Lloyd,
You perhaps were not fully aware of the panic on board when we stopped and the barge continued, Panic was from the Ch steward who was running around telling everyone that the captain and mate had jumped onto the barge and had abandoned us all.
The passengers, didn't the Dr ask for samples of our drinking warter (strange i never remembered drinking water on the Cuthbert) when we had to make a short diversion to pump in river water as our nirex pump had broken and wern't those samples checked back in the states with the result they were more pure than NY tap water?
There were also two young lady passengers who went on a ''jungle walk'' arranged at some stop passed Manaus, i also went with them, both the guide and myself were quite concerned that neither of them had any form of footware...
And lastly back up to NY - you said I could not take the pig into the states, (by that time I'd passed it on to the 4th eng who would walk it around the deck) It was duly dispatched one teatime cooked and inserted to the watchmens sandwitchs' . Of course we didn't tell the 4th until he'd eaten them .
I think that trip was also the time we took days to get round Cape Hatteras due to the foul weather, and the last of the spare diodes blew before we could get to NY (I hated that damned radar!)
and
Salinopolis pilots, salinopolis pilots salinopolis pilots, this is Cuthbert Cuthbert Cuthbert? repeat as many times as you can!!
Booth Line
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I certainly do remember the foul weather we had off Cape Hatters outward on that voyage.....Never knew that one about the Chief Steward...that would have been, "One Egg" Willy........That old Mark 4 even when it was working, according to the Marconi guy in New York was not up to much. When we had to enter the Amazon through the North Entrance we usually saw the mangrove banks visually before the radar picked up anything......in the old days the entrance was marked by a 40 gallon oil drum....very hard to see and the Aero beacon at Punta Ceu and morning stars weather permitting was the only guide we had. You talk about the water in the Radar Room..that water used to flow through the bottom of my wardrobe and under my bunk next door, whilst most of the deck heads in the cabins below were rusted through.
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I sailed on the M.V. custodian Harrison Line Mr Hector Mc Phail was the Purser a bit of a recluse
Did a couple of runs up to Belem and Manaus in 1979 on Benedict and Boniface as fourth engineer, great run and can remember tying up for the night in the river, some of the flying objects would have knocked you out if they’d hit you, loaded mahogany and some deck containers, they looked top heavy wee ships and when we hit a force 10 homeward bound I honestly thought our number was up, took about 15 seconds to recover from a 38 degree roll 🥺🥺
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967 Posts
Well, well Mr Grossart, David Fox the Deucer here, how you keeping. Drop us a pm and we can go onto email.
I am loosely in touch with Micheal Gardner, the Engadet as was on the Benedict first two voyages. Chief Engineer with Svitzers now, out of Milford Haven, must have liked small 4 strokes, but not Mechanica Pasada's, Industria Brasilero made MAN truck engines.
Had a beer with the 3rd Mate (your watch oppo) Chris Grayson, cannot say I recognised or remember him, though those two voyages, had a bit on our plates.
Wonder how Jim Horsborough the sparky is, perhaps he became a diesel mechanic.
I was in contact with somebody off SN who came across Alan Barrat C/E, he wasn't impressed.
I am loosely in touch with Micheal Gardner, the Engadet as was on the Benedict first two voyages. Chief Engineer with Svitzers now, out of Milford Haven, must have liked small 4 strokes, but not Mechanica Pasada's, Industria Brasilero made MAN truck engines.
Had a beer with the 3rd Mate (your watch oppo) Chris Grayson, cannot say I recognised or remember him, though those two voyages, had a bit on our plates.
Wonder how Jim Horsborough the sparky is, perhaps he became a diesel mechanic.
I was in contact with somebody off SN who came across Alan Barrat C/E, he wasn't impressed.
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967 Posts
If anybody sailed with Foca, Lloyd, he would appreciate you contacting him, his health is not too good but he is fighting it and should be on an even keel soon, but can write and use the computer.
Well hello there Dave
Great to hear from you, now you’ve sparked my memory with some great names, can remember them well, Jim horseboro (horsebox) as I remember 😆 was ‘red’Wells not 3rd eng on one trip, how are you getting on ?? Retired myself now and settling for a camper van and golf course life but great to keep the memories of the days of real ships alive 👍👍
With people jumping ship because there are no new postings, I thought I would re post my #101 2015
Hi there Mr Arnold
I met John Needham a few times on coastal runs, but never went deep sea with him, seemed a smashing guy always up for a laugh.
One memory of mine was on my first ship with Blue Star, the Brasilia Star, the second mate was an old geordie Booth Line man called George Steedman, used to come into the bar before dinner and neck 6 tennents before you could blink, sullen as get out, never spoke only to curse Blue Star for all it was worth, quickly realised that Booth Line blood ran in his veins, after a months hard work he melted a bit and told us that this was his first Blue Star ship also and to honour the occasion had a blue star flag tattooed on his a..e so that every time he went for a dump he would sh.t on blue star 😆😆offered to show us one night in Santos, no takers, turned out a good lad
Davy G
Hi Davy
Needham was certainly a character. I recall the occasions he would wear a straw hat, with a T shirt with a Lion’s head on the front with matching socks, and that was for the receiving of pilots at several ports including New York, what they thought ! But we were only 1609grt
Peter
Needham was certainly a character. I recall the occasions he would wear a straw hat, with a T shirt with a Lion’s head on the front with matching socks, and that was for the receiving of pilots at several ports including New York, what they thought ! But we were only 1609grt
Peter
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Peter,
Boy, someone really cocked up there! Only 9 grt less and they wouldn't have needed to employ you (or any other Radio Officer) or equip the ship with a full morse telegraph radio station. Big increase in running costs for such a little vessel.
I thought the same about my second ship, 1689 get, and only trading between the UK and the Western Mediterranean but yours was even worse.
Boy, someone really cocked up there! Only 9 grt less and they wouldn't have needed to employ you (or any other Radio Officer) or equip the ship with a full morse telegraph radio station. Big increase in running costs for such a little vessel.
I thought the same about my second ship, 1689 get, and only trading between the UK and the Western Mediterranean but yours was even worse.
Hi Ron
I apologise in advance to any 'Booth Boys' if the info that follows is incorrect.
There were four v/l’s, to become the 'V boats'. When built 1961 they were,1300grt (ish).
A couple of years later they were lengthened by 60 feet to accommodate Gemini cranes, thus taking the grt to 1609.
I had assumed that the R/O's cabin and R/Room had been part of the original build?
It may have been a cock up, but in reality, with the experience that Lamport Holt and Booth Line may have gained with R/T only may have led to the decision to carry an R/O.
We did carry 6 passengers.
They were not heavy TFC ships, and when on the river we did not keep H8 watchkeeping, just listening for TFC lists, ship skeds and the British Consul, Pat Nicols up at Iquitos.
However comms when required could be difficult on the river, and from Brazil to UK, USA and West Indies.
On a visit to Governors Island (AMVER), the watchkeeper to demonstrate the SURPIC procedure asked us to give a position, which we did, which was Manaus. It was not on their SURPIC coverage, we joked, but that is another story
Peter
I apologise in advance to any 'Booth Boys' if the info that follows is incorrect.
There were four v/l’s, to become the 'V boats'. When built 1961 they were,1300grt (ish).
A couple of years later they were lengthened by 60 feet to accommodate Gemini cranes, thus taking the grt to 1609.
I had assumed that the R/O's cabin and R/Room had been part of the original build?
It may have been a cock up, but in reality, with the experience that Lamport Holt and Booth Line may have gained with R/T only may have led to the decision to carry an R/O.
We did carry 6 passengers.
They were not heavy TFC ships, and when on the river we did not keep H8 watchkeeping, just listening for TFC lists, ship skeds and the British Consul, Pat Nicols up at Iquitos.
However comms when required could be difficult on the river, and from Brazil to UK, USA and West Indies.
On a visit to Governors Island (AMVER), the watchkeeper to demonstrate the SURPIC procedure asked us to give a position, which we did, which was Manaus. It was not on their SURPIC coverage, we joked, but that is another story
Peter
Maybe a bit late, but you could try the ''Marine Society'' They gave me a grant in '70 to complete my course at Fleetwood
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412 Posts
I have posted before, with limited response. I`m looking for My Best Man of 1964. Richard (Rick) Lewis, was 3rd Mate In Maggie Booths Circa 1965 to 6?. We lost touch around that time, and his cousin told me he had swallowed the anchor and was harbour/berthing master or similar in/around the North East?. Maureen, my wife is not in the best of health these days but we hope to have a small celebration of our 60th come 2024. It would be good to re-make contact if he is still about?, He served his "time" as a Humber Pilot Apprentice, should anyone recall?.
Cheers Pete.
P.S. spent most of last night reading this entry, Ref; and earlier comment re; "Your Fathers Moustache Bars", In the USA. I recall there was one of that name in a Basement In Durban? too.
Pete
Cheers Pete.
P.S. spent most of last night reading this entry, Ref; and earlier comment re; "Your Fathers Moustache Bars", In the USA. I recall there was one of that name in a Basement In Durban? too.
Pete
Sorry Peter,
Before my time
Before my time
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Good Morning,
I was wondering whether you could assist me with an enquiry regarding Captain John Atkins.
I had seen that you had attached the above picture from 1979 showing an image of John Atkins.
I have a friend who has been trying to locate John for some years. He met him on the MV Ronsard around the same sort of time.
He believed he lived in the Chester area .
I was wondering whether you have any further infromation.
Regards
John ran a pub in Mostyn for a while....used to see it from the train flying the Red Ensign...then the Red Ensign, stopped being flown, and the pub became derelict.... Quite a few people have asked about him but whether he passed away nobody knows…sorry not to be much more help.
LLoyd(Foca)
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