Blue Star Logbook

Notice from Julie Nash:
"I am writing this email to confirm the sad news that John SUDDES died yesterday 20th May. He was doing really well over the last year, after a full leg amputation in March 2023. He moved into a fantastic care home, where he was able to live independently in his own flat. He had an electric wheelchair and he would be out and about in his local town chatting with people (speeding around at 5mph). A month ago he was diagnosed with lung cancer and this progressed very quickly. We managed to get him back to the sea at the end of April when he visited Saltburn which was fortunate as after that he went downhill very quickly. He died peacefully at home yesterday.

John was a character indeed and although he had not biological family I am his next of kin and have known him for 35 years. My husband has known him for over 40 years. He snuck a few little snippets of his shipping life but not a lot. We hope to find out a lot more!

I have joined the Facebook group "Blue Star Shipping and Associated Companies" and am so encouraged to hear more stories, but as not everyone is on Facebook I have been advised to let you know here on email so that you can let other colleagues know.

More than happy to confirm funeral arrangements in due course."

Sorry to hear of John loosing a leg and recently crossing the bar.

I sailed with John when he was Master of the Starman Anglia, from Civitavechia (port for Rome) with a cargo of oil rig equipment for Mar sel Braga in the December 1979.

The weather crossing the Med was like a rodeo, so John announced that Christmas would be delayed until we went to anchor off the port. Nobody was unduly worried, but it meant we could all sit down to Christmas Lunch and enjoy it as the anchorage was a millpond.

John was very practical and during lifting he and the Mate would take the controls of the 'Big Stick' and the Ballasting system between them and discharge the cargo.

On leaving the port the Scottish pilot said," You know your ship Captain, take her out"
John kindly donated a bottle of whisky and a parcel of pork sausages (both somewhat scarce in a muslim country) to the Pilot just in time for Hogmanay.

John was well liked and will be missed by all who kept in touch with him. I still wear the maroon Starman tie that John gave me, plus a blue Rig Anorak he aquired for me to purchase in Sullom Voe ( now demoted for gardening, the anorak that is).

John was in his element when waving that 'big stick' around with 300 ton on the hook.

Light breezes and a following sea, leave the heavy lifting to others.

Captain Suddes was my first ever captain on my first ever ship (Townsville Star) as we did the UK coast in 1975. though only a lowly first trip junior engineer he and the Chief engineer Ian Fanshaw invited me to join them on a sightseeing car trip in the scottish highlands and we had a great time. I looked up to both of them with something approaching awe.
Not so with his chess playing skills, however! Every available evening i would be commanded to attend his cabin to play chess which he was rubbish at, albeit determined to improve. It was like taking candy from a baby. Sadly he didn't do the subsequent voyage as I did and I never had the privilage of sailing with him again but I well remember a warm human being with no airs and graces, who wasnt too proud to play chess or share a beer with the junior engineer. I wish i'd let him win one now! RIP Captain Suddes.