Aurora
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62 Posts
I sailed as R/O several times in Aurora and went back even more times as an electronics engineer with PEL. She was used a lot on the Kho Si Chang to Europe run carrying tapioca. Damn dust used to get everywhere causing loads of problems. Never eaten the stuff since I saw how it was handled and loaded! In those days it used to be craned onto the deck from barges and manhandled into the hold - all 150,000 tonnes of it! Took around 3 to 4 weeks loading.
Vibration was enough to shake several items of equipment off their housings! Still, a pleasant enough ship - at least you didn't have time to get bored. One of the few P&O BSL ships to have a forward facing cabin for the R/O.
I remember being flown out to the Canary Islands when I was with PEL to fix both radars which had given up the ghost. The ship had shaken so much a good portion of the X-Band waveguide had fallen off! Took some fixing.
Rgds
Derek
Vibration was enough to shake several items of equipment off their housings! Still, a pleasant enough ship - at least you didn't have time to get bored. One of the few P&O BSL ships to have a forward facing cabin for the R/O.
I remember being flown out to the Canary Islands when I was with PEL to fix both radars which had given up the ghost. The ship had shaken so much a good portion of the X-Band waveguide had fallen off! Took some fixing.
Rgds
Derek
Joined
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563 Posts
Derek
quote: She was used a lot on the Kho Si Chang to Europe run carrying tapioca. Damn dust used to get everywhere causing loads of problems. Never eaten the stuff since I saw how it was handled and loaded! In those days it used to be craned onto the deck from barges and manhandled into the hold - all 150,000 tonnes of it! Took around 3 to 4 weeks loading.
if you view my gallery you'll see some pics of that very operation at Koh Sichang-- I rather enjoyed the experience!
quote: She was used a lot on the Kho Si Chang to Europe run carrying tapioca. Damn dust used to get everywhere causing loads of problems. Never eaten the stuff since I saw how it was handled and loaded! In those days it used to be craned onto the deck from barges and manhandled into the hold - all 150,000 tonnes of it! Took around 3 to 4 weeks loading.
if you view my gallery you'll see some pics of that very operation at Koh Sichang-- I rather enjoyed the experience!
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223 Posts
I loaded her in Kho Si Chang, we used the swimming pool for fresh water for the stevedores loading us. She was my last ship in P&O
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62 Posts
I was R/O on Aurora in 1978 when she was fairly new. An enjoyable trip with a good crowd on board, even if we didn't go anywhere interesting. I joined in Rotterdam where she was unloading the dreaded tapioca (which got everywhere - I was cleaning it out of the electronic gear for weeks!), then Tubarao to load iron ore, 42 days at sea to Japan to discharge and finally paid off in Singapore. The captain was Roly Marshall, who had just come from 2 years as permanent master on Ardmay on the US/Caribbean run. I don't think he was very impressed.
I sailed on the Aurora, 1st trip as 4E and again as 1st trip 3E. Sailed from Dampier to Redcar as 4E where 2E's wife (from Sunderland) joined complete with car which was hoisted onto deck with cargo derrick and tied down to hastily welded fittings. My wife, mum and dad came to see me from Hartlepool with 4 pints of fresh milk and left with 2 litres of gin.
3E at the time was Cliff Fleming, my wife was in his cabin sewing up his trousers ready for him to go shoreside when I popped up from the engine room to say hello.
I couldn't pay off until Immingham because we were taking on bunkers, left there and I have got home quicker from Persian Gulf than that trip from Immingham.
3E at the time was Cliff Fleming, my wife was in his cabin sewing up his trousers ready for him to go shoreside when I popped up from the engine room to say hello.
I couldn't pay off until Immingham because we were taking on bunkers, left there and I have got home quicker from Persian Gulf than that trip from Immingham.
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15 Posts
I have posted a few pics of her loading tapioca in 1978. I was the eng cadet on that trip. Cliff Fleming was a fantastic guy sailed with him as cargo a true gentleman.
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