[spbrowne_123]

Hello,
I am interested in finding out more about this vessel. I sailed on it, actually emmigrated, in March 1971 from Liverpool to
Quebec City and would be interested in talking to anyone who knows more about it. Thank you

 

[Bruce Carson]

Welcome to the group, SPbrowne. Hope you enjoy it as well as most of us do.
There's an interesting page on the ship at the following:

http://bluestarline.org/empire_glade.html

Bruce C.

 

[Hugh MacLean]

Hello Spbrowne,

Welcome aboard SN.

I wonder if the Inishowen Head that you mention could be Inishowen Head(3)

Inishowen Head (3)
8621 gross tons, length 460ft x beam 63ft, cargo ship. Launched 19th
Jan.1965 by Austin & Pickersgill Ltd, Sunderland for the Ulster Steamship
Co., Ltd. Maiden voyage 12th May 1965. 1970 rebuilt to a 9,099 gross ton
container ship. 1973 renamed CAST BEAVER. 1977 reverted to INISHOWEN HEAD.
1979 sold to Boreal Navigation Inc, Canada and renamed SUNHERMINE. 1982
renamed CATALINA. Aug.1986 arrived at Busan, Korea for scrapping.

Rgds

 

[Bruce Carson]

Hello Hugh:
I keep forgetting everyone is not as old as I.
The ex Empire Glade had long departed Liverpool in 1971.

Bruce C.
Waiting for the attendant to tuck me in.

 

[spbrowne_123]

Thank you all for your replies. I beleive the one i am refering to is #3, as i was a passenger on it in 1971 There were 4 passengers in all and unfortunately i am not a great sailor and the trip was to say the least rough!!But it was an experience i will not easitly forget!!

 

[boboman]

Hello spbrowne 123,
Hugh as hit the target thats the one, (Applause)
Found another Head liner,good.
I was going to send you a photo but can't figure out how to do it. (Cloud)
Green flag out.
Boboman (Thumb)
Yes yes yes I've got it right this time
SPB it's this the one?

 

[mcgurggle]

Hi spbrowne
Go to my site http://briansy.com & look in discharge book 1 page 4.
Is that the trip you done?
If so , what was the grub like ?? (Thumb) Ooops to sick to notice??
As you may see, I was the Chief Cook & Bottle Washer..
Also click the ships name for photo (drag the bottom right corner to enlarge the pic)
Regards
McG

 

[boboman]

Hi Mc
your cooking wasn't so bad if this friend has still the strengh,after 35 years,to be there and to do some research on it's past.
Are you shure he's not after you for some complaint. (Read)

 

[mcgurggle]

She was a fine vessel & I applaud all who ate on her (when she was steady enough that is).
Joking aside...the Inishowen' was one of those ships that all crew were proud to be associated with.
Some ships are like that ... they stay with you forever.
McG

 

[mclean]

Does anyone remember Capt. Frank Best? Met him on many occasions in Antwerp and Montreal when she aws the Cast Beaver. A great guy. Regards Colin

 

[R58484956]

Welcome spbrowne_123 to the site enjoy it and all it has to offer.

 

[mcgurggle]

If you go to my site http://briansy.com Dis. Book1, Page 2, Roonagh Head, you will see Captain Francis RN Best's signature. He was always immaculate & ran a tight ship. That particular trip we were caught in a strike and had to go along side in Cornwall , Ontario. We were the first 'Salty' to tie up there for years. Most of the local men worked in the cities Mon - Fri. so WE had quiet weekends, but during the week we were well entertained by the copious amounts of ladies. (H)
We were sorry to leave !! (*))
McG

 

[boboman]

Hi Mc G
I would like to know by you how the cooks were recruited on Head lines,and other companies,(what references),what was like a standard menu and did crew have same menues as passengers.
Thanks BOBOMAN

 

[mcgurggle]

You had to have a Chief Cooks Certificate for deep sea vessels & the ship could NOT sail if there was NO Chief Cooks certificate aboard (also Radio Officer). Most Chief Stewards & also some Masters had a certificate (just in case)
Passengers(Bloods) ate the same as everyone else cos' they were on a 'cheap' passage.
You were recruited from the Shipping Federation ('Pool') unless you had a company contract.
On Head Line ships, the food was generally very good, but some Chief Stewards were tight with rations ('Baldy' Billy English) used to keep the 'shaky' milk in his cabin locker in case we used too much. HE was Ch. Steward on the Inishowen when I was on it..! Thats my excuse for any belated complaints (*)) ,but everyone ate the same except that the Officers & Bloods got steward service & MORE than 3 cans of beer a day !! (Ouch)
McG

 

[boboman]

Thanks allot McG
What I'm looking for when I say info & news on Head Lines it's this type of news.
See sometime all of us when we speack of our jobs we give many things for granted
but usual & normal "routine" it's not always standard for everyone.
I believe,like it is for myself, that there are many that didn't have the experience on sea and look in this site just for this...for the knowledge of what life at sea is/was like.
Technical data,pictures are important but if you dont put life in those Iron ladyes,
the swet the fear the joy of troops of seafearers that dedicated their life to this job
and many times even lost their lifes for it in war & in peace there's no sense in all of it.
Cheers McG
What his the meal on Inishowen for me & rest of crew this evening.
Had an hard day need energy.Dear chef.

 

[spbrowne_123]

Thank you all for your input... i dont remember the exact date i left liverpool on the Inishowen Head but i would expect it was around March9th or 10th as it arrived in Quebec City on March 19/1971. Unfortunately i do not remember the food as i didnt eat much!!! i do remember the first day out though as we sailed dound the Irish sea... i was impressed as to how smooth it was but aswe turned into the Atlantic i knew we were in for a rough ride as stops were ser up at the table presumably to slop the food landing in your lap. on that voyage we had an engine malfunction and bobbed like a cork on the ocean for several hours. we also i beleive scraped an iceburng in the night as i was awoken to a very loud noise and virtually thrown out of my bed. We then encountered ice flowas and fog off newfoundland and proceeded at a very slow pace albeit no longer being rough.
i do remember the cabin boy, if thats the corect name . he was a little fella from Belfast who enjoyed his whiskey!!
cheers

 

[mcgurggle]

Hi again Spbrowne
That WAS the trip, but all trips across the Western Ocean at that time of year are all the same. The wildness of the open water & the eerie stillness of the freezing mists in the Belle Isle Straits. Just think, we had to go back the same way,.... that was after Montreal & Toronto..
Its no wonder your Cabin Steward liked Whisky (we all did). We were only allowed to buy 3 beers per man per day so we all got accustomed to the "Cargo Brand" J&B whisky that we loaded on the Clyde before picking up passengers (YOU) in Liverpool the next day 10/3/71.
The dockers in Greenock used to fill our dhobi buckets with whisky in exchange for 'dirty books' or a carton of 'duty frees' , that lasted us to Quebec & then the same happened there when we were discharging cargo. (K)
Happy days
I hope you prospered after your voyage with us...Its a pleasure to serve. (Thumb)
McG

 

[James MacDonald]

Jim MacDonald

I sailed on the Innishowen Head as A/B 5/01/1968 to 19/o3/1968. The Capt was Andy Fee & the Ch/Off was Sheriff from Belfast from Belfast.I joined in Glasgow & went to Liverpool Birkenhead Montreal, Quebec, Liverpool, Birkenhead, & signed off in Belfast.She still had her derriks at that time. Someone was asking about Capt Best ,Last time I seen him was on the Norse Mersey ( Ro Ro ferry) which ran between Belfast/Liverpool 21/01 1995.

 

[mcgurggle]

Hi James
Did I sail with you on another occasion ?? Check out my Discharge Books on http://www.briansy.com
Know lots of 'Jimmy McDonalds' but but one from Carrickfergus rings a bell...
Regards
McG

 

[mcgurggle]

spbrowne
Thanks for the PM. Good to know you after all these years. Were you the 'green' coloured passenger who was always hanging over the 'poop rail' calling for 'Hughie the plumber' ??? (Thumb)
lol
McG