Short Sea Ferry route Dover to Dunkirk

Leaving P&O 21/09/2000 I joined Norfolkline's M/V Midnight Merchant who had just come from the shipbuilders yard at Cadiz she was having a cowcatcher fitted to the bow. Once moored securely alongside the bow doors are open and ships ramp lowered onto cowcatcher, this ramp also acts as the collision bulkhead, the shoreside link span ramp is then lowered for dicharge and loading of freight. I was put on nightwatchman duties and used this time to get familiar with the ship and worked out the route to use when doing passage fire rounds the quickest and most effective way, plus a fair bit of painting lane markings under the direction of the bosun.Six months after entering into service I was promoted to PO Assistant Bosun and six months Later to Bosun CPO on M/V Dawn Merchant . The Bosun's job being hands on I was not adverse to painting and sugying. I returned to Midnight for nearly two years before I came ashore for at that time a more lucrative carpenters job. I am now seeking a new challenge of sea going employment drawing on my sea going and carpentry experience. During my last 5yrs at sea I have been onboard for four major dry dockings. Responsible for the running and maintenence of ship  and training of new crew members assisting the Cheif Officer  Always having good relations with other departments especially the Chief Engineer and Chief Steward, Captain and Mates alike keeping a well maintained, clean, tidy and safe ship. I am Keen to return to sea as SG/1A and too build on my new ship experiences and environment with all the relevant certification covered by STCW 95.

M/V Midnight Merchant dept Dover showing cowcatcher.

Midnight going astern onto Num 1 Berth looking through the anchors on The Eastern Arm

P&O Cruiseship Coxswain

After a vigourous nearly six month trip I returned home to Swansea Sept 98 but was to return after three weeks to Join Arcadia as Coxswain CPO until Sept 2000, with a four month trip on Victoria for a cicumnavigation of Africa Decked out with Union Castle Funnel and stewards in the livery, this cruise was to celebrate their centenary voyage. Another great experience working on a ship 36yrs old so gained valuable experience in the earlier types of traditional ships equipment and an awesome itinary with Madagascar and The Comores Islands being two of my favourite ports of call and being on the wheel navigating The Straits of Tiran the narrow sea passages between The Siani and Arabian Peninsulas inbound and outbound to Aqaba Jordan.And my first taste of traditional ships telegraphs.

Arcadia Funchal Maderia New Year 1999

Victoria with Union Castle Funnel

Arcadia at Valleta in a Maltese sunset 

Princess Cruise's M/V Grand Princess

While at home the phone rang and h/r dept asked if I would like to fly to Monfalcone in Northern Italy for the the final commissiong stages of M/V Grand Princess GRT 109,000 tons at her time of launch the largest cruise liner in the world able to safety carry 2600 passengers and a compliment of 1200 crew. I flew out on 13/03/98 to assist the bosun in indenting stores for deck and safety, flying home for 4 days to attend a P&O 2 day firefighting and familiarisation course with the 5 other safety PO'S ie the main deck fire party with the Safety officer 1st engineer and 2nd vetilation officer ie the assesment party. Returning to the Fincanteri ship yard we set about getting our areas of responsibility ready for the shake down cruise and mca certification. We dry docked at Trieste after shake down then returned to Monfalcone ship yard for more drills and fine tuning all the training and familirisation had paid off and we sailed for Barcelona for maiden voyage. Again like P&0 our work revolved around safety of ship, passengers and planned maintenance of GDM , BOATS, and FIRE GEAR. also rig and derig gangways rig the pilot ladder and drive tenders at boat ports with the rigging of ships tender platforms . A very responsible job.

Grand Princess at anchor first port of call Monaco for boating ops. Photo shows the sheer scale of an opulant 330million pound state of the art cruise ship. Also the starboard tender platforms turned out and three ships tenders

Star Princess to Arcadia

Star Princess Belfast Nov 97

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Being called to the Staff Captain's Office I was asked if I would like to pay off and fly to Fort Lauderdale Port Everglades to sail Princess Cruise's Star Princess to Belfasts Harland & Wolf Shipyard for an extensive multi million ppund refit and dry docking to emerge as P&O Arcadia and join the expanding fleet of buff coloured funnels and exciting oppertunity not to be missed. Joining on 11/11/97 and set sail for Northern Ireland, two weeks later docking at Belfast after some pretty horendous weasther but two weeks on shipboard familirisation that put me in good stead for the six week dry dock. I spent the first two weeks in the ops room assisting Safety Officer with hot work and permits to work carrying out extensive rounds ensuring all the safety procedures where in place and that a proper fire watch was being maintain by the ship yard also answering the many fire alarms that where going off. All the ships lifeboats wher taken ashore to a large magazine for overhaul in the third week as i ahd good wood work and fibreglass knowledge I was sent to assist the Boat Coxswain affect repairs and renew signage call sign retro reflective tape after yard workers had polished top sides Painted the white hulls after yard cleanig and bring up to date all small gear and freshwater.Sailing just befor new year to southampton we were well drilled in Lifeboats Liferafts and MOB carrying out a full MOB once of Belfast Loch.I paid off Southampton 05/01/98 off after Inaugral Cruise AT Mayflower Terminal Berth 106 Southampton for a spot of well earned leave.

Arcadia lifting of the blocks new anti fouling and anodes. When fully afloat the lifeboats where reconnected and davits and boats put through load test all passed with flying colours by now I had complete hands on knowledge of the working of these including the hydrostatic release gear.

P&O Cruises UK Ltd

P&O Oriana at anchor Zackinthos Greece

The next three years where spent with P&O and Princess Cruises, joining The Oriana at Gdansk Poland as SG/1A. This was a whole new experience adapting my seamanship skills to suit very large passenger ships as able seaman I was to assist the Coxswains in their daily duties and monthly planned maintenance with all kinds of induction there was new methods and equipment to learn. Building my ships knowledge I was soon recomended for promotion when the next position arose. Again this was exciting work with new ports every few days either alongside or at anchor with tendering operations driving ships tenders for up to 90 pax. The main three areas of work consisted of General Daily Maintenance which involved the up keep of all shell doors side openings baggage platforms gangways cranes watertight doors sliding splash doors and fire doors. Boats involved the maintenance of lifeboat and liferaft davits boats and liferafts which where serviced in an endless cycle ashore for certification the changing of wires, pilot ladders, signage and lifejackets from passenger to self inflating work jackets. Fire Gear servicing all ships firefighting equipment ad keeping fire stations ready for immediate use. Tank rescue equipment etc.Also watch keeping and swimming pool samples. All equipment keep up to speed for regular MCGA zone Surveys. We where directly responsible to the Safety Officer. With a well equipped work shop and always plenty of stores a lot of good work was achieved on these ships.

P&O Oriana Focslehead Anchor arangement. Showing port anchor cleared away. parting drum or seperater winch. You can also see the hawse wash valve and metal hawse pipe cover no cement boxes needed as focsle is totally enclosed. Anchor was let go from a mooring platform by remote pack being walked back first although shot from pipe in an emergency.

Air Range Dive Support Vessel Sea Oyster

Photograph DSV Sea Oyster at Grimsby

Having had enough of my own cooking I got an able seamans job on a dive support vessel the first in North Sea to have mini bell to increase bottom time operating out of Grimsby. Again interesting work with four pont mooring over well heads and use of early DP equipment that was brought onboard for certain contracts mainly we would drop the two forad anchors and back onto gas platform in The Rough Field and put mooring ropes through giant hard eye snotters that we made onboard and rigged with the help of the divers, seemed to have to splice multiplait every day and with new materials being used such as nylon it kept it interesting, the ship also had a 25 tonne crane that we drove and a cherry picker to launch the rib no wave compensated winch here I was to come accross those a few years later did a wet dock at Brooke Marine in Lowestoft and sometimes sailed out of Great Yarmouth. Wire slicing came into its own here when I had to splice eyes to stream some very expensive British Gas survey equiment over the stern, just over a year of this and I returned home looking for a new challenge. Ended up retraining as carpenter and joiner and doing access course in tourism and leisure, spent three months back packing in Australia then stumbled apon the PandO Princess new build program and sent my CV off straight away to Richmond House.Although Managed to keep my hand in by temping with Howard Smith Towage on thier harbour tugs in Swansea Docks.

Photograph of Dingo at Lake McKenzie Frazer Island Australia stood on the nearly pure Silica Sand reminding me the cargos carried on Gardner's Coasters

Photograph of SS Maheno at her final resting place on the 75 mile beach at Frazer Island. She drifted ashore after parting her tow in a cyclone in 1935 enroute to Japan for Scrap

A Return to Coasters

Enjoying my deep sea experiences I had  call from old shipmate who said Gardners where looking for A/B's and having just got my ticket I shipped back out on coasters. Joining the M/V Saint Brandan, M/V Edgar Dorman, M/V David Dorman, M/V Craigallian and M/V Peacock Venture, the familarity of these vessel was reasuring and using my deep sea experience enjoyed my time back on these ships but the cooking was not for me so went home to explore other avenues and signed back on the Swansea Pool but with defederation and flagging out the jobs were getting harder to come by and this started the birth of the agencies.

M/V Peacock Venture laden with pot ash from Gdansk to Dublin seen here leaving the Baltic sailing North about to seek shelter from the gale forcast in English Channel. A seven day trip either way you sailed, fortunately the temperature rose before we had to manuelly remove the ice.

M/V Craigallian off St David's Head South Wales with an impromtu visit from an RAF Seaking SAR Helicopter delivering the old man his daily newspapers.It was quite common  for them to practice winching on and off passing vessels.

Royal Fleet Auxilary

RFA Olna refuelling HMS Ark Royal in The English Channel on her sea trials 1985

RFA Olna Refuelling RFA Fort Austin Mid Atlantic 1985

Leaving the Thamesfield I was ready for different types of ship I did some temp work on the Sealink UK vessel M/V Saint Brendan Fishguard to Rosslare then joined RFA Olna at Devonport. This job opened up a new seamanship methods with safety and replenishnent at sea being the main priorities , this was exciting and enjoyable work and prevoius experienced helped me to adapt to this ship a Replenishment Tanker carrying fuel and avcat sailing stateside on a big exercise there was plenty of RAS to do suppling the French Belgiums American,Dutch and British Navys. Plenty of rigging and splicing and working with a much larger crew than normally used to.

Deep Sea

M/V Thamesfeild starboard side too at Tampa Florida loading Yellow Phosphate by conveyor belt. Six holds and six 25tonne hydraulic electric deck cranes GRT 30,427.66

Returning home from Falklands after a six month trip a two week cruise on Uganda  a lift by Wessex Helicpoter to Ascension Island and a flight to Brize Norton in  VC 10. Singned off articles Port Stanley 16/10/1984 and Signed on deep sea cargo ship M/V Thamesfield at Antwerp 27/11/1984. The ship was loading steel products and containers in holds 1,2,4,6 leaving 3and 5 empty for loading Yellow Phosphate for Vancoover at Tampa Florida, the steel to be discharged at Los Angeles and San Francisco, the phosphate dischrged by ships cranes at Vancoover involved us fitting the grabs.This ship gave me an excellent insight into seamanship on a large scale The rigging of Table platform gangways with pilot ladder due to ships freeboard 8" multiplait ropes giant winches and wires, changing the crane wires and greasing at sea required a great amount of good seamanship skills and with a first rate bosun in charge i soon learnt the ropes being on day work then watch keeping getting behind the wheel of an extremely large ship under pilotage and steering through the panama canal. Plenty of general day to day maintaniance chipping scraping painting and sugee, the ship also had a dedicated Deck Engineer who I worked with on numerous occassions. Light ship in Vancoover we loaded 30000 tonnes of timber and paper products for Europe and The UK, which invloved lashing with chains and bottle screws with senhouse slips for quick release of cargo should we ship too much water as wood is like a sponge and can severly affect the ships stability. Also the timber in holds is well vented with clamp on booby hatch vents that dry wet timber allowing the ship to load to full cubic capacity some 5000 tonnes by drying cargo then battenend down. Steel is not vented during passage as this causes oxidation as you need air for rust to form.

M/V Thamesfield locking in at The Panama Canal

Enroute The Falkland Isles

Leaving the Saint Keran I spent my first Xmas at home since shipping out, returning to LNC Edinburgh in Jan 84 to complete my training and sit class 5 ticket. Unfortunately failing chartwork and navigation with grades E and D, passed the orals though and grades A and B in other papers. The marine superintendant paid us a visit and asked for volunteers to take the M/V Saint Angus to The Falkland Isles. My first trip deep sea and with a bosun. Joining at Sunderand the ship was fully stored and fitted with an osmosis plant to produce freshwater, the cargo crane securely lashed on deck we set for Southampton for completion and departed  for Port Stanley stopping for 4 hrs at Acension Island for bunkers and toilet roll. Four on eight off watch keeping for five weeks three days and two hour overtime a day the ship was gleaming inside and out spending many hours on the windy hammer while in the Doldrums.  Crossing the line for the first time the ship was prepared for ceromeny great fun. Arriving in the falklands some five weeks three days from departure. The ship took over from Saint Brandan and we set about suppling the numerous forces bases on The East and West Islands loading at FIPAS  in Stanley Sound all manor of cargo from tanks,missiles, fluffy penguins, food, plant, bobcats and petrol oil and lubricants. Being self discharge I fine honed my crane and forklift skills and learnt to load and rig cargo nets and containers  for discharge by chinook helicopter. We also carried a work boat manned buy three coxswain from The RCT Maritime to ship cargo up the more inacessable places. 

Photographs M/V Saint Angus southbound enroute Southampton to Port Stanley entering The Roaring Forties. Showing Deck Crane securely lashed to deck using chains and bottlescrews.And launcing of Trojan 1 at North Arm Settlement

M/V Saint Kearan second trip

Paying off the M/V Craigallian at Invergorden I travelled accross Scotland by train to Goven Dry Dock up The Clyde, my second soujourn cross country having left the Saint Angus at Aberdeen and joining M/V Saint Oran at Bonawe nr Oban as deck boy. Being at home on the Kearan and back on 5 on 5 off watches.

Photograph M/V Saint Kearan south bound from Lerwick to Immingham. Abeam of Fair Isle to starbaord burying her head in the high seas of a southerly gale force 8. I took this shot through port hole and then battenened down the deadlight.

M/V Craigallian

The M/V Craigallian was the largest coaster operated by Gardner's on middle trade articles although had done a few run jobs on foreign going running agreement. Carrying grain cargos such as maize, malt barley, scrap metal, swarf, sulpher and granite blocks from south Portugal to mid Norway, Silica Sand, rock salt and was often seen at Runcorn and Western Point up the MSC. Gaining more experience loading different cargos and travelling a bit further afield.

Photoraph M/V Craigallian loading malt barley at Tonnay Charente France 

M/V Saint William

After some leave I attended Leith Nautical College Edinburgh for 4 months .Taking signals, first aid at sea, restricted R/T, electronic navigations systems certificates and advanced fire fighting at MacDonalds Road Fire Station MN Training Centre. Studying the course work with lectures everyday in cargowork,ships stability and construction, chartwork,navigation, metrorology, rule of the road and other relating to the seamanship orals exam. I then joined M/V Saint William an older traditional style coaster with two holds derricks and single pull MacGregor steel sliding hatches. My first taste of derrick work since the courtyard of NSTC Gravesend. Carrying dry bulk cargos around The UK and Continent such as coal, grain and rock salt.Getting the sea time in and working way through correspondence course there was never a dull moment sailing as EDH.

Photograph M/V Saint William laid up alongside at Douglas IOM for Engine repairs. Pic shows lifeboat turned out and aft derrick part topped ready for runner to be doubled up to lift engine spares onboard.

M/V Saint Kearan

After a seven month trip on Saint Brandan I then joined M/V Saint Kearan for eight months and made the SG/1B Grade EDH. The Kearan being a 441 grt non hazardous cargo tanker built for the carriage of liquid calcium chloride  loading at the ICI factory Winnington for Girvan and Barcadine for alginate extraction from seaweed which is used in the food glue and dye industries. Liquid calcium bromide loaded at Immingham for Aberdeen, Peterhead and Lerwick for oil well drilling mud also calcium chloride was taken to Lerwick, these cargos being well regulated with clean tanks prior to loading and SG's checked and from Winnington the ship loaded on a 3.3m draft even keel for safe passage down The Weaver . A one off load of drilling Mud caused a long layover in Aberdeen for tank cleaning.Now sailing as efficient deckhand I was really finding my sea legs gaining valuable experience and learning about the responsibilities of the officer of the watch and frequenting some pretty dramatic locations around the UK. Working as part of a 5 man crew with no cook I also spent a bit of time in the galley under the watch full eye of our Irish Chief Engineer who loved his food and give me first hand ERF from topping up daily service tanks stop and starting  the generator that drove the cargo pumps main engine start and shut down procedure, maintaiance,oiling and how to paint bilges in really rough weather.

Photograph M/V Saint Kearan loading bunkers prior to loading at Immingham

M/V Saint Brandan

After a  seven month coastal trip and some leave I went to Leith Nautical College being very smartly turned out in black shoes grey troussers white shirt MN tie and navy blazer with MN badge  on Breast pocket. This was for a two week induction course for an insight into the training to follow have my MNTB record book checked for the appropriate progress and reports. I then joined staight from college the M/V Saint Brandan at Ardrossan on the Ayrshire coast  after brief wet docking and engine overhaul,
Lightship and bound for Lochaline Mainland Scotland off the Sound of Mull  to load Silica Sand for Arendal Norway. Silica Sand mined in Scotland  is used for oven and glass wear and has a unique high quality, hence stringent hold cleaning to pass the pre load inspection and this was no mean feat as the Brandan had just carried some 8 coal cargos from  South Wales to Northen Ireland and had a wooden covered Tank Top Ceiling which had to be bone dry and spot less.

Photo of M/V Saint Brandan At Bonawe Quarry Loch Etive Loading small grade stone chips to one of the outer islands. Picture shows Lowered fore and aft masts for safe navigation under Connel Ferry Road Bridge. A good task for a nimble J.O.S. with safety harness.

M/V Saint Oran

After a brief two weeks onboard the Saint Angus, two cargos - coal from Swansea to Bangor N.I. then Cork to Aberdeen with Birities I paid off to join the M/V Saint Oran at Bonawe Quarry Lock Etive just inland from Oban to load tarry chips "tarmac" for Craignure Isle of Mull two hour steaming time away. The shipwas one week old and a fantastic experience in the diversity of cargo carried off beat obscure ports visited including Fair Ilse with a crew of six 4 Scots 1 Irish and me "Taffy"

Photograph of M/V Saint Oran Lightship Marsh Lock half way up The Manchester Ship Canal about to enter the Weaver Navigation enroute to Winnington ICI factory for a cargo of Calcium Chloride

My First Ship from Sea School

I joined the M/V Saint Angus in Swansea docks in Feb 1981 as Deck Boy having obtained a sponsership with J&A Gardner and Co Ltd as apprentice class 5 home trade deck officer. Gardners of Glasgow operated a substantial coastal fleet of ships under 1500 tonnes the Saint boats , they also managed the M/V Craigallian, M/V Peacock Venture M/V Edgar Dorman and M/V David Dorman. I went to Leith Nautical College and passed all but chartwork and navigation having sat a two hour gruelling orals. Gardners fleet operated on Home Trade and Middle trade articles but got my first Foreign Going Stamp in Discharge book when payed of M/V Saint Angus at Port Stanley in The Falkland Isles. The ships mainly carried coal and grain cargos which meant extensive hold cleaning. The Saint Angus Brandan and Oran all had roll on roll off capability and carried some interesting deck cargos from submarine rings rolled onboard on giant multi wheeled tralers , heavy plant, special buoy moorings and petrol lead seperators to name a few. The Saint Oran also had six wing tanks on a direct flow system of discharge with by pass valve for the carriage of Calcium Chloride for the food industry and Calcium Bromide for the offshore oil industry  and a 2 ton sliding track self discharge deck crane and often carried quarry aggregares to the Western Isles of Scotland. Barites used as heavy additives in oil well drilling mud being another bulk comodity but a horrible cargo for ships with a bad GM as already rolled like a pig on a wet blanket at the first  sign of any wind with exta weight on deck caused by the reinforced macgregor wire pull hatches with excentric wheels and tension cleats "dog" and wedges it was always a good work out with quick turn arounds and new cargos every few days with never normally more than 3 days at sea it was work hard play hard.These ships keep me gainfully employed and helped to build on basic seamanship tecniques learnt during my 14 week pre sea traing at The N.S.T.C. Gravesend Kent. Reguarly hand splicing wire multiplait and three standed hawser laid natural and synthetic. Making pilot ladders renewing rigging watch keeping painting and general ship cleaning and correspondeace course for mates ticket. I was kept busy to say the least.

Photgraph of M/V Saint Angus Helicopter cargo net discharge by Chinnook  Fox Bay Falkland Isles 1984