My Ship(s)

[Norseman]

here are quite a few aviation buffs on CVF so I think that would be a popular thread. Why don't you start one???

Yeah, I could, or should, start a similar thread but with airplanes and adventures around the world but I don't wan't to fly solo. Any other avaiators that would chime in and keep such a thread alive..?

Another thing I discovered when you kicked life inot this thread again, was that 'Norseman' is still with us...
One thing is for sure; as a pilot I would very much like to read about how it was to be an airman in the late 70's and early 80's, and needless to say, should there be any images from that periode, bushflying in Alaska and all...., please post!

Yeah, I am still here, but sporadic as usual

Don't have many pictures from flying bush in Alaska, wish I did but back then I was too busy flying, chasing sweet stuff and just surviving to think much as about documenting anything.

Right now sitting in a hotel room in Santa Cruz (Bolivia) and having a hard time staying connected due to slow internet.
If I made a long posting with pics and stuff it would be lost the minute I hit "Submit Reply"
Making it short and sweet instead..

[ombugge]

I just realized that I should have celebrated an anniversary last month.
It was 40 years since I got my first command. Here is the ship:

Which has been featured earlier.

I took over from Capt. Just Olsen in Biak, West Irian, (Now West Papua) Indonesia sometime in the middle of May, 1971. (I cannot remember exact date) and continued in the Singapore - East Indonesia trade.

He took command on the Timur Venture, (renamed Cherry Venture) which featured on this thread not so long ago, but here she is again anyhow:


She was trading on a Pertamina charter, carrying petroleum products in drums from the depot in Biak to all point on the coast of West Irian, and collected the empty drums on the return trip.

This included Aviation Gas (Jet-1), Kerosene and Gasoline as well as Diesel.
No special precautions taken, or equipment installed.

Some of the ports of call had no facilities of any kind. The ship anchored as close to the beach as possible. The drums were bundled together in "rafts", lower into the water and swimmers pushed them to the beach.

HSE, SMS, ISM, JSA, QA/QC??? It is just TLA.
What has that got to do with transporting drums anyhow???

(FYI: TLA = Three Letter Abbreviations)

[ombugge]

Time to finish off this thread.

After returning from Dar es Salaam I had a slack period in the delivery business. I think my Dutch and Japanese competitors had become aware of my activity and did their level best to underbid me.
Although I used lower paid crew I needed a larger number, thus travel expenses etc. were higher. (All other costs were the same)

While waiting for delivery of the next two tugs for East Africa, I made a "pier head jump" and took on the job as Master on a scrap ship for her last voyage from Singapore to Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Reported on in a different thread earlier. (Scrap ships of the world)

Thereafter I took delivery of the two tugs but hired a Master to do the trips to Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. (Sorry, I cannot recall the names of these tugs)

Next was another delivery job (but not on full delivery contract) for a Pakistani owned Dubai company. To pick up a small ex Dutch Coaster in Bombay and sail her to Singapore for repairs.

MV Geena, 499 Grt. built in Holland 1958:

Discharging cargo at Eastern Anchorage, Singapore by the look of it.

I took a Chief Engineer with me and flew to Bombay, where we found the ship sitting at the anchorage with a skeleton crew on board.

She had a bit of damages at the bow from hitting the wharf in Muscat some time earlier, but nothing that made her unseaworthy. The ship was in a totally blacked-out condition and had apparently been so for quite a long time.

The drunken Dutch Master and Chief Engineer offered to help us figure out how to handle the ship and her machinery, which was declined. Within a couple of hour the Ch.Eng. had managed to get power back on line.

There were a few crew members that could be used for the trip to Singapore. A Pakistani 2nd Officer who was in family with the Owner, a Sinhalese Cook and a Senegalese stowaway that had been on board for several years and could not be got ride off.

I contacted my former Agent to help find a some Indian crew, especially a good Chief Officer and 2nd Engineer. He recommended a Chief Officer who proved to be very helpful and proactive. He told me that the cheapest crew wasn't the Indians I had got offered by the Agent, but East Africans that was hanging about on the pavement outside the Prince of Wales Seamen's Home by the dozens.
So, off we went and hired some ABs and Oilers, enough for the trip to Singapore.

After four days the Chief Engineer had got the Engine room in order and we went inside the lock to load some cargo for Singapore.

On the way we came upon a small Ceylonese fishing boat that was drifting with motor trouble. We picked up the crew of seven, who had been adrift for five days and had run out of food and water. We also took the boat in tow and headed for Colombo, which was more or less on our route anyhow.

On arrival there the fishermen came up on the bridge and, one by one, kneeled down to kiss my feet. Very embarrassing.

We arrived in Singapore without any more excitement and, after discharging, delivered the ship at a shipyard. The Chief Engineer accepted a job and stayed on for the repair period.

Some weeks later, when the ship was ready repaired, I was asked to join her again for a trip to Karachi, where we would load cotton and proceed to Chittagong. The Owner's family owned cotton mills in what used to be East Pakistan while the cotton fields were in West Pakistan, hence they had bought this ship to carry their own cargo.

Since the 1974 shipping crisis made it difficult to do any kind of business, I accepted and took my fiancee along for the ride. We did two round trips, with the return cargo being matches and some other items that had traditionally been fabricated in East Pakistan before the 1971 war.

Since there were an Indian blockade of trade between former West and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) that meant that we would have to go to Colombo to change the Manifest and Bill of Lading on the way, just in case the Indian Navy should decide to actually do their job.

Eventually the Ceylonese Authorities put their foot down and we had to go all the way to Hong Kong with our third cargo of cotton. On the return trip we stopped in Singapore and I signed off.

[ombugge]

And now for my final "ordinary" ship.

Some of the people I had worked with in Lian Soon Shipping had started their own company, together with some Indonesian Chinese and the Governor of West Irian Province (Now West Papua)

They had bought two old ships that used to be Owned by Clunies Ross, of Cocos Keeling Island fame, and managed by my (then) future Father-in-Law.

I was asked to make the first trip to introduce the new line to the shippers in West Irian, especially the Chinese traders, whom I knew very well from my 1 1/2 year in the same trade.

The ship was called MV Tropic Sands:

Built in Amsterdam in 1951 as the "Holland" for KPMC for exactly the same trade, Singapore to then Dutch New Guinea. 1,476 GRT, 1,500 Dwt.

She was a beautiful old ship, but not very efficient as a cargoship. Built to carry 1,200 deck passengers and 44 cabin passengers.

I just made the first trip out to West Irian and back to Samarinda in East Kalimantan, where I handed over command to the Bugis Chief Mate and commercially to the Chinchew.

I took the Se*tant and Chronometer with me, since the Bugis don't need such things. They have sailed between the Indonesian islands for hundreds of years without.

From Samarinda I travelled by road to Balikpapan and by air from there back to Singapore. Just in time to preparer for my wedding, in May, 1974.

[pilotdane]

A life I have only seen in movies.

[ombugge]

A life I have only seen in movies.

Thanks Dane. Do you think there is a possibility of a sequel???

[The Sea-Otter]

The ships I've been on /travelled with :

Car Ferries :
"Dyrøy"
"Vengsøy 2"
"Helgøy"
"Karlsøy"
"Godfjord"
"Vaggasvarre"
"Fru Inger"(New Name "Dalsfjord")
"Goalsevarre"(New name "Salangen")
"Lavangen"(New name "Landego")
"Virak"
"Tysfjord"
"Hamarøy"
"Malangen"(Now "Havservice I")
"Melshorn"
"Vardehorn"
"Møysalen"
"Sigrid"
"Lofotferje-1"
"Kjerringøy"
"Ørnes"
"Rødøy"
"Røtinn"
"Røsund"
"Boknafjord"(now "Bastø IV")
"Petter Dass"
"Aldra"
"Løkta"
"Tjøtta"
"Vefsna"
"Ramtind"
"Torgtind"
"Torghatten"
"Lødingen"
"Stordal"
"Sogn"
"Halsa"
"Hålogaland"
"Rosendal"
"Alsten"
"Tranøy"

And I've been onboard just taking pictures on :
"Malangen"
"Bognes"
"Rebbenesøy"
"Stetind"

And I think that was all the car ferries, and now, the HSCs
"Fjordkongen"
"Fjorddronningen"
"Vågsfjord"
"Stjernøy"
"Helgeland"
"Sollifjell"
"Fløyfjell"

And I've been onboard some just taking pictures or just checking it out :
"Fjordkongen"(changed name to "Tromsprinsen" before she was sold out of Norway)
"Thorolf Kveldulfson"
"Renøy"

Hurtigruten ships travelled on :
"Finnmarken"(Harstad-Sortland and Sandnessjøen-Brønnøysund)
"Kong Harald"(Sandnessjøen-Harstad)
"Richard With" (Harstad-Tromsø)

Been onboard
"Polarlys"
"Midnatsol"
"Trollfjord"
"Lofoten"
"Nordstjernen"
"Nordkapp"
"Nordnorge"
"Vesterålen"

Other ships
"Gamle Helgeland"
"Ocean Prince"
"Øyfart"

Think there are more ones that should be on this list...but I can't remeber which ones .....

[Plimsollmark]

And now for my final "ordinary" ship.

Some of the people I had worked with in Lian Soon Shipping had started their own company, together with some Indonesian Chinese and the Governor of West Irian Province (Now West Papua)

They had bought two old ships that used to be Owned by Clunies Ross, of Cocos Keeling Island fame, and managed by my (then) future Father-in-Law.

I was asked to make the first trip to introduce the new line to the shippers in West Irian, especially the Chinese traders, whom I knew very well from my 1 1/2 year in the same trade.

The ship was called MV Tropic Sands:

Built in Amsterdam in 1951 as the "Holland" for KPMC for exactly the same trade, Singapore to then Dutch New Guinea. 1,476 GRT, 1,500 Dwt.

She was a beautiful old ship, but not very efficient as a cargoship. Built to carry 1,200 deck passengers and 44 cabin passengers.

I just made the first trip out to West Irian and back to Samarinda in East Kalimantan, where I handed over command to the Bugis Chief Mate and commercially to the Chinchew.

I took the Se*tant and Chronometer with me, since the Bugis don't need such things. They have sailed between the Indonesian islands for hundreds of years without.

From Samarinda I travelled by road to Balikpapan and by air from there back to Singapore. Just in time to preparer for my wedding, in May, 1974.

Ombugge, the moment I saw the beginning of this thread, I completed my mental checklist (Lazyboy - Check, Scot*h on hand - Check, Popcorn - Check, Laptop fully charged - Check) and dove right in !

I went through this thread with absolute joy. What a career. My career has been pretty tame (infact too tame) compared to yours. from one Sailor to another - Simply Amazing.

I would love to meet you one day if and when I do come by to Singapore.

I could put up my ships on here as well, but having sailed only with 2 companies in the last 18 years, the variety is quite limited.

Regards.

[ombugge]

I went through this thread with absolute joy. What a career. My career has been pretty tame (infact too tame) compared to yours. from one Sailor to another - Simply Amazing.

I would love to meet you one day if and when I do come by to Singapore.

I could put up my ships on here as well, but having sailed only with 2 companies in the last 18 years, the variety is quite limited.

Regards.

There is a major difference between the way things were in the 1960s and early 1970s and how they were in the 1990s and later, when you joined the fray. The rules and regulations has changed for one, but also the type of ships and the equipment available.

There is also a big difference between sailing small old ships in parts of the world with little or no infrastructure and a fairly lacks attitude towards regulations and today's over regulated regime, where the office ashore know where you are and what you are doing in real time.

There were also few aids to navigation in the parts of the world where I sailed. In many cases lighthouses were not functioning and buoys etc. missing. The charts were not always reliable. Even the coastline of the Gulf of Carpentaria in Australia were charted several miles wrong.

To have a working radar was a luxury. (My last ship, the Tropic Sands, didn't even have a radar installed) But we used all senses to aid us in navigation between islands and reefs;

- Eyes to look for changes in colour of the water, especially when looking for openings in the reefs. (Always sun behind you when entering and leaving ports with unmarked channels through the reef)

- Ears to listen for breakers at night.

- Changes in the motion of the ship to detect backwash from coast lines, islands or reefs were also important "aids to navigation".

A forgotten art among seafarers standing on their enclosed and air conditioned Bridge, looking at flat screens and listening to alarms that sound all the time, until nobody pays attention to the "real world" around them.

Today DGPS give you your position within a few meters at all times, while the radar and AIS give you position, course and speed of every vessel around you. Yet, the number of groundings and collisions has not been reduced all that much.

Not to belittle the Seafarers and Navigators of today, they have a lot more stress with things like ISM, HSE and other rules and regulations to follow. There is a lot paper work to be completed, as well as a tight schedule to keep, in most cases.

With the home office able to watch every move and with instant communication via Satellite, it is difficult to tell a "white lie", or claim "too much statics",when there were things you didn't want to hear.
My first command was on a ship without any means of communication with the office, even when in port, except for the first and last day or so of a 4-5 week voyage. Nobody could tell me what to do, or had any wish to do so. (Envious???)

PS> If and when you are in Singapore, get in touch. I may even pop up on board your ship as I'm sometime visiting Greatship Global vessel in port.
Please let us hear your seafaring history and see the ships you have served on. I'm sure you are too modest, there is bound to be anecdotes and stories to tell, like in any seafarer's life.

[ombugge]

I have a problem continuing this thread as there is one of "my ships" for which I can find no pictures on sites I have searched.

Anybody on CVF who are able and willing to help??
Here is the basic facts:
Name; MV Slagen, Flag; NOR. (later MV Pisang Suasa, Indon.) IMO No. 5331624, built at Siestas, Neuenfelde, Germany 03/1955 for Skips A/S Karlander, Fredrikstad/Oslo. 499 GRT, 912 DWT.
Traded in the North Sea originally, but S.E.Asia from about 1960.
Sold 1974 to Indonesian Owner. Broken up in Surabaya, 1986.

Any pictures will be welcome.

I have just received a picture of Slagen from a fellow member of CVF Geir Ole Nordgård who's Father and uncle served on board in the early days, both in the North Sea and in S.E.Asia:


The picture appears to be from that time as a North Sea trader. In S.E.Asia she was painted light gray with white superstructure and yellow masts and rigging.
The funnel mark is also somewhat different from the Karlander funnel of later days. (Yellow funnel)
She also sported permanent Sun Awnings over the forecastle, bridge wings and boat deck, which was our "recreation area".

[ombugge]

I just got in a PM alerting me to a new post on Shipnostalgia about the faith of the Slidre, which I had posted a request for back in January this year.

The PM was from a ex US Navy man who had served on the Navy tug that pulled the wreck of Slidre off the beach in Guam and sunk her in deep water outside the island.

That happened in 1980, while she blew ashore in 1976, so she spent abt. 4 years on Gab Gab Beach. I'm now hoping that somebody come up with a picture of the wreck as she looked on that beach.

Although a sad ending for a great ship, I'm kind of glad she went in her grave more or less intact. It sounds better than to be re-incarnated as rebars in some skyscraper somewhere.

[ombugge]

I finally found a picture of the wreck of Slidre sitting on Gab Gab Beach, Guam:


I found it on this web site:http://windclimber.hubpages.com/hub/...ra-Harbor-Guam

But most of the stuff had nothing to do with Slidre, only this short bit:

Right at the edge of the Navy base’s GabGab Beach is a shipwreck deposited on the edge of the coral shelf by Typhoon Pamela, I believe it was. You can literally wade out to the ship to her starboard side and jump off her rusted port side into water that’s 80 feet deep and sloping down much further.

What is a bit surprising is how intact she looks and the talk about; "jumping off her rusted Port side into water that's 80 ft. deep". In that case, why was there no attempt at salvage at the early days? It took 4 years before she was pulled off, only to be shuttled and sunk.

I'm now trying to find out if she became an artificial reef somewhere near by, or was just sunk into the deep ocean.

I also found this article, with a picture of Slidre and a mentioning of her being "hard aground on Gab Gab Beach":


Now I have just one more of "my" ships to find any mention of, the Jo-Tor, (IMO No. 5364906) which was reportedly last named as the Hamid, owned by an Iranian company called Moareffi Transport Co. registered in Sharjah, UAE (1980)

Said to have been wrecked in the Iran-Irak war. Reported seen as a burnt out wreck in or near Bushehr Port in Iran sometime in the late 1980s.

Anybody able to help??