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06/13/2013 - 19:25 |
served on Voluta September 1969 to April 1970 joining in Hamburg. We crossed the Atlantic to Curacao and spent several weeks between Venezuela Maracibo Lakes and Curacao. Of note we did one voyage from Curacao to New York leaving the Caribbean at 80 degrees and arriving in New York at minus 26 degrees. |
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06/13/2013 - 18:25 |
Served on Melo from may to September 1970 joined in Gothenburg where we had to stay in an hotel due to late arrival because of fog. Did three trips to the Gulf and one to Singapore. If I remember right the first trip we loaded at sea island Kuwait but had to wait several days because a large number of tankers where anchored ten I believe awaiting loading. Of note we had a moment of panic on the way home in the south atlantic, well of the S African coast we hit an 'upwelling' of deposits from the seabed the ship bounced and turned to starboard with a large trailing deposit of mud. On another occasion again of S Africa we came very close to a collision with a small freighter Bakke Reefer if I remember right, to avoid collision we turned 360 degrees. Last voyage home we hit a huge storm in the Indian Ocean and had turn back towards the Gulf suffering the loss of the port gangplank Finally we left the ship at Cape Town being the first crew to be AIRLIFTED by helicopter for crew relief I believe, to Capetown Eleven of us where taken off by the helicopter making three trips to the ship. Ashore we stayed at Claridges hotel for ten days flying home to arrive in the UK on Christmas Eve and sadly I finished my seagoing career |
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06/13/2013 - 13:33 |
Methane Princess was my first ship from sea training school at Gravesend. first day we sailed perfect weather I was seasick (MP did roll quite a bit) so I thought that would be the end of my seafaring career next day was fine and I became a happy seaman. MP was the perfect ship as I lived at Southend. On one of the last voyages we hit very bad weather in the Bay of Biscay struck by lightning at 0830 with the gas riser catching fire. Although the weather was extremely bad I wasn't seasick, spent six happy months on board |