RMS Aragon

[Ivan Cloherty]

Dave, as far as I can ascertain at this time of night distance approx 8000 nautical miles (9280 Statute miles) at 8 knots would take 42 days

From my 1952 edition of Tables of Distances presented by C H Bailey drydocks Barry

[Ivan Cloherty]

Dave I have had some further time to do some digging, so that it appears that your trip Rio Grande do Sol to Yokohama was not as illogical as it may have seemed at the time.

Rio grande do sol - cape of good hope -miri -yokohama 11,509 nautical miles at 8 knots = 60 days

Rio g d sol - panama - yokohama 12,670 nautical miles at 8 knots = 66 days plus canal transit say 1 day and canal transit expenses

So it was much cheaper and quicker to go the way you did

So you have some definitive figures to give your doubters

Miri (which they will never have heard of) Latitude 4 degrees 23 minutes North, Longitude 113 degrees 59 minutes East

You can throw all of that into a pub quiz

[cappy]

hi ivan .....if you have the time ....what sort of cost to the ship owner would aday or weeks steaming at say 9 or 10 knots on a 5 hatch general cargo .....average 40 hands in normally reasonable weather....in the late 50s early 60s......only reply if it is not too complicated........regards cappy .....galley boy 11 pounds per month....and thought that was a fortune

[Keith Tindell]

Same as you Cappy, I was working in a shoe repair shop £1.10 shilling a week, less my keep at home, went to sea as deck boy, £12 seventeen and six pence a month all found, I was jack the lad, kt

[Ivan Cloherty]

hi ivan .....if you have the time ....what sort of cost to the ship owner would aday or weeks steaming at say 9 or 10 knots on a 5 hatch general cargo .....average 40 hands in normally reasonable weather....in the late 50s early 60s......only reply if it is not too complicated........regards cappy .....galley boy 11 pounds per month....and thought that was a fortune

Would need a lot of research (1950's/60's) on that one cappy, cost of bunkers (heavy oil), diesel oil,fresh water, port dues, light dues, custom house levies, shipping federation contributions, agency fees, victualling, then there are the so called invisible costs such as drydockings, repairs, survey and surveyor costs, paints and spares, depreciation etc etc, all have to be calculated in what the daily cost would be even though many of them didn't happen on a daily basis, then of course there were the non revenue earning ballast voyages, which could alter the figures dramatically, and probably some factors I've probably forgotten, so apart from crew wages and crew change expenses such a lot to consider.

Would have had most of that info somewhere in my files if Pickfords hadn't lost it whilst in their care whilst I was working abroad

Sorry I cannot give you any pound/shilling/pence figures, but in the 50's as galley boy £11 per month yours was a wage to envy when on £6 a month (no overtime payments) as a lowly cadet

Sorry I couldn't be more help

[cappy]

thanks ivan for even considering it ......6 pound per month ....but you did have the old fanny magnet the uniform ......if the mate would let you ashore anytime......come to think of it the only fellow i ever saw ashore with a uniform on .....apart from the old man on ships business......was a 6th engineer.....he used to walk a bit funny as well ...a touch of the hello sailor methinks......regards cappy

[Ivan Cloherty]

thanks ivan for even considering it ......6 pound per month ....but you did have the old fanny magnet the uniform ......if the mate would let you ashore anytime......y

Funnily enough Cappy we were not allowed to go ashore in our uniforms, probably something to do with Company cap badge and company image, not that we would have dreamt of going ashore in them. Only time we wore them was in the saloon and on docking stations, they would have been very uncomfortable to chip and paint in, and bilge diving they would be a hindrance. The mate considered our time in uniform as unproductive, so we had 30 minutes for meals, we never got chance to wear them out, but somehow still enjoyed it.

[Evan Lewis]

Amazon ex Belfast Jan 1960,joined from my home Town Drogheda 70 ml away .anybody closer than that. Eamonn

Eamonn,
Was ,Shipmates with a number of Drogheda men ,over the years. In particular John Levins ,We were Watchmates in the Wheelhouse ,on the Queen Mary. Believe, he was known locally , As the Irish shipping Master. (as when returning from Leave, Would usually ,bring a Townie back, "He spent many years ,with Cunard. Joining the "Mary" at So'ton .after many years out of Liverpool. Mostly ,the Media and Parthia.
He was Bos'n on the Q.E. in its latter years.
When the Q.E.2 .Arrived Melb. On its historic 1st. World cruise. When She was Breasting -in. Was in conversation, with Her Bos'n. Asked . Hey Bos.!Weren't You on the Mauretania? He replies. "No.that was Me Brother." I followed up. with, "Where's John Levins these days." replied, He's a Millionaire ,Now you know. !, Has a large ,Sea-food restaurant". Do have his name and address, somewhere .here. His brother as mentioned, was ,i believe, with the mauretania, for its entire carreer, .I was on her , for its last four trips. .had last Wheel. taking her in to Inverkeithing ,Breakers Yard.
P.s. Any reply ,or info ,would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

[Ivan Cloherty]

.How long did it take Rio to Miri....?

9219 Nautical miles at 8 knots = 48 days

[Ivan Cloherty]

9219 Nautical miles at 8 knots = 48 days

When you think of it we steamed some miles around the globe,especially us trampers, worked out a years progress once, it was some really daft figure, one that landlubbers wouldn't believe and in the main we did it from anything from 8 to 12 knots, as ships in the 50/60/70 era main engines were designed to be most economical in the 10 - 12 knot range