Anecdote

Kon. Mij. 'De Schelde' (KMS). 1938. bouwnr. 206.

Koninklijke Maatschappij 'De Schelde' Vlissingen.

On the 28 of August 1977, when sailing from Singapore to Pulsan in South Korea, I was Deck Officer and you met a vietnamian fishing boat with 71 refugees. I stopped the Miralda and after an evaluation. of their status, we took them on board. When arriving in Pulsan, since our refugees didn\'t have all compulsory documents (passport, vaccinations booklet, etc), we were put in quarantine. It was a strong human adventure. I made pictures and we sold them to newspaper in order to provide money to the vietnamian people. An Engineer Officer got married on board with one of the young vietnamian lady. I do remember the bosco: FranA?ois Mingant who was a great seaman. If you have any possibility to know the crew list of the Miralda when it happened, it\'ll be great to know. Please mail me!

We lost the Alternators in Mid Ocean, a total blackout, boiler water got dangerously low, Engineers managed to get things going in time, also we lost starboard Anchor in Hamburg Harbour, so a pretty eventful trip, trip I done on her was from CuraA?ao to Buenos Aries Argentina, apart from these problems it was a good trip.

I started as a Kitchen/Galley boy and then ended up Chief Steward/Purser. Of all the ships I sailed on Cargo and Passenger the m.t "Tagelus" with Captain John Davidson from Johnshaven, Scotland was the happiest ship I ever sailed on. She was a T2 Turbo Electric Tanker and very quiet.

I was Chief Steward from 27th April 1957 (joined Birkenhead) until 15th November 1957 (Left Cardiff) to join the Trochiscus and I stayed on the "Troch" until she was laid-up in Rosyth and scrapped in March 1958. I then joined the mt "Hadra" in June 1958 and met up with Capt Davidson again and left her and came ashore in Middlesborough in March 1959. I then joined a ship supply company and have been in this trade ever since, but I retired some years ago as now 86. I spent 12 happy years at sea travelling the world for free and getting paid and fed! HAPPY HAPPY DAYS. The Chief Officer on the Hadra Joe Bodle was a good friend but cannot seem to trace him. Jamie Flett was the Chief Engineer.

At anchor off one of the Persian Gulf states during Iran / Iraq war. Lifeboat drill held. 2nd mate in charge of boat. Decides to pull nearby Fish trap.
2 nice big fat cod inside. In his wisdom decided they had to be taken onboard.
When error of his ways pointed out he decided compensation was in order.
So believe it or not went back to Ship, with Cod. Ran up to his Bar, grabbed 24 pack of plastic wrapped Coke cans, repulled Fish traps, replaces Cod with Coke.
He was quite content with himself until back on board it was pointed out in large letters on can, Product of Australia, and then we reminded him that we are a 140,000 ton Australian Tanker anchored 600m from a plundered Arab Fish trap and they would probably remove his hands if possible.
He seemed very eager to leave that area.

I joined the "Hadra" as Chief Steward on 13th June 1958 and left her in March 59 in Middlesborough. She was a good ship and great crew. Capt Phillips was the Master an old fusspot. When I joined he told me he expected me to look after him and clean his quarters, needless to say I put him right. The Chief Officer was Joe Bodle and Chief Engineer Jamey Flett we all got on very well. I left after 12 years at Sea to join a Ship Supply Company in London selling beers to ship's at London/Tilbury - Double Diamond, Long Life, Skol, Allsopps Lager and Simmonds "Tavern" Ale. Was moved down to Southampton HQ where I negotiated with Thorensen Car Ferries for sole contract to supply their cross channel ferries and as a result Hibbert's made me a Director.

I really enjoyed Shell. The Tagelus was my first with Capt John Davidson, a superb Master and much respected by all the crew and then I joined Trochiscus which went into mothballs at Rosyth . Happy days

Joined in Dry dock japan 1981 got my head down and was at sea when I woke up
Sailed down to Wollongong to be strike bound off-shore for six weeks and ran out of beer

In February 2013 Mesaimeer suffered sever flooding whilst on passage in the Mediterranean following complete failure of one of the main sea water pump discharge valves. Total flooding was only averted by prompt closing of the main shipside sea valves, even so approx 750 tons of sea water had to pumped from the engine room before we could proceed to a port of refuge running on only one Main Engine'

I worked on the construction of this ship as an electrician at H&W.

I worked on the construction of this ship as an electrician at H&W.

Hi this was my first trip to sea,november 1966 to January 1967 as a fireman greaser what an amazing experience changed my life forever.crew were great from all over the uk but great shipmates every one of them, I see my ld mate alan wild we had some laughs.i went on to sail in shell tankers for about ten years wish I could do it all over again.thanks for a brilliant website.

Joined in Gothenburg August 1970 with fellow Cadet Bob Hemmings. C/E Holderness, 2/E Mick Collis. Left in Gothenburg in January 1971. Spent the whole time running round Scandinavia. Very busy ship, spent all the time on 4/8 and we called at 66 ports in those 5.5 months. Learnt an awful lot and thought the ship would never manage without me, but of course they never phoned!