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Excellent and thanks for posting this & other shots .
Steve is right - roll they did , the worst roller I recall was Shell's VLCC " Melo" of 1969, but they were probably all as bad as each other in ballast....
I thought I had seen all the British Explorer publicity shots from the 1970's but these must have been forgotten about. I am stunned that they have "turned up" after so many years.
Thanks again , much appreciated ,
Rick
Steve is right - roll they did , the worst roller I recall was Shell's VLCC " Melo" of 1969, but they were probably all as bad as each other in ballast....
I thought I had seen all the British Explorer publicity shots from the 1970's but these must have been forgotten about. I am stunned that they have "turned up" after so many years.
Thanks again , much appreciated ,
Rick
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I have a feeling that film of the British Explorer was used as part of the Snowbow Video on tankers. As an ex-Grey Funnel man I never realised that these huge VLCC's could ship it green. Once again it proves that being part of the SN family is definately a learning curve. Thanks for posting the photo.
Peter4447
Peter4447
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Peter,when fully loaded the freeboard was only 3 metres or so. ( I am sure an ex VLCC C/O like Steve W will be more accurate.)
Maindeck awash was a very common experience when loaded.
One 4-8 watch on the , (I think it was ) "British Navigator" in fairly average" poor" weather, dawn came up and the mate and myself could see something orange emerge from the gloom under the manifold crossover pipes.
The for'ard emergency liferaft had been ripped from it's cradle , inflated and ended up some 500' aft, jammed under the huge pipes. It was later in the day before the weather abated enough for men to go on deck to recover it.
regards,Rick
Maindeck awash was a very common experience when loaded.
One 4-8 watch on the , (I think it was ) "British Navigator" in fairly average" poor" weather, dawn came up and the mate and myself could see something orange emerge from the gloom under the manifold crossover pipes.
The for'ard emergency liferaft had been ripped from it's cradle , inflated and ended up some 500' aft, jammed under the huge pipes. It was later in the day before the weather abated enough for men to go on deck to recover it.
regards,Rick
Thanks for that Rick.
I think that my understanding of VLCC's has been coloured by the fact firstly that the catwalks are far less conspicuous these days and secondly by the stories that crew members actually use bicycles when the have to go forrard. We live and learn!
Thanks again and a very Happy New Year.
Peter4447
I think that my understanding of VLCC's has been coloured by the fact firstly that the catwalks are far less conspicuous these days and secondly by the stories that crew members actually use bicycles when the have to go forrard. We live and learn!
Thanks again and a very Happy New Year.
Peter4447
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Well at one time I thought the big ones didn't roll a lot. Then we went north past Masirah in ballast. I had lengths of boat lacing and point line stretched from the a/c vents to all the dayroom furniture which was having a great time banging from one bulkhead to the other. Every other ship I sailed had chains or hooks; not Oloibiri. There again, I believe that wee blow knocked out the radio station on Masirah Island. I even banned the crew from the main deck - in ballast!
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If I remenber rightly it was the British explorer that had her bows caved in by heavy seas while going round the Cape. This resulted in the following ships in the class being stregthened while they were being built in Nagasaki
I think it was also the Explorer that did major damage to her turbines while going astern in the Gulf. I was on the Navigator ( 3rd mate ) at the time and we had to call into Nagasaki to have a device that showed the Critical Revs on the bridge so as to avoid being at those revs and causing damage , sorry if this is not a good technical discription but it was 30 years ago....
I think it was also the Explorer that did major damage to her turbines while going astern in the Gulf. I was on the Navigator ( 3rd mate ) at the time and we had to call into Nagasaki to have a device that showed the Critical Revs on the bridge so as to avoid being at those revs and causing damage , sorry if this is not a good technical discription but it was 30 years ago....
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