[JamesM]

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"?

JamesM

[trevflstn]

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)

[paul0510]

Hole-in-the-wall? Been there, done that, on the British Argosy. You got balls, no sweat!

[makko]

Please enlighten me: What is the "Hole in the wall"? I remember that we squeezed between Haiti and Cuba to avoid a hurricane, but not really a tight fit!
Rgds.
Dave

[twogrumpy]

Went through the Messina Straits on a fully loaded 250,000 tonner, when we didn't really need to.
Seemed a little dodgey to me being an engineer, was it a close thing??
twogrumpy

[James_C]

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

[gadgee]

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"!

[paul0510]

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!

[makko]

Thanks, Paul. I had heard about Socotra, but not the H.I.T.W
Dave

[JamesM]

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

[JamesM]

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.

[DAR]

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.

[Orbitaman]

Originally Posted by twogrumpy

Went through the Messina Straits on a fully loaded 250,000 tonner, when we didn't really need to.
Seemed a little dodgey to me being an engineer, was it a close thing??
twogrumpy

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?

[Dave Wilson]

Been through the hole in the wall several times. I would say however, that if you want to experience some really 'scary stuff' try taking the missus for a cruise on the 'Hurtigruten'. Now you will see some ship handling in narrow places. All the more frightening in that if one makes a mistake it willl not be sand you will be touching but unforgiving Norwegian rock. Furthermore some of the less scary stuff is all done by computer.

[JamesM]

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.

[James_C]

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!

[Tony Crompton]

Originally Posted by Orbitaman

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.

I do not think the problem with Messina Straits is the width but the unpredictable tidal eddies and whirlpools that that form there, could even turn a ship round if unprepared.

I was last through a couple of years ago on Snowbows Maritime Memories cruise on "Discovery" and the ship took a Pilot to go through. Looked like the Gulf of Corryvrekan (sp?) with its infamous whirlpool.
-------------------------------
Tony

[MM²]

Anyone been through Corryvreckan ? It might be a tight fit for a 250,000 tonner.

[McCloggie]

MM2 asked:

" Anyone been through Corryvreckan ?"

Certainly not on the ships you lot are talking about (!) but have sailed through and have taken small ships - Minesweepers and Patrol Boats - through many times.

McC

[JamesM]

DAR,
First time I've ever heard of someone doing the "Hole " southbound. And if you include all those other places, you are a " Rock Dodger " supreme. Respect.

[MM²]

Certainly not on the ships you lot are talking about (!) but have sailed through and have taken small ships - Minesweepers and Patrol Boats - through many times.

McC
Reply

I went through it in my UFO27 in 1985ish. It was a nice day. It took over an hour on a broad reach in Force 3/4.

[twogrumpy]

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

[de paor]

have been through the hole in the wall but truly cannot remember the ships name but it was a BP tanker and in the 60s

[oceangoer]

I don't know about BP's "no-go" areas but I do know that they published the most complete set of distance tables I've ever seen.
Very useful when a tramp Master is required to give an ETA "by return" at a port you've never heard of.

[JimC]

Originally Posted by MM²

Anyone been through Corryvreckan ? It might be a tight fit for a 250,000 tonner.

Certainly have - went for a 'spin' you might say. Actually you can do a trip in a tourist boat from Crinan Harbour. Can't remember it's name. I went through in a 14' Capri with a 28hp Yamaha outboard. No big deal.