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Port Alfred

47K views 63 replies 41 participants last post by  boatboyjohn 
#1 ·
Port Line’s PORT ALFRED seen in London.
Photo not dated
Built 1961
10487 grt
 

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#2 ·
One of H&W finest. Yard number 1630 Launched 8th September 1960 delivered 1st March 1961, 9044 tons. Sister was Port St Lawrence yard no 1631 launched 31st May 1961 delivered 20th October 1961, 9040 tons.
 
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#3 ·
A lovely shot of a classic Port Line ship.
In 1978, she was transferred to Cunard-Brocklebank and renamed MASIRAH. In 1982, she was laid up in Piraeus and sold in the middle of that year, becoming MASIR. She remained laid up in Piraeus until March 1986, when she sailed for Rotterdam to load for the Philippines. After discharging there, she went to Siracha, near Bangkok to be broken up, arriving there on 24 July 1986.
 
#5 ·
I had the good fortune to join this ship in Tokyo in Dec 1969 when she was chartered to the Crusader Shipping Line although we were all Port boat men. We had to endure(!!) sailing between Japan and New Zealand, 2 weeks on passage each way and 1 month on each coast. So So sorry to leave her after 9 glorious months, she will always be my favorite Port boat. Have a number of photos of her and other Port boats but no scanner, sorry.
 
#7 ·
P Alfred's round the world cruise!

Joined her in Barry drydock in '73 - sailed to Buenos Aires, loaded sugar for Basra (Iraq) then down to N Zealand for apples & butter. Up to Pitcairn (stores drop) the Philadelphia and Glasgow! What a trip. Capt was MHC Twomey RD RNR.
Good ship - great atmosphere, rubbish radio equipment! (*))
 
#10 ·
Port Alfred.

My last ship in Port Line before coming out to Australia in 1967 - joined her in Montreal April 20th 1966 as Third Mate, left her in Liverpool June 10th 1967. She was a very nice ship - last saw her in Bass Strait in the early 1980s as "Masirah" bound from NZ to Portland, Victoria for bunkers, then on to the Black Sea with, I think I was told, frozen mutton and general. It was the Master with whom I spoke on VHF - he told me I'd have been mightily unimpressed with her condition that day!!

That was some trip you did, Pete - with Captain Michael Howard Cripps Twomey!! Only coasted with him once but I was somehow impressed with his christian names - don't know why but they've stuck with me!!

-------------
Mike.
 
#12 ·
I was a first trip Cadet on the Port Alfred along with 5 others. Dave Knight was one and I forget the rest. Frank Beer was the Mate who hated me until I did a week of watch keeping woth him, then he told me he really liked me. Then he told me he wanted me! Mmmmmmmm
We ran from Liverpool to South Africa and picked up three female stowaways in Capetown. They put on 'a show' in the Crew Bar every night, and on one occasion I was invited to join in .

And I thought every trip was going to be like that!
 
#18 ·
Two years before you get an answer Chris but yes I have been to Port Alfred. Up the Saguenay River to the paper mill to load newsprint in 1964.
That place had the most polluted water in the harbour I have ever smelt but the golf course was good.............
 
#19 ·
Port Alfred - Masirah

Sailed on PA when she was just converted to Masirsh. Perhaps not the best run - Brazil to Iraq with chicken and prawns.
However we lived in luxury - worked like hell and had probably the best times ever on the Brazilian coast. Typically Recife, Santos, Porto Alegre and top off in Rio with Itajai for the prawns. Some times we had some coffee in open stow but mostly frozen.
Freezer was Noxious - anyone remember him. All work done in the Shat Al Arab when discharging - main units, generator overhauls, winch repairs etc - everything completed in Irag typically in the river within Basra.Then on Brazilian coast it was a simple case of keeping the cargo watches going and everyone ashore on benders.Brlliant time and huge competition to win the black shield ???
Needless to say we had visitations from the beancounters and plan was to go single manned watches with dubious back up of a jury rigged alarm system. Fought it all the way but the guys basically gave in and took the easy way out and went home.
Characters I wil never forget - Wllie Horsley Junior second and Twiggy - could keeep an Allen T40 humming just by looking at it.
Went back a second time and the decay was well set in by that time. A crime really as the main machinery would have run for ever with bog standard care and attention.

Side rod counterweights were showing some signs of cracking by this time as well but they could be easily forge welded but they would not spend the money
where are they now these beancounters and what did they prove by selling our heritage.
Rgds
Uisdean
 
#29 ·
Baroona

Sailed on PA when she was just converted to Masirsh. Perhaps not the best run - Brazil to Iraq with chicken and prawns.
However we lived in luxury - worked like hell and had probably the best times ever on the Brazilian coast. Typically Recife, Santos, Porto Alegre and top off in Rio with Itajai for the prawns. Some times we had some coffee in open stow but mostly frozen.
Freezer was Noxious - anyone remember him. All work done in the Shat Al Arab when discharging - main units, generator overhauls, winch repairs etc - everything completed in Irag typically in the river within Basra.Then on Brazilian coast it was a simple case of keeping the cargo watches going and everyone ashore on benders.Brlliant time and huge competition to win the black shield ???
Needless to say we had visitations from the beancounters and plan was to go single manned watches with dubious back up of a jury rigged alarm system. Fought it all the way but the guys basically gave in and took the easy way out and went home.
Characters I wil never forget - Wllie Horsley Junior second and Twiggy - could keeep an Allen T40 humming just by looking at it.
Went back a second time and the decay was well set in by that time. A crime really as the main machinery would have run for ever with bog standard care and attention.

Side rod counterweights were showing some signs of cracking by this time as well but they could be easily forge welded but they would not spend the money
where are they now these beancounters and what did they prove by selling our heritage.
Rgds
Uisdean
do you know what happened to Twiggy. Sailed with him in the PNP October 74 to March 75. I was 2/0 on the 4 to 8 and he kept the engines running below on the 4 to 8 but he would often stroll up to the bridge and help me with my chart corrections. Really liked him. He paid off with us all set to sit for His Seconds but seems to have disappeared. Hope you know something
 
#24 ·
Sailed with both Vic and 'Percy' on the Nicholson, the 'St John, NB' trip! If anybody on here was on that trip, it would be great to hear from them!

When I paid off the Nich and had my leave, I joined the ACT2 and Vic was the skipper again!

Absolute gentlemen, both of them!
 
#21 ·
Port Alfred was my first ship, after joining her at Harland & Wolff Belfast and I sailed on her for over two years. I was aboard when she went to her name port in Canada and we were invited to a function to celebrate this. I never understood a word because the whole thing was conducted in French but the food and drink were good. Although the gate keeper at the PA docks did want to know why we were flying all the flags...he was told that some fool named the ship after this place.

Anyway, the Alfred was a good ship, as was her sister, Port St Lawrence but these days I expect ship owners would shudder when they consider the number of crew we had to keep the ships looking good.

Sadly, the Port Line is no longer with us but most of the male members of my family owe a lot to the Company that provided us with employment and training.

Now retired, after 40 years at sea, most of it with Swire Group's China Navigation Company and all I'm left with is memories.
 
#25 ·
Hi,
Nice to mention Paris, a great bloke,he and I had a few things in common - one was the total dislike of the 2nd eng - R W Jackson !! I first sailed with him on the Melbourne when he was a useless J2.The last I seen of Paris was in London at a party in Earls court 1968, when he was with a big blonde aussie- girl of course, called I think Jo. His commentary of a fictional horse race used to amaze me.
Anyway I'm off to Aussie next week for a month, and who knows I may bump into him, and maybe some other Port liners !!

Regards

Shorty
 
#27 · (Edited)
Was on the PA as a deck boy/JOS/SOS on her second MANZ run between April 1963 to June 1964 away for 15 mths.
Great trip and an equally great crew only marred by my cabin mate Alan Sims [from Chartham in Kent] being drowned in Genoa Italy in the last port of call before we paid off in Glasgow.
Cheers
------
Jeff
 
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