[stan mayes]

OBUASI - I worked on her as a rigger a few times during her visits to Tilbury during the late 1950'.I believe the deck crew were 10 cadets and two AB'..
The Bosun was George and I think he was also an instructor..
Of ONITSHA - what an abortion..Ian uses the word unique and she was ..
To bring the jumbo derrick into operation was a 10 hour job for riggers..
13 yes 13,stays had to be set up on the foremast..All these stays were stowed in No1 tweendeck and took quite some time to be brought up and set up,using huge bottlescrews...
No 1 hold could not be worked while jumbo was in operation..The steam guys were attached to the lower block of the purchase and led to four winches..
Unique yes - an abortion definitely !!!!

 

[stan mayes]

Mention of Sapele in this thread reminds me that I was in the third deep sea ship to visit that " port".. DEIDO - McGREGOR LAIRD and then my ship DALLINGTON COURT on Elder Dempster charter - during February 1946..
We moored to trees accross the river from Sapele,I took photos of it...Canoes took us ashore..We loaded logs from the river which had taken weeks to get there drifting on the eternal ebb.. We had Kroo boys aboard from Freetown to work the cargo...long time ago!!!

 

[stan mayes]

Hi Alan
I mentioned Bosun George in a posting in this thread - I knew him well - a VG VG seaman.
Stan