by george edwards » Fri Apr 19, 2013 10:50 am
With respect to water shortage, I was told the following tale of woe by a junior engineer when joining the South Africa Star in 1957.
The previous voyage had been extended by more than a month due to constant breakdowns and water shortage, so much so that catering personel had been drafted in down below to assist!
Water rationing had been introduced on the voyage home, as they were losing water with no idea where it was going! the chief engineer was put ashore in Panama with a suspected nervous breakdown. Subsequently it was found that they had been losing water due to the superheater safety valves leaking, the emmisions not being noticed from the top of the funnel.
George Edwards