geologist/sunprincess collision
great interest in this event, because 7 years after the event I came to know the man responsible.
For a fairly full account, refer to the book "Harrisons of Liverpool" by Graeme Cubbin.
There is a complete file in the National Archives Centre at Kew.
The 2nd Mate of the "Sunprincess" was responsible due to intoxication.
His Master (FG) Certificate was cancelled.
In the Kew file there are copies of pathetic letters he wrote to the MOT in subsequent years pleading for his case to be reconsidered and for a junior grade certificate to be granted to him under probation in order that he could find seagoing employment.
There is also reference with letter copies to his later fraudulently obtaining employment with John Manners of Hong Kong as 1st Mate of their "East Breeze" which he joined in Singapore in 1961. He was caught out a few months later by an observant Aussie official when he tried to sign on another Manners ship claiming his certificate had been lost.
My interest in all this stems from the fact that I was 3rd Mate of the "East Breeze" when he signed on in Singapore. He was transferred to the "Adelaide Breeze" a few months later when he was caught out in Newcastle NSW.
During the time I sailed with him his behaviour was "dodgy" and I found myself doing his job for him frequently (I was 2nd Mate by this time).
We heard some odd stories about his antics in Sydney when standing by "Adelaide Breeze"
The penny only dropped about his identity about 6 months later. I was in HK for my Mate's ticket when he came into a bar I used in Kowloon (Victoria Bar)
I was with a 3rd Mate from P & O who had formerly been with Saguenay (bareboat charterers of "Sunprincess") who identified him and enlightened me.
I bumped into him on HK side a few weeks later and he tried to borrow HK$1000.oo from me!
I never saw him again, I presumed that he would be found "belly-up" by some
jetty somewhere.
Many years later when sailing as skipper in coastal tankers I learned that he had found his way back to his native Hull and had ended up as Bosun in the "Humber Guardian." He died in 1975.
I have passed on all I know to Graeme Cubbin who told me that there are only one or two of "Geologist" survivors still alive.
I like to think that the guy managed to find some measure of redemption in the later part of what must have been an unhappy life.
