British Patriot - A Year in her Life - & Mine.

[John_F]

An enjoyable year of my life on a happy ship. All ports & dates gleaned from my apprentice's journal.

North Shields 17.5.61 – 20.5.61 Dry dock – Joined as Apprentice
Grain 21.5.61 – 22.5.61
Purfleet 22.5.61 – 25.5.61
Grain 25.5.61 – 26.5.61
Amsterdam 27.5.61 – 29.5.61
Grain 30.5.61 – 31.5.61
Hamble 1.6.61 – 3.6.61
Falmouth 3.6.61 – 7.6.61
Grain 8.6.61 – 11.6.61
Umeå 17.6.61 – 18.6.61
Luleå 18.6.61 – 21.6.61
Grain 27.6.61 – 28.6.61
Fagerstrand 30.6.61 – 2.7.61
Grain 4.7.61 – 6.7.61
Le Havre 7.7.61 – 7.7.61
Avonmouth 9.7.61 – 11.7.61
Hamble 12.7.61 – 15.7.61
Grain 16.7.61 – 17.6.61
Grangemouth 19.7.61 – 21.7.61
Gothenberg 23.7.61 – 26.7.61
Hälsingborg 26.7.61 – 28.7.61
Grangemouth 30.7.61 – 1.8.61
Copenhagen 4.8.61 – 6.8.61
Grain 8.8.61 – 10.8.61
Stavanger 12.8.61 – 14.8.61
Trondheim 15.8.61 – 17.8.61
Grain 20.8.61 – 21.8.61
Grangemouth 23.8.61 – 24.8.61
Gothenberg 26.8.61 – 27.8.61
Hälsingborg 27.8.61 – 29.8.61
Fredericia 29.8.61 – 31.8.61
Grain 2.9.61 – 13.9.61
Hamble 14.9.61 – 16.9.61
Port Said 27.9.61 – 28.9.61
Abadan 9.10.61 – 11.10.61
Colombo 21.10.61 – 24.10.61
Chittagong 29.10.61 – 31.10.61
Bombay 7.11.61 – 9.11.61
Cochin 11.11.61 – 18.11.61
Abadan 26.11.61 – 29.11.61
Bombay 2.12.61 – 9.12.61
Buj Buj 17.12.61 – 20.12.61
Abadan 1.1.62 – 2.1.62
Madras 13.1.62 – 15.1.62
Vizagapatnam 16.1.62 – 17.1.62
Buj Buj 18.1.62 – 21.1.62
Bombay 29.1.62 – 31.1.62
Kandla 1.2.62 – 5.2.62
Port Okha 5.2.62 – 7.2.62
Mena al Ahmadi 11.2.62 – 13.2.62
Suez 27.2.62 – 27.2.62
Thameshaven 13.3.62 – 14.3.62
Grain 14.3.62 – 15.3.62
Saltend 16.3.62 – 17.3.62
Grangemouth 18.3.62 – 26.3.62
Grain 28.3.62 – 30.3.62
Copenhagen 1.4.62 – 3.4.62
Grangemouth 6.4.62 – 8.4.62
Reykjavik 12.4.62 – 15.4.62
Grangemouth 21.4.62 – 22.4.62
Grain 23.4.62 – 24.4.62
Sundsvall 2.5.62 – 5.5.62
North Shields 10.5.62 Dry dock - Leave

[richardc]

Hi John,
Quite a voyage for a first trip apprentice. It beats the 5 Gulf - Aden runs, Grain, Tyne drydock, Gulf - Milazzo, Gulf - Grain and Tyne drydock for repairs I managed on my first trip. Fortunately, the Power was also a happy ship so I had a good overall trip - just did'nt see so much of the world! Mind you I suspect the trip would have been longer, probably more Aden runs, if we had'nt damaged the rudder & prop trying to moor up to buoys in Port Said when it was blowing a gale!

Regards,
Richard.

[John_F]

Richard,
Fortunately, it wasn't my first trip otherwise I think I would have jumped ship at Purfleet! I had already "tramped" on the Birch for 9 months prior to the Patriot so I knew it could only get better after a Grain - Purfleet run.
Sounds like an interesting time on the Power! Would not have enjoyed Mena - Little Aden runs though. I did a short spell on the Queen & she was just ploughing backwards & forwards between Banias or Tripoli to Finnart or Angle Bay. Can't go ashore at Banias or Tripoli - nothing to go ashore for in Finnart or Angle Bay!
Kind regards,
John

[richardc]

John,
Funny you should mention Grain - Purfleet. Fortunately I only did one and that was on the Seafarer. We had just spent a week on the buoys at Grain having a hole in the bow repaired (we hit a loose buoy or something that was stuck in the ice on our way up the Baltic) and loaded for sunny Purfleet. Approaching Gravesend the Pilot seemed to forget that we had the flood tide under us and we approached the stern of a coastal collier a little too fast. I was told to leg it up onto the foc'sle pronto and drop the anchor asap!! By the time I arrived we were just about to give the stern of the collier a seeing too so I decided that it would not be a wise thing to do to drop the anchor just at the moment as it would have landed fair and square on the collier, wreaking even more damage than what was about to happen! The next few moments undid all the good work that the dockees had done on the buoys at Grain, so it was a discharge at Purfleet and back to the buoys for another weeks repair. Mind you I did'nt mind as my girl friend (now wife) was at college in London so back she came to the ship for another extended stay!!
Great old man on that ship, he certainly knew how to get the best out of his officers!
Regards,
Richard.

[Arthur Paternoster]

Hi John & Richard
I did a 7 monther on the Patriot in 58, it was a good ship then so I wasn't surprised to hear someone else say they enjoyed their time on her.
We did Greece, Turkey,The Gulf and the East coast of Africa to name a few places and for once the whole crew from Captain down to the Juniors were all a great bunch of fellas. Nice to know others remember, I thought I was the only one
Good hearing from you.
Arthur