[pompeyfan]

ARCADIA THE FIRST 21 YEARS PART THREE

In the old days when cruising to Venice, it was not unusual for one of the ships boats to be taken out on an exploratory trip round the canals of the city. Much to the annoyance of the local gondoliers the ships launches would chug past creating enough wash to cause discomfort to the gondolier and his craft’s occupants, so much the boat's passage would be accompanied by muck Latin gesticulation, waving of arms and shaking fists. The coxswain of the boat would fine a lamp post convenient to a local bar, make fast, and the remainder of the exploration would be liquid too, but of a different content. However, on one occasion the expedition set forth in usual style, but at low tide, under the Bridges of Venice. When it came to the return trip, the tide was up and the boat wouldn’t fit under the same arches. So the aid of some-bewildered some-amused passers-by was enlisted, and with all the extra weight of dozens of Italians added to the boat trippers the free board was sufficiently reduced to squeeze the launch under the bridges and home to the ship in time for sailing.

The 21st October 1957 the Chairman of P&O addressed the stockholders at a luncheon on board Arcadia shortly after she had completed a series of five cruises between line voyages carrying a total of 5,486 passengers, and on the day she departed on her next scheduled line voyage to India, Ceylon and Australia with 1,345 passengers aboard.

Easter time 1959, Arcadia cools it to air conditioning. From the time of building to date only certain sections of the ship were air-conditioned. Amongst these were the Verandah Café, the Restaurants, Telephone Exchange, the Bureau, Leading Hands and European Mess Rooms, and Hairdressing and Barber’s Shops, plus all the inboard cabins. Air conditioning will be mentioned again when one of the crew aboard Arcadia for the longest gives his stories of the ship including hosing passengers down on the deck when they were too hot. Looking around the ship now(May 1974) all the rooms with the old fashioned round silver coloured air blowers had air conditioning at the time of building, and the small Thermotank punkah louvers were 1959 editions. It is noticeable in the poem SS Arcadia by J.H. Gough Wilson that there is a special mention of the air conditioning in specific areas. From Easter 1959 the entire ship benefited from the instillation of Harland and Wolff’s Belfast yard of Thermotank Air Conditioning.

June 1961, Arcadia was on the rocks. At about 0900 under pilot on her way into Honolulu on one of her earliest calls there she became firmly lodged upon a coral reef. The pilot had embarked first, followed shortly afterwards by a troupe of Polynesia dancers for the passengers entertainment. Whilst embarking these dancers from their launch Arcadia must have drifted, or possibly she was badly position before hand, but on getting under way again and heading for the entrance channel she failed to make the tight turn necessary and found herself stuck fast with a starboard list of something like 7 degrees. Divers were sent down to inspect the hull and they confirmed there was little damage. Efforts to release her with the aid of tugs on the first high tide fails, and so she sat there for about 12 hours until the second attempt at the evening tide successfully dislodged her from her perch. She then proceeded into Honolulu to disembark and embark her passengers who had been waiting all day in hope that their ship would come in.

Captain Dallas gave us a story for the 21st birthday edition of Arcadus which was another man overboard incident which happened on 10th September 1971. The alarm was raised by a passenger on C Deck aft. Word reached the Bridge at 1225 and by 1235 the ship completed a Williamson turn and was steaming on a reciprocal course. Action by the Officer of the Watch had been swift – buoys over, whistle sounded, telegraphs to stand by, and the Accident Boat crew quickly mustered.

The ship was homeward bound, four days out of Cape Town on a bright and sunny afternoon with a moderate South Westerly swell and not much wind. But who, if anybody had gone over?.

A passenger reported seeing an Asian looking man with a red band round his head swimming strongly away from the ship. So the first thoughts was one of the Indian Deck Crew but none had been working near the side rail, and were soon all accounted for. The Chief Serang counted his men, and then a Goan member of crew was reported missing.

The passenger had thrown a lifebuoy over the side right away, and two more went as his message sped to the Bridge, and there was also the smoke float lifebuoy. By now the ship had turned half a mile beyond the lifebuoy and was slowly steaming north again. All the lifebuoys that had been thrown into the water were counted. Life had been going on as normal down below and the correct path was confirmed by a trail of garbage and cardboard cartons. Masthead, bow and Bridge lookouts were now augmented by the passengers lining the rails, endeavouring to be helpful, anxious; like all those on board desperately hoping to sight the man. Some false reports came up from them, which usually turned out to be one of a number of large grey-brown sea birds which seemed have appeared from nowhere.

Four times Arcadia went down the line of buoys, all stretching and straining with Captain Dallas postponing a decision to abandon the search thinking of what it would be like for a man in the water, to see the ship not turn again and steaming away. A ‘CQ’ message was sent for any ships in the vicinity and two altered course to pass fairly close by.

It was 1500, and word by now had come that, knowing the missing man, apart from the shock, there was no great surprise at what he had done. So it was with heavy heart at 1510, that Captain Dallas called off the search.

That night, a simple but moving service was conducted by the Chief Pantryman in the Goanese Mess, ending what must have been one of the saddest days in Arcadia’s chronicle as written by Captain Dallas himself.

In 1972, again on the homeward voyage, the newly-wed bride of a tanker Radio Officer was transferred to Arcadia for medical aid, and she was later landed in England. By coincidence this transfer took place at the same spot, four days out of Cape Town homeward bound, as the search for the Goanese man overboard on the previous voyage.