Spotter185

Spotter185 · #1 26th October 2020, 16:22

Hi everyone - just joined - spent 2 years at HMS Conway - eyesight failed so joined Elder Dempster Lines Ltd. Spent 10 years at sea with them - from Cadet Purser to Purser when I left. Spent a fair time on the Paddy Henderson 'K' boats - what did do wrong to deserve that?!?1
Cheers

pompeyfan · #2 26th October 2020, 21:52

Spotter185

Welcome to SH. Good to have you aboard

Hawkey01 · #3 27th October 2020, 10:56

Spotter185,

Welcome to SH. Enjoy the site.

Neville

billyboy · #4 27th October 2020, 11:07

A warm welcome aboard from the Philippines. Please enjoy all this great new site has to offer.

R58484957 · #5 27th October 2020, 11:52

Greetings Spotter 185 and welcome to SH. Bon voyage.

Spotter185 · #6 1st November 2020, 11:42

Thanks to all who have welcomed me to SH. Still finding my way round. Any ED's or Paddy Henderson survivors on board?
Spotter 185

Dave McGouldrick · #7 1st November 2020, 13:37

Did a couple of years Ocean Fleets (1970-73) Daru and Dumurra deepsea and Kaduna,Kabala coast.
There was an awful lot of alcohol involved.....

Spotter185 · #8 10th November 2020, 14:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave McGouldrick

Did a couple of years Ocean Fleets (1970-73) Daru and Dumurra deepsea and Kaduna,Kabala coast.
There was an awful lot of alcohol involved.....

Hi Dave, How did you find the 'K' Boats - I spent 1 trip on the 'Katha' UK-West A-USA-West A- UK.(8 months of living hell) 2 Trips on 'Kabala' 3 trips on the 'Kaladan' 4 trips on the 'Kadeik' 1 on the 'Kohima' and on on the 'Kaduna'. All were 3-4 months at least. Didn't see or drink much alcohol - in those days we were limited to 2 cans of what ever lager a day. Also spent some time on the Apapa and Eboe - much better than the 'K' boats!!!

Dave McGouldrick · #9 10th November 2020, 17:38

The K Boats had a certain quaint charm....Glad I only coasted them.
The (might be true) tale on the Kabala was that the deck steam winches were second hand off a scrapped ship built in the 20s.( Never let the truth interfere with a good story.)
The D boats were excellent on the runs I did. Paid off the Daru after about 7 or 8 months with £50. Even allowing for inflation it was a good trip.

Spotter185 · #10 14th November 2020, 16:09

Not sure if the steam winches were second hand or not but on my second trip on the Kabala we had as deck cargo the President of Sierra Leone's state railway carriage. On arrival at Freetown much was made of this and the quay was full of government officials. It was to be the first to be discharged. After much argument and discussion who was to control the winches it was the SL governments decision that it was to be their men not our Nigerian sailors. Lashings were untied and the lift started. Over the side it went, still high above the quay when there was a rush of steam/rattling/shouting then crash as the winch let go and the carriage went straight down on to the quay. I was on deck and immediately went with my cargo discrepancy note pad to inspect the damage. The two bogies had gone straight through the carriage floor and wrecked both ends of the carriage fixtures and fittings. I spent some hours writing up the damage, The Captain, Chief Officer and Second Mate were extremely pleased it was local labour who were at the winches. I attended the 'Masters Meeting' at the end of the voyage and much time was spent discussing this matter as it had (not to our knowledge when on the coast) caused quite a diplomatic incident.

Dave McGouldrick · #11 14th November 2020, 18:33

Another example of 'WAWA'

Makko · #12 14th November 2020, 21:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spotter185

Not sure if the steam winches were second hand or not but on my second trip on the Kabala we had as deck cargo the President of Sierra Leone's state railway carriage. On arrival at Freetown much was made of this and the quay was full of government officials. It was to be the first to be discharged. After much argument and discussion who was to control the winches it was the SL governments decision that it was to be their men not our Nigerian sailors. Lashings were untied and the lift started. Over the side it went, still high above the quay when there was a rush of steam/rattling/shouting then crash as the winch let go and the carriage went straight down on to the quay. I was on deck and immediately went with my cargo discrepancy note pad to inspect the damage. The two bogies had gone straight through the carriage floor and wrecked both ends of the carriage fixtures and fittings. I spent some hours writing up the damage, The Captain, Chief Officer and Second Mate were extremely pleased it was local labour who were at the winches. I attended the 'Masters Meeting' at the end of the voyage and much time was spent discussing this matter as it had (not to our knowledge when on the coast) caused quite a diplomatic incident.

I remember, from my ED colleagues, the cited incidents of cars (usually Mercedes Benz) being raised by forklifts with the forks introduced through the doors!
Rgds.
Dave

Dave McGouldrick · #13 15th November 2020, 11:28

Like many, I seem to be having trouble differentiating actual historical reality from imagined/dreamt/alcoholic haze.

However, I 'recall' on Daru we loaded 2 large yellow MAC Trucks in Detroit, but when we got to the discharge port (Lagos?), only one could be located. I think it was discovered hiding behind other stuff in Douala, and we offloaded on the way back north.

Shows the importance of drawing up a good stowage plan.

Isn't it nice when the world goes slightly fuzzy round the edges.

Spotter185 · #14 16th November 2020, 15:18

Thanks Dave Mc for the WAWA info - have no knowledge of Wawa - Wikipedia tells me that it is a Ghanaian timber - loaded lots of logs at Takoradi but cannot remember the Wawa log. However remembering 'lost' items - loaded Whisky in Glasgow on the Kaladan into the tween deck locker in No.1 Hatch. 3rd Mate and I sent to oversea the loading. It was all for Lagos so no problems with what goes where. The 3rd Mate was inside the locker and I counting wooden cases in. Cannot remember how many but a lot! 3rd. Mate happy the locker was full and locked it. On arrival in Lagos, unlocked the locker to find a wall of wooden cases all there as we left them - BUT as unloading started we discovered opened and empty cases, passage ways in and around the cases, several broken bottles and the odd screwdriver. There was a load of missing cases - how they disappeared I have no knowledge but the Glaswegian dockers were as clever as their mates in Tilbury!! Looking at my Discharge Book I note now that we arrived in Glasgow on 21st January 1963 so perhaps they were restocking their supplies after Christmas and New Year.
Never lost a Truck though!!

randcmackenzie · #15 17th November 2020, 22:56

WAWA - West Africa Wins Again

Varley · #16 18th November 2020, 00:32

Thank heavens for that. I was trying to fit Wrong Way Alarm into the thread.

Engine Serang · #17 18th November 2020, 06:32

The Donald has a baseball hat with "MWAGA" embroidered on it.

Dartskipper · #18 18th November 2020, 10:28

WaWa was a chain of small convenience stores in the USA in the 1980's. Apparently the name came from the Native American language and referred to a grey goose, which was also the Corporate Logo. This led to a DJ making a comment on his radio show about taking care when shopping there and to beware of a "low flying goose."