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The Shipping Wizard of Kirkcaldy

5K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  Stephen J. Card 
#1 · (Edited)
The captioned work is now available in the United States at all main booksellers. But a special Bank Line hard cover edition is now available worldwide by private message through Ships Nostalgia or by email to the Author. Your interest in this book is solicited as it covers the 20th century of Andrew Weir's Bank Line.

The book covers oil investments in California, Mexico and Venezuela and the extensive tanker fleet manned by Bank Line personnel; the difficult operations during the hard years of the Great Depression; both WWi and WWII; the post war rebuilding of the fleet and the support of shipbuilders Harland & Wolff and Doxford; the Vietnam Boat People, the last days of the White Ships; and the beginning of The End.

Not forgetting Inverforth's support of the oil engine; His investment and chairmanship at Marconi and Cable and Wireless and a host of other relationships that lead to tramp cargoes all over the world to link up the Liner Services based in Calcutta, Houston Durban and Hong Kong.

From "The largest fleet of Windjammers under the British Flag" to the "Last Surviving British Cargo Liner and Tramp Ship Company to Survive into the 21st century" together with a set of interesting ship photographs and a fleet list divided into ship classes.

As direct selling of any product is not permitted on the regular pages of S,N. you will have to write to me to express your interest and further communication will be conducted off site once I receive your communication details. I might say, however, that a direct purchase from the Author is at a substantial discount from Booksellers' retail price. I look forward to hearing from ex-Bank Line and any others who may have an interest in this publication in hard cover and 242 pages.!

Alistair Macnab.
 
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#3 ·
Thank for the Book

Alistair,

Thanks for sending the book, it arrived while I was on a visit to Shanghai so managed to collect it from the post office yesterday.

I'm about to make to PayPal transfer.

Great work BTW very interesting and a lot of work was put into writing it I'm sure.

All the best
Anthony
 
#4 ·
The shipping wizard of kirkcaldy

ANTHONY w...

Many thanks for your acknowledgement of receipt of the book. I had some lingering doubts of mailing to Macau but my local Post Office worker here in Brooklyn took the destination in his stride and did not even ask for more address information. Payment received with thanks.

Yes. Research was quite extensive but greatly aided by my access to historical newspaper records in the USA and UK. Looking at today's SN subjects makes me realise just how appropriate are the stories in the book of Magellan Straits shipwreck and recovery of the "Moraybank" and the North China Sea typhoon which nearly brought about the end of the "Ettrickbank". You mention a 'trip to Shanghai' like it was a 'walk in the park'.

Truly you have strayed far from your origins and made a life on the far side of the world. When I left Bank Line in 1981, I was offered a job in Valparaiso by Kenricks and had I taken it instead of remaining in the USA, my life pattern would have been totally different.

Bank Line service was certainly an opening to the world. Since most of us are blessed with a longer retirement than our predecessors, I wonder if there should be a new SN section about unusual careers after seagoing days?
 
#5 ·
I like the idea of the new section on unusual careers, one thing about most seamen is that they are survivors. I recently re-established contact after 30 odd years with some fellow cadets, we have all been successful although only two remain in the marine sphere proper.
 
#6 ·
A very interesting read. I feel that even some long time Bank Line folks will discover facts they had no idea of previously; I include myself here. The breadth of interests between the subject of the book and his business contemporaries was vast, but not the main topic of conversation in a Bank boat smokeroom.
Many of the recent topics will be known, of course, but some not.
A well researched record. Captain MacNab is to be congratulated,

China hand
 
#7 ·
Found this book in my Christmas stocking today - A great read - people, events and changes in the company over the years much of which was smoke room conversation with the older colleagues. I was only a Cadet with Bank line during the twilight years but the experiences and training shaped my career over 44 years.
Thanks Captain MacNab for a very well written book
 
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