[BoD]

Fascinating post Neil. Thank you for sharing it.

I wonder how that 'Sulzer' would have sat in a Class 26.

[The Stationmaster]

Here's a more recent vessel for you Neil  'Al Mafyar' launched 2009 so c.30 years later than the 'Staffordshire' - seen here discharging cargo at Milford Haven Septr 2012 -

 

[trisonic]

I've experienced that, Pete.

Ennui.

Could be, I thought that only happened to the French....

 

Best, Pete.

[BoD]

Could be, I thought that only happened to the French....

Could be just a problem with the languor-age.

[trisonic]

Actually DD you're definitely onto something try Googling "fighting ennui" for some interesting results.

 

Thanks, mate. Pete.

[45156]

I didn't mean to sound disparaging about Morecambe, Stewart. I was just the way I found it at the time.  As I said, all very sad really but I guess not to dissimilar to many former seaside 'resorts'.

It's good to hear that efforts are being made to change things.

No - you're actually pretty correct in your assessment of the place, but there are one or two things that you mentioned which are being put right - or attempts are being made.

 

Unfortunately, after the rot set in, many of the larger properties were converted from hotels and guest houses to flats, and many of these have suffered (as has Morecambe) as a result. 

 

When I was a kid, all those years ago, many Scottish families went to Morecambe for their annual holiday (the Glasgow Fair and Kilmarnock Fair in particular - also some of the Yorkshire mill towns did likewise) and many families went to Blackpool one year, and Morecambe the next.  There was quite a trade in special trains to both destinations from South West Scotland and some quite unusual locos could be spotted in the Sidings between Morecambe and Bare.  Then the package tours came, and the concept of whole towns going on holiday together died a death, and with it Morecambe. 

 

I am doubtful that the town can ever be revived to anything other than mediocrity and there is a very real Catch 22 about the place, as it needs visitors to revitalise it (well Lancaster Council won't as they have proved on a number of occasions) but it needs to be revitalised to attract the visitors - a few metal terns on top of the bollards isn't really enough to hack it somehow, and I think that its most famous sons - Eric, Thora Hird, Victoria Wood, and Paul Hayes aren't quite going to cut the mustard either!

Edited May 5, 2013 by 45156

[Gruffalo]

Here's a more recent vessel for you Neil  'Al Mafyar' launched 2009 so c.30 years later than the 'Staffordshire' - seen here discharging cargo at Milford Haven Septr 2012 -

 

IMGP8594adj.jpg

Not meaning to be a pedant Mike & Neil but the newer ship is an LNG carrier whilst the Staffy was an LPG carrier. Both used the idea of a thermal refrigeration cycle using the cargo as the refrigerant to keep things cool (and so avoid unsafe pressure accumulations). LNG boats often had thin stainless steel skins as tanks, supported by softwood (bala) backing in the mid 60's - 70's (Methane Princes & Methane Progress were two such ships), I don't know how they are built today. I had a few months on a smaller (10,000T) LPG carrier called the Nicole in 1977 - drifting off Sicily waiting for a berth when Virginia Wade won Wimbledon. Most of the time we carried liquified ammonia but we also had a couple of runs with Vinyl Chloride - not very pleasant stuff. That ship had a medium speed (300RPM) 12 cylinder Deutz / MAN main engine and the tanks were far more robust but still made of an esoteric stainless steel. 

 

As to the reference to Strawberries & Pimms - I'm not a tennis fan but that was also HMQ's Silver Jubilee and some wondered whether the result was anything more than coincidental. Everyone at home was having street parties whilst Jolly Jack and his mates just carried on plodding across the oceans.

[trisonic]

I remember that I was staying on the Algarve in Portugal at Vale do Lobo - no TV, I thought I was the only one with no memories of that! I've also been out of the country for every Jubilee since then...

No I'm not Anti-Royalist but I'm not particularly fond of them either....

 

Best, Pete.

Edited May 5, 2013 by trisonic

[Donw]

Pete

Part of the problem is the law of diminshing returns decreasing reward for the same effort. ouple that with increasing stress as the impact of a failure increases the more you succeed. The result can be burnout. Perhaps the best advice is yo keep changing moving on.

Don

[Oldddudders]

Surprised myself today with several long sessions in the garden - well, two were on the grass verge outside, really. The street drain is on my side of the road, is very important when there is rain, and is more than a foot deep, so does attract a goodly selection of weeds and grasses. Anyway, it is now clear again, as are the verges on each side of it. Tonight I thought I ought to "top" the paddock - doing so in Spring discourages some of the more outlandish weeds etc. The wet-and-dry weather has brought things up in a rush! Clover apparently a foot deep kept trying to stall the tractor, even on its highest setting, full throttle and slowest drive. Poor little thing now deserves an oil-change.

[Tony_S]

The warm wet weather here has made the grass grow quickly as well. All the delayed early Spring flowers are out are out now alongside the usual early May plants.

After clearing the shed (sorry, "the summerhouse") I settled down to an afternoon of testing the new garden furniture while Aditi pruned, tidied and planted. When Robbie was a pup Aditi thought he should have a kennel to sit in if he was in the garden. If it is sunny he prefers to sit under a shrub anyway, so he has never used it. Today he started to vigorously dig under it. This is unusual, he isn't inclined to dig. I was concerned in case there were undesirable rodents underneath though I hadn't seen any other evidence. When I lifted the kennel there was a toad sitting there. At this point having investigated, Robbie lost interest and the kennel was replaced safely over the toad.

 

Tony

[New Haven Neil]

Not meaning to be a pedant Mike & Neil but the newer ship is an LNG carrier whilst the Staffy was an LPG carrier. Both used the idea of a thermal refrigeration cycle using the cargo as the refrigerant to keep things cool (and so avoid unsafe pressure accumulations). LNG boats often had thin stainless steel skins as tanks, supported by softwood (bala) backing in the mid 60's - 70's (Methane Princes & Methane Progress were two such ships), I don't know how they are built today. I had a few months on a smaller (10,000T) LPG carrier called the Nicole in 1977 - drifting off Sicily waiting for a berth when Virginia Wade won Wimbledon. Most of the time we carried liquified ammonia but we also had a couple of runs with Vinyl Chloride - not very pleasant stuff. That ship had a medium speed (300RPM) 12 cylinder Deutz / MAN main engine and the tanks were far more robust but still made of an esoteric stainless steel. 

 

As to the reference to Strawberries & Pimms - I'm not a tennis fan but that was also HMQ's Silver Jubilee and some wondered whether the result was anything more than coincidental. Everyone at home was having street parties whilst Jolly Jack and his mates just carried on plodding across the oceans.

 

Yes, I was just going to point that out!  LNG tankers in my day were pressurised, not refrigerated, things have moved on!  The Staffy had cargo compressors by Sulzer too, huge great things, two stage with corsshead guides, like a compound recip engine in reverse, with enclosed crankcases though.  they were about 10 feet tall, 400hp motors driving them.  The R22 (remember that!) side were 4 bank 8 cylinder machines by Sabroe, again pretty huge,  there were three sets of machinery.  She had a lot of generating capacity, as you might imagine to drive that lot, plus anything else you may be using, ballast pumps etc.  3 Crepelle 8 cyl alternators, turned out to be CrApelle, and a big TA.  I mentioned this lovely machine a while ago, I still don't recall what make it was, annoyingly, but it wasn't a Brotherhood, it was furrin. French built ship - Chantiers Dunkerque, very well built vessel, bar those alternator engines!

 

As for powering a 26 with an RND - well, the '90' stands for the bore diameter - in centimetres.....that's nearly three feet......

[Ashcombe]

Surprised myself today with several long sessions in the garden - well, two were on the grass verge outside, really. The street drain is on my side of the road, is very important when there is rain, and is more than a foot deep, so does attract a goodly selection of weeds and grasses. Anyway, it is now clear again, as are the verges on each side of it.....

Important to take care on the verge.

Edited May 5, 2013 by Ashcombe

[Donw]

Listening to the radio whilst doing some woodwork I was really taken with this lyric;

Doing okay doing alright, my futures so bright I gotta wear shades.

 

Also the comment "Thank god I'm an atheist"

 

apologies for warped sense of humour.

Don

[travelintrev]

Morning all,  

 

Guess what?  I got "told" to do some modeling this afternoon....after we had walked along the beach......bit limited on tools though for what I was planning. But never mind.  (If any ones interested it's a 1:25 scale  US 1941 pickup that's going to be done as a bit of a beaten up "clunker"..)

 

BH in UK today so hope you all enjoy,.....there is another (rail related) surprise for me apparently! 

 

Be good

 

Trev

[NGT6 1315]

Morning all...

 

Looking to be a sunny day, till the afternoon at least as t-storms may be in the cards by the afternoon. Yesterday was spent mostly on the balcony, with a brief bike tour around the town thrown in for good measure!

 

 

apologies for warped sense of humour.

Don

 

No need for apologies, Don. Mine can be fairly warped, too!

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Already warm. The pigeons are cooing but otherwise it is very quiet here.

Tony

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It is quite a quiet morning around here too - It looks like it is going to be a nice day.  Hopefully the weather will hold as the little guy is going off on his first three day school trip.

 

The weekend was spent gardening, and preparing the Mini for sale.

 

Have a good day everyone...

[DDolfelin]

apologies for warped sense of humour.

Don

 

I'm fortunate in that I'm well known for not having a warped sense of humour.

I will guiltily confess that I find folk falling over quite funny though.

 

Airport run yesterday was uneventful.

New (to me) car performed impeccably.

Apart from having too many electronic gizmos I'm pleased with the purchase.

 

I did notice that a branch of 'Gregs' (sp?) in the Airport was doing a roaring trade with cheap pies and tea/coffee.

The Hot Potato counter next door didn't have one customer at £7+ a pop.

Will they take a lesson from this? No.

There are other cheap pie providers available (but not at Manchester Airport).

[Ashcombe]

Eerily quiet here too, but that's because the sound of the few vehicles that have passed is muffled by the fog!! After six sunny days, we now have visibility down to 10 metres. One of the joys of being close to the sea.

 

Yesterday, we went to the BMAD gathering of bikers on Paignton seafront which was very busy. In fact I think we spent longer queuing and travelling on buses than actually attending the event! (Making the most of the bus pass in case IDS gets his way!)

 

Hope the sun is shining wherever you are today.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Ashcombe

[DonBradley]

Hello all. I'm upset as I can no longer log in as an Early Riser. I started trying just after 6:00 but jut couldn't connect.

It's been behaving like this for some weeks. I'm on a wireless dial-up.

Now after breakfast there is no problem and I can connect and log on instantly. I'm sure it's something to do with our service provider but I am told it's not so.

It's cold in the early morning. Do computers feel the cold?

Right now it's warming up. There's a blue sky, no cloud, no wind and 26C promised.

Happy Monday all.

[DDolfelin]

I'm sure you are welcome at any time you can make it, Don.

 

Here's another old transparency:

 

It's just waiting until B&Q opens.

Edited May 6, 2013 by DDolfelin

[simon hudson]

North Wales is fine and sunny on the coast that is!.I'm off up to Llyn Alwen for a spot of fishing so it might be trout for tea(then again it might not!!).

Don have you tried feeding the hamsters.have a good one everyone