Royal Docks

[A.D.Frost]

Who were the Shore Crowed Blue Star used in the Royals.All I can rememder their work shop was in Butchers Street.

[yorkie]

I think it may have been Russells.

[A.D.Frost]

Thanks Yorkie.Thats right we use to call them Butchers of Russel Street.They were given exclusive rights to Blue Star ships and then Blue Star pulled the plug on them and with no other company ships to work on Blue Star bought them out.

[COLINCOLLIER]

Around 1959-1960 Blue Star employed Mr BERT MILES ex Russells plumber as a super overseeing pipe repairs etc,he sailed with us to Rotterdam on the Argentina Star during a dock strike, we transferred to the Brasil Star and were there about 4 weeks, poor Bert had not been away before, was seasick and obviously not very happy,and homesick, happy days

[David Fox]

Then there was that other chap, grey boilersuit (was it Nigel or somebody could have been an ex 3rd or a shore side fitter, but was never a super) who used to appear and twiddle with the Ruston Genny's, not sure what he actually did, there wasn't any improvement nor did they get any worse. Perhaps they were Grace & Favour jobs that BSL handed out, bit like our Albert F.

Wasn't it Bert Miles who always used to appear when doing a Safety Equipment Survey, you allways had a stack of work on, units and the like, then he would pull two engineers off to help him, rather than Bert Wade (wasn't it) send a couple of coasting chaps down just to help with the survey.

It is lucky we didn't have any ER fires as invariably the wires for the tank trips were either rusted in the box on the boat deck or the pulleys in the ER were well and truly painted up, this was common with most ships.

I always wanted as 2nd to carry out a mock fire drill actually pull the trips, do a black start, control the rudder from the tiller flat, and start the "A" boat ME's from the starting platform rather than the control room and even practice a proper abandon ship, but don't forget your docking bottle if abandoning ship ( but whilst at anchor of course , we did enough of that). BOT sports was ok but just an excuse for the mates to wear sunglasses and steaming bonnets on deck whilst the Engineers wore minty boilersuits. On one ship the 2nd told the lads to all wear shades ( it wasn't even sunny) but the mates had them on, I think they got the message.

The Mandama and perhaps her sister ship (Ex Federal Line/NZS/P&O) had a darn great Emergency genny in a deck house aft, we were never allowed to start and run it as it was supposed to. She also had a small one on the bridge somewhere for the radio and nav lights like the "A" boats.

Those were the days my friends.

[COLINCOLLIER]

I think Benedictus must be after my era, the " A" boats I on sailed were turbine ships with a manoevering platform, the emergency generator was in the cross alleyway adjacent to the electrician' s workshop, if any j/eng could not start it, ch/eng Burnup would sack them, nice to see some engineers views of life in BSL

[COLINCOLLIER]

Ref Benedictus remarks on remote tank trips, I recall on the " A " boats, there were remote quick closing valves on the generator daily diesel service tanks (2),it was common practive when in London to put the newest J/eng on nights, on two occasions I remember when changing over from one tank to the other on opening the quick closing vavle the eng did not make sure the valve bridge support was against the choc, consequently thinking he was opening the valve all he was doing was lowering the valve bridge, and the valve remained shut, hence he shut the valve on the other tank, so both tanks were shut and eventually the generator stopped, usual panic stations , what memories

[David Fox]

Yes Colin I joined after the original "A" boats went to scrap, 1973. Even missed the last of the double bangers, but managed a couple of Doxfords in my time.
I was talking about the 'Akers' pattern "A" boats the motor ships. I would have liked to have sailed on the Tasmania or Aukland Stars for a bit of steam time, but all there was left when I got my chief's was the ACT ship steamers that they hadn't converted to motor and that was dead mens shoes unless you had been a cadet. I had spent half my apprenticeship repairing steam trawlers (Triple Expansion jobs).

Did you by any chance come across a David Taylor from Hull, he got a Chief's Motor & Steam, became a lecturer at Hull Marine College teaching EK's and a Pre-Sea course for apprentices thinking of going to sea. In 1970 he'd been ashore a few years by then, so would have been 1950's-early 60's at a guess.

During the pre-sea course he used to tell us stories of coming off watch in the evening and opening a tin of chilled peaches or pears out of the hold sitting on the after hatch to eat them. In these courses he used to go through the Motor, Steam and General courses sketching and describing all the systems including telemotor system, reversing system for a diesel and feed system for a steamer, plus bilge & ballast and firefighting. So by the time you went to sea you knew what to look for on your first ship.

[COLINCOLLIER]

Hi, no cannot recall that name, the only name I remember from Hull is Arthur Easthoe, cheers