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Escravos Pilot!

7K views 17 replies 15 participants last post by  harry t. 
#1 ·
Following on from the 'Up the Creek' thread, can anybody remember what the name of the family of locals that used to come out in their canoes to pilot the vessels in and out to Warri, Sapele Koko etc. If I remember rightly each shipping company going up the creeks used a different 'family' of pilots. The Dad and lad came out in the canoe with the Mum to paddle it back. The only payment I saw was to fill the canoe with provisions on the way out. I seem to remember the lad did the steering as the makee learnee pilot and they lived in the wheelhouse the whole time. I have a feeling that there name was Dixon, but I could be way off the mark there.
Tony Porter
 
#4 ·
I'm quite sure that Dixon was the family name of the pilot we used. I don't recall the canoe going back paddled by mum - as far as I recall it was hoisted aboard and put on top of one of the aft hatches.

The boy did, indeed, take the wheel and dad stood in front using hand gestures to indicate the helm orders.

Nights were spent at Youngtown Crossing where an 'eyefull' could be acquired for a bar of Aesepso soap.
 
#5 ·
If I remember correctly each Master of an E.D. ship that I sailed on had his own 'choice' Creek Pilot. You had to watch for the canoe with the correct 'international code flags' and the others were chased away. The pilot and retinue comprising usually of his helmsman and at least two 'small boys' who appeared to be trainees. They cleaned the bridge where they all lived during the stay aboard which could be up to six weeks in the rainy season. They got food etc. from the Kroo Galley when in port. The canoe was lifted aboard by derrick

I seem to remember one pilot family at Escravos was called Tom or Toms. They were not bad at 'conning' the ships in the open water of the Creeks. There was a tendency to go too fast especially when passing rafts of logs. The passing was usually marked by much jabbering and gesticulations. Happy memories of the lilies that dipped under water with the pressure wave ahead of the ship and of putting the bow in at The Fork on two occasions.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the name Youngstown Crossing, Peter - I couldn't remember it. "Flash for a dash" land.

Samuel Gular had his nephew with him - a youth of about 15 who wore a battered trilby with a card stuck in the band announcing: "I am Richard Gular the ED pilot". He was continuously pestering everyone for beer and **** so one day I suggested I made a new card for his hat. He spent the rest of his time on board sporting a card saying: "I am Richard Gular the ED bumming bastard".

John T.
 
#7 ·
Escravos pilots

I was on DALLA in 1970 on the USA-west africa run. only went up to warri one time, but i remember that the pilots were captain's choice, capt. Leathart used "king". so we crossed the escravos bar with the bosun (billy eastwood i think) taking soundings while we blew "K" on the whistle. inside the river king's canoe came out so we picked him, helmsman sons and the canoe up for the trip up to warri. i was sparky, we sent out warnings on 500 so other ships would know where we were in the mangroves.

























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#8 ·
Yes I remember it all as described, in Palm Line we often used Blacky Komi and his family who were generally quite good, but needed to be watched closely. As mentioned radio watch was maintained to keep track of other ships that were nearby and traversing the creeks/Rivers. I seem to remember that we entered and exited across the Escravos Bar at about 16' 6'' then up river turned to port into Chanomi Creek and then later to starboard into the Forcados River which would lead up to Sapele which was about ninety miles inland.
 
#16 ·
Escravos pilot



I have just noticed this post. It could be that all our memories are not as good as they were 50 years ago, mine isn't but.....

After the pilot had boarded at Ogidigbe, Elder Dempster ships would turn to port at Dempster Point into Nana Creek, round The Fork and then turn to starboard at Youngtown and proceed up the Benin River and arrive at Sapele from that direction.
 
#14 ·
Greg Mellor

The Escravos pilotage was a unique situation which you would never encounter anywhere else in the world.
I was on the Filliegh on charter to Elder Dempster and the pilot we used was Wilson Gulah so I gues it was probably a family operation.
He used to bring his crew boys and his wife who was considerably younger than him.
Good pilot, never had a problem and a gentleman.
 
#18 ·
Escravos bar pilots

On charter in the fifties, we took the supercargoes advice, ‘Sunday’ Gula, with his younger brother ’Tuesday’ as helmsman.
Rigging the pilot ladder approaching the bar we were advised to place dunnage either side, protruding well outboard, to stop other hopefuls racing up the ladder and onto the deck before our nominated man and his party.
 
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