[pompeyfan]

ARCADIA THE FIRST 21 YEARS PART TWO

Monday 25th October 1954 at 2249 the weather was fine and hazy with little wind, and a temperature of 47F. Arcadia was undocking from Tilbury Dock and shifting to the Landing Stage. The tug attending aft, Cervia, capsized, drowning five of the eleven crew members. The tug was apparently changing from one quarter to the other when the wash from Arcadia’s engines going astern, combined with the list of Cervia caused by weight on the line, turned her over. She went down so fast that even the axeman on stand by had no tine to sever the cable. The tug settled upright on the river bed. She was subsequently salvaged .

MAN OVERBOARD – COLOMBO BOUND FOR FREMANTLE

The First Plumber was standing next to one of the Assistant Chippies on the forecastle head, chatting seeming quite normal. Quite suddenly Plumbs said: “Well that’s it, goodbye old chap”, and jumped over the rail at the port bow.

The alarm was immediately raised, and within minutes, a Williamson turn had been completed and Arcadia was steaming along a reciprocal course searching for the man by the light of searchlights from the Bridge wing. It was fairly choppy at the time and all the spots picked out were a couple of sharks sculling around attracted by the moving glow of lights.

Two of the ships boats were sent away to search further back along the ships track, but to no avail. Both Bridge lifebuoys which had been thrown over when the alarm was raised were recovered by the lifeboats.

The man was not found, and just over one hour later the ship resumed her course for Fremantle presuming he had drowned. He had a history of mental disturbance going back for some time, but it was thought his imbalance had improved until this incident.

STORM IN BISCAY

Arcadia, bound from Las Palmas to London 29th December 1956 was on the homeward leg of her voyage. There had been some trouble with her stabilizers so it was resolved that they would not be extended unless it became really necessary. It did become a necessity when the Surgeon had to perform an appendectomy shortly after the call at the Canary Islands. When it came to the time to retract the stabilizers a snag occurred as had been feared, and one of the fins jammed out by about two feet. The Chief Engineer was unwilling to try to extend the stabilizers again in case they jammed out completely, which would mean the ship was unable to dock alongside on arrival at UK. In those early days of stabilizers it had not become apparent that one fin could be utilised without the other, and heading for a sizeable storm in the Bay of Biscay.

On the particular evening in question shortly before dinner the vessel began to roll very heavily in the weather and Captain Bodley decided to heave to. As he executed this manoeuvre and put the ship to heave to, shortly after everyone had sat down to dinner, Arcadia lurched sickeningly and the Bridge recorded a roll of 39° to port and 43° to starboard.

All the furniture, piano’s – the lot- was thrown from one side of the ship to the other. In the restaurants there were no carpet in those days and the people were skidding around sitting in their chairs, and being thrown out of them. Everything in the Galley went flying, and the passengers finally ate bread rolls and apples for their meal some hours later.

When the Second Engineer, now Chief Engineer John Howell, reached his office he found that his trunk-type lid opening fridge had decanted all over the deck, and all his papers and files were swilling around in a lake of ginger ale and tonic.

It was a miracle that there was only one injury sustained. A very large lady of ample proportions further increased by being seven months pregnant rolled from one side to the other in the Somerset Room, and fractured her forearm in the process.

The ship remained hove to all night and by eight the following morning the weather had abated sufficiently for her to resume her passage at full speed for Tilbury, where she arrived a little late and none the worse for her pounding.

Fast forwarding a few years, we hit a force 12 between Vancouver and Honolulu in 1973. We did not heave to then, ploughing through like the grand old lady she was. I lost my breakfast one morning over the railing. My Crew & Isolation Hospital was on the after end of C Deck. A narrow deck, the either side of the Nursery led to my hospital divided by a heavy door from passenger accommodation. As I rested my tray on the railing to open the door, Arcadia listed to starboard heavily, and I lost the lost having to go back for more. D Deck was under water at the after end below my hospital, so I had to go through the Public rooms. Ropes were put around the ship for passengers to hang onto, and once again there were not many injuries other than than a few wrist fractures common in heavy seas or slipping. On this trip, was the American group the Platters who gave a crew show in the Bell Inn. Later, we caught the end of the Cyclone that destroyed Darwin, and one again the grand old lady coped well as did the passengers and crew.

A hole was torn in Arcadia’s bows as she was arriving at Tilbury Docks on 22nd December 1962. A very strong wind was blowing at the time and the anchor was lowered in an effort to hold her, but the force of the wind turned the ship onto her anchor which fouled the bow and gouged a giant hole about 19 feet across clean through the stem. The damage took two days to cement and repair and she eventually sailed on 24th December.

On 30th August 1963, the two liners Arkadia (Greek Line) and Arcadia caused some confusion to embarking passengers by being berthed alongside each other at the same Tilbury wharf.

2nd of June 1964, on passage from Aden to Colombo, Arcadia went to the assistance of the Greek tanker Parnis whose Messboy was suffering severe appendicitis. The boy was transferred to Arcadia, operated on in the ships hospital, and subsequently landed at Colombo for repatriation.

16th August 1964 on passage from Honolulu to Vancouver a seaman from the US vessel Lykes Lines Frederick Lykes was transferred to Arcadia seriously ill. He was treated on board and landed to hospital in Vancouver.

In 1964 Arcadia left Port Said to transit the Suez Canal. Due to very strong winds blowing and heavy squalls she was grounded twice on entering the Canal. She was, however, able to winch herself off on both occasions.

The next editions will see the ship back track a bit as I plough through all the pages of print of her 21st birthday as well as a few Arcadia firsts that many people may not be aware of, plus famous people she carried.

The picture below was taken from my Hospital Deck between Vancouver and Honolulu. My cabin opened onto the deck to scenes like this!