A friend and ex-CNCo colleague has asked a question on our Swire Mariners website about Blue Flue and I wonder if anyone can help answer it?
In my researches and meandering through old shipping books I have come across a number of photos of Blue Funnel vessels all at anchor. They are unusual. At the fore, and main mast there is rigged, about ten feet below the mast table a light cross tree extending out to the side of the vessel. At the outboard end is a light halyard rigged similar to a flag hoist.
My only guess is that they were rigged for cargo work and used to hoist a cargo cluster(s) whilst working cargo at night from lighters.
The "Beaverbank" Class of Bank Boat built by Harland and Wolff in 1953 -1955 had fixed light booms attached and secured to the two masts. They were hinged at the upper end and upon release from the bottom end, the tackle that was hung from the mast crosstree pulled the booms up and outwards. When in the horizontal position, a further hallyard was used to haul up a cargo cluster which more or less cast light at the ship's rail for the deck and over the side for barges etc. There were a further two stays to secure the boom at right angles to the masts.
This was always the Apprentices' job and heaven help you if the booms port and starboard of the masts were not completely horizontal and at right angles to the fore and aft line!
Eventually not used very much and on one ship at least, one of the light booms was used for an ensign gaff on the main mast, being attached to the aftermost Manchester bolt hole that secured the topmast to the lower mast.
The "Beaverbank" Class of Bank Boat built by Harland and Wolff in 1953 -1955 had fixed light booms attached and secured to the two masts. They were hinged at the upper end and upon release from the bottom end, the tackle that was hung from the mast crosstree pulled the booms up and outwards. When in the horizontal position, a further hallyard was used to haul up a cargo cluster which more or less cast light at the ship's rail for the deck and over the side for barges etc. There were a further two stays to secure the boom at right angles to the masts.
This was always the Apprentices' job and heaven help you if the booms port and starboard of the masts were not completely horizontal and at right angles to the fore and aft line!
Eventually not used very much and on one ship at least, one of the light booms was used for an ensign gaff on the main mast, being attached to the aftermost Manchester bolt hole that secured the topmast to the lower mast.
All Blue funnel ships had these booms on the masts. On this photo of the Diomed in Birkenhead, you can see the cluster hanging from the boom, which is itself out of shot.
Pat
Dont think we didnt moan and ***** about it. It was a revelation for me when I left Blueys, and discovered that two eyes and a backspring were normal procedure elsewhere.
Pat
Thats the insurance wire. Always put out by the shoregang in Birkenhead, who took over the mooring once the headrope was fast, and allowed us to get off home.
Pat
I appreciate that, but it all sounds very similar to the kind of corporate 'micro management' which has so ruined modern day working life both ashore and afloat.
I must say that cargo lights on ships during my time as a crane driver on the docks in the late 60s to late 70s, were absolutel abysmal.
It seems to be much better these days with shiops lit up like Blackpool illuminations.
Pat
From my memory of cargo clusters they gave out as much illumination as a TOK H lamp and were forever needing repair or bulbs replaced. Useless pieces of cr*p.
I agree completely with that, they were useless.
When I was driving cranes on Birkenhead docks in the late sixties and seventies, I found out first hand that lighting for cargo work on nights was universally substandard. Many a time I couldnt even see the deckhand signalling, especially if he went into the tween decks to escape the weather. It was often a hit and miss affair.
In contrast, the lighting on modern ships and cranes is brilliant
(Thumb)
Pat
As a cadet the clusters were our responsibility, and a thankless task it was too. They were always getting damaged and the wharfies would dangle them on the cable rather than the lanyard which could cause some excitement.. I reckon poor old lecky spent almost as much time repairing clusters as keeping the winches going.
One Master I sailed with insisted on a ridiculous amount of ropes fore and aft, even in sheltered waters. For a routine 'tie up' , I would consider an 'eye and a bight' to be bad practice as they are a b'stard to tend.
I joined the "Regent Pembroke" (a 63,000 dwt tanker) for sea trials at Vickers Armstrong's Walker Naval Yard in 1964. She was fitted with self-tensioning winches.
Yes Ron these were thought to be the Bee's knees but the self tensioning devices nearly caused a major disaster when they nearly led to a major disaster at Brunsbuttel when a Texaco vessel "walked" up the berth damaging the loading arms etc.
All these automatic tensioning devices were immediately discontinued as being dangerous to use and winches were from then on put back to "Brake control"
As I recall, the sign to watch out for when assessing need for slacking moorings was "bar tight". I do remember on one night watch, checking the time with the tightness, and hoping the time or tide would take me to the watch change.
I would want to slack off the moorings, especially the wire springs a bit before they reached the bar tight stage, when it would be an unpredictable and dangerous process with massive loading on the wire.
Conversely, when was the right time to start heaving in and restoring a modi*** of tightness to the moorings. I used to wait until the ship started ranging back and forth noticeably before starting the process.
I remember they sometimes doubled up on gangway men in North European ports like Bremerhaven and Hamburg where the tidal range was big and could be too much for one man to handle.
I think on certain berths in Bremen you had to have a shore gangway (a brow) rather than use the accommodation ladder, because the main deck was below quay level at dead low water.
Pat(Thumb)
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