Esso's

[Trader]

I was on the "Esso Lambeth" round the UK coast. Decent grub, plenty of overtime but the worst accommodation I have ever been with. Steel bunks, tin lockers and three to a cabin.

She was built for the Maracaibo lakes in Venezuela and not for the British coast. Flat bottomed, a bastard to steer and she did eight knots flat out. We were supplying power stations and loaded mostly at Fawley. We always got a night ashore as she took so long to discharge and ballast. We did Tilbury, Littlebrook, Purfleet, Plymouth, Portishead, Whitegate (Cork), Dublin, Bowling, I joined her in Manchester and paid off in Liverpool.

Trader.

[Michael Bennett]

I was on a few ESSO tankers and we said ESSO stood for Eat Sleep Sh*** and overtime. Loved the life whent to a load of places with them including Japn for about 3 weeks.
Michael

[NORMAN F WORMALD]

Hi Mike,
How long were you with ESSO and what was the name of the ships you sailed on?.
I was with them in the 1950s.
cheers Norman F Wormald.

[Tom Griffiths]

Did my first trip in Esso Exeter a run job to M****ile in France and whilst at sea strike started so they flew us home day after we docked. on joining ship was shown to cabin and it was fab thought they had shown me to officers cabin for a laugh. Had just left the Army after 6 years so a big difference. First watch going through the Bay of Biscay could not stand up and had to crawl across the deck to the monkey island. for lookout .

[Bill Dobson]

My ships with Esso were:

23 Aug 1971 to 04 Nov 1971 - Esso Newcastle
08 Jan 1972 to 28 Feb 1972 - Esso Lancashire
27 Mar 1972 to 25 Apr 1972 - Esso Northumbria
13 Jun 1972 to 17 Sep 1972 - Esso London
23 Nov 1972 to 21 Jan 1973 - Esso Hibernia

We had a TA overspeed on the Esso Newcastle (see my photos in Engine Rooms category)

Esso Hibernia nearly broke in half - 64 foot long crack midships (near the manifold) went down below the waterline. Anchored at Tenerife to have emergency repairs done (RSJ's welded acrross the crack) and then to go into drydock at Lisnaves in Lisbon for repairs.

[stevesherratt]

Bill My Ships:

MV Amarna, Liverpool 26/05/62 to Liverpool 26/06/62, Pantry Boy
ESSO Portsmouth, Genoa 08/04/68 to Bahrain 22/07/68, Junior Electrician
ESSO Lancashire, Rotterdam 04/09/68 Fawley 26/12/68, Electrician
ESSO Cardiff, Fawley 03/02/69 to Amsterdam 07/07/69, Electrician
ESSO Mercia, Rastanura 04/10/69 to Milford Haven 05/11/69, 2nd Officer Electrical
ESSO Mercia, Milford Haven 06/11/69 to Rotterdam 05/01/70, 2nd Officer Electrical
ESSO Mercia, Rastanura 08/04/70 to Rotterdam 27/04/70, 2nd Officer Electrical
ESSO Edinburgh, Rastanura 23/07/70 to Portland USA 03/10/07, 2nd Officer Electrical
ESSO Scotia, Milford Haven 11/11/70 Milford Haven 12/01/71, Electrical Officer
ESSO Lancashire, Milford Haven 16/01/71 to Bahrain 12/02/71 Electrical Officer
ESSO Lincoln, Baltimore 16/03/71 to Kalundborg 22/06/71, Electrician
ESSO Portsmouth, New York 18/08/71 to Fawley 14/11/71, Electrician
ESSO Hibernia, Fawley 29/12/71 to Rastanura 29/01/72, Electrician
ESSO Caledonia, Rastanura 27/03/72 to Rotterdam 30/04/72, Electrician
ESSO Cambria, Fawley 05/05/72 to Rastanura 10/08/72 2nd Officer Electrical
ESSO Mercia, Fawley 28/11/72 to M****ille 05/03/73 Electrician
ESSO Mercia, Mina al Ahmadi 16/04/73 to Savona 04/08/73 Electrician
ESSO Bernicia, Rotterdam 25/10/73 to Dubai 06/12/73 Electrician
ESSO Mercia, Mina al Ahmadi 12/12/73 to Tenerife 26/01/74 Electrician
ESSO Bernicia, Cape town 21/03/74 to Wilhelmshaven 19/04/74 1st Officer Electrical
ESSO Anglia, Cape town 23/04/74 to Rastanura 18/05/74, 1st Officer Electrical
ESSO Mercia, Bahrain 19/05/74 to Fawley 01/07/74, 1st Officer Electrical
ESSO Anglia, La Vera 10/09/74 to Fawley 08/01/74, 1st Officer Electrical
ESSO Bernicia, Singapore 14/03/75 to Dubai 03/07/75, 1st Officer Electrical
Seconded to the Capital Projects Group July 1975 to December 1978 on UMS and Burner Management projects on ESSO Anglia, Northumbria, Bernicia, Cambria and Hibernia.

Ten fabulous years with ESSO, lots of great shipmates would do it all again, they paid me much more than I was worth and thought I would never leave them. Gave it all up when a little voice one day said “Daddy, don’t go” I was the poorest, happiest man I knew for years after.

Best Regards

Steve R770014 South Derbyshire

[Doc Vernon]

ref post #16


Hi Steve,
Must say that looks like a very impressive Sea record mate!
You were a good Man to say cherio to all that,but mate when the Kids get involved thats it! Rather poor and happy!
But your memories will live with you forever!
Wish i could have done a lot longer too!
Cheers
Vernon

[Bill Dobson]

Steve, we were literally ships that passed in the night. Esso Lancashire and Esso Hibernia within months of each other. I was on the Hibernia when she was having the inert gas system fitted at Lisnaves in January 1973.

Also forgot to mention I was 1st Electrical Officer too - so it was you who left me all the probelms on the Hibernia

[stevesherratt]

ref post #18

Hi Bill, I seem to remember the Hibernia was a good ship and was Dave Parker (or was it his brother Gill) who was the Purser? The Northumbria was a bit of a sod from time to time and I think she had similar structural problems due to lazy night shift welders at Swans filling the weld on her stingers with loose welding rods and not completing the multiple runs required. Electrically both ships were quite good. The Belfast Caledonia was a better ship generally I never sailed on the Ulidia. My all time best and favourite ship was the Anglia had some happy times on her with my old mate Terry Sutcliffe Purser and Alan Porch 3/O/Eng.

Did you ever know Bill Pegg 1/0/EL we too passed in the night and I have been working with him recently till he retired.

What did you do after leaving ESSO?

Best Regards Steve, South Derbyshire

[Bill Dobson]

ref post#19

Hi Steve, I'm absolutely useless at remembering names and putting names to faces, but I have a number of photos taken on some of the ships. I could send you copies and you might recognise some of them.

After Esso went to work for PSA at Fylingdales and Staxton Wold, joined Ellermans in April 1975, left them in January 1978 and done many things since then including working for BOC and a number of years on various MOD sites as a Technical Officer. Last claim to fame - one of the closing team for RAF Cardington in 2000.

Regards
Bill