[chrishandel]

Wasn't it one of the River boats where the boiler emptied with the furnace still going? I was in dry dock in Antwerp and it was there having a new boiler fitted.

Memory may serve me wrong

 

[JamesM]

Yes, that was the Tweed. According to the story I heard some work by ships staff had been done on the boiler water level equipment and a particular part had been refitted incorrectly which meant that the low level alarm system did not operate. There then occured a low water level situation, no alarms or burner shutdown happened, and hey presto major tube burn-out.Engineers nightmare.

 

[twogrumpy]

Yes, that was the Tweed. According to the story I heard some work by ships staff had been done on the boiler water level equipment and a particular part had been refitted incorrectly which meant that the low level alarm system did not operate. There then occured a low water level situation, no alarms or burner shutdown happened, and hey presto major tube burn-out.Engineers nightmare.

If I remember correctly, the low level device was a horrible magnetic thing with a magnetic bobbin about 3/4" X 1" which moved up and down inside a SS mounting on top of the boiler, operating a glass encapsulated floppy magnet on the outside. This was all attached to a thin rod, and I mean thin, about 1/8" going down to a large ball float, 12" dia? mounted in a cage in the drum, most unsatisfactory.
As there was a DP cell water level transmitter as well, I connected a pressure switch into this circuit via a timer, this with the magnetic thing gave us belt a braces protection. The time delay was one of the old type which you could hear operating so as the ship pitched and the water level went low I could hear the timer operate, showing the system was working.
(Cloud)

 

[mpkk]

Lost the boiler on loaded passage to Stockholm (?). Diverted to anchorage at Gothenburg where we were lightered by the Dart, who supplied the steam to run our cargo pumps.
On completion the Dart departed and the flare of the Tweed's bow ripped the Dart's port lifeboat to shreds! The look on Terry Tytheridge's face was a picture, he was on board as BP's lightering 'expert'.
Took the Tweed to Amsterdam for repair, virtually the whole crew paid off the day after arrival as the repair was expected to take some time.

 

[beverlonian]

Lost the boiler on loaded passage to Stockholm (?). Diverted to anchorage at Gothenburg where we were lightered by the Dart, who supplied the steam to run our cargo pumps.
On completion the Dart departed and the flare of the Tweed's bow ripped the Dart's port lifeboat to shreds! The look on Terry Tytheridge's face was a picture, he was on board as BP's lightering 'expert'.
Took the Tweed to Amsterdam for repair, virtually the whole crew paid off the day after arrival as the repair was expected to take some time.

I was 4th Engineer on the Dart at this time and remember it well - I have some photo's somewhere - must dig them out.

 

[Graham Wallace]

Lost the boiler on loaded passage to Stockholm (?). Diverted to anchorage at Gothenburg where we were lightered by the Dart, who supplied the steam to run our cargo pumps.
On completion the Dart departed and the flare of the Tweed's bow ripped the Dart's port lifeboat to shreds! The look on Terry Tytheridge's face was a picture, he was on board as BP's lightering 'expert'.
Took the Tweed to Amsterdam for repair, virtually the whole crew paid off the day after arrival as the repair was expected to take some time.

Was the Mate CN Woods and C/E Ken Rutherford? I was looking at 11th Dec 1974 Ships Movements.
Graham

 

[willhastie]

i was on the dart when we lightened the tweed and as we pulled apart the tweeds forepeak just carved through our lifeboat ,i stood there thinking that the tweed was jinxed as her first voyage from govern was a disaster(see other links) this extra episode happened in 1974

 

[myles]

i was on this boat for 4 months in rio the back in 82 had some great memories of it and the tamar too the cook was kevin hall . and the ramar razing in gib with rn navy . if any one knows any one who served on them at that time for bp shipping get intouch

 

[myles]

My Uncle was the Chief Steward on the Tweed on this voyage, Tony Leslie, he has now sadly passed away a few years ago now. He told me the story of the Tweed and also the trip after when 3 lads sadly lost their lives on the Renown down the tanks. As Chief Steward first aid was his responsibility. I can recall the details of his story vividly, and also from other crew members I met while serving with BP myself. I know this trhread is a couple of years old but I am fairly new to the site and just catching up.

hi i served with your uncle on the boat i was a jcr at the time i can remember have to make him a cup of tea every day he was a good man sorry to hear he has passed away

 

[kevjacko]

Hi Myles,

Thanks for that. It must have been a trait of old school Chief Stewards. I sailed with a guy called Joe Vogle from North Shields who was the same era as my Uncle Tony when I was JCR and yep, cup of tea first thing every morning. Same for the likes of Reggie Spong amongst others. The old school chief stewards in BP were hard task masters but I can't recall any I did'nt have a huge amount of respect for because they were to a man in my experience anyway 'fair'.

 

[connie]

hi remember reggie spong very well came from reading area, if i remember correctly, wonder what became of him? think i sailed with him on the tenacity or gas enterprise once he knew i could make brown bread and ice cream cassatta he left me alone, like to think we had a mutual respect for each other.lol regards con.

 

[kevjacko]

hi remember reggie spong very well came from reading area, if i remember correctly, wonder what became of him? think i sailed with him on the tenacity or gas enterprise once he knew i could make brown bread and ice cream cassatta he left me alone, like to think we had a mutual respect for each other.lol regards con.

Connie,

I am sending you a pm on this one let me know if it comes through ok.

 

[Ryder]

River Boats

I served as mate on the Avon for 2 years with Gil Barber, then as O/M on the Spey and then the Dart for 2 1/2 years. The Swedish boats were far better built then the Scott Lithgow ones. The story was that when BP ordered the SL ones they had just got a contract to build "O" class subs for the RN and all the good welders wre on that contract. Certainly the Avon had plenty of "chicken ****" welding on her. When chipping once around the boat deck bulkheads the bosun come and asked me to look at what they had uncovered , bloody awful welding all covered over with body filler !I seem to remember thay on the Avon in DD we had X rays taken at certain areas on the deck welding that were suspect. Great ships though after the Ity boats. I was also O/M om the HUmber for my sins, she was a "dog.

Tony White"

 

[brooksy]

british tweed

i was on this boat for 4 months in rio the back in 82 had some great memories of it and the tamar too the cook was kevin hall . and the ramar razing in gib with rn navy . if any one knows any one who served on them at that time for bp shipping get intouch

i was on tweed 82 was po .broke my ankle in santos first day on board fell down into the steering flat fom the after rope locker.nearly landed on chief whos name i think was kinsella. had a cushey few weeks whilst it was mending

 

[brooksy]

Have just opened the attachment at the begining of this thread and realised the ship behind Tweed is the Pendennis Castle.My first ship,and the Tweed was the last River class i sailed on(==D)

 

[DWD]

I stood by the Tweed when building at Scotts. As I remember it, she fell off the slipway on the day they launched her, bounced off an Indian sugar boat on the next berth and went into the water. I seem to remember one of the managers at Scotts telling me that she cost them £2m more to build than BP paid for her and that those ships finished Scotts as a commercial concern. She hit the side of the Inchcape drydock coming in off trials and had to have a plate renewed prior to final acceptance. Very little seemed to go right during her first year in service, but we had some good people on board.
Didn't Gil Barber fly the Welsh flag, claiming to be the commander in chief of the Welsh Navy?

 

[derekhore]

Didn't Gil Barber fly the Welsh flag, claiming to be the commander in chief of the Welsh Navy?

Gil Barber used to insist on the Welsh flag being flown on the Unity when I was cadet with him, it was my job to look after it and ensure it was hoisted .. much to the annoyance of the mate, Frank Preece!

 

[brooksy]

Captain Gill Barber a true Welshman.Spent two years with him on the Kiwi and also the Esk.Always found him a man of principal.

 

[beverlonian]

I was 4th Engineer on the Dart at this time and remember it well - I have some photo's somewhere - must dig them out.

Here we go....British Dart lightening British Tweed, October 1974 at Gothenburg.

 

[hornetbron]

I served on the British Tweed maiden voyage. The welding and fittings were a disgrace to british shipbuilders. When we sailed and started to roll a bit we discovered loads of empty beer & wine bottles rattling around in the deckhead.Painters who had painted the decks hadn't bothered to pick up rags and rubbish but just painted over them.Whilst tying up on the Bonny river in Nigeria a fairlead dolly ripped off the focsle from it's welding causing the nylon mooring rope to snap resulting in two lads loosing their legs. That said there
was a good crew on board and we did manage to have a few laughs during the trip.
Roy.

Wonder who you are?...... 10 years late with this post as I've only just found this forum while looking for photos of ships to show my grandson . I was the Lecky's wife on that trip from Scott Lithgow. What a terrible day that was when the two !ads lost their legs!!