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Navigational " No-Go " Areas

8K views 49 replies 37 participants last post by  Paddy Power 
#1 ·
This is one for the BP Navigating Officers mainly, but I'm sure other Companies had similar rules.

1) Did BP have a list of 7 areas where you were not permitted to navigate? From my memory these were 6 of them:-
Close to Ushant
Cape St.Vincent
Cascettes
Kuria-Muria Islands
Masirah Island
********?
"Hole in the Wall", Persian Gulf

2) Has anyone, apart from me, been through the "Hole in the Wall"?(EEK)

JamesM
 
#2 ·
I seem to remember on the British Energy in 1974 overhearing a heated debate between the OM and 2nd mate regarding trying the hole in the wall. Not suprisingly the old man won the arguement and that was as near as I ever got. Being a lowly cadet at the time my opinion was irrelevant (must admit age / experience now brings me frmly down on the side of the Captain)
 
#13 ·
The Messina Straits are about five miles wide at the narrowest point, so I wouldn't be getting excited about going through in a 250,000 tonner.

Where were you heading to/from if you thought you didn't really need to?
 
#6 ·
Came through the Sunda Strait and the Old man decides he wants to have a look at Krakatoa and take som piccies...
So off we go steaming in circles around the various islands with some smoke etc to be seen emanating from them, venturing less than half a mile off in some cases and then we happily go on our way again. Only later somebody noticed that you're not supposed to venture within (as I recall) 2 nautical miles off the islands due to the danger of new seamounts, volcanic activity etc...
Still, we got some nice photos!
LOL
(Hippy)
 
#7 · (Edited)
JamesM
I was 3rd Mate with BP from 1969 to 1971 and your "no go" areas are new to me. I never heard about them. I always remember the Admiralty Pilot Book warning you away from Socotra though. Of the nine BP Tankers on which I served from 1966 to 1971 we never went through the "hole"!
 
#8 ·
Dave,

the 'Hole-in-the-Wall' is a term used by many a tankerman, and probably members of the Strick Line clan, that designates an approx. 500 metre gap between an offshore islet and the mainland of Oman in the approaches to the Persian Gulf, Straits of Hormuz. See red-ringed area with enlargement. Definitely a 'no-go' area by anyone's standards but occasionally misused as a short-cut to avoid the routing system, save time etc. when loading at terminals in the southern Gulf, and at best only in ballast condition due to manoeuverability i.e. northbound. Actually of little excitement unless one encountered some other crazy sod hotlegging it southbound and, hence, according to some reports, a good remedy for constipation! Still, am proud to have been watch-keeping witness, 2M, to a rather naughty escapade. Tut, tut! (Thumb)
 

Attachments

#10 ·
gadgee,
My old memory might not be as good as it used to be, 'can't remember what I did yesterday', but I'm pretty sure that I was told about those places by a BP Mate.
Then again it could have been the effect of the "Tennants"
Maybe some other ex BP lads will chip in.

JamesM
 
#11 ·
Paul,
I was only on a 25,000 tonner, in ballast, when we went through the "hole"
and there were one or two rear-ends twitching, I can tell you!

But you were on a 100,000 tonner at the time, so whoever was the "Old Man ",(no names, no pack-drill), now that guy had bottle.
As you say, a little bit of excitement, unless you met some other lunatic coming the other way. That would sort out the men from the boys.
JamesM

PS Thanks for the explanation for Dave and the attached thumbnails, very clear.
 
#12 ·
I've been through the 'Hole in the Wall' in both directions several times in the early 70's on several different ships. 'Corporal, Statesman and Merchant.'
In my present company it was normal in the late 70's and 80's to rock dodge and it was common practice to go inside Bass Rock, Stroma and the Mainland (to see the Castle of Mey and wave at the late Queen Mother) and most of the Inner Minch Islands. I've even taken a ship twice (Quentin) between the Farnes and Seahouses on the NE English Coast.
 
#15 ·
James_C,
What is it about "Old Men" and Volcanoes??

My previous post about the "Hole" concerns a certain vessel and her Master.

Earlier that trip ,that same vessel and Master, decided to take a close look at an active volcano, Stromboli to be precise.We altered course accordingly and headed straight for the island. I and a few others had gone up to the Monkey Island to get a good look.
Boy, did we go close!! I'm not sure how far away we were but the 2nd Mate, who's watch it was, had a distinct look of impending disaster.
Fortunately there was no disaster and we resumed our course, but one or two of the Mates had temporarily lost their tans.:sweat:
 
#16 ·
James,
Aye you're not wrong! From what I remember it was late afternoon so there was the usual throng down aft with beer in hand etc and we all made our way to the monkey island for the spectacle. Being 4-8 it was the 2/Os watch and he was out there with the Old Man, snapping away. This all led to the usual cry of "who's driving then?".
LOL
Name of the Old Man withheld to protect the innocent but he was a top bloke!
 
#22 ·
Orbitman
Seemed narrow enough to me, and as Tony said, they took a pilot going through on a passenger jobbie.
We were headed for NW Europe form the Canal, with a chance of some port on the north coast of Sicily, so the OM thought he would go that way.
twogrumpy
 
#27 ·
Just remembered another one! In 1960, not long after the Seaway was opened - there were not too many pilots around. They also had traffic separation systems then - a bit like a one-way street system. Our old man decided he didn't like the idea of that so took us the wrong way down one of them - even after being advised of the consequences - Lots of 'brown trousers' that morning I can assure you but he got away with it. So did I - I'm writing this (I think?) Auld Timer's disease!!
 
#28 ·
No-Go Areas

You are quite correct - BP's QA system lists areas where Company vessels are NOT to go, and some where you may go, but only under certain cir***stances.

Of course, the final decision is down to the Master, and if cir***stances dictate (avoiding a typhoon, for instance) then his decision will be respected.

....as for the HITW - never been through, but almost everyone I meet claims to have been there!!!

However, in the carefree days of '74 I laid off courses to take the Rapallo inside Ushant, northbound, but the O/M chickened out at the last moment!!
 
#30 ·
Interesting views. I noted the one between Cuba and Haiti, did that one when the US and Cuba were have a disagrement, thats a few years back, and they still have lousy communicatoins between them. I have been through the hole in the wall in NZ but that is strictly small craft stuff, great none the less. Smallest gap in a port I entered was at Marlyian in Queensland. Nothing like have a good look on the rocks on each side.
Jim B
 
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