Any old Trampers on here?

[tonyh1]

Briefly with Bank Line 1977 - 1984 and then left the sea when the arrival of containerisation meant that going to sea really meant being at sea.

Great times, memorable places and a real education.

 

[Downsman]

1960-1974 Out of Royal Docks, London initially. New Zealand Shipping Co/Federal Steam then
Blue Star, Port Line, Shaw Savill, Royal Mail,Union Castle, Cunard out of Southampton (Not passenger ships, was in the Arabia, general cargo) On the coast with various companies, and colliers out of Newcastle/ Blyth. Out of Liverpool with Canadian Pacific and Hull with Baltic Steamship and a few more companies I've forgotten..
Only 100% tramp I was in was with Hain Steamship (part of P&O) They told me in the Pool she was going for 3 months and I came home 11 months and 3 weeks later...Shanghaied well and truly..
I wasn't afterguard, I started Deckboy then Lampy and came ashore Ship's Bosun..no regrets.

 

[philip_stevens]

Hain Steamship (part of P&O)

St.Ives museum has all the records for the Hain Steamship Co. - before it became part of P&O.

The first CEO I sailed with in P&O, was with the Hain Line.

An elderly ex-seafarer I met in New Zealand, had started out as a cadet with Hain's, and I got his record from the museum for him.

The Witherspoons in the town, is named the Hain Line - and it is not tacky like some of the 'Spoons.

 

[Downsman]

There's a fairy tale type yarn attached to Hain Steamship Co: with me Philip. I joined the Trevaylor in the West India Dock sometime in the early/mid 1960's (lost my discharge book since). She had been laid up for a while and all her derricks were unshipped and actually in a big pile on the quayside!! We rigged one derrick to swing the others aboard and then had to rig the guys and topping lifts and cargo runners most of which needed eyes splicing into them. Hard graft but at least a seaman's work (unlike loading containers these days.. )

The Bosun was fond of visiting Charlie Browns pub..One day there was only me (AB) the Second Mate and an Apprentice working on deck because the Bosun and another AB were blotto, when a company Director came aboard. I don't know if the records you mention will show it but Hain steamship were founded by Quakers I believe, very anti booze. Even after P&O took over the company, at least in my time was still very much run by the old owners. The Director was not happy, phoned the Old Man and made him come from home and report aboard. The Old Man sacked the Bosun on the spot, looked in my discharge book which had a lot of good deep sea discharges in, including Lampy and asked me if I would sail as Bosun, I was about 23-24 at the time and jumped at the chance..

 

[philip_stevens]

You probably remember, and can confirm what I believe, is that all the Hain ships were registered in St.Ives, where the offices were.

If you ever visit St.Ives, go to the museum, and ask the curator to look in the log books for your name - he is my cousin, Brian.

One room at the museum is dedicated to the Hain line.

 

[Downsman]

I know all of the early Hains ships were registered in St Ives, before P&O took over, but Trevaylor was registered in London I seem to recall. She wasn't that old when I was in her, I think she was Glasgow built in the late 1950's. I'll pay the museum a visit next summer when I get down Falmouth way. Thanks for the info.

 

[Richard10002]

I never thought of myself as an Old Tramper, but I joined Blue Star Ship Management in 1977, and reached the dizzy heights of 3rd Officer in 1983 before my P45 came through the post

My first ship was The Timaru Star which I joined in Cardiff the week before it caught fire - escaped through a porthole onto the deck above. Ulster Star was a bit of a Tramp, as was The Mahsuri and Benedict, but I was mostly on container ships, (tiny by today's standards!).

 

[Bilgediver]

St.Ives museum has all the records for the Hain Steamship Co. - before it became part of P&O.

The first CEO I sailed with in P&O, was with the Hain Line.

An elderly ex-seafarer I met in New Zealand, had started out as a cadet with Hain's, and I got his record from the museum for him.

The Witherspoons in the town, is named the Hain Line - and it is not tacky like some of the 'Spoons.

H ======== Hungry as in Hungry Hain's shipping company......


My letter was S


S====== Starvation Smith's as in Reardon Smith Line

Sailed on everything from wartime built Empire Tavoy (Great City) with 3 legged Doxford.
up through King City, Leeds City, New Westminster City, Welsh City (Doxford) Cardiff City, Eastern City, and then my favourite period and love hate relationship with the Ruston AO engines on the Welsh and Cornish City. The latter two were re engined with Pielstick 204 . Final trip was on a ship managed for TMM called the Elena. Lovely ship and more like a big private yacht in lines with a 7 cylinder B and W.

Left the sea and got involved with oil rigs and operated from exciting places as far apart as sunny Falmouth UK to Christchurch NZ with Aberdeen and Singapore in between.


Now I just have my Westerly Chieftain with its clunky MD2B to remind me of those times :encouragement:

 

[Bilgediver]

Briefly with Bank Line 1977 - 1984 and then left the sea when the arrival of containerisation meant that going to sea really meant being at sea.

Great times, memorable places and a real education.

Yep....we used to stumble across Bank lione ships up various creeks and rivers around East Africa India and further East,

 

[tonyh1]

Yep....we used to stumble across Bank lione ships up various creeks and rivers around East Africa India and further East,

Who were you with?

Bank Line were a true tramping company and though they mistakenly believed that containerisation was a passing fad, they did manage to hang in there longer than they deserved to. I did some fabulous trips around the South Pacific that would get interrupted for a sugar run from Queensland up to Malaysia or China and then back into the South Pacific to load up with copra, cocoa and oils for Europe. Far East to E and S Africa was always enjoyable when the order came through especially when cargo that was loaded in Japan was labelled. Mombasa, Dar As Salaam, Hearts, Spades, Diamonds.
There was no official trade with South Africa so Hearts was Durban, Spades was East London and Diamonds was Cape Town.

Great times.

 

[Biggles Wader]

Who were you with?

Bank Line were a true tramping company and though they mistakenly believed that containerisation was a passing fad, they did manage to hang in there longer than they deserved to. I did some fabulous trips around the South Pacific that would get interrupted for a sugar run from Queensland up to Malaysia or China and then back into the South Pacific to load up with copra, cocoa and oils for Europe. Far East to E and S Africa was always enjoyable when the order came through especially when cargo that was loaded in Japan was labelled. Mombasa, Dar As Salaam, Hearts, Spades, Diamonds.
There was no official trade with South Africa so Hearts was Durban, Spades was East London and Diamonds was Cape Town.

Great times.

I remember it well.I did much the same for a few years and wouldnt have missed it for anything.

 

[Kukri]

Bank Line used to potter around the South Pacific, trying to nick our cargo, in a time warp all of their own.

"Go aboard a Bank boat, smell the Stockholm tar" ...

Here's How to Do It Properly:

Our unofficial company motto was "Life's Hell in the East!"..

http://www.wikiswire.com/w/images/0/05/Pacific_Islander.jpg

 

[joynalvincent]

Official trade rises on united kingdom.

 

[JeannetteAbbott]

Is it Indonesia, the ship says Bali.

 

[Kukri]

Bali Hai service, which was a real hell ship run - Japan, Samoa, Tahiti, Vanuatu, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan. Picture is Pago Pago. Tough job, but somebody had to do it.

("Bali Hai" was an imaginary island off Vanuatu in the musical "South Pacific")

On one occasion we posted one of the Masters from our VLCC fleet to the ship in the picture, after a lot of comments from the tanker boys about palm trees and hula girls. Jim H said it was altogether too stressful, having to do his own pilotage, berth without tugs and talk to Agents and customers and he went back to his big tanker for a rest. True.

 

[Dougie Archibald]

Hi,
A bit late on posting this as I was shuffling through the Forum seeking assistance and looking for old mates.
I was in the Athel Line, owned by the Tate and Lyle group from 1965to 1975 as apprentice rising up to C/O in my final year.
The vessel in the picture is the old Athelduke, which ferried molasses from the W Indies to the UK/Cont.,
She was my first trip to sea, nostalgia kicking in ... lovely old 'rust bucket', on which I experienced my first (of seven ) hurricanes ,
got drunk on rum after tank cleaning, first encountered kedgeree for breakfast and smoked my very first Marlboro cigarette!
They were halcyon days long since gone ...

 

[Dougie Archibald]

Apologies ... the rut bucket I referred to ws not that in the picture above - she was the later AncoDuke ... here is her older sister ...
puffing smoke from her 4 cylinder Doxford before entering Avonmouth to discharge her 15,000tons of molasses from Cuba - circa August 1965

 

[38mess]

Sorry to jump in but I have just watched the most interesting video on YouTube about coastal shipping, I know it's not tramping. I can't post links but if you search on YouTube 'A passage to Wisbech' it should come up. It's an old BBC 2, 40 minutes documentary.

 

[Pump-Out]

A bit late on posting this

A bite late?
Nine years!

ETA: But always a joy to read about "proper" shipping.

 

[shortjohnsilver]

38mess thanks just watched your find, fantastic! Really caught the essence of coastal tramping.
Spent five years myself with the RFA, apprenticeship then 3rd officer having gained my 2nd mates foreign going. Ended up down the Falklands after which the MOD laid many of us off, post the conflict as they were reducing the number of RFA’s in line with the MOD selling off a third of the Royal Naval fleet. Ended up working for Everard's up at Greenhithe ashore in oil storage after a few months coasting out of the Medway. Tough.