Rolling Home

[ShipbuilderMN]

Nothing to do with the Cold War. My old ship, the 27-year-old passenger liner RMS St. Helena, rolling home in 1989, on her last voyage before being sold for further trading. I spent 11 of the best years of my sea life in this ship, carrying general cargo and 76 passengers from Avonmouth UK to Canary Islands, Ascension Island, St. Helena Island, and Cape Town. Only 3,150 gross tons, and 300 feet long!

Bob

Edited April 9, 2015 by ShipbuilderMN

[Darby]

I've been to those places as well. Was she a flat bottomed vessel? Although from the photo there's not much of a sea state but definitely looks like a beam on swell running

[ShipbuilderMN]

As far as I know, all merchant ships are flat bottomed! We didn't normally roll like that. Sometimes, we could be going along bolt upright through fairly rough seas, almost like we were running on lines! Maybe the old ship was fretting about being sold, I certainly was!

Bob

[Darby]

As far as I know, all merchant ships are flat bottomed! We didn't normally roll like that. Sometimes, we could be going along bolt upright through fairly rough seas, almost like we were running on lines! Maybe the old ship was fretting about being sold, I certainly was!

Bob

My first ship was flat bottomed and that would roll on wet grass. I think it was only ever steady when in a straight line with a following sea. Mind you there's something about a swell that is quite soothing if you're used to it. Bow slamming and the reverberations that follow are another matter. And when you hear the pipe 'the ship is about to cross the sea and may roll heavily' when trying to keep your food from sliding across the table can be entertaining especially when it's soup. I think I'll miss all this in a few years time.

I know the phot is dated 1989 but it looks like an evocative shot from the halcyon days of the 'Red Duster.'

Darbs

[ShipbuilderMN]

Well, we were the very last British long-haul passenger liner! (The rest were cruise ships) We ran on a fixed route year in, year out, apart from the 13 months that the MOD grabbed us for the Falklands. Our passengers were traveling mainly to get to and from St. Helena that doesn't have an airport (although one is being built now).

Anyway, as far as the hull is concerned, I traced this off the lines plan years ago. Perfectly flat bottom, perfectly normal!

Bob

[ShipbuilderMN]

And here we are battering our way through Biscay on a lively summer day, and not rolling at all. Loved it!

Bob

[Darby]

Interesting to see those plans. Ah, Biscay! That photo looks like one from the 'State of Sea' booklet. The mere mention of the Bay can blanche people. I must admit the last time I crossed Biscay it was quite calm for once. When I went south across it in '06 we had beam on sea and swell all the way until we got into The Straits of Gibraltar and then it was all on the ship's head for a day I read a book recently called 'They Couldn't Have Done it Without Us.' All about the Merchant and STUFT in the Falklands in '82. I got it when I was in Grytviken in November '13. I think the book is a superb read and honours all those involved and is aptly named.

I was in St Helena in '13 and it reminded me of the island in the 1933 'King Kong' film and Tristan Da Cuhna looked even more prehistoric.

Just to give you a clue as what ship I was on there is a programme on BBC2 'An Island Parish' at 2000 which shows it. Four weeks after I had left it

Darbs

[ShipbuilderMN]

We have just finished watching Island Parish, so I suppose you were on the big cruise ship, although I didn't get its name. Also read "They Couldn't Have Done it Without Us," Very good. We were minehunter support ship to HMS Brecon & HMS Ledbury, for first 4 months in 1982. Then, after delivering them both safely back to Rosyth, went south again until the summer of 1983, when they finally let us go. We were then running as a mini troopship/supply ship between Ascension, Stanley and Grytviken. On our normal trading route, we visited Tristan da Cunha only once a year. In 1990, the old ship was replaced with a new one of the same name, but never liked it as much and took voluntary redundancy in late 1992.

I took the following photograph from the old ship's helicopter, in 1982. All very interesting, but I was glad to get back to normal sea life again.

Bob

PS

On thinking about it again, I guess you were in HMS Richmond, as you mention "Pipes." We didn't have pipes in the MN until we got STUFT, then we were making them all the time! Seldom had a minute's peace!

Edited April 10, 2015 by ShipbuilderMN

[paul178]

I love this thread any more you can tell. Please do.

BTW although I have not commented on all the models you have made I am totally in awe of your work and love every one you have posted!

[Darby]

Yeah, it was the Richmond. I watched 'An Island Parish.' Recognised some old faces and places and it was nice to see what Grytviken looked like without snow. I see the seals still just lie where they want.

It must have been very different being thrust into the events of '82 and all which ensued and then going back to normality. And the conditions down there are brutal at times. I calculated wind chill to -15 to -20. Not that often but with the added effect of snow, hail and spray it does start to smart a little. Oh and pipes can be the bane of your life when off watch and trying to sleep. Mind you I did make 113 of them in a six hour watch once when we were in re-fit on one ship I was on and that wasn't the highest tally. Someone managed a lot more

I do like that photo of the RAS. I've never seen a ship that isn't all grey doing one before. Mind you, the epic RAS mentioned in the book (about 25hrs I think) involved a civilian ship. I doff my hat to such perseverance and is gives reason to an aptly named book.

When you think of the days of wood and sail and looking at your amazing builds (are they all scratch built, if so then I've got a long way to go before matching anything like them) on here it beggars belief that man can endure such hardships. Even in a metal ship with engines etc it can get pretty uncomfortable at times, apart from a Caribbean cruise liner that is.

Have you got any more projects on the go? I'm still toying with the idea of trying to do a decent ship model. I'm doing small scale plastic ones at the moment just for evening relaxation but I need to take a leap of faith and try something with rigging and ratlines one day. I can feel the spirit of Drake scowling at my modelling weakness.

I'm intrigued by RMS St Helena now, she's a nice looking ship.

Darbs

[ShipbuilderMN]

The St. Helena and her successor of the same name became very famous in maritime circles, although very few of the general public have ever heard of them. If you put RMS St. Helena in Google search (images) you will come up with hundreds of images. Attached image I took from rubber boat at sea when returning from a visit to HMS Ledbury. The ship was a steady as a rock, despite the heavy swell. We had many adventures over the 13 years I was there, and it really was like in the days of Joseph Conrad, we even had deck passengers in addition to our 76 cabin passengers between Ascension and St. Helena. 13 months in the Falklands, 1982/83. Almost lost the ship by fire on Halloween Night, 1984. Had my honeymoon voyage aboard in 1987. I had already been at sea for 18 years before I joined the old ship in 1979. Already having served in most types of ship from colliers to the big Union-Castle passengers liners such as Windsor Castle etc.

Wrote three books about the St. Helena: RMS St. Helena & the South Atlantic Islands, RMS St. Helena, South Atlantic Mailship and RMS St. Helena in the Falkland Islands, 1982/83.

At the moment, I am not building anything, as I have another writing project on at the moment.

Bob

[Darby]

That's some career history. If your writing is as good as your modelling then they'll be fine reads. I do like to read actual accounts and histories. It's not something I would be able to do but I used to write satirical articles for ship's deployment magazines which I enjoyed.

That fire must have been quite large to nearly lose the ship. I once had a fire pump suddenly go on one ship I was on when I was on watch during the long morning. It was dealt with by the on watch stoker and WE. Thankfully we were alongside at the time. The main concern was the main broadcast and general alarm didn't work. Something which I had pointed out previously. Secondary broadcast was not much use either.

Did the deck passengers have any sort of accommodation? I've just conjured up an image of people pulling tarpaulins over their heads as the ship passes under the ITCZ on it's way south. That's how my strange mind works sometimes. I've heard about the Geest passengers and wondered if this was a similar sort of set up on the St Helena.

The swell can be a bit deceiving at times. What looks like a gentle one can be bigger than you think when you get to deck edge level or in a boat and being in a rubber one can make it a bit wobbly at times. An then there's the accommodation ladder to contend with. I remember when we were anchored off in the Caribbean once and a children's home and their larger than life lady carers were invited on board. Well let's just say the ladies trying to negotiate boat to ladder was something.

Darbs

[ShipbuilderMN]

The deck passengers slept on the boat deck with a translucent top and the sides laced in with canvas with flexible windows in it. During the day, they had the stern gallery to themselves, and also ate in the dining saloon on the third sitting. Our cabin passengers were confined to the forward lounge whilst deck passengers were aboard. It was pretty crowded with 124 passengers aboard!

The fire was in the engine room at 2230 gmt, and was extinguished by flooding with CO2, but we burned for 48 hours before it went out. We had the tanker Overseas Argonaut standing by for three days until we were sure we were OK. Then we drifted for a week until German salvage tug Fairplay IX came and collected us and towed us to Dakar. That took another week, and we spent a month in Dakar repairing. Second image is Overseas Argonaut leaving. I am in the centre with one of our stewardesses (who also went to the Falklands with us!)

Bob

[Darby]

I bet it could be like a greenhouse in there around the tropics and with rain drumming down quite noisy. And crowded dining halls, I know what those are like from my time on LPD's with EMF on board. 48hr fire after a shot of CO2 must have been something. I can't imagine drifting for a week and then Dakar for a month. I was there a couple of years ago (only for a few days though) and I had to wear those type of shorts as well. I much preferred my No. 8's despite the heat; better at hiding my 'hatch rash' scarred legs. We never had the luxury of stewardesses though, a good reason to smile despite the fire. Hopefully no one was hurt in it.

Darbs

Edited April 11, 2015 by Darby

[ShipbuilderMN]

It seldom rained between Ascension and St. Helena and it was usually quite fresh up there. Only 700 miles anyway. No serious injuries in the fire, 4th engineer got minor burn to hand, but OK after a couple of days. 2nd engineer got nail in hand when helping to hack away some of the paneling on engine-room casing to boundary cool the steel bulkhead, but again, no complications and OK after a few days. While drifting, we were cooking with fires on open deck using wood chopped from accommodation. Passengers helped carrying freshwater from water tanks. It was very hot and sweaty when drifting and towing, but most of our passengers thought it was a great adventure, especially some elderly Americans. A lot of them didn't want to leave when we got to Dakar, but they had to fly home. The crew then moved into the passenger cabins as their accommodation was flooded. For the whole time in Dakar, the crew had the full run of the ship using the passenger facilities and we all ate together either on deck or in the saloon.

Here is the entire ship's company in Portsmouth just before we left to sail south. I am on the extreme right. Our three stewardesses in the centre.

We had all sailed together for so long, it was all a big happy family, unlike any other ship I have been in (19 in total).

Edited April 12, 2015 by ShipbuilderMN

[Darby]

I must have had a couple of off days as when I was in Ascension and St Helena we had showers, often merging together. Dakar was hot in comparison and no rain there. I don't cope with anything above 21 deg C very well, 25 at the most. I once recorded 52 deg C (138 F) in Muscat in '94 and that was intolerable

I imagine open fires and transferring fresh water from the tanks would cause outrage nowadays but it's a good example of a 'can do' approach to the situation. At least the wooden panelling was put to good use after the boundary cooling and I bet the food cooked on those fires turned out pretty tasty and no doubt memorable and the fact that the ship's company pulled together to overcome the difficulties is testament to the camaraderie that looks inherent in the above photograph.

[ShipbuilderMN]

The heat was not so bad on the St. Helena, as we were air-conditioned, but after the fire, until we were repaired, the air conditioning had gone, so it was open windows all round. Dakar was not too hot or unpleasant, but further south, the West African coast is pretty hot and humid. I spent several years on the coast in non-air-conditioned ships, and it was dreadful, especially up the creeks at Freetown loading iron ore. Also spent a year on a West African log carrier, and were in port for a whole month loading logs in the river at Abidjan, but that was a new ship and fully air-conditoned.

Worst for heat was a brand new tanker that I was on in 1977. The air conditioning kept breaking down, and all the windows were sealed, so we couldn't open them. The heat inside the accommodation was blistering, as we were almost permanently in the Gulf of Mexico at Galveston Bar taking 55,000 tons of oil a time off the VLCCs and taking it to Houston, 5 hours away. Hot, boring and dreadful!

Bob

[Darby]

Heat is one thing I do struggle with. The Persian Gulf has always been somewhere I don't do well in especially in the mornings with the humidity and little or no wind. I can sympathise with the West African coast. A few visits down that way a couple of years ago saw some pretty undesirable conditions. One such place was Togo. Not only was the heat and humidity uncomfortable but the ITCZ decided to play games and gave one almighty downpour in a short space of time. Now couple that with the stench on the jetty which had previously had a livestock vessel on it and you can imagine even the mighty Hercules would blanche.

I was fortunate enough to have a well conditioned compartment on one vessel. A space c10' x10' with four punker louvers was bliss after being in the heat but I do know how air con. can struggle at times as well as the high sea temperatures adding to the discomfort.

On the flip side though there are times when in sub zero temperatures when you look forward to anything above a few degrees C.

I remember the Gulf of Mexico when for me it wasn't too bad except Belize which was a hot and humid place. And When I was in Cozumel I came face to face with a sea snake when snorkelling. That raised the temperature a little.

Darbs