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[Jim Blake]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18202962
http://www.taic.org.nz/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=1O0%2bnlsp%2fBQ%3d&tabid=87&language=en-US

It makes pretty poor reading: "An interim report by the New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission stated that the accident occurred as the crew tried to meet a deadline to reach port."

The State of registry for the Rena was Liberia

Jim Blake

[Richard Banford]

I was on the Mendoza Stars last voyage, running between B.A. & Valpo, we paid off in Hamburg when the ship was sold to an Italian co. She had no radar or if I recall auto pilot & we were sailing up & down the coast of Chile, very hairy! Are there any members who were on that voyage? I was on deck. That trip I think from memory 1966 it was a seriously memorable one what with the transiting of the Magellan Straits both ways several times just so beautiful. I have since sailed through there on a 18m yacht. The hilarious shore time in Valpo-B.A. the bars were something let alone the company (: She was a great ship with a terrific crew though the oldman was a litle harsh on us when we were less than sober some mornings. Also served on the Napier Star I think 1964 just a coastal trip & Brasil Star around 1964-5 on the B.A. run, again on deck, great trip & crew too but one hungry ship.

Look forward to hopefully hearing from anyone on those trips though names are hard to recall after so many years along with a different life after Mendoza Star.

Richard

[Jimbo]

Jim B, I've seen a Blue Star ship in a film in the port of Dover too. The reason I knew it was Dover is because I joined the Almeria Star there on the 1st April 1978. I remember watching the Grand National in the bar on that very day. Roy Fletcher, god rest his soul, was the Chief Engineer. Jim C

[PeterStacey]

I can concur with Richard's comments it was a most memorable time if not unusual trip even for Blue Star Line Standards. I remember as a cadet arriving on the bridge at 04:00 to take the wheel on Christmas morning 1966 to learn how we narrowly missed running aground just prior to midnight.

We were heading south towards the northern entrance to the Patagonian Channels at the Gulfo de Penas, the previous few days in and out of fog banks. Having no radar we had to rely on DR positioning, not particularly accurate as we adjusted speed for the visibility. At 23:40 Christmas Eve, the 3rd Officer felt the ship lift then settle, looking ahead the he saw what appeared to be a white washing line waving against the pitch black back ground. At the same time the lookout on the foc’le gave three rings. Much to the 3/O’s horror he realised he was looking at breakers right ahead and went hard a starboard heading 90 degrees out to sea from the original course. Moments later the light at Cape Raper appeared at a high altitude. With a series of running fixes a position was obtained.

We could have spent a very different Christmas day, had we grounded at 17 knots while 3/O prepared 2/O’s cup of tea. In recent years the Officer in question Louis Roskell has reconfirmed this story.

Peter Stacey

[667974_bluestar]

Scottish House, Bridge Street..............BSL Joint Cargo Services, 56 Pitt Street

Walter Burroughs sent this photo of a Blue Star Line street sign on sale in a Sydney antique shop for ONLY A$ 959! The owner does not know the provenance but believes it dates back to the 1950s but given its later fittings my guess is it is not that old. Maybe Sydneysiders will remember this sign. ~ Fraser

That sign of heavy bronze metal was standing in the foyer of Scottish House at 19 Bridge Street, Sydney, well prior to 1957, when I was appointed ashore at the request of General Manager Mr S V Jones who wanted an Engineer Superintendent on hand locally for consultation and to attend to the many ships then trading to Australian and New Zealand ports.
The sign must have been made for an earlier office site in Pitt Street. It's direction to the First Floor must have misled many visitors because the Blue Star Line (Aust) P/L offices were next situated on the Seventh Floor. Subsequently BSL took on a nomadic life by moving across Bridge Street to Phoenix House, thence to 56 Pitt Street during the marriage to Port Line, and finally to Underwood House closer to Circular Quay.
Because the sign had no place in any of these subsequent addresses, it was given refuge under my house until our home was cleared for auction in 2002. Bric a brac went to a trader for pennies, furniture into storage and unwanted items including my lawn mower went to the tip. We then spent a year in a tiny apartment until moving to our present apartment and retrieved our depleted possessions from storage.

Regards Tony Smith

[Fraser Darrah]

John Bubb has kindly supplied the above photograph of officers on the Washington Star C1955. Can anybody identify the gentlemen.
Larger image at: http://www.bluestarline.org/lamports/debrett_im3.html

[Fraser Darrah]

Blue Star Line Chief Passenger Office, 3 Lower Regent Street

Richard Dunlop kindly sent this image of the old Blue Star Line Chief Passenger Office. It is currently being renovated and the "Blue Star Line" was exposed.
Blue Star Line was resident there from the pre-WWII days to the demise of the A-boats in the early 1970's, where passenger bookings were processed.

[Fraser Darrah]

http://fraserdarrah.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/olympic-torch-relay-at-hexham.html

[COLINCOLLIER]

re Washington Star Engineers photo, is that Alec Gault C/R/E, second from left at the back ?

[Fraser Darrah]

Photograph © Peter Stacey
http://www.bluestarline.org/act/act3.html

Can anybody advise the details of the ACT 3 / America Star 2 engines after she was converted in 1987? Where, Builder, Make, Model, HP etc. Fraser