onestar
19th April 2008, 11:17
I was a deck apprentice aboard the Shell Tanker VIBEX, (GTNL, 20787 gross tons, 31817 deadweight tons). The Suez Canal was closed and we steamed Europe/Persian gulf via the Cape of Good Hope. Outward bound the voyage was 31 days non-stop in ballast, 32 days back fully laden with Mena crude. Typical loading time was 12 hours, while discharging at Thameshaven or Rotterdam (Pernis) was 24 to 36 hours. We spent a lot of time at sea!
Once the Suez Canal was re-opened it made for shorter voyages, but there was a glut of tankers so we steamed on one boiler giving a typical speed of 12 knots and opposed to our service speed of 16.5 knots fully laden. This was to save fuel and slow the whole delivery process. However on one occasion we did 17.5 knots in ballast so as to arrived in Port Said to catch the next convoy southbound.
Her master was Captain T.C. Pearsall, who had been one of the first group of Shell apprentices in 1917, and had been in command throughout World War II where he was mentioned in despatches. He was quite a character and retired just before I left the ship. VIBEX was the only ship I served on where we kept L.A.T. (local apparent time). Each day the 2nd Mate had to work out roughly where we would be at noon the following day and clocks would be adjusted accordingly so the the sun crossed the meridian at 1200 the next day.
Later (1959) I served as 3rd Mate aboard NICANIA, based at Singapore. Shell was a great company to work for, but it was a hard life for family men.
Onestar 19 April 2008
Once the Suez Canal was re-opened it made for shorter voyages, but there was a glut of tankers so we steamed on one boiler giving a typical speed of 12 knots and opposed to our service speed of 16.5 knots fully laden. This was to save fuel and slow the whole delivery process. However on one occasion we did 17.5 knots in ballast so as to arrived in Port Said to catch the next convoy southbound.
Her master was Captain T.C. Pearsall, who had been one of the first group of Shell apprentices in 1917, and had been in command throughout World War II where he was mentioned in despatches. He was quite a character and retired just before I left the ship. VIBEX was the only ship I served on where we kept L.A.T. (local apparent time). Each day the 2nd Mate had to work out roughly where we would be at noon the following day and clocks would be adjusted accordingly so the the sun crossed the meridian at 1200 the next day.
Later (1959) I served as 3rd Mate aboard NICANIA, based at Singapore. Shell was a great company to work for, but it was a hard life for family men.
Onestar 19 April 2008