[michael charters]

Pacifc Envoy good clean ship. Did you remember the Chief Lecky Jim Downie from Pasley?

[harry pennington]

Originally Posted by michael charters

Pacifc Envoy good clean ship. Did you remember the Chief Lecky Jim Downie from Pasley?

I sailed on the Pacific Envoy as R/O voyage 9 Feb 61- May 61 the Chief Lecky was Jim Downie so i think he must have done a few years on her, The old man was at the time was Arthur Cooke. Yes it was a good clean ship and great crew. We did the west coast of US and Canada.

[michael charters]

Originally Posted by harry pennington

I sailed on the Pacific Envoy as R/O voyage 9 Feb 61- May 61 the Chief Lecky was Jim Downie so i think he must have done a few years on her, The old man was at the time was Arthur Cooke. Yes it was a good clean ship and great crew. We did the west coast of US and Canada.

Jim Downie was on Envoy since its construction and lanuch.
He looked after the ship as if his own. I was Second with him. He used to tell me stories of the convoys during WW2. Scarry times. He watch his brother's ship being torpedoed and sunk. He knew the settings for Zig Zagging. Great Man and very dedicated to his work.

[PJG1412]

I joined the Pacific Envoy as engineers steward from September 62 until July 63. I remember the engineers being a good bunch of guys, I even took tea or cocoa in the late evening down to the engine room. The chief engineer’s name I don’t recall but he was a big Scottish guy and very popular.

The first voyage was a disaster, before we sailed a crew member fell from the bridge onto the dockside at Glasgow. A passenger dropped dead at the dinner table so we returned alongside and missed the tide, so the next day we sailed “Friday the 13th”
Mid Atlantic the chief steward died and was buried at sea. We ran the blockade which the Americans had imposed during the Cuban missile crisis. On arriving at Wilmington/Los Angeles the longshoremen were striking in all the American ports. I don’t know how, but we still managed to unload. A pilot managed to demolish a wooden jetty in one of the American Rivers. On the return home the Canadian timber on the for’ard deck was washed overboard during a storm off Ireland. On arriving at the Manchester ship canal a month over due we were delayed because of a mine found floating in the canal!!
I sailed again on the next trip as she was such a good ship, so much so that three years ago I built a model of her which is now on Model Ships Forum.
As a final thought, do I recall an officer who was a member of a union which was linked to the Communist Party being refused entry to the United States.
Pete

[harry pennington]

Originally Posted by PJG1412

I joined the Pacific Envoy as engineers steward from September 62 until July 63. I remember the engineers being a good bunch of guys, I even took tea or cocoa in the late evening down to the engine room. The chief engineer’s name I don’t recall but he was a big Scottish guy and very popular.

The first voyage was a disaster, before we sailed a crew member fell from the bridge onto the dockside at Glasgow. A passenger dropped dead at the dinner table so we returned alongside and missed the tide, so the next day we sailed “Friday the 13th”
Mid Atlantic the chief steward died and was buried at sea. We ran the blockade which the Americans had imposed during the Cuban missile crisis. On arriving at Wilmington/Los Angeles the longshoremen were striking in all the American ports. I don’t know how, but we still managed to unload. A pilot managed to demolish a wooden jetty in one of the American Rivers. On the return home the Canadian timber on the for’ard deck was washed overboard during a storm off Ireland. On arriving at the Manchester ship canal a month over due we were delayed because of a mine found floating in the canal!!
I sailed again on the next trip as she was such a good ship, so much so that three years ago I built a model of her which is now on Model Ships Forum.
As a final thought, do I recall an officer who was a member of a union which was linked to the Communist Party being refused entry to the United States.
Pete

When i sailed on her feb-may 61 the Chief Eng. was Wilf Macdonald so it seems to be the same chap. Good crew.

[PJG1412]

I just bought 2 x DVD's of the Manchester Ship Canal Part1 & 2, both front covers has a photo of the "Pacific Envoy". They cover a period from 1955-64 some excellent shots of many ships going up and down the canal. The Envoy is filmed outbound and homeward. Also included are Pacific Unity/Northwest, and Norman Price and Northumberland. I have requested permission to copy some shots for this site, but had no reply, but they are worth buying.
Pete


http://www.cinerail.com

[harry pennington]

Originally Posted by PJG1412

I just bought 2 x DVD's of the Manchester Ship Canal Part1 & 2, both front covers has a photo of the "Pacific Envoy". They cover a period from 1955-64 some excellent shots of many ships going up and down the canal. The Envoy is filmed outbound and homeward. Also included are Pacific Unity/Northwest, and Norman Price and Northumberland. I have requested permission to copy some shots for this site, but had no reply, but they are worth buying.
Pete


http://www.cinerail.com

Thanks Pete, I will be getting copies and reliving the old days, we did not think in them days we would look on them as good times, just got on with the job as best we could. Cheers Harry

[PJG1412]

Hi Harry, There is a nice closeup shot of the Envoy going pass the Swing Bridge. Its amazing how close they are or were to the traffic, no idea what date it was.
Regards Pete
PS: I bought the DVD's in the Railway Museum in York, the photo of the ship caught my eye, and was surprised to see the Envoy.

[harry pennington]

Originally Posted by PJG1412

Hi Harry, There is a nice closeup shot of the Envoy going pass the Swing Bridge. Its amazing how close they are or were to the traffic, no idea what date it was.
Regards Pete
PS: I bought the DVD's in the Railway Museum in York, the photo of the ship caught my eye, and was surprised to see the Envoy.

Pete, Early Feb 1961, sailed from Manchester 8am cleared Eastham by midnight. It was the one and only time I was on the canal and remember the Swing Bridge very well and as you say we were very close to the bridge iron work. In later years i got to know the Swing Bridge very well as i was assisting with the operation of a fleet of canal hire boats from worsley. Most punters went that way to go on the Cheshire ring, that ment they could go right around in 1 week, [ that is with long days ]. Sometime it was closed for upkeep which was a problem.. Cheers Harry

[Robinj]

Originally Posted by PJG1412

I just bought 2 x DVD's of the Manchester Ship Canal Part1 & 2, both front covers has a photo of the "Pacific Envoy". They cover a period from 1955-64 some excellent shots of many ships going up and down the canal. The Envoy is filmed outbound and homeward. Also included are Pacific Unity/Northwest, and Norman Price and Northumberland. I have requested permission to copy some shots for this site, but had no reply, but they are worth buying.
Pete


http://www.cinerail.com

Hi Pete, I also bought these DVD'S great arn't they. One of my old ships the Norman Prince was shown, and a Houlders Ore Carrier I sailed on Three but not the one shown. Robin

[ALAN TYLER]

Originally Posted by Robinj

Hi Pete, I also bought these DVD'S great arn't they. One of my old ships the Norman Prince was shown, and a Houlders Ore Carrier I sailed on Three but not the one shown. Robin

Hi Robin, Do you know the name of the Houlders ore carrier as i sailed in a few? Alan.

[Jon Vincent]

Thanks for the tip PJG1412, last year I visited with an old engineer friend of mine in Barnsly, he said he had a surprise for me as with both spent a long time on the "Northumbrian Prince" and he showed me thess two DVD's, they were great but he could not remember where he got them, three days later my wife and I did the railway museum in York but did not see them. I will certinely chase them done now. Thanks.

[Rafal Zahorski]

Hello Guys,

You mean these vessels? Smith's Dock origin. There were 4 made for that line.

I see that this thread is not active from 2010 but I have just scanned all papers coming from 1939 - so time when they were born on paper only.

You can see all details about them just here:

http://www.teesbuiltships.co.uk/smit...st19301944.htm

2 of them were sunken during WWII - but two of them described on that thread survived from the war time. So you can see several nice pictures of that two coming on that link and looking at the 1940 - so year of their launching. Your two ones are with shipyard No., 1068 & 1069.

I have a huge scans of their original documents. Some of them I attached but size is not so nice - it is a limit of SN.

Soon I will publish them on our www and I will give you here a link to be able to download a files of ca 10 - 15 Mb each.

Best greeting Rafal

[HYLTON P]

I WAS 4th ENGINEER ON THE LANCASTRIAN PRINCE WHEN WE HAD A BOMB CHAINED TO THE SHIPS SIDE BELOW THE WATER LINE .I WAS ON WATCH AT ABOUT 10 00HRS WHEN THE 2nd ENG CAME INTO THE E R AND STARTED TO SPEED UP THE ENGINE . AT FIRST HE WOULD NOT TELL ME WHY HE WAS DOING IT BUT AFTER MY PERSISTENCE HE TOLD ME THAT A BOMB HAD BEEN PLANTED ON THE SHIP AND WE WERE DIRECTED TO ANCHOR OFF MIAMI SO THE COAST GUARD COULD DEAL WITH IT
I WAS ON WATCH AGAIN WHEN WE ANCHORED AND I WAS INFORMED BY THE BRIDGE TO CLEAR THE E R AS THE COAST GUARD HAD LOCATED AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE ON THE SHIPS SIDE
WE ALL GATHERED AFT THEN IF I RECALL RIGHTLY THE C G THEN HAULED A LONG CYLINDER ON DECK AND DEFUSED IT BEHIND No 3 HATCH PORT WINCH AFTER THAT WE WERE PLEASED TO SAIL FOR HOME

[robin]

Hi ADavidson
I done two trips to the Great Lakes on the Beechmore as 'Chippy'in 1962. Joined her in London and paid-off on the second voyage on the Tyne. Great little ship with fond memories under the command of Capt. Sheffield. Our accommodation (Chippy & Bos'n) in the aft deck-house, Crew below, not the best place for comfort crossing the pond on in stormy conditions. Later she went down the Med for the winter runs.
Robin.

[RGA]

I am trying to trace anyone who was crew of the Norman Prince in 1960.We transported a Boulder from Bethlehem via Beirut to Manchester for Coventry Cathederal, which was opened in 1962 after the Blitz,and it is now their Font, as they are trying to put together information of interest for the 50th anniversary.I was 3rd Officer,Captain Hattrick,Chief Engineer ?Braithwaite,2nd Officer ?Findlay.

[CAPT.BOB]

Glad to see the thread about the Lancastrian Prince and the Bomb is still going.It's been a very long time time since I was on this site and having just found some old photos taken of myself and fellow Cadets I am wondering if any who were on the Pacific Northwest from Dec 1959 and the following trip are on site.One Cadet I sailed with on her and also the Beechmore was Tony Smith from Jersey.

[Frank Lawlor]

I did a couple of trips to the Med on the Merchant Prince in 67.

[Admiralwindjammer]

I am looking for a set of plans for the Maltese Prince or any other Prince Line ship of the 1940's period. If you can help me please contact me. I will share whatever I get with you all.

George Bieda
Windjammer-arts.com