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Ocean Inchcape ex members?

62K views 100 replies 46 participants last post by  hugh hurst 
#1 ·
After posting a photo of one of the OIL boats I was on, another member reckoned a thread about those who sailed with OIL might be an idea. So I volunteered to kick off!

I was on the 'OIL Hustler' from August '78 to October '79.

'OIL Venturer' from Dec '79 to July '80.

'OIL Endeavour' from Sept '79 to Dec '81.

In between I did one trip on the 'OIL Explorer' Nov' 80 to Dec '80 (We had laid the 'Endeavour up in Leith)

Masters I sailed with were Iain Fyfe and Baz Unite (Hustler), Martin Russell and Woodward? (Venturer), George Bowie on 'Endeavour' and A. Storey on the 'Explorer'.

Most of the work was Northsea but we did Mexico, Denmark and Sicily as well!

Look forward to hearing from all other ex.OIL crews.

Jonty
 
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#2 ·
I started with OIL on the OIL Challenger in 1985, captains were Ian Fyffe and John Partridge, then went to Fredrickshaven to bring the Oil Champion back to the North Sea on a Shell contract, Captains on that trip was Danny Mcgregor who i believe is a pilot on the forth, we had a few captains there one from Dundee cant remember the name off hand. Then it was back to the Challenger for a few trips and then a stint at college before heading to Mexico to join the oil Tiger in Dos Bocos, captain was Gavin Gray who i still keep in touch with and is now working at the De Kastri terminal in Russia.We left Dos Bocos and took the ship to Galveston and then on to Abidjan, Ivory coast, a great trip across the atlantic all sextant navigation no GPS on board.
Then left the Tiger and went to Cape Town and joined the Oil Prowler and towed a barge up to Angola, again sextant navigation, all great stuff.
I then worked down West Africa for a bit on the Oil Hustler, Oil Terrier, Oil Tiger, Oil Concord, Far Sky which was bareboated, OSA Defender.
Then back to the North Sea on the Trader, Traveller, and also did trips on the Gallusturm, Huntetor, Kaubturm, Kreuzturm,Schepelsturm, OSA Vanguard, OIL Osprey, OIL Onyx, OIL Provider, OIL Tracer.
I had 8 fantastic years with OIL met some great guys.
Lou Harrison was marine Super at the time another gentleman. And Margaret in personnel what a nice person.
There was a book written called the Great Alliance a history of OIL from there start in 1971 to 1995 and i believe this was the year that Tidewater bought them out. As far as i am aware the book was never published, but i managed to get a copy and its a really good read into OIL.s 25 year history written by Rodger Macdonald.
Some names come to mind, Frankie Flynn, Dennis O'Fee, Davy ????from Mussleborough, Micky Stewart, Baz Unite, Mick Jonhson, Mike Bentley, Roger Woodcock,John Fawcet, Jimmy crawford (crowbar), i will stiill need to rack the brain but some of you other guys i am sure will come up with a few names from the past.
Alan
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#90 ·
Good day Mr. Allan

My name is Captain Cesar Vicente, I'm actually the operator of the PSV ZUMAQUE TRACER wich is the EX-OIL TRACER. We are very glad to find some body that had sailed on board this vessel. She is actually in Dry Dock at Cartagena - Colombia, and will be engaged in Pipe laying at Maracaibo lake next month using recetly installed DP-1 capability.
We are improving she because is a great vessel. I would ask only one thing to you: This vessel has had in any time of her life LIFE BOATS?

Thanks for your help

Captain Cesar Vicente
 
#3 ·
Frankie Flynn I remember. Also Ross AB not Ross Master, Brian Rouncefield (Cook), Colin Campbell - leading hand on the 'Hustler' and a great guy! Bill Green (Mate) who suffered a serious accident when anchor handling the 'Sedco 703'. He was taken off via the Billy Pugh for a helo trip back home. Colin McDougal out of Aberdeen - a real good bloke. John Pedder from Hull......and a bloke from Dundee who did the odd joke or two - like getting into yoiur bunk after being in the cement tanks while you were on watch - but his name escapes me.....Kevin O'Sullivan, an AB on the 'Explorer'. Neil Beattie on the 'Endeavour'

So many good blokes. Names escape me but I am sure they'll come back.

Margaret. Ah yes, a lovely lady indeed.

OIL was a decent outfit in my opinion.

Jonty
 
#4 ·
Would that have Been Ross Mcdonald Ab he also had a brother Alex a brilliant cook. I have heard of John Pedder but never sailed with him. There was George Saxton, Willie Bruce, Davy "Robbo" Robertson. Did you ever come across a guy called Jon Innes i am sure he was on the Endeavour in Mexico. There were a lot of guys from the Dundee area at the early stages i guess due to the company be based out of there. As i say a good company to work for and if you did Margaret a favour like coming back early she always remembered and would do you a favour back, she was really good to work with. Ron Sturrock was another one he was back to back with Baz on the Chancellor.
 
#7 ·
That's the Ross! His brother was an excellent cook. Rossie came out to Mexico with us on the 'Venturer' but I didn't see him back for the second - and last trip. That was the infamous one where Sam McCluskie came out to tell us we were being replaced - he had come out to do something on the 'Cunard Countess' and fitted us in - so we promptly sat in and worked to rule until we were given jobs in the Northsea. OIL was fair in that respect. They didn't shoot us in the back after providing us with a letter stating we would all be redeployed back to the Northsea.

Another name from that time was Jimmy Dixon, an AB, but he didn't do a second trip either. One enginneer was 'Barnsley' Bill - still have an image of him appearing at the crew messdeck door crossing Biscay trying to say we had a fire down below! Was quickly put out but he left oil and crap all over the freshly polished decks!

The Leading Hand was from Whitby - Martin. We had a near mutiny in Panama when we were told we could not go ashore but the officers did - and after they arrived back with a few bevvies in them, we made a huge raft out of oil drums and pallets and planned to row it ashore unless we were given the same courtesy of shore leave! They grudgingly gave it to us - after all we were on the hook there for ten days!

Some names ring bells. John Innes used to live on a yacht, well he did when I knew him! Lovely bloke. He was on the 'Endeavour'. Another second mate was called Pete - again, I remember him as a good guy.

There was a greaser out of Dundee called Jimmy - no, not a cliche! - and we used to wind him up something rotten. Left him with the end of as fire hose in Lerwick while we said we were going to test it - gave it full welly and what a sight! The poor bloke was wrestling it trying tio get it to stay still! That was on the 'Hustler' - and he was one of the best Greasers she had.

Pete Smith was second mate for a bit on the 'Hustler'. He later went on the skipper the 'OIL Tiger' out of Yarmouth when I next saw him.

Margaret was a lovely lady and you're right: if you did her a favour she always remembered it and did you one back when she could.

Jonty
 
#12 · (Edited)
Photos of OIL boats are on www.images-of-ships.me.uk.
I joined the Oil Challenger (the pipe-carrier) as Mate in May 1977, John Gegan as Master, and after 6 weeks on there (a lot of time anchored in the Tay) was sent to join the Oil Producer (with a suitcase full of generator spares) in Dakar on her way back from the Congo. Masters there were John Partridge and M.K. Russell (first trip Master).
Joined Oil Explorer in July 1978, Masters Bas Unite & Alan Burns, then left OIL in November '78 to join Seaforth and was there until August '81 when I also had an accident at Sedco 703.
Donald Campbell
 
#31 ·
I met old john years ago when we were working out of haysham,i got one of his ships off him at that time.I olso got a couple off norman jaimison while working down the falklands on the mariner.Norman was shown how to do the ship in the bottles from old john and turned out to be one of the best at the job i have ever seen,Im not sure but i think john died just before retirment from a heart attack
 
#19 ·
Joined OIL in 91. Oil Chancellor, Ostertor, Kaubturm, OSA Dundee, OSA Victor, OIL Onyx, Huntetor. Left in 98 after Tidewater took over. Now with SBS Marine who were started around 9 years ago by Jim Rourke & Keith Fletcher. Tony Duffield and Sheena Holland department managers. Tony and Sheena still working with Keith Fletcher with Fetcher Shipping who have two PSV's working out of Peterhead/Aberdeen.
 
#24 ·
I saw the Sharazad ex Oil Explorer the other Day in Hamriyah UAE, as i was towing a rig in, she looked nicely painted up and was tied up with a lot of other vessels looking for work i believe.

Hi Stevie. I remember Gordon Tennant, a fair chance i may have sailed with you as well.
 
#25 ·
Oil

Hi all,
Joined OIL in 72 with Barry Cork , Ray Mcrown on the Oil Prospector the first ship as I recall. Two great Masters but of different styles so learnt from the best of them on some wild and crazy anchor jobs with Sedco 135F. I was Master on the Oil Prospector and then a couple of years on the Oil Mariner out of Aberdeen working the Ocean Cockup as we called it then. Clive Cunningham was master on the sistership the OIL Driller and we both ended up in Canada working for CANMAR in the Arctic. Sadly Clive has sailed on but he was just the same great character to the end.
All this is a long time ago now and early days in the North Sea offshore but it was a great outfit and as always I sailed with the best of folk.
Mal Walsh Canada
 
#28 ·
Hi all,
Joined OIL in 72 with Barry Cork , Ray Mcrown on the Oil Prospector the first ship as I recall. Two great Masters but of different styles so learnt from the best of them on some wild and crazy anchor jobs with Sedco 135F. I was Master on the Oil Prospector and then a couple of years on the Oil Mariner out of Aberdeen working the Ocean Cockup as we called it then. Clive Cunningham was master on the sistership the OIL Driller and we both ended up in Canada working for CANMAR in the Arctic. Sadly Clive has sailed on but he was just the same great character to the end.
All this is a long time ago now and early days in the North Sea offshore but it was a great outfit and as always I sailed with the best of folk.
Mal Walsh Canada
Ray McCrohan was Master with Seaforth for a lot of years and I imagine he has now retired. Ivan Leask and John de Barr were also ex -OIL Masters that joined Seaforth.
Donald Campbell
 
#27 ·
Capt'n Clive cunningham

Yes that is the same Capt'n Clive, He was a very well liked guy in CANMAR and was master of their largest icebreaker the KIGORIAK, I played a round of golf with him a few weeks before he went and he still managed to make a joke of things BUT really liked to win the pot!, it was lung cancer and he gave it a good fight. We all here miss him.
 
#29 ·
A lot of names from the past here guys.
I was with OSA when OIL took us over and was the first Master to be moved over to the Tiger and sister vessel in West Africa as I already knew the guys on board these vessels in WA as I was the local bottle store to them before Oil/Osa came together.
I had a good laugh down there we had a really great set of guys at the time to many names to mention and still hear from a couple.
Was in Singapore when Tidewater took over and reverted back to the North Sea after a year to go on the Oil Provider where I stayed until she out went out to Brasil. Managed to get paid off in the end when they changed our contracts to the International.
Great times never to be repeated!!!!
 
#30 ·
Hi guys just found this post the other day.I have been looking at all the names which brought back memories of old.I can agree with one quote that the working for the old oil was the best time i have ever spent at sea.I was on most of them what i can remember .First one was DISCOVERER NOVEMBER 75.then DRILLER, HUSTLER ,HARRIER,MARINER,CHANCELLOR,i forget most of the names need longer to think later on was on osa boats till 2 for one came in then went to seaforth,mearsk,ect now on the caladonian boats out of aberdeen.
 
#35 ·
Hello Wullie good to hear from you, thats right i remember now you were on the Sun Wrestler for a while, i saw Robbo when i was on the Monarch Bay in Equatorial Guinea he was on a swires boat, that would have been around 2002/2003. Sorry to hear about Sax. Yes good times with OIL just like a big family. We had some laughs i was trying to remeber some of the names of the guys that was on the C class, there was a Davy thats was bosun on the Challenger he came from Mussleburgh i think, Where is ross these days, Alex still going strong then. Is that he BP jigsaw boats your on, i met a guy last year when i was in Orkney for a wedding that was invloved with that boats name of Mossley, guess you know who i mean.
I am heading to Bahrain on Friday for a couple of years working with Noble Denton as marine surveyor/Rigmover, i have already done 4 years in Doha, Qatar with them as well.
Cheers for now
Alan
 
#38 ·
Sounds like your still getting around a bit sounds good.I think ross works ashore now not sure would have to ask big alex.I know the dave u were on about he was leading hand with me and saxton on the oil driller been trying to remembere his second name but no joy would have to ask big alex.Who should remember him as one time he passed the cabin and handed alex somthing wraped in tinfoil which turned out to be,A FRESH TURD!anyway take care enjoy the job .Willy
 
#36 ·
Sad old John's crossed the bar. He was a great bloke. I sailed with him on the 'OIL Endeavour' the deck crew were Neil Beatty (Leading Hand), Jimmy Agnew, John and Derek McKay and myself on deck.

Jimmy Kidd! That's the man! I was with him on the 'OIL Hustler'.

I remember a lot of incidents with him - one being asked to hold the fire hose whilst the chief tested the fire pump. We'd snaked it out on the quayside in Lerwick and us AB's left it alone while Jimmy held the end - then the Leading Hand (Colin Campbell, a fine man from Stonehaven, a decent seaman and all) gave it full whack......Jimmy was sent scudding everywhere with the power in the hose and hung on for dear life - we (as you do) couldn't stop laughing.

The crew on the 'OIL Hustler then (names from all watches) was - as far as I can recall - Ian Fyfe and Baz Unite (Masters), Bill (the mate), Willie (from the Western Islands) and Adrian Rose(Second Mates), we also had a cadet called Ray. Engineers I can't recall. Deck crew were Colin Campbell (Leading Hand), John Pedder (AB) me (AB) and a guy from Aberdeen Colin Mc....something. The Motorman was Jimmy Kidd. The cook was a guy from Blackpool - Tommy - something or other.

They were a good outfit to work for.

Jonty
 
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