Stuart prince

[Brian Beech]

Just writing my Memoirs, and checking back it seems I joined on 18th Nov 1968 at South Shields. I found my old Engineer Cadets Journal so the information is more exact.

[Brian Beech]

As I have mentioned earlier I am currently writing my Memoirs and am trying to recall the Engineers names on the Stuart Prince between November 1968 & October 1969. At the moment I have: Chief Engineer Albert Braithwaite, Second Engineer Ron Templeton, Third Engineers Duncan???, Fourth Engineer ???, Sparky??? Cadet Andy Parker plus two others??? Would love to find their names again. Anyone any idea?

[Ivan Cloherty]

Brian just a word of caution, of which I am sure you are aware, but having joined an apprenticeship scheme in 1968 puts you at a fairly young age, compared to some on here, so your contemporaries will probably be still alive, so you will have to be careful in what you write and how you portray them, and they may not wish their families to know about some of their escapades, or in some cases lack of them. Just be aware of legal ramifications.

[Brian Beech]

Brian just a word of caution,-. Just be aware of legal ramifications.

Hi Ivan, Thanks for your message. I am fully aware of the situation and believe me there will be nothing that will cause any problem. I am doing this for my own reference. It probably won't ever get published anyway. Just getting my brain working trying to remember what I have done in the past. Just hoping that someone can refresh my memory not be included in the text.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Hi Ivan, Thanks for your message. I am fully aware of the situation and believe me there will be nothing that will cause any problem. I am doing this for my own reference. It probably won't ever get published anyway. Just getting my brain working trying to remember what I have done in the past. Just hoping that someone can refresh my memory not be included in the text.

I wrote my own memoirs Brian, for the same reason and was then persuaded to have them published, but never did, but however because I was brought up in Hull, served on Hull trawlers, Hull University took a copy and have lodged it in their history 1950's archives for reference purposes, apart from the first trawler 'Swanland' I changed the names of all the vessels to mythical invented names also did the same with the characters, making a note in the Preface that this was done to protect those who I had sailed with and also their families, didn't apply to the 'Swanland' as no names occured in that chapter. As long as you do the same if ever published you will be legally covered. I would suggest that when it is finished you contact the Archivist of a University of where you were born as they welcome new material which enhances their knowledge of local families and how they faired in life.

[Brian Beech]

Very good point Ivan. I will consider doing that. Just got to get them finished. A few years away I think. Not sure what University would be interested in mine as I was brought up in Shropshire. Well away from the sea. To the future!
All the best mate.

[Brian Beech]

Hi Brian, that was about the time I joined the Black Prince, also as a deck cadet, wondered if you sailed on the Black Prince at all?
Cheers - Mike

Hi Mike, No I only sailed on the Stuart Prince, Southern Prince and Pacific Exporter. The first two as Engineer Cadet & the latter one as 5th Engineer. Left the MN after that trip as I was offered a good job with better pay by a local company whilst on leave.
I guess is wan't in my blood and a new wife helped. Cheers - Brian

[Tony Reynolds]

Well, there's some interesting history among these threads. I sailed on this ship when it carried the name Stolt Stuart; still managed by Houlders but on a charter to Stolt Tankers who sub chartered the ship to Petrobras (the national Brazilian oil company and much in the news lately). I sailed on her as Junior Eng and I can only describe the ship, at that stage in about 1972, as ripe. It was a parcel tanker and at the time I left it it was only trusted with two cargoes at the same time (a previous occasion had managed to mix about five up together) diesel and kerosene. The trade had some interesting parts since much of the cargo delivered was of the "social need" type meaning that a few tons was pumped ashore here another few somewhere else and so on. This type of trade also meant the odd run up a narrow (muddy) river where the pilot was two people (a native and an interpreter) and the upper works of the ship would knock all sorts of wild life out of the overhanging jungle!
That's is for now. Byeeee.

[Brian McIlroy]

I sailed on the Stuart Prince as sparkie about 1970, (unfortunately I lost my Discharge Book many years ago.) I joined in Karachi and left in the IOG.

Two trip later I sailed on the Stolt Abadesa on which we did a round the world trip with Capt Minty.

I left Marconi a year later and joined Scottish Ship Management where I remained for 10 years before coming ashore.

It all seems like yesterday - perhaps it was? ;-)

[Brian Beech]

Hi Mike,
I left the MN in 1970 after serving on MV Pacific Exporter as Junior [5th] Engineer, so no I wasn't in that trip. I let the Stuart Prince in Malta in 1969.