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[IforOwen]

Fraser? Mike. Thank you for your patience with us 'odd ball' servers that would not accept your new version but I think things are back to normal now. I have corrected my password to your latest and it worked.

Ifor Owen

[Fraser Darrah]

The Logbook is now running from its new home as of 22:20 hrs. BST 25th April 2012

Many thanks to Jim Blake for all the time spent getting it up and running! ~ Fraser

[PeterStacey]

Fraser and Jim
Many thanks for resolving the connection problem us "xtra" users had in NZ with the log book, looks like we have coms. Peter S

[Fraser Darrah]

Fraser and Jim
Many thanks for resolving the connection problem us "xtra" users had in NZ with the log book, looks like we have coms. Peter S

Glad you can access the Logbook and login ~ Fraser

[Chris de Jong]

Hi Fraser,
Sorry for the late reply. Did go for a bushwalk yesterday to celebrate ANZAC day.
Found my way in, but seems a long way to get to this point.
Trust you can read this.
Cheers,
Chris

[Jim Blake]

Greetings All!

Thank you all for your patience while I fumbled my way to getting the Log into something like an operable state, and Thanks to Fraser for his considerable efforts in testing the Log function, suggesting improvements and generally making encouraging noises.

Hope you all enjoy it!

Jim Blake

[David Fox]

Is anybody in touch with Kieth Gladman Engineer (aka Gladys)? Last heard living in the Lincoln area. Is Owen Jones ChEng still about, use to live in Ripon North Yorkshire? Owen is an Aussie and came to England, yet Joe Owen ChEng is a Welshman and moved to Aussie.

Benedictus

[Fraser Darrah]

People will be saddened to hear that George Mann has recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that had spread to his liver and is inoperable.
George Mann was Engineer Superintendent in Blue Star Line for many years and anyone who had dealings with him will know him as a most affable Kiwi, who has an endless knowledge of all things engineering.
Over the years when problems arose (Darrah's Disasters) he always replied "Worse things have happened at sea" and put ones mind at rest and helped solve the problem, even if it was on a long distance telephone call.
I am sure we all will wish to let him know our thoughts and prayers are with him. ~ Fraser

[Big Budgie]

Can't help with the current whereabouts of Keith Gladman I'm afraid. I recently got a copy of a photo of the "Class of '71" at Southampton, taken outside Townhill Park House. There are 6 BSL Cadets in the picture. Myself on the extreme right, at the front, Also present are Dia Evans, Rick Czarchur, Keith Gladman and Pete Meadows and Lorne Taylor who were 2nd years. See if you can spot them.
Regards Colin Hunter

[Fraser Darrah]

PATAGONIAN RAMBLINGS by Walter Burroughs

My time in Blue Star Line (BSL), a company then with 40 ships was somewhat unusual as I spent the majority of my sea time in one MV Ulster Star. She was a well built vessel launched by Harland & Wolff at Belfast in February 1959 of 10,413 gross tons, 513 ft in length, a 70 ft beam and 27 ½ ft draught. She had a 6 cylinder 2 stroke diesel engine rated at 10,000 BHP with a single propeller giving a service speed of 16 kts. She was experimental having the then latest labour saving deck machinery of Macgregor hatches and self topping derricks this allowed for a reduction in complement to 56 officers and men, which was far below that carried in other comparable reefer ships. She also only had accommodation for 6 passengers whereas other BSL cargo ships usually carried 12. All together she was a comfortable ship with a high standard of accommodation. A major omission, common in Lord Vesty’s ships where there was a fear of radar assisted collisions, was the absence of radar and we relied on compass and sextant as our primary navigational aids.
I joined Ulster Star as a cadet in London’s Royal Victoria Docks in September 1959 when she had returned from her maiden voyage and remained with her for four more voyages to South America. These were of about seven weeks each with outward passage, depending upon cargo inducements, to northern Spain and Portugal and after bunkering at the Canaries passage was made to Montevideo and Buenos Aires. Here we loaded highly valued chilled beef and then proceeded home usually via Brazilian ports topping up with fruit.
After six months in another ship I was promoted to Uncertified Fourth Officer and in December 1960 returned to the Ulster Star with two more similar voyages to the River Plate. Then came a longer and most memorable voyage starting on 11 April and ending on 7 July 1961 where we travelled to Patagonia and explored a little of the world’s end. As none of the officers and crew had previously ventured further south than the River Plate this was an unforgettable experience. On this voyage the ship’s deck officers were Captain – Robert (Bob) Taylor, Chief Officer – Stanley (Stan) Gill, Second Officer – Richard (Dick) Young, Third Officer – Timothy (Tim) Hancock, Fourth Officer- Walter (Wally) Burroughs, and Senior Cadet – Peter Cahill and Cadets (unsure) – John Jones and Michael (Mike) Stevens.
On 11 April 1961 Ulster Star sailed from London with a small amount of general cargo and back tracked to Rotterdam, for more general cargo. A bunkering stop was made at Las Palmas before making for Montevideo to discharge cargo. We then preceded Puerto Santa Cruz in the southern Argentine province of the same name. Close by is another small port of Puerto San Julian. In sailing days these provided good shelter for storm battered ships after rounding the Horn. At this time I took little notice of past history with these anchorages home to a veritable who’s who of famous navigators. They were first discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520 who wintered here, next came Francis Drake in 1578, and John Narborough in 1670, who also used this winter anchorage. George Anson in 1740 refitted his squadron here, noting a complete absence of any other humans in the vicinity. John Byron claimed the Falklands for Britain in 1764 seemingly unaware of an existing small French settlement, then proceeded directly to the Magellan Straits where he landed and rediscovered giant natives previously found by Magellan; tales of his voyage greatly excited public curiosity on this part of the world. On his first voyage of discovery the venerable James Cook had orders to proceed to the Falklands but was unable to land because of bad weather and continued to the Magellan Straits where he landed on Tierra del Fuego in January 1769. Cook did not attempt to continue through the Straits and retraced his steps to round Cape Horn.
In 1834 HMS Beagle under command of Robert Fitzroy with young Charles Darwin on board, visited San Julian and conducted hydrographic surveys with Darwin examining natural history and the geology of the hinterland. The port again came into prominence in the 1980s Falklands War providing Argentine forces with a base for air strikes on the Falklands. An irony of the Falklands conflict is that many of the first Europeans to establish themselves at San Julian were Scottish farmers and shepherds bringing their sheep from the Falklands and they were later joined by their countrymen from Scotland. From this beginning much of Patagonia was settled with huge flocks of sheep which flourished on the tough tussocks of straw like grass which burnt by Antarctica winds never turns green. The more prosperous settlers established themselves on large farms known as estancias which were more like self contained villages. To market their wool small ports grew up around the coastline and, in the early 1900s with the onset of refrigeration, a number of meatworks or frigorificos were established throughout Patagonia exporting lamb and wool mainly to European markets.
Despite repeated attempts via radio the Ulster Star was unable to contact shore authorities at Puerto Santa Cruz and we arrived off the harbour entrance attempting to attract attention by raising code flags and using the ship’s whistle as we had been told to expect a launch with a local pilot. As this was to no avail our quite large and not very manoeuvrable vessel made her way into the harbour, I suspect using Fitzroy’s charts, and proceeded to anchor. Eventually a launch appeared with the manager of the local Armour frigorifico who made us welcome and may have also acted as the local customs and immigration authority. Here we loaded meat from barges with the first load to be slung onboard was the labourers galley. The labourers lived onboard bring their own bedding and settling down in the tween decks. The charcoal cooked lamb steaks which appeared to be the staple died of our guests were excellent.
From Santa Cruz we made our way to the eastern end of the Magellan Strait, during this passage variable weather patterns were experienced which quickly changed from predominant stiff and cold westerly breezes to sudden squalls. This included violent water spouts careering across the surface with their funnel shaped whirlwinds extending from the sea to the clouds, which could readily overwhelm sailing ships. From the eastern approaches the mass of Tierra del Fuego comes into view and eventually provides sheltered waters before reaching the major Chilean town of Punta Arenas. There was a considerable naval presence in this strategically important area as the boarders between Argentina and Chile remained a source of friction, and we were assisted alongside by a naval tug. It does not take long to recognise the long association between Britain and Chile with names of prominent liberation heroes including Bernardo O’Higgins, Thomas Cochrane and Arturo Prat.
Our stay at Punta Arenas was not long discharging a small amount of cargo. Then with a pilot embarked we continued westward through the Strait nearly reaching the Pacific before proceeding northward where the channels which nature had carved through mountains grew forever closer. The pilot surprisingly had poor English and did not command confidence in these narrow waterways where one mistaken course alteration could spell disaster. To overcome any language difficulties a bi-lingual Steward was temporarily assigned to the Bridge as the Pilot’s Assistant. The channels have few navigational marks and safe passage is very much a matter of local knowledge. By this time we were proceeding in darkness with the reflection of the port and starboard navigation lights seen reflecting off the rock faces of the looming channel walls. The Captain who by now was becoming more concerned wisely demanded his ship be anchored until daylight. The next day we ventured through the Paso del Mar and rounded the Peninsula Munoz Gamero with its impressive ice covered Mount Burney until reaching the bottle-necked Kirke Narrows. Because of the rapid current passing through the narrows, passage is only possible for 30 minutes at slack water, and to assist determine the best time for transit a tug was stationed at the northern end of the Narrows while we stemmed the tide at the southern end. From the tug pieces of wood were thrown into the water until all were satisfied with the state of the tidal flow and then the tug raised a large flag and blew its whistle which was the signal for us to proceed at full ahead through a small cutting in a rock wall with meters to spare on either side. Once through the opening it was relatively plain sailing until reaching Puerto Natales or more exactly the smaller Puerto Bories some five miles away from the town which consisted of a jetty connected to the extensive frigorifico.
At Puerto Bories we were again made most welcome by the locals. I recall meeting a farmer who had come to look at the ship and while he had spent all his life in Chile he had learned English from his mother and with some thought could use his mother’s native tongue which was spoken with a broad sense of Gaelic. He told of his ‘wee croft in yonder hills’, which I afterwards discovered was an extensive farm. This old chap could also remember the good old days when golden sovereigns were accepted local currency. Here the Captain and Second Officer spent a couple of days of well earned rest at a local estancia managed by an English couple Mr & Mrs Wright and when they returned the Chief Officer and Third Officer also had a couple of days at another estancia. My only claim to the invitation list was to join the Chief Officer at a dinner party at the home of the local notary or attorney, learning tales of hardship in farming this remote region. The local constabulary were mounted police and they invited a few who said they could ride to have use of their horses. Three of us volunteered and the horses took us on a wild ride to goodness knows where as we had no control over them. Eventually they tired and stopped at a small settlement with a school where we told the children about the big ship. When we remounted the horses luckily knew their way home. Alas the great frigorifico at Puerto Bories, along with most others, is now derelict but parts are preserved as it has been declared a national monument. Following this very pleasant sojourn where we completely emptied the frigorifico of the season’s lamb we retraced our steps this time as seasoned old salts who thought they better understood the wild moods of the Magellan.
We again called at Punta Arenas with our visit coinciding with a national holiday held every 21 May celebrating Navy Day, commemorating the Battle of Iquique fought between Bolivia, Chile and Peru where the gallant Captain Aurto Prat lost his life but his deeds inspired a nation. To mark this occasion, unusually for a cargo ship, Ulster Star hosted a cocktail party onboard which was well attended by local dignitaries with the bishop being guest of honour. It must have been a big affair and the Wright’s from the distant estancia near Puerto Bories were among the guests. Afterwards there was a return invitation to the Naval Club with a boisterous party lasting well into the night. Unfortunately the local dock workforce also decided to join the festivities by taking an extended holiday and went on strike. We were however able to use our own labour and the ship loaded more frozen lamb taking sling loads of meat from trucks on the wharf and loading these into the holds. The work was arduous and cold as we had to contend with snow flurries. I assume connected with the strike was the need for an accurate tally to be kept of the meat loaded. Accordingly I was sent with the Senior Cadet to live ashore to tally frozen lamb from the meatworks before it was sent to the ship. We were well looked after in this large red painted corrugated frigorifico which again was more like a self contained village centred around a homestead, with machine shops, its own narrow gauge railway, power supply and short wave radio. The only drawback was its isolation being on the treeless pampas with views to the horizon and connected by a dirt road leading to town some miles distant. The accommodation was cold and spartan and the diet with all meals including breakfast, consisting of lamb, was monotonous. For the evening meal we sat around a communal table served by the cook, with the manager and his staff, after several rounds of best scotch whiskey we became the best of friends.
At last we were on our way home with calls at Buenos Aires and the colourful Brazilian ports of Rio Grande do Sul and Santos to load oranges and bananas before making passage to the more familiar known world of the English Channel with discharges at Le Havre, Antwerp and London.
Another coincidence of later times regarding this remote region was the 1980s Falkland’s War between Britain and Argentina to which Australia was not part and its forces were forbidden from participating. At this time I was an officer with a number of years service in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). With the Royal Navy needing all its resources assistance from the RAN could only be provided in kind and I found myself on exchange relieving a mine warfare expert needed in the Falklands. Posted to HMS Vernon at the entrance to historic Portsmouth Harbour where for centuries fleets and come and gone, we had a grandstand view of ships departing and some war scared veterans returning from the conflict and, alas remembering some who never returned from that windswept far end of the world. These ramblings through the same distant waters where for a brief moment we glimpsed upon the wake of great navigators provide memories of a time now half a century past.

Walter Burroughs Sydney NSW
May 2011
Note: In compiling these notes thanks are due to information supplied by my old shipmate Dick Young who also remembers these times and the life we led when seafaring was in its heyday. Dick was later to become Master in Blue Star Line.

Also available in PDF format at: http://www.bluestarline.org/ulster.html#Patagonian