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#1
1st March 2022, 13:07
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Shared Bathrooms
I know there were shared bathrooms on the Cora Class between 2nd and 3rd Mate and 3rd and 4th Engineers but was that also true on the Fleetbank Class and Fish Class? Having sailed as Mate on Riverbank (twice) and Birchbank and on Ruddbank and Troutbank, for the life of me I can't recall if there were shared bathrooms on those classes.
Second query, why were the Fenbank and Crestbank fitted with Erman hatch covers on the weather deck? Looking at a photo of them, where were the container 'shoes'? Also what was the white railing running out to the ship's side at hatch ends for? If you can help an ancient mariner get his brain back into action I'd be grateful for any answers. I assume I got the ships right or were there others with Ermans? 
Last edited by Finkenwerder; 1st March 2022 at 13:10. 
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#2
5th March 2022, 09:57
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I stood by the Fenbank as third mate, they had roller hatches on the weather deck which could take the load of a deck cargo but not containers. The advantage of these was that there was no cumbersome 440 volt lead like wot the Mac gregors had. The only problem was the tween decks in three and four holds. They were sinlgle pull with the bull wire going to the winch on the main deck meaning you had to run the runner wire off before opening. Just a pity the skinflints wouldn't fit a clutch on the winches which would have life more effecient, especially when trimming derricks! And yes, the second mate and I share a bathroom.
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#3
5th March 2022, 15:52
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Thanks for the contribution Pilot24. At least I now know that the Fleet Class had shared bathrooms like the Cora Class. I was very interested in the fact that the weather deck hatches were the roll type and not capable of taking containers; this must have been a turn-off for some charterers. I well remember on that class the tween deck hatches, the bull wire and running off the runners in order to open/close the tween beck panels. It wasn't much better on the Fish Class either but at least on those you could just hook the bull wire onto the Velle derrick via a trunkway and heave/lower.
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#4
7th March 2022, 10:00
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Ah! Its all coming back, I did the US South Africa run on the Ruddbank and Dacebank. Wrecked my back in Durban trying to open a hatch, remember I was carrying a hook or something, anyway, I ended up three days on my back and no runs up the road!
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#6
11th March 2022, 08:29
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Did Bank Line call them "Jack and Jill" bathrooms? I hope not.
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#7
12th March 2022, 14:13
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Most 3rd and 2nd Mates called them 'pain in the a**e' bathrooms!
I also did the USA East Coast to South Africa service on Ruddbank - Ellis Rees was Master. On our first run down from USA a domestic water pipe burst over the crew's cabins resulting in a lot of wailing and baling! Thistlebond came into its own that day. I heard that one of the Fish Class on that service had a fire but I know not which one.
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#8
14th March 2022, 10:48
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Alway use cold water when peeing in the sink by the way!!!
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#9
14th March 2022, 10:58
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The fire was on the Ruddbank and your truly was on it. Firebomb in bales of acrylic waste in No.5 upper tween deck. What a stink. Totalled a pile of up market open stow cars destined for Durban. Put into Bermuda when the super boarded but for the life of me insisted cheking the fire using the bellows BA. Slight problem was the bellows were situated in the well between the accomodation and No 5 and sucked in all the acrid fumes. He didn't stay in the hatch too long. Harry Taylor was the captain and when the agent came onboard to see if the fire was out and we could sail he had me escort him up to the bridge because he was "black". Never had much time for the old barsteward, he used to give me a bollocking a day and the day when I deserved one I think his words were "are you actually listening to me ?" at which time I'd given up the will to live and simply replied "NO". No more daily bollocking. He also had the agent take him and his missus ashore every port for luch at the best restaraunt in town. Agents didn't much care for him either! Wherever he is now I hope its hot hot hot.
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#10
14th March 2022, 13:54
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#11
14th March 2022, 14:01
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#12
14th March 2022, 16:49
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Think the problem arose when I sailed under him on the Teviotbank for all of two weeks and he called me "Paddy" which my discenting Presbyterian heritage did not appreciate so I simply kept on walking and when confronted by a half pissed very angry Engerlish man I reminded him the first two names on my Discharge Book were William Michael, not a Patrick to be seen. Oops.
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#13
18th March 2022, 16:42
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I'm discovering some enlightening information in these posts about Masters. As for N.I. inhabitants, the Masters I sailed with were Healy Martin, John Lowans and Austin Hall - I'd sail with them any time.
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