Mendoza Star Patagonia

[desfforde]

I was reading a letter in an old 'Sea Breezes' April !980 by L O Roskell who was Third Mate of the Mendoza Star in late 1966.
They called at Puerto Bories in Chilean Patagonia to load lamb and there's an interesting account of the passage through the Kirke Narrows to get to Puerto Boreis.
I looked it up on the internet, and the frigorifico has now been converted into a museum and the luxury Singular Hotel.
I believe that Peter Stacey and John Parrish may have been cadets on board.
I was 4th Mate on the Argentina Star then and I was supposed to transfer to The Mendoza, in BA, but this didn't happen due to her transfer to the Italians in the spring of 1967.
Any memories? Best wishes, Des Fforde

[667974_bluestar]

Mendoza Star 1966_1967 Map.jpg (2.3 MiB) Viewed 11534 times

Hi Des, your post is a bit of a coincidence as only two days ago I was in touch with Louis Roskell as an old ship mate Alan Blackwood is preparing an article for either “Sea Breezes” or “Shipping Today & Yesterday” calling it “Blue Star’s Small Ships of the 1960’s”. This covers the five white Medi-ships and the four coasters. Alan had sailed on the “Santos Star” and I was helping him with the “Mendoza Star”. You are right, John Parish & I were her cadets, we were both there for the Mendoza’s last six months. John had also done the previous voyage with Louis Roskell, joining her after the 1966 Seaman’s Strike in the River Blackwater. They sailed early June heading off to Tenerife for orders. From there she went to Santos to load bananas for Buenos Aires. Then loaded chilled & frozen beef in B.A & Montevideo for Valparaiso Chile. To get there, she headed south via the Magellan Straits, stopping off in Puerto Bories to load frozen lamb also for Valparaiso. Having completed discharge, she headed back to the River Blackwater via Panama & Cristobal. She arrived there 24 Sep ’66 but on 14 Oct proceeded to the dry dock at the Royal Albert Dk.
I joined her 18 Oct and sailed three days later, she again headed off to Tenerife for orders. On arrival we were told we would be going on charter to Johnson Line and to proceed to the River Plate. We were to load chilled beef in B.A. & Montevideo for Valparaiso Chile, Ilo Peru near the Chile border & Callao the port for Lima. We’d pick up a Chilean Pilot at Montevideo for the passage through the Magellan Str & Patagonian Channels. The pilot had kept away from the bridge until we reached the eastern entrance to the Straits at Cape Virgins, he was absolutely horrified to find we never had a radar set. The Patagonian Channels offered a couple of days shelter and interesting scenery as we crept up west coast. The pilot stayed with the ship until we reached Valparaiso, which was the dropping off and picking up point. Over the next five months we loaded two more similar cargoes but destined for Callao. After Callao we loaded grapes & apples for Hamburg, returning via Panama & Aruba for bunkers. She was handed over to the Italians in Hamburg 24 Apr 1967 & the “Mendoza Star” became the “Calavittoria”.
She was a hardworking ship, very modern push button hydraulic hatch covers throughout but as I mention no radar, also no VHF radio or Iron Mike. As a result the two cadets kept the sailors 4-8 watch, and incurred six hours overtime each day doing day work. Lots of hatch cleaning, boiling used meat hooks. After a week at sea we’d be yearning for a night in port so as to get some sleep. But the sleep never came to us 19 year old’s and after a week in port we’d be hoping to get back to our seagoing routine! Peter Stacey

[desfforde]

Hi Peter, That's just what I was hoping for. Oh the dear dead days before radar!
Des