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