seven islands in winter

[Keith Tindell]

What a life it was, walk in to the pool, see whats going, ships everywhere, pick and choose. In London, on my way to the pool, always called into the Black Horse pub, few pints and a yarn to the guvnor, he not only knew what was on the books, but what was coming up. Many times came back a couple of days later (when not skint ), and picked up a good ship, and as important on a good run.kt

[cappy]

##you know keith .....i dont think any young man with a bit of go in him could have set out a better life ......once you were away the world was your oyster......anything you wanted within reason ....the true meaning of shipmates the older hands looking after the ist trippers ......sailing with men who had gone through a war in old coal burners many who had been in ships that were sunk and all the trauma that went with it .......a learning curve which showed the goodness of old hands and the cheating practices of much of the suez type traders and there stunts .....to the day of the channels after a 9 month or more trip.....with a suntan in winter and a pocket full of white fivers seeing the benefits of your labours ....and your shore wallah mates looking aghast at your goings on .....and not believing half of what you said......the best education in the world .....and what a starter to life in general......those were the days...cappy

[j.sabourn]

#10. Did you not get to Tahsis as well Cappy. Could have left your name cut into the cliff face. Cheers JWS.

[cappy]

#10. Did you not get to Tahsis as well Cappy. Could have left your name cut into the cliff face. Cheers JWS.

###did it at the sugar berth in auckland john ...hammer and chisel with beloveds name in a heart ...probably still there took a long time into the stone cliff overlooking the berth...cappy

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Cappy.
Spent many a day at the Chelsea sugar wharf in Auckland, if I'd known you had chiseled your name there I would have put another heart on it for your age. A mate bought seven acres near the works told me to do the same, if only I'd had the money I'd have been a rich man now.
Cheers Des

[cappy]

Hi Cappy.
Spent many a day at the Chelsea sugar wharf in Auckland, if I'd known you had chiseled your name there I would have put another heart on it for your age. A mate bought seven acres near the works told me to do the same, if only I'd had the money I'd have been a rich man now.
Cheers Des

###well des on one trip yo oz a guy came aboard selling plots of land for a few bob an acre.....it was mooted but no one bought ....cant remember if it was fremantle or it could have been adelaide wether it was a con or not i dont know ......but i am always saying to beloved when she states ....do you think we should have done this or that .......give me tommorows lottery number and i will tell you .......but i can remember that sugar berth well... a great young kiwi got killed aboard by a spring taking half his head off......it was not a happy time..he had come to oz for work that was in 61 cheers des cappy

[John Arton]

Did one trip to Seven Islands in winter as Mate on a Cape Sized bulker. Completely different loading method to what I was used too. We were to load 122000 tons of D.R.I. (direct reduced iron ore pellets) for discharge in Japan. This was the same cargo and same route as the Derbyshire and we got loads of messages from head office telling us it was a perfectly safe cargo to carry as at the time there was a theory going round that the cause of the Derbyshire's disappearance was due to these pellets moving around in the hold generating sufficient heat that they eventually ignited and burnt through the bottom of the Derbyshire's holds, one of the more fanciful theories going round at the time propounded by so called experts.
We anchored off the berth to await our turn to go alongside, berthing being on a first come first served basis. You sent your loading plan ashore by telex and you were required to go alongside with absolute minimum ballast on board as if you had to stop the loading to allow deballasting to catch up, you were taken off the berth and the next ship in line loaded and you went to the back of the line. Loading rate was well in excess of 10,000 t.p.h. through the single loader and you went alongside with all hatches open. No draft survey on arrival, they just started pouring the first run the minute you were under the loader, even before you had finished mooring. You were allowed a 20 minute stoppage to read the drafts and calculate the final trimming run. The quay was knee deep in snow so the loading master drove me in his 4 x 4 to read the drafts. After a quick calculation of how much to put in each hold to end up with the desired trim, that was it. We then sat in his 4x4 watching the midships draft and when the calculated required draft that was it. Back on board and straight onto stations, left the berth and anchored off with the next in line to be loaded already on the berth before you had anchored. B/L's were done on ships figures and all paperwork came out with the pilot who came on board about an hour or so after you had anchored and whom witnessed the captain entering the figure on the B/L. After that it was off to Halifax for bunkers after spending in total some 18 hours in seven islands. Arriving in Halifax the pilot told us we were the biggest, deepest ship ever to enter the harbour and he was pretty unused to the handling of heavily laden bulkers as we dinged the channel buoys at every turn. We anchored in the harbour opposite the container berth were there was a Dart boat loading. After taking bunkers we heaved up anchor and it took an age, at one moment I thought that we were going to belt the Dart boat as we were manoeuvring trying to reduce the load on the windlass. Eventually the anchor came clear only to be found fouled by a number of old anchor cables and undersea cables, so it was back to the anchorage. Using the other anchor, we waited for some hours whilst a work boat could be organised with burning gear to cut away the anchor fouling, we had tried to do it ourselves by attempting to lassoe the stuff but had no joy, they were well and truly snagged around the flukes. It was bitter cold and a strong wind was blowing by the time the work boat turned up, I had asked the pilot about the anchor cables and if the submarine cable was live as it looked like an undersea power cable and he assured me it was an old disused power cable and there were loads of old anchor cables lying on the harbour bottom.
By now it was getting dark and the shore house lights were all coming on. The guy with the burning torch stood on the anchor and burnt through all the anchor cables fouling the anchor, The last object to be cleared was the disused power cable and on cutting through it the ends dropped into the water and there was a mighty flash and a bang and a whole section of residential housing suddenly lost all their electrical supply. We exited stage left rapidly before anyone could blame us, getting down the harbour and approach channel as fast as the pilot and captain dared.
Very eventful that load was.
rgds
J.A.

[cappy]

##that is a very interesting account of your trip john .......the lights going out at the finale made me have a laugh .....that is some sized vessel ...of course the old ore carriers of the late 50s and sixties were as you are aware much smaller vessels .....must say some of our runs were different to say the least....but do recall one where we literally where what can only be described as belly sore that when the motion of the vessel was very hard and fast ...for the trip from seven islands to the iron ore quay in shields in quite heavy weather .....i was lodging with the family of the girl who is now my wife ....and my position was in the small bedroom on a camp bed at that time.....her mam and dad in one room pat in the other and me in the boxroom ....i had a couple of bruises from the weather and beloved said you get im my comfy bed as sleep had been scarceon the voyage and i willsleep on the camp bed tonight ......pats father was a very loud snorer and pat had not told her mother we were changing beds ....during the night my bedroom door opened and i saw a female shape coming towards the bed .......thinking all my xmasses had come at once i reached out to this form in a nighty and pulled her towards the bed .......she gave the loudest screech i have ever heard .....pat ran in the bedroom her father ran in the bedroom....of course the mother bless her had thought pat was in the bed... the father bless him as well was ready by the look in his eye ready to geld me ......any way after we all sorted the sequence of events it was a very humerous night...that of course was seven islands fault not mine ....cappy

[Red Lead Ted]

Similar experience cappy regarding sleeping rough while i was courting my wife her old man was old school we were both sitting in front of the coal fire in there little back room listening to music on the radio her old man kept appearing through the adjacent kitchen door he would look me straight in the eye {EVERYTHING ALRIGHT } And disappear again only to return as quite as a bloody ghost 5 minutes later. The clock struck midnight in he walks and says goodnight then lad and close the doors behind you, Missus to be asked cant he stay dad he has no key and its a good walk home.............................................. ....... Ever spent a night in a pigeon loft with a pillow and blanket i have with the night watchman sticking his head out the window upstairs on a regular basis i have.