MV Carway
In 1967 or thereabouts the Grangemouth dockyard built the first of these car transporters, at least it was the first I had ever seen.
It was not the nicest looking of ships. Built for Elder Dempster it was about 1500 tons and carried 400 or 500 cars I think. It looked like a shoe box with a pointed end.
I think launch day was postponed because of high winds, launched the next day it was still windy and everything went wrong. A shackle on the drags snapped and the ship slewed round in the river and the stern dug into the far bank of the Carron, a gust of wind caught her and the bow wedged into the near bank. The ship heeled over to starboard and nearly capsized but righted itself a bit.
I was on the ship at the launch as a young apprentice along with my journeyman Eric Day and another apprentice as well as carpenters, caulkers, stagers etc to check the integrity of the vessel after the launch.
As you can imagine it was a scramble for higher ground when it looked like we were going over but when it settled we went down the engine room to do our inspection. Things were all over the place, ladders were almost horizontal, oxy acetylene gear scattered.
The two old steam tugs in attendance, Grangeburn and Kerse couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding so the motor tugs Zetland and Dalgrain were sent for. In the meantime the tide had turned and was ebbing at a rate of knots. It looked like it would break its back. I vividly remember a very worried looking yard manager carrying a long ladder to try and get us off, but before the diesel tugs could clear Grangemouth dock gates the foreman stager Eric Day senior had hooked up an electric winch, had an electrician standing by with fuses, tools etc and after a struggle managed, with the two steam tugs, to pull the Carway free. Saving the day without a doubt.
I don’t know how long the incident lasted, I don’t remember feeling afraid or seeing fear in anyone else, it was a sudden burst of adrenaline then a slow come down as we went below and through the engine room.
The ship sailed on completion but the lowest deck was filled with pig iron for ballast and seemed to be a success. There were others afterwards, bigger and bigger, and now it seems there is one in every port.
It was obvious that windage would be a problem when docking and light ship must have been a nightmare.
I remember the Irish chief who wore a toupee and the scouse store man who would whip any half used tins of graphite or stag paste left for a moment.
Happy days, but poorly paid.
Pitcrew.