Anecdote

In de zuid chinese zee 131 vietnamese vluchtelingen opgepikt destijds een zeer bijzonder ietsen na ongeveer 3a4 dagen afgezet in okinawa.

WHEN I JOINED THE SHIP SHE WAS BERTHED ON THE TEES WE SAILED OVER TO IRELAND TOOK ON SUPPLIES FOR THE WEST INDIES AND CANADA THIS WAS OUR REGULAR TRIP FOR ONE YEAR AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS AT SEA A SMELL FILLED ALL THE AFT CABINS ON INVESIGATION IT WAS FOUND SOMEONE HAD HIDDEN SOME BOXES OF BUTTER WHITCH HAD MELTED AS THE WEATHER WARMED UP AS I WAS THE DECKBOY AT THE TIME I GOT THE JOB

I was 2nd Mate on the Borus, the Eastern Fleet in 1962/63. One port we visited many times was Tjilatjap on the southern coast of Java we were known as The Tjilatjap Express and also The Bouncing Borus (becuase of the 3 cylinder doxford) and The Porous Borus. One time going into Tjilatjap the engine started giving trouble, we asked the pilot if we could turn round and go back out, we were just approaching the entrance. The pilot said no problem we put her hard over and ran aground to the east of the entrance and were there for 5 days on the edge of an old Japanese mine field. We were loaded with gasoline and kerosine. The only time we had seen no swell from the south, lucky. Another Shell tanker finally came and unloaded half the cargo before we got her afloat and that ship did more damage than running aground as it was then that the swell started to pick up. The locals sure thought it was funny when we finally went alongside.

mon premier petrolier de la Shell annee 1952
pendant 6 mois avec le commandant Duchamp
rendu aux Anglais chez Dubigeon (Bretagne Loire Atlantique 1952

I joined the Lyria as a first trip deck boy(GP Boy)in Elsnore Denmark in November 1976.The Lyria was a new build, and I sailed on her maiden voyage from Denmark bound for the Persian Gulf.
Her first ever port call was Las Palmas for some repairs. On completion she sailed for Kark Island for her first ever cargo for delivery in Rotterdam.

I joined the Lyria as a first trip deck boy(GP Boy)in Elsnore Denmark in November 1976.The Lyria was a new build, and I sailed on her maiden voyage from Denmark bound for the Persian Gulf.
Her first ever port call was Las Palmas for some repairs. On completion she sailed for Kark Island for her first ever cargo for delivery in Rotterdam.

I remember joining the Verena in Nynashamn, Sweden as a first trip fiver, on the 23rd march 1968. I was housed in a porta-cabin lashed to the funnel deck as we were carrying so many extra engineers. I spent the next two and a half weeks in the air heater of one of the main boilers unblocking air heater tubes by hand .Lucky for me Shell in their wisdom decided to pay me and another fiver off in Cardon , Lake Maracaibo and I then spent five and a half months on the Venassa .

In the mid 1950s I was an engineer for over a year on "Neocardia".
I joined the ship in Geelong,Victoria and ranged over most of the
world,from Australia, U.K.,South America,Finland,Germany,Holland,
Persian Gulf,and most countries in the Mediteranian.
Some of the time was in the Far East.
I was 4th Engineer on watch as we were leaving the Lake Berre refinery
in the south of France with a load of petrol.The passage out to the Med.
was across the lake,through a canal to Port-de-Bouc and the open sea.
Approaching the entrance at half speed I recieved an emergency astern
which I responded to with much starting air and noise.
A minute or so later we felt the ship take to the ground,listing and
righting again as it came free.
Almost immediately petrol fumes came down the ventilators.
I told the cadet engineer to report to the Chief Engineer on deck,and
sent the 5th Engineer to shut the boiler furnaces off.
The Second Engineer then appeared and described how a barge hidden by the
break wall crossed us and was hit midships and pushed up on to the wall.
The family and their dog managed to scramble ashore.
The Radio Officer with great presence of mind recorded the whole thing
on film,and all on board recieved copies.
We got clear and went well out to sea to clean the tank and gas free.
WE had to return to the Berre refinery to discharge the cargo to allow
drydocking.As we passed through the canal returning,the ship recieved
a typical Gallic reaction with much shaking of fists and other gestures.
Every cloud has a silver lining.We had a welcome stay in Marseilles
for some weeks as the damaged plating was repaired.

Eldest daughter (now 42!!) born 29th July 1966, the day before we docked in La Spezia, and England won the world cup.Skipper (Capt Charlton)insisted I drink half pint of rum to celebrate !! Thought we were coming home, but went out through Suez, and returned home in December.

Eldest daughter (now 42!!) born 29th July 1966, the day before we docked in La Spezia, and England won the world cup.Skipper (Capt Charlton)insisted I drink half pint of rum to celebrate !! Thought we were coming home, but went out through Suez, and returned home in December.

We asked at Hofplein if itwas possible to get the same ship and it was no problem at all. So Chris Wiegant and I went to Kuwait and had a hard drive through the dessert into Saoudi-arabie. We went on board the Vitrea somewehre, I don't remember the name of the harbour, and after a week or so I went homesick because of my new girlfriend and I quited aboard. So after 6 or 7 weeks I went home and left my friend Chris alone.
I married that girl, so it was not for nothing!
For a long time Chris and I met frequently but somehow it went over.
Too bad , but that's live.

I was signed on the Velletia in Hamburg as an EDH in Hamberg. We had two weeks anchored off Cowes Isle of Wight with the Volvatella due to the world glut of oil.
Eventually they shut down one boiler and we sailed at 12 knots for Mina Al Amahadi
We loaded 28ooo + tons of oil in six hours. The !st mate was fast. Paid off in Newcastle 11 monthe and ten days later. I still have my wages slip. Happy Days