Sydney Opera House June1972

I sailed past there about the same time gadgee in the Port St Lawrence.

It's the right way 'round gadgee. Jim.

I was also there same time masterfrith. Arrived day after Icenic in Sydney from Melbourne on Antrim and berthed at Pyrmont adjacent to Icenic. Dave

Was lucky enough to be on the buoys in the harbour waiting for a berth when the Queen opened the Opera House. I was on one of the first bay boats (cannot remember which one - may have been Encounter Bay) We were waiting for the berth to clear at the White Bay Terminal. Lots of problems dock disputes etc at that time. So decent spell in port! One of the greatest things I can remember was missing the last liberty boat back to the ship so ended up drinking coffee with the Marine Police - who kindly gave me a high speed lift back to the ship = just as the sun was rising over the harbour on a perfect cloudless morning over flat calm water like a mirror! Unforgettable - The duty bridge officer was convinced I had been arrested - with visions of having to work watch on watch off for the rest of the trip! Ho Ho Happy days indeed!

I well remember the opening of the Opera House as I had recently come ashore and had just arrived in Australia to settle down. I was driving a Maritime Services Board fire fighting tug named "Boray". All the harbour tugs were gathered around the Opera House, nose in and tethered to the shore by bunting. The "Boray" was built in 1947 & she was built to a pre-war design, was singe screw and extremely under powered for heavy towage duties. She had a huge wheel (very similar to the old sailing ships) which was as big as a man and took twenty turns to go hard over. The engine room telegraph was a historic classic. It was a large brass contraption with a handle sticking out at right angles from the outer edge of a circular brass cog wheel and an immensely loud bell. One full rotation of the handle produced one large clang which equated to slow ahead (or astern depending on the direction of the rotation), two rotations and two clangs was half ahead or astern and three rotations was full ahead or astern accompanied by the appropriate number of bells. Manoeuvring and holding the tug in position was a hell of a job but we made it in the end.