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Pasage to Wisbech

15K views 34 replies 22 participants last post by  tugger 
#1 · (Edited)
Passage to Wisbech

Great little do***entary from the 80s about sailing in the coastal trade, apologies if it has been shown here previously:



Brian
 
#2 ·
Thanks, Beedeesea. I missed that when it was aired on TV because I was at sea. The master/owner is well known to me and I recognised various faces including one in the Beach Hotel at Exmouth. Truly a blast from the past. I'm really grateful.
 
#3 ·
Glad you enjoyed it, Robert. Sorry about the typo....I was able to edit the post title, but not the thread title itself. Somebody else on here had mentioned that the pilot boat "Norman Best" had been sold to Arklow, but that he couldn't find any trace of her when he visited here. I must enquire locally at the weekend.

Brian
 
#23 ·
Wisbech still sees 4or 5 calls a month.Mainly timber and a cargo of bricks on the import side.On the export side there is a scrap cargo every three weeks.Sutton Bridge deals in different cargoes to Wisbech.Mainly bulk imports and exports and quiet a lot of steel coil.It is also used by wind farm vessels
 
#8 ·
Hi beedeesea. Watching these film clips of what sea going was all about is all that is left to us. Most are of the large ocean going vessels so it's nice to see some of the smaller vessels at work.
Channel 4 T.V. did a six part series many years ago on all types of sea going vessels but they never released them to buy. I recorded one episode on VHS tape The Rough Trade which was mainly about the coastal trade from sail to steam it's a great watch.
 
#15 ·
Wisbech is still a busy port with regular ships from the Baltic and Europe mainly timber and some containers, it has its own pilot to bring ships in from the wash. The town has seen better days and you struggle to hear english spoken in the town place, know locally as Wisbechistan for obvious reasons, shame as it once was a lovely town.
 
#16 ·
Rowbottoms Tankers I.e. the Tillerman ,1000 tonne, used to deliver petrol and diesel from Immingham to Wisbech in 1973
Cargo was pumped into storage tanks and delivered to filling stations in the Norwich area by road tankers
There was talk of them building a 2000 tanker for this trade and docking it on selected tides but I don't know if this was ever done!
 
#17 ·
I enjoyed the video but but that vessel was far much luxurious than any of the coasters I sailed on re J.Monks ,Savages,the Roquane out of the Channel Islands or even my all time favourite the little Torwood,I didn't see the acting cook go ashore for stores ,did the crew have to pay for their food?did they change to paraffin lamps when in port as we used to when the engine shut down? And radar wow, and slinging hatchboards that was the first thing I did as a 15yr old deck boy on the Hazelfield,and as was only 5ft6ins weighing in at 7st ringing wet and it was pouring down the boards were heavier than me I was knackered, and was I missing something they only covered the hatch with one tarp and a canvas style lorry strap across wouldn't have done in savages or any of the others I sailed on.Sad to see that the company was finished soon after but the video was a witness of the last real sailors under the Red Duster.
 
#18 ·
I am unsure of the exact geography or my memory of this river that goes from the WASH to wisbeach? In the 90's travelling by road Norwich to Mablethorpe, I seem to remember a vesell beam on blocking the river just seaward of the road bridge [Nowich-mablethorpe-Boston], and the then anglia news covering the story for some 2-3 weeks, before the vessel as released from its position/predicament? No trade was permitted on the river. The vesel was a coaster dry cargo type??
 
#24 ·
That was a vessel called the Lagic.It was across the river upstream from Port Sutton Bridge.It had a steel cargo and it broke its back in 2 places.The port continued to be used whilst the Lagic was salvaged as they bought the ships up stern first.Wisbech was cut of whilst the salvage operation took place.
 
#25 ·
Coast lines

My dad sailed on Lancastria from 1930 but on his medical certificate on joining her, his previous employment was Coast Lines. I know he worked with his father who was one of the pilots in Wexford Harbour and then went to coast line. Problem is Irish or British ships. Hoping you can point me in right direction for my search. Enjoyed watching video you posted. Anne
 
#28 ·
Hi Bruce, the ex Rowbotham master would have been either Peter Vine or John Stewart. Probably Peter as I think John was a pilot at Boston or Kings Lynn. I sailed with them both. Two great chaps.
 
#30 ·
It was indeed a tricky little river and needed 100% concentration at all times! Peter was a good seaman and very professional. He actually lived in Wisbech while he was still at Rowbothams.
 
#31 ·
Coast lines

I have just watched the recording of the Coaster, Carrick again, very enjoyable. On my dad’s medical certificate as he signed on in Jan 1930 to Lancastria it says previous employer Coast Lines. Would he have had number on those ships and would it be the same as that shown on his Discharge book. First entry on that is Jan 1930 so Coast Lines would be late 1929.
 
#32 ·
Does anyone recall the television programme on the "ADELPHIA" with Eric Goodall at the helm? Equally interesting insight into the coasting trade as "Passage to Wisbech" prove to be. Remember the coaster going into the heart of The Netherlands - but cannot find the programme on YouTube at the moment.
 
#35 ·
I was on the coastal tanker Leadsman in 57, I joined as I didn't want to go deep sea, I was waiting to emigrate to NZ so had to stay close. Did many a trip into Wisbech lovely little place, I loved steering up the river, went to more places on the Northeast coast than I ever did deepsea.
Tugger
 
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