Issue 2/2019 Volume XXV No. 002
The Journal of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners
Livery Company of the City of London Founded 1926, Incorporated by Royal Charter 1930 Contents
Court of the Company Wardens and Court from 1 May 2019 MASTER Captain W J Barclay FNI SENIOR WARDEN Captain D Chadburn IMMEDIATE PAST MASTER Captain R B Booth AFNI WARDENS Commander L A Chapman CMMar RN; Captain R F A Batt; Captain G English AFNI COURT OF ASSISTANTS The Honourable Company Commander P R F D Aylott MNI RN; Captain R W Barnes CMMar; Mr M F Burrow; Captain B A Cushing; Mr C S Dancaster; Captain S P of Master Mariners Donkersley RFA; Mr H Dundas; Captain I C Giddings FNI; Captain P T Hanton RFA; Captain L J Hesketh FNI; Commander D Ireland MBE PATRON MRIN RNR; Captain J M Simpson; Mr J Johnson-Allen FRIN; Captain Her Most Gracious Majesty THE QUEEN P J McArthur MNM CMMar FNI FIMarEST; Captain J K Mooney AFNI; Master of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets Captain T Oliver; Captain M C Powell FNI; Captain M A Robarts MNI ARINA; Captain N R Rodrigues; Captain T W Starr MSc LLM; ADMIRAL Captain S E Thomson CMMar; Captain H J Conybeare; His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Captain F K D'Souza FNI; Captain M Reed RD* FNI RNR Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom, KG KT OM GBE KCVO OUTPORT REPRESENTATIVES FOUNDER NE Scotland – Captain R Curtis Sir Robert Burton-Chadwick, Bt. Clyde – Mr H Dundas b. 1869 d. 1951 NW England – Captain L Hesketh Bristol Channel – Captain T Hughes South West – Ms V Foster Solent – Captain C Douglass Contents NE England – Captain M James CLERK OF THE COMPANY Commodore Angus Menzies MNI RN – [email protected] Obituary Page 35 BUSINESS MANAGER – 0207 845 9872 Mrs Alison Harris BA (Hons) – [email protected] FINANCE OFFICER – 0207 845 9875 Company News Page 36 Mrs Penny Burningham – [email protected] CHARTERED MASTER MARINER ADMINISTRATOR Global Links Page 44 Lieutenant Scott Hanlon BA (Hons) AlnstLM, RNR – [email protected] RECEPTIONIST – 0207 836 8179 Features Page 50 Gail Byrne – [email protected] HONORARY CHAPLAIN The Reverend Reginald Sweet BA RN Events Diary Page 66 CORPORATE MEMBERS The Baltic Exchange; J&J Denholm Limited; Furness Withy (Chartering); *International Maritime Pilots' Association; Maritime & Merchandise Inside Back Cover Underwater Securities Consultants Limited; P&O Ferries; Star Reefers; Stephenson Harwood; John Swire & Son Limited; Witherby's Publishing Group; X-PRESS Feeders; (*Tenant company) Produced by Perfect Imaging Limited, Enterprise House, Cranes Farm HQS WELLINGTON, Temple Stairs, Victoria Embankment, Road, Essex, SS14 3JB. Telephone: +44(0)208 806 6630 London WC2R 2PN Published by The Honourable Company of Master Mariners , HQS www.hcmm.org.uk Tel: 0207 836 8179 Fax : 0207 240 3082 Wellington, Temple Stairs, Victoria Embankment, London WC2R 2PN. Email : [email protected] Company News
obtaining my Masters Foreign Going (Class From the Master 1) Certificate of Competency I joined Blue We are sorry to re cord the death of Captain WJ Barclay FNI Star Line and continued my seagoing career the following members (and past again serving in Refrigerated and Container members) of the Honourable vessels as Chief Mate with time in Company of Master Mariners: command at the end of this period. • Captain Peter Richards-Jones , I came ashore as Assistant Operations 9 March 2019 Manager in the Blue Star Ship • Captain Kenneth Kelly , Management London office. I later moved 24 March 2019 to Hong Kong as Manager of Lion Shipping, • Sir Ronnie McIntosh , a wholly owned subsidiary, spending time 1 April 2019 in Hong Kong and Singapore. • Mr Hugh McCoy , After a short period of time with 9 Aprril 2019 Associated Container Transportation • Captain Alastair McCulloch , (Australia) in London as their Marine 9 May 2019 Manager, my final shore position (and 22 • Captain Michael Allen , years of my life) was with Lloyd’s Register of 20 May 2019 Shipping. I started as a Nautical Advisor working in the Fleet Services Department. In • Captain Ronald Clucas , due course was promoted to become a 25 May 2019 Principal Specialist, becoming the Global Manager of the Port State Control Young Members Group. The first meeting I am writing this article for the Journal, Department. I was the author of the Pocket was held a few weeks ago. This group is still only a few weeks into my year of office as Guide Checklists (both hard copy and very much in its infancy and it will be Master of the Honourable Company and smartphone Apps) which became and still is interesting to see this expand. feel very humble that I have the honour of the leader in the field. serving as your Master for the coming year. Elizabeth and I have already attended I am also a Fellow of the Nautical Institute. several Livery functions and visits. One of I would like to take this opportunity to the highlights so far was attending the Early in my year of office (actually week 1) thank Immediate Past Master Robert Booth Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace Elizabeth and I attended the NW Outport for installing me on the 26th April and with our family where we were introduced Ladies’ Lunch held in Chester. This was a indeed, to thank the Wardens and Past to the Duchess of Cornwall. To cap off that very enjoyable event hosted by Derrick Masters for all their help and support over week the very next day when attending a Kemp and Geoff Cowap. We were royally my years as Warden and for the past year reception at Trinity House I was privileged received and they literally put the icing on as Senior Warden. to be introduced to our Past Master, the the cake when I was presented with a Princess Royal. We are also looking forward I was elected as a Warden in 2015 and as surprise birthday cake. I must admit to to attending the Ironbridge Livery weekend senior Warden in 2018. I very much look being somewhat overwhelmed. forward to 2019/2020 as your Master, with with the Lord Mayor and the other Livery a busy year ahead working with our new We do hope to meet as many Outport Masters and Consorts. This is an annual Senior Warden, Derek Chadburn, and his members as possible when we visit the event where all the Livery Masters and their fellow Wardens, the Court of Assistants, Outports and do hope that at some stage Consorts meet up and where hopefully long and our gallant Clerk, to continue the good you can come on board HQS Wellington for lasting friendships are made. some of our social events. We will take work of the Honourable Company. In conclusion, may I once again thank much pleasure in welcoming you on board. As well as fulfilling my Livery duties during you all for your support and this coming year, I will also follow my I recollect my time at sea and very much encouragement, and I shall work hard to predecessors and remind all those who will note that times have changed considerably. be worthy of this great position and listen, within Government or without, of The role of the seagoing master is now follow in a long line of remarkable the importance of our industry and the vastly different to that of my age group. A Masters of this Honourable Company. need for a strong and vibrant Merchant life now ruled by Checklists, Security, Navy with a growing UK workforce. Health and Safety, Port State Control and Obituary the myriad other bits of paper that modern As a brief introduction: I was born in St. maritime life appears to demand. Our CAPTAIN ALASDAIR Andrews in the Kingdom of Fife. Due to the younger members want to see a vibrant nature of my Father’s business I spent time organisation, one that encompasses new McCULLOCH in several areas of Scotland before going to ideas, one that they can relate to, one that January 10, 1941 – May 9, 2019 sea as a career in 1969. I initially attended provides them with the networking Captain Alasdair McCulloch passed away Warsash as a Midshipman, being in one of possibilities that many see as their reason peacefully in his sleep on Thursday 9 th May the first terms of Mature Student entries at for joining. It is up to us all to look 2019; he had suffered a heavy fall in that College. forward, and although thinking church the previous Sunday and had been I joined Shaw Savill and Albion Co. as a nostalgically of our past, we must be hospitalised but had been discharged on Cadet and subsequently sailed as 3 rd and willing to accept all the changes in our the Tuesday. He was 78. His wife, Marion, 2nd Mate in Refrigerated, General Cargo, industry. On that basis some of you will be passed away two years ago and he is Container and Passenger vessels. On aware that we have started what is called a survived by his son, Iain. www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 12/2019 • Page 35 Company News
Congratulations to the following on being sworn in as: Freeman: Captain Robert Anders, Captain Susan Cloggie-Holden, Captain John Cleaver, Captain Paul Davidson, Captain Jenny Gillies, Captain Stevie McPherson, Captain Alistair Roaf, Captain Wayne Salvidge, Captain Robert Siddall, Captain Tom Weaver RN , Captain James Wingrove Member: Mr John Brown, Mr Russell Duff, Mr Alan Marsh, Mr Peter O’Donnell, Mr Kyriakos Spahis, Mr Peter Young Associates: David Allan, Nicky Boak, Edward Derrick, Harry Hartnett, Jack Robins, Jack Yeo Apprentice: Harry Harman
The Company was well-represented at his of the Journal but a brief summary of funeral on Friday 17 th May at Linn Captain McCulloch’s life follows Crematorium, Castlemilk, south of Glasgow He trained on the Incorporated Thames and near Clarkston where he had lived for Nautical Training College HMS Worcester many years.; in attendance were Captains before going to sea in 1958 with Strick Line Millar (accompanied by Fiona), Brown, Ltd as a Cadet. He continued at sea in Gillespie, Oliver, Smith, Chief Eng. (ret) general cargo ships on worldwide routes Aitken and Liveryman Hew Dundas before transferring to OCL in 1983, (accompanied by Vân). We were all achieving command in 1988 before delighted to welcome a surprise attendee, retiring at the end of 1998. 95-year-old Captain Arthur Young MBE, accompanied by his daughter Susan, Captain McCulloch was first elected to the determined to support his very good friend Company in 1995 and in January 2003 and neighbour on his last voyage. succeeded Past Master Captain Munro as Clyde Outport Hon. Secretary until standing Following the Funeral Service, Iain down in March 2016. His conduct of the McCulloch generously provided monthly meetings was stylish and always refreshments in a nearby hotel for the accompanied by generous doses of his funeral-goers’ strong sense of humour. Clyde Outport will A full obituary will follow in the next issue miss him dearly and will long remember him with the greatest of respect and affection. Congratulations also to the following: And to the following on attaining Captain Laurence Howell wrote: “…. [He] Certificates of Competency: On being elevated from Member to was a fine man and a great companion. …. Freeman: Masters : He was a fine man and a very good master. Mr Steve Cameron, Tom Lunn Alistair Mazumdar, Josh Tanton … It is such a loss to lose him. …” On being clothed as Liverymen: Mates : One of Captain McCulloch’s colleagues Captain Paul Miller, Captain Nic Thomas Cardy, Jamie Edwards posted notice of his passing on a Facebook Paines, Captain Jonathon Pearce, OOW : page and this generated some touching Captain Ewan Rattray, Captain Martin Dan Cunningham, Tony McGurk, responses including “a good man”, “a lovely Swaffield, Captain Susie Thomson Santa Tetere, Ian Whipp man to sail with”, “a true gentleman” and “a great captain”.
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Clerk’s Corner The Centenary Committee agreed that to Monthly Livery Briefings begin the process of accumulating a These Briefings are produced monthly and Commodore Angus Menzies RN “Centenary 100 Fund” to support events contain details of interest for City in 2026 a “Centenary 100 Club” should Liverymen. They are posted on the be started in which members, their Company Website in the News Section. spouses and kin can participate. The monthly contribution is £5.00 is Committees requested, by Standing Order, and a The Company operates five Standing quarterly draw takes place for one prize Committees (this means permanent and of £500 and two prizes of £100. Sign on reporting direct to the Court). They now to make your fortune and to generally formally meet four times a year support our Centenary. and cover the following areas: • Finance & Risk – all aspects of the The Editor Company’s investments and accounts. Captain Rob Booth remains currently as • Membership – policy on membership our temporary Editor. A permanent criterion, recruiting and numbers. replacement is still sought. The post receives a stipend and any member • Education & Training – oversight of interested in considering the post should training standards and the contact the Clerk for more details. Apprenticeship/Associate Scheme. • Professional & Technical – oversight of Journal Articles professional practices in every area of Members and especially Apprentices and maritime business and shipping. Associates are enjoined to provide articles • Treasures – management of all our for our Quarterly Journal. Articles artefacts, library and silverware collections. supported by pictures or illustrations are Centenary particularly encouraged. The best article Members are invited to consider joining one or more of those committees and thereby Our Company formed on 25 June 1926. for 2019 by an Apprentice or Associate, to take more part in the day to day life of We have come a long way in the last as selected by the Master and Wardens, our Company. Membership will not take up ninety-two years. We received our first will receive the Anchorites Prize of £250. much personal time and a great deal of the Royal Charter in 1930 and in the same All correspondence, articles and reports for work is achieved by email. If interested, I am year our title of “Honourable” from His the Journal should be in Word Format and always delighted to update members on the Royal Highness, King George the Fifth. Our in Arial font, and forwarded to the Editor workings of the Committees whose Minutes Company was granted Livery by the Court at [email protected]. are published in the Member’s Area of the of Aldermen of the City of London in Careers at Sea Ambassadors Company website. 1932. We have been privileged to have had four Royal Masters of our Company; Although overseen by the Merchant Navy Honourable Company of Master His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales Training Board, our Company does Mariners and Howard Leopold (1928-1936), His Royal Highness The encourage our Apprentices and Associates to join the “Ambassadors Scheme”, where Davis Charity Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1954- Members are reminded that our associated 1957), His Royal Highness, The Prince of during your off watch time you can visit your old school or others, to give a short HCMM & HLD charity is focussed on the Wales (1988–1990) and her Royal support of needy Merchant Navy Deck Highness The Princess Royal (2005-2007). talk backed up by suitable provided paperwork and a video and show what a Officers and their dependents and also We procured in 1947 and live in, the only career at sea entails. Join today! Full details support to educate and train those floating Livery Hall in UK and introduced a from the Clerk or the MNTB website. interested in a career at sea and hugely successful Apprentice Mentoring seamanship and sail training generally. Scheme, currently over 250 strong. Our City of London Briefings The Charity made benevolent grants to Joint Informal Professional Meetings (JIMs) Freemen and Liverymen are encouraged to individuals in 2018 totalling some £57,000, are highly regarded and our Company is attend the City of London briefings which a grant to the Royal Alfred Seafarer Society now awarding the status of ”Chartered tell you about the City and its structure and educational grants of £7,000 and Master Mariner”, which will become a most and are designed for all Liverymen, and £14,000 in support of sail training. prestigious and internationally recognised indeed Freemen, Court Assistants, and qualification. In sum we have much to be Wardens (as well as their spouses and Our Charity also oversees our presentation proud of and many outputs that merit partners who are very welcome to at Christ’s Hospital School, Horsham, celebration when our Company reaches its accompany). All are at 1700 for 1730 in the and West Sussex RH13 0YP. The hundredth year in 2026. To that end the Guildhall, and are over by 1930. presentation covers all fees, uniform and Wardens have formed a Centenary Registration and bookings are preferred via equipment at the School for the full Committee to progress the outline of thewebsite www.liverycommitteecourses.or secondary course. This presentation is events for our celebration year. Members g but if this presents difficulties, please currently not filled and a suitable candidate interested in taking part in that contact the Course Administrator at is sought; details from me. Committee’s deliberations are most Guildhall, Claire Holdgate The Royal Hospital School at Holbrook also welcome to contact the Clerk who can [email protected] offers generous bursaries to the sons or provide more detail. telephone 020 7332 3176. daughters or the grandchildren of male or www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 12/2019 • Page 37 Company News
female officers of the UK Merchant Navy. the use of members (£50 single, £60 double Company Events Scholarships are available in four areas: occupancy). Both cabins have colour Curry Lunch Bookings Academic, Arts, Sports and, in particular, televisions, digital radios and full Wi-Fi Members are strongly encouraged to join Sailing. The Royal Hospital School, facilities. Please let us know if you will be the waiting list for fully booked Curry Holbrook, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP9 2RX arriving after normal working hours to Lunches as we regularly receive Tel: +44 (0)1473 326200 check in and collect your key. cancellations at short notice which throw [email protected] If unable to book onboard, The Vintner’s up spare seats. Additionally, henceforth, Meeting Rooms Company, Upper Thames Street, in order to improve availability and loss There are three bookable rooms for London EC4V 3BG (close to Cannon Street of income, group Table bookings which business meetings available onboard or Mansion House District/Circle Line Tube are cancelled at less than 7 days’ notice WELLINGTON: Stations) offers our members access to will incur the full cost of that Table. their overnight accommodation, some Cheque Payments . Due to banks now auto- – The Committee Room – seats 16 at the rooms are en-suite and start at £60 + VAT. scanning cheques, members should ensure table. Contact 0207 651 0748 that cheques are signed in black ink as any – The Medals Room – seats 14 at [email protected]. other colour does not scan and your the table. Similarly, The Mercer’s Company offers a cheque will be automatically refused. – The Charthouse – seats 8 in an informal range of bedrooms all with ensuite facilities The Office is currently working on: setting (with superb views of the Thames). and start at £90 single, £110 double • Curry Lunches: the extra mid-month The first two rooms have large-screen including VAT and Breakfast. Lunch on Friday 13 September 2019, wall mounted computer monitors (HDMI) Contact Collette 0207 776 7233 another extra Lunch on Wednesday 2 and conference call facilities and with [email protected] October 2019, to coincide with Common room for additional seating round the Members, who are still “serving”, may make Hall voting for the new Lord Mayor. All bulkheads. Contact the Office for details use of the facilities of the Union Jack Club other Curry Lunches are fully booked and for bookings. at Waterloo Station, where a single ensuite for the year . Members are reminded In addition, the Catering Company can room begins at £72.00 and a double that guests must conform to our Curry offer business meeting facilities in: ensuite room begins at £126.00. Discharge Lunch dress code of jackets and ties. A stock of maritime type ties is held at – The Model Room – seats 20 at the table Books need to be carried. Contact Daiva Sobole, Advance Reservations Manager Reception. Also, that set tables and – The Court Room – seats 52 at the table ([email protected]), and Tel. 0207 902 individual groups will be called forward The Court Room is provided with full IT 7379, Fax. 0207 620 0565, Union Jack Club, by the Catering Manager when they and sound facilities and both are booked Sandell Street, London SE1 8UJ. should rise to select their meals. through the Cook&The Butler – via Lina, • The 15th London Maritime Ball on whose office is onboard WELLINGTON on Cruise Ship Lecturers Friday 12 July 2019. The theme this year 0207 240 9888 or and Speakers is “Tartan”. [email protected]. For the past 15 years the “Cruise Lecturers • Now an annual fixture, the sixth of our Members are entitled to generous Association and the Lectures Association Outport Ladies Lunches is on Friday 19 discounts on the Room Hire charge for have provide Lecturers and Speakers for the July 2019. This Lunch is aimed at ALL both venues. international cruise industry. Some of the members of the Company and their Wardroom most sought after speakers are from the wives with a particular theme to attract maritime industry. Members interested in Outport Members and their Ladies and The Wardroom is available for members and some sea time in their retirement or indeed an opportunity for the Outports to get their private guests from 0900 until 1700, younger members in their off watch time together and to meet the Master and Monday to Friday, either to relax during should visit the website; the Wardens and all our Members. Book busy visits to London or to conduct www.cruisespeakersacademy.com early to secure a place . business. It is best to advise the Office if or contact Gordon Parr for more • The Ladies’ Night Dinner on Friday 4 you will be onboard, to prevent over- information on 01704 560 600. October 2019 (1830 for 1900). This booking. The bar opens from 1230 to 1430, event is for our Ladies and Partners and when the Chief Bar Steward, Simon, serves Income Tax Relief on Annual we; private guests are also most a full range of drinks and cold and hot Subscriptions and Livery welcome if there is space available. The food (hot food should be ordered 24 hours Quarterage dress is Black Tie so that our Ladies can in advance) and is available when Roy the The Honourable Company is approved by outshine us! chef is on duty, please check beforehand). Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs for the • The Annual National Service for Members are reminded that during bar purposes of Section 334 of the Income Tax Seafarer’s at St Paul’s Cathedral on opening hours any formal business (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (which Wednesday 9 October 2019 (1700), meetings underway in the Wardroom must replaces the previous legislation). Where a followed by our traditional Hot Pot be put on hold and, that dress for members member is employed in a marine or marine Supper onboard (1830 for 1900). The and their guests in the Wardroom is jacket related occupation, the Annual Subscription Service is usually attended by our Past (optional in the summer) and tie. A stock of and Livery Quarterage is allowable as a Master, HRH Princess Anne and by the spare maritime ties is held in Reception. deduction from earnings for tax purposes majority of the maritime sector in (but not Freedom or Livery Fines). Section London. Tickets should be ordered as Accommodation 334 is limited to earnings from soon as possible from the Office. Both There are two ensuite cabins, one double employment, but members who are self- the Service and Hot Pot afterwards, are and one twin, onboard WELLINGTON for employed receive relief under Schedule D. for us, our ladies and partners and
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private guests. Members do not have to Leading into summer, the Ladies Lunch and these suppers that follow the talks make attend both events. Wardens will be Annual Service at St Michaels on 14 June for an entertaining evening all round and wearing Mid-Morning Dress; Court will probably have happened by the time act as a showcase to attract new members Assistants and members, who wish, may this reaches you. The choir of St Michaels to the Friends of the Wellington Trust. conform, although lounge suit is are always a delight to hear and the So, what of our speakers this season? Some perfectly acceptable. standard of the organ and the organist will be well-known to you; Rear-Admiral • The Member’s Lunch on Friday 15 make for a wonderful church to be in for John Lang, who has presented three talks in November 2019 (1215 for 1300). This our annual service. I hope that the the past six years, Captain Guy Brocklebank, event is for us and private guests (not attendance this year will be more than in Chairman of the Wellington Trust, Captain spouses or partners), where the guest of some past years as this is such an John Freestone, Past Master of the HCMM, honour is the (new) Lord Mayor of the important annual milestone. and not forgetting myself of course. Robert City of London. Wardens will wear Morning On Friday 12 July it is the 15 th Annual G Lloyd is one of the world’s leading Dress; Court Assistants and Members, who Maritime Ball; this year’s theme is Scottish marine artists whose works grace the wish, may conform, although Lounge Suit is and a piper will be playing on the top deck. saloons of many of today’s vast cruise liners perfectly acceptable. I have already been told of at least one and their owner’s board rooms. Charles • The annual Christmas Lunch on Tuesday gentleman who will be wearing a kilt. Miller is an auctioneer of international 18 December 2019 (1230 for 1300). Tartans to the fore (and aft!)!! Bookings repute and a Past Master of the Worshipful This lunch is for us and our spouses and have already been coming in, so if you Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers & partners and the aim is to have fun at haven't booked and would like to join the Tobacco Blenders. What Charles has to tell our final event of 2019. Santa Claus fun please do contact the ship before it is us should, perhaps, be taken with a pinch will be in attendance once again this of snuff. I am delighted to have secured year. The dress theme for all is “Stars”, fully booked! Nick Hewitt as a speaker, especially given with a prize for the most extravagant. Finally, you may have noted if you have the distance he has to travel to be with us. And, available for collection by pre- been in the wardroom recently that we Nick is the Head of Exhibitions & order through Alison, is the perfect have had to increase the prices of some Collections at the National Museum of the Christmas Gift, the Company’s own drinks. The increases are small and the Royal Navy, Portsmouth. Last but not least labelled delicious Champagne at the result of the rising prices required by our is Graham Capel, an Oil, Gas and special price £25.00. suppliers. These are the first increases we Petrochemical engineering trouble-shooter. have made for several years and they still Library Graham, like myself, is a member of the represent very excellent value. New Books Seven Seas Club and it was following a visit • Maritime Economics by members of the Seven Seas Club to HQS – A Macroeconomic Approach The Wellington Trust Wellington that Graham approached me Lambros Varnavides with his offer of a talk. Maritime ISBN-978-1-137-44117-1 Heritage Evening networking at its best! (donated by the author) Lectures Wardroom Notes Glyn Evans PDC Column John Johnson-Allen Co-ordinator Wellington Trust Paul Shepherd Honorary Wardroom Mess Heritage Evening Lectures Secretary The 2018 – 2019 Heritage Evening season ended with the tale of the murder by the Germans of Captain C A Fryatt in July, 1916. While the outline of the story is well- known to most mariners, it was an education to have an expert on the subject, Mark P Baker, fill in the details, particularly concerning the repatriation of Captain Fryatt’s body in 1919. His was one of only three bodies repatriated from the Great War, the other two being Nurse Edith Cavell and the Unknown Soldier. I am delighted to report that the lectures for the 2019 – 2020 season are all in place as shown on page 40. Covering a wide variety of topics, I can safely say there is something in the programme for everyone. As these evenings are open to all, may I recommend you bring a friend to boost We are now into late spring and outside my audience numbers. A good turn-out is the Networking office window the fruit and magnolia trees greatest compliment we can pay our We are a community of like-minded and the irises are in flower, although there speakers, their only reward of substance professionals, who all share a passion for is heavy (and welcome!) rain coming down. being a free supper. The conviviality of the sea and, in various ways, have made www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 39 Company News
The Wellington Trust Heritage Evening Lectures – Programme 2019 Date Speaker Subject
09 September 2019 Robert G Lloyd Marine Artist
14 October 2019 Charles Miller Maritime Auctioneer
11 November 2019 Nick Hewitt “German Commerce Raiders of WWI”
09 December 2019 Rear-Admiral John Lang “The Nation Saved – The Mercantile Marine in WWI.”
The Wellington Trust Heritage Evening Lectures – Programme 2020 Date Speaker Subject Captains G Brocklebank “A History of Rowing on the Thames” 13 January 2020 & J Freestone. “The Life and Times of Sir R Burton-Chadwick, 10 February 2020 Glyn L. Evans Founder of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners.”
09 March 2020 Graham Capel “Recovery of Gold from the British Cruiser HMS Edinburgh ” our living on, under or from it over the Future Skills Conference, to be held on the posted on LinkedIn about our meeting. Off years. However, in our highly fragmented 12th of June. We have decided to break the the back of a single post, I was contacted and specialised industry, that may be the day down into three sections; Soft Skills & by around a dozen younger Members who end of the commonalities. One of the great Safety Culture, Technical & Digital Skills, want to be part of the committee and take pleasures of attending our monthly curry and Training & Qualification Strategies, on an active role in pushing this project lunches and other functions is to meet which will enable us to look deeply into the forward. To my mind, that clearly shows interesting peers with stories to tell and skills seafarers need for the future, as well that there is plenty of untapped demand advice to offer, but the help and guidance as reflecting on the methods we use to for such a committee and I am very much that we receive shouldn’t be solely based train and qualify them. looking forward to seeing where it takes us on the network that we informally develop over the next few years. Unfortunately, the publishing schedule for as we bump into people in the Wardroom. this issue clashes somewhat with the Of course, we already have our mentoring conference and some of you may receive CMMar Column scheme, with around 270 Associates and your copy after the event. However, if you Apprentices paired with Mentors from across do get it in time and there are still tickets Lieutenant Scott Hanlon the industry, but a highly experienced available, please do come along. It promises Captain with decades of command to be a great day. If you can’t make it, experience on cruise ships, may not be in a don’t worry; I will submit a brief write-up position to offer guidance to someone for the next issue. looking to understand the finer points of crude oil washing. I would therefore like to Younger Members’ Committee invite those that feel that they have In the previous Journal, I introduced the something to offer and would be willing to efforts of Sarah Berry and others to field a few questions from time-to-time to encourage increased engagement with, and reach out to me on the details below. representation of, our younger members, so I thought that I would give you an update For those with questions, the HCMM really on the first meeting, which was held on the is here to help you. Angus (our Clerk), 24th of April. In brief, the committee Alison (Business Manager) and Penny discussed how we can make HQS (Finance Manager) have an almost Wellington a social hub for younger encyclopedic knowledge of the membership members in London, specific Younger and are always keen to help. I’m just as Members’ events, improving engagement keen but my encyclopedia is a work in with the colleges, concerns around joining progress. Contact details are below or in costs, how to encourage more younger the front of the Journal. members to join and how this committee Future Skills Conference can represent the younger membership across the other committees and at Court. Although I wrote a short leader for the Can I start by saying a quick heartfelt thank previous Journal, I thought that I would For me though, the most encouraging part you, to all who have approached me since I give you all a little more detail on our occurred in the days afterwards, when I started and given me your best wishes.
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A lot has been happening since I last touched base with you. We organised and delivered our second Professional Review Interview Assessors’ Training Day for the CMMar scheme. The day looked into the operational side of the PRI scheme and how significant the PRI is towards the outcome of Chartership. A huge thank you to Terry Jewell, Matthew Easton, Philip Harper, Duncan Lamb, Geoff English, John Bussell and Lyndon Cooper, all of whom took the time out of their schedules to come. I held a meeting with two senior managers from the Department of International Trade, Maritime Section. They were very impressed with the CMMar scheme and can see the need within the maritime professional and technical areas for such recognition of those individuals who have gone above and beyond. They will now be aiding us in promoting the CMMar internationally and will be in touch regarding events and conferences we can attend. Furthermore, they are also keen to email me at [email protected]. Presently, I with our future Navigators, April has seen start advertising some of our new am preparing my pitch for CMMar presentation the ‘Fighting Clan’ return back to HMNB publications. A great achievement for us. at the Nautical Institute’s International AGM Devonport, Plymouth. The Ship has and Seminar in Hong Kong, taking place 12 th commenced a six week period of We successfully held a conference onboard to 13 th June 2019. Wish me luck! maintenance to allow the Engineers to Wellington with representatives from the keep their systems top line and for the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand ‘Dabbers’, Navy speak for our Warfare High Commissions. This meeting, where our Ship affiliations brethren to give the Ship a much needed very own Commodore Duncan Lamb and lick of paint after the winter storms to Commander Philip Harper, came to assist HMS SUTHERLAND keep us looking ship shape. This will ensure me in the presentation of the Chartered we are ready for retuning back to sea next Master Mariner scheme. I am thrilled to Captain Christopher Laycock month when we reassume high readiness say that each of the delegates were HMS SUTHERLAND remains ready and able National Tasking. Time in base port will also convinced of the importance of our for UK tasking duties as can be seen in the allow the Ship’s Company to take some Chartership. They agreed to promote the latest newsletter from the ship which we well deserved leave with their families. Chartered Master Mariner scheme through are privileged to be able to reproduce in their channels back to their home nations. our Journal columns. Bromsgrove Pre Prep Nursery Furthermore, toward the end of May, I will Recently a delegation from our affiliated Meets The ‘Fighting Clan’ be meeting the Hong Kong Marine Advisor frigate, including the CO, Cdr. Tom Weaver to see how he could help with promoting RN and XO, Lt Cdr Tom Knott MBE RN CMMar. Great advancements for us and visited us aboard Wellington. This provided our CMMar scheme. us with an opportunity to exchange ideas As stated above, CMMar will be going with our Royal Navy colleagues and an international from July 2019. The ideal opportunity for the induction into the Registration Authority have decided to Company of the CO. rollout the Chartership in a four phased A fine fish and chips lunch was enjoyed by plan. Phase One includes Australia, Canada, all during which we learned that Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore and SUTHERLAND will make various port visits the United States of America. Phase Two around the UK in the coming months. We will be Europe and Phase Three will be the hope that some of these will be to some of Commonwealth of Nations. After the our outports when our members can have One of our Principal Warfare Officers completion of the previous three, Phase the opportunity to tour the vessel and see (PWO) recently visited Bromsgrove pre Prep Four will be the rest of the globe. We are how it operates. We will keep track of Nursery to speak to pupils about life as a working very closely with our partners at these plans and advise when arrangements sailor, the role of HMS SUTHERLAND and the Nautical Institute to ensure we are are made. the Royal Navy. This visit was part of a ready for each of these phases, and we project by the class who invite parents into know, it will be a great success. Message From the school to find out about different Remember to follow us via our Twitter page The Commanding Officer careers. It was a very special visit for one of @HCMM_UK but for more information After a busy March at sea supporting the children as it was a chance to bring regarding the Chartership, please feel free to National Tasking and conducting training ‘daddy’ into school. Apparently, despite www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 41 Company News
their young ages they were a very tough The ‘Fighting Clan’ Starts Her various simulators to ensure they remain audience and asked lots of questions. Maintenance Period ready for returning back to sea and they Afterwards the children enjoyed wearing will also complete numerous professional some uniform, including caps and berets courses. It’s not all hard work though, and were given some special gifts to FTSPs, although busy also allow for some remember their day. down time to go home in the evenings (for ME Dept Receive A Fleet those who live nearby) and at weekends, play sport and organise other activities Commander’s Commendation such as departmental teambuilding events. Our Marine Engineering Department has been recognised for their outstanding Potential Padres Take a Tour Of contribution to the Ship throughout the The ‘Fighting Clan’ Asia Pacific deployment in 2018. They made sure the Ship kept sailing in some very challenging environmental conditions, carried out vital defect rectifications, and ensured the Ship remained as cool as possible through equatorial climates. All whilst working within machinery spaces with temperatures in the 50oCs. As such the team were awarded a commendation in the recent Queen’s Birthday Honours Several times a year the ‘Fighting Clan’ has Announcement. Congratulations to the ME roughly six week long periods set aside for Department for a job well done! maintenance in her base port, HMNB Devonport. These are known as ‘Fleet Time The Logistics Dept Enjoy A Day When a Ship deploys or goes to war, one of Support Periods’, or FTSPs, and allow the Out Paintballing the key extra individuals that frequently Ship’s Company to conduct much needed Members of HMS SUTHERLAND’s Logistics embark is the Chaplain, or ‘Bish’ in routine maintenance and defect Department recently enjoyed a day out on Navy speak. Not just onboard for the rectification, supported by contractors from a paintball battlefield all in the name of religious aspects, these individuals play a the dockyard and beyond. HMS ‘teambuilding’. The sailors spent the day crucial role in pastoral care and in SUTHERLAND has started one of these participating in a number of paintball providing a sense of perspective outside the maintenance periods on return from Easter missions at Delta Force in Plympton normal Chain of Command. The ‘Fighting leave. The main items of work this time including ‘Black Hawk Down’ and ‘Castle Clan’ was delighted to host several involve completely replacing one of the Wallenberg’, with the overall winners of Christian (of various denominations) and Ship’s diesel generators and refurbishing Yellow Team being declared. It was a Jewish ministers onboard who are the galley, the latter of which has required closely fought contest and a much enjoyed considering careers as Royal Navy the crew to cook and eat in a mobile galley day out for all involved. Events like this are chaplains. They were given a tour of the (essentially a portacabin) on the jetty. important as they enable sailors to develop Ship and were able to get a picture of what However other work will include upgrades their teamwork and communications skills life is like on a warship, just quite how to a large number of equipment and and their ethos which is at the very heart cramped living conditions can be, and the repainting almost the whole of the upper of our core naval values. It was also a sort of environment they can expect to deck and ship’s side. great opportunity for the Junior and work in. As part of their visit they met a Senior Rates to inadvertently use the Whilst the Ship is alongside the Ship’s number of members of the Ship’s Company Officers as ‘targets’!!!! Company will also conduct training in and spoke to key individuals in the Ship’s pastoral care team to understand the kind of people and situations that they will end up dealing with, should they choose Chaplaincy as a career. Sailors Reach An Important Career Milestone It’s always pleasing to see sailors pass their professional milestones and this month we have had several of the ‘Fighting Clan’ reach significant points in their careers. Our Commanding Officer is delighted to recognise the efforts of the sailors, so ‘BZ’ or well done in Navy speak to LS(AWT) Benning and LS(AWW) Townsend for being on the Petty Officer promotion signal. Well done to AB(AWT) Hawkins and AB(AWW) Geggus who have both been selected for Leading Hands. Congratulations to ETWE
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(CIS) Chard who received his 1st Good If you would like to make a donation we welcome back our Flight (call sign Conduct Badge and last but not least to would be extremely grateful for any help to HIGHLANDER) who will add another ETWE(CIS) McCaffer and Sneddon who achieve our target. dimension to our Anti Submarine Warfare were both presented with their AB1 badges. Our donation page can be found at capability. We will also conduct some whole Engineers Kept Busy Onboard The www.gofundme.com/f/hms sutherland ship training, which will include damage control exercises, Warfare serials and first ‘Fighting Clan’ The Great Sutherland Bake Off aid exercises prior to recommencing Ahead of our planned major Upkeep period National Tasking. next year we have had plenty of visitors onboard the Ship who have been conducting surveys of our equipment From the Editor during a Pre Upkeep Material Assessment (PUMA). Our Marine and Weapon Engineers Captain Robert Booth have been working in close partnership Well one down and maybe a few more with these specialists to assess the material to go!! state of a wide range of equipment Have had one or two good articles but of onboard . This will help the team ‘shoreside’ course could still do with more. There must compile an extensive work package which be a number of good articles but not will see many of our equipment upgraded controversial or political waiting to be whilst the Ship is in dry dock in 2020. Thanks to our intrepid Young Officers, the written by members, so why not pick up Sailors Prepare To Run The Ocean ‘Fighting Clan’ were given the opportunity the pen and get to it. Half Marathon to sample some home made cakes lovingly It is good to hear of Mentor Mentee Sailors from HMS SUTHERLAND are produced by members of the Ship’s interaction and the short piece from preparing to swap their uniforms for sports Company (and most probably their mothers Captain Giles Wade is a case in point, his kit as they get ready to take part in the and wives) that even Paul Hollywood and day out with his mentee Jacob Bennett Plymouth Half Marathon to help raise Mary Berry would be proud of. From the makes interesting reading. Global Links has money for two of our charities. From across classics such as Victoria Sponge , Lemon stirred a bit of interest, so anyone with all ranks and rates these sailors have been Drizzle and Carrot cakes to white chocolate thoughts or interesting anecdotes about training hard both at sea and alongside. muffins and of course Scottish shortbread sailing to the far flung corners of the world The course consists of a ‘scenic’ 13.1 mile the choice was fantastic. Despite some stiff let’s hear of them. competition the Deputy Logistics Officers’ run throughout Plymouth passing many of I also need to apologise to Glyn Evazns for Chocolate cake was deemed the overall her famous landmarks including running up not heading him up on his first piece on winner. The Bake Off also raised in excess all the hills of course!!!!!!! For the charities PoW Worsley RNVR, it will no doubt cost of £100 for one of our nominated charities. themselves, the Royal Navy Royal Marines me a glass next time in the WR. Glyn is one Charity help support the welfare of sailors Our Future Programme of the regular contributors but we could and marines while deployed at sea or The ‘Fighting Clan’ will spend the majority always do with more. during exercises throughout the world. of May conducting our FTSP to ensure TYKES is a charity for young carers based in materially we are in good shape for the our affiliated county of Sutherland where next period of National Tasking. We will Mentor and Mentee they can offer help to young people, some then re set and get back to sea and as young as 5 years old, who have to care Go To Sea conduct a Recovery and Training Period for a relative and give them the (RTP) which will allow us to prove our Captain Giles Wade. opportunity to take some time out to enjoy weapon systems, our propulsion plants and It has long been a desire when pairing an their childhood. Apprentice or Junior Associate with a Master to do so on a geographic basis, with the intention that a closer bond can be formed if the two can meet up near home on a reasonably regular basis. As I live within a few miles of the Honourable Company’s own sponsored cadet Jacob Bennett, I was lucky enough to be asked to be his Mentor. Jacob and I have been able to meet on a number of occasions, but recently with Jacob at home on Easter break from his college phase at Fleetwood, we were able to take this to the next stage, and Jacob joined me for a day at sea on my ship. ‘Condor Liberation’ is a 6000GRT high speed RoPax ferry operating a daily schedule from Poole to the Channel Islands. Jacob’s first sea phase had been spent www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 43 Global Links
trading around Europe on gas tankers, and We arrived in Guernsey as the noon day he was keen to experience a different type canon was fired from Castle Cornet, and Global links of ship, and ‘Condor Liberation’ could Jacob was soon back on the vehicle ramp certainly offer him that. overseeing part discharge and loading with The Company of the Chief Officer. Half an hour later we were Being an HSC, there is no living Master Mariners heading back to sea bound for St. Helier, accommodation on board and most of the Jersey. This, being the turnaround port, sees crew live quite locally to the port. We do of Canada a full discharge before we load for Guernsey provide accommodation ashore for those and Poole. By now, under the watchful eye that live further away, but this is limited, of the Chief Officer, Jacob was able to take a and as such we don’t very often see a more active role in the vehicle loading, and Cadet on board. Jacob joined the ship with followed a load plan that he had been given me early in the morning, and the novelty guidance in creating. of him arriving on the bridge in his cadet uniform meant that he was immediately After a second call in Guernsey and with taken in tow by the Chief Officer, and his 500 passengers heading to the UK for the day was mapped out. Easter holidays we headed North for Poole. Once we were North of Alderney it was agreed that Jacob had shown himself to be quite capable of taking the con, and after a good handover was left to find a way through the numerous ships heading down the South West lane. Whilst keeping an eye from the back of the bridge I thought I’d show Jacob a simple set up on the radar to “THE COMPANY OF MASTER MARINERS OF give an immediate reference when crossing CANADA is a professional organization, the traffic lanes. With a VRM set at 1NM, representing command-qualified mariners as long as relative target vectors all stay as well as like-minded seafarers, industry outside the VRM, all is well. We discussed and government members, and cadets Rule 15, and the fact that when crossing a across Canada. Our work with and for our TSS circumstances don’t always admit members is organized around three pillars: passing astern; and indeed we were at the awareness, education and advocacy. time running nicely ahead of a ship on our ”www.mastermariners.ca starboard bow. With the radar set up like this, I explained you can instantly see if the From the Bridge CPA is changing, should she speed up or we slow down, for example. Barely minutes The Captain G.O. Baugh Memorial later our centre main engine shut itself Scholarships: down, reducing our speed to 26kts and (From a previous edition of the FTB) making the crossing situation quite Below is an article that tells of one different. Like most faults on a modern recipient’s life since receiving her award. ship, it was only a faulty sensor – but anyone would have thought I’d arranged Mélanie Leblanc, Within minutes of the morning crew this with the Chief just to prove my point! Scholarship recipient in 1999: briefing Jacob was being given a whistle With this behind us, Jacob kept a good stop tour of the vehicle decks, and a watch across to the UK coast, and we were briefing on vehicle deck safety, before soon back up through Poole Harbour accompanying the Chief Officer as he before a final discharge at 1930. It had loaded the ship for discharge in Guernsey been a real pleasure to be able to spend a and then Jersey. day at sea with Jacob, and having the time We sailed at 0900, with Jacob keeping a to learn from each other was really useful. I close eye on the pilotage in his native Poole could hear how life was on the gas tankers Harbour, before increasing to a service he’d been on, and find out how subjects speed of 36kts bound for St. Peter Port, are taught at college now – it was great to Guernsey. Although given some time to hear much how use is being made of After studying in the Navigation program explore the ship, we made sure that our simulation too. Learning a running moor at the Institut maritime du Québec (IMQ) in Cadet was back on the bridge to play a for example, has got to be that much more Rimouski, it is in 2002, after 3 years of part in crossing the traffic lanes Off complete when you’ve ‘actually’ done it on studies and 12 months of training at sea Casquets. Jacob was interested in our a modern simulator, rather than drawing a around the globe, that I obtained my Deck routing through the approaches to sketch as we used to. I hope that Jacob was Officer, Third Class Certificate. I then set Guernsey, as he had been studying an able to get something from his day - if out to conquer my dream with my first job incident report in this area as part of his nothing else he went home saying he was as an officer for the Greek company Cérès, Bridge Resource Management training. certain of a good night’s sleep! on a transatlantic super tanker. This first
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contract away from land and family, as the both the maritime industry and the wider told me that women have no place at sea only Canadian and only woman on board, economy to prosper Nusrat Ghani, Hayes’ and said that women are not capable to lasted 7 months. This journey allowed me successor, has taken up these ambitions work as ABs,” she says. “I waited until a to submit for my exams to obtain my with fresh energy. The new minister colleague came to the bridge and chewed Second Officer Certificate in October 2003. attended the first meeting of Maritime UK’s him out about it, but it made me feel like I Until June 2005 I continued my job as an Women in Maritime Taskforce in February. would never fit in in the workplace.” She Officer with the same company and, during “In the autumn, the Government challenged has also noticed that men will rarely swear my shore leave, I held teaching contracts maritime leaders, businesses and colleges to in front of women – “it makes you feel that with L'École des pêches et de l'aquaculture find ways of increasing the number of you are being treated differently because du Québec, Grande Rivière QC and the women in the sector, and it is great to see of your gender”. Institut maritime du Québec. them respond in this way,” Ghani said at the Much like Sarah, Rachel foresees that Despite my long departures and contracts time. “There is a fantastic wealth and working at sea could eventually interfere from one end of the world to the other, I breadth of career opportunities in maritime, with her starting a family. “For me, there is found time to fall in love! In June 2005, I and I am determined to see more women always an overhanging knowledge that my began the greatest of adventures: accessing these,” she continued. personal life will always conflict with my career, and that one day I will have to marriage! I then accepted a more stable job The UK Chamber is also represented on the make a choice between my career and a with Oceanex, carrying containers between Women in Maritime Taskforce. For its part, family,” she says. “This is a choice I made Montreal and Newfoundland, a job that the Chamber has been speaking to female when I decided to go to sea at 18, but it’s allowed me to be at home every other seafarers new and old to tell us what it's always in the back of my mind.”Rachel is month. Along the way, I obtained my really like to work at sea, asking what it’s now a Third Officer onboard passenger Certificate as First Mate (Master, really like – and is there any disadvantage vessels and first went to sea four years ago Intermediate Voyage Certificate). to being female? “I love the responsibility of being in charge The idea of starting a family slowly made its The result is part of a series of articles, way and in January 2007, during the time of a vessel; to have the knowledge and which began on International Women’s Day experience to keep the passengers and crew of my pregnancy, I worked as a maritime (8 th March) with this one in which we expert at the IMQ Technology Transfer safe, to feel the sea breeze and watch the spoke to Cadets. This time we’re speaking sunsets,” she says. “Every day is different Centre. When I returned to work, I decided to Deck Officers. We also asked our to join the Navigation Department as a and every day something happens that seafarers what advice they would give to makes me glad I chose this career.” teacher, a postion I held until April 2012. any women who were thinking of getting a Companies are trying very hard to promote Today, I am a mother of two girls, ages 8 job at sea. women within the industry and so and 11 years, and I have been working since Their responses, at the end of this article, sometimes it can be beneficial to be a April 2012 as Assistant Director of Student are telling. “I towed and sailed as a woman at sea, Rachel says – but that’s not Services at IMQ, As part of my duties, I am teenager on the Medway Estuary and saw to say she hasn’t received any nonsense responsible for the recruitment of our ships entering and leaving port, which along the way. “When I was a Cadet I sailed future work force, for overseeing IMQ inspired me to take a job in the maritime with several ‘old-school’ officers who made agreements with Transport Canada and for sector,” says Sarah , 28, who works for a things tricky for me and would give me representing IMQ in the maritime industry. ferry company in the Irish Sea. After admin-based jobs, or cleaning because I I am actively involved in the promotion of working for the Port of London Authority ‘should learn to do a women’s job before our institute and I am committed to for three years, she decided to take the leap I’m allowed to do a man’s’,” she says. “All grooming the next generation of mariners and go to sea. this did was give me the drive to prove and promoting maritime careers. It has now been seven and a half years and them all wrong and be the best, gender I strongly wish to witness a growing Sarah is a Third Officer, qualified to OOW. aside. For me, people work on ships, not interest for these extraordinary trades and She will be studying for her Chief Officer’s men and women, and this is the way it a better attraction of women who are still certificate this year and has ambitions to should be moving forward.” too few in our industry! become a Master Mariner and serve as Rachel says the prospect of a challenge was Mélanie Leblanc Captain, before eventually becoming a what made her want to go to sea. “I Assistant Director, Student Services, marine pilot. But there are three main areas wanted to do something different that was Institut maritime du Québec. in which her career progression could be challenging and I felt this calling to the sea challenged, she says: finding and navigation and thought ‘let’s give it a the money to pay for her qualifications; go !’” she says. “My career ambition is to be What’s it like being a balancing work and life (“it’s difficult to the best of every position I become, and to female Deck Officer? start a family as a woman at sea”); and make my way up the ranks as long as I am sexism at sea. “Thankfully I work on a ship passionate and love my job. If that is as far “Let’s make 2018 the year the scales tip in where sexism in the workplace is minimal as Captain then bring it on!” What would favour of women in shipping,” then but it can be a real challenge for some be your advice to prospective female sea shipping minister John Hayes said during women at sea,” she explains. “Even on farers? Sarah: “Do it! It’s a very rewarding London International Shipping Week last better ships, there are some who think that and enjoyable career with plenty of career September (2017). women should not beat sea or who find it progression and opportunity. And if you Hayes said he was “determined that we can hard to take orders from a female.” Sarah can’t beat them, join them!” and must do more” to get women into speaks from some experience. “An AB, who Rachel: “You have to be a certain type of careers at sea, which he said would help was my watchman on the bridge one night, person to pursue a career at sea, whether www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 45 Global Links
you’re a man or a woman. You need to be Royal Navy came up with a secret plan: relation) writes, “The Society was in essence able to cope with being away, being lonely, Send a naval officer on a supposedly a useful vehicle for government to utilize being tired, working hard, and having a lot scientific voyage, then direct him to the scientific interests of individual fellows, of responsibility and stress. But if you can undertake a voyage of conquest for the and for fellows to turn their scientific take hese things on with the right passion fabled Southern Continent. The man interests into formal applications for and motivation, then the positives of the chosen for the job was one James Cook, a government assistance.” When the Royal job far outweigh the negatives.” Navy captain who also had training in Society approached the Navy, requesting March 13th 2018 cartography and other sciences. they send a ship to Tahiti to observe the Europeans already knew the Pacific had its transit of Venus that would occur in 1769, https://www.ukchamberofshipping.com/late it probably seemed like the perfect cover, st/whats-it-being-female-deck-office/ share of islands, and some of them held the potential for enormous wealth. After Cook the scholar says. all, Ferdinand Magellan became the first The 1769 transit of Venus was the mid- The Company of European to cross the Pacific Ocean way 18th-century version of the mania back in 1519, and by then it was already surrounding last year’s solar eclipse. It was Master Mariners known that the “Spice Islands,” (in one of the most massive international of Australia modern-day Indonesia) were located in the undertakings to date. Captain Cook’s crew, Pacific. Magellan was followed by a dozen complete with astronomers, illustrators and other Europeans—especially Dutch and botanists, was one of 76 European Spanish captains—over the next two expeditions sent to different points around centuries, some of them sighting the the globe to observe Venus crossing the western shores of Australia, others sun. Scientists hoped that these identifying New Zealand. But the vastness measurements would help them quantify of the Pacific Ocean, combined with the Earth’s distance from the sun and unreliability of maps, meant no one was extrapolate the size of the solar system. The sure whether the Southern Continent rare event was deemed so important that existed or had been discovered. the French government, fresh off fighting Even among the British, Cook wasn’t the the Seven Years’ War (French and Indian first to set his sights on the South Pacific. War) with England, issued an instruction to Just a year earlier, Captain Samuel Wallis its war ships not to harass Cook. It wasn’t piloted the ship Dolphin to make first an undue precaution; French astronomer landing on Tahiti, which he christened Guillaume Le Gentil traveled to India to George III Island. As for the British observe the 1761 transit of Venus but government, they had publicized their ultimately missed the event because his interest in the region since 1745, when ship had to outrun English men-of-wars, Parliament passed an act offering any according to historian Charles Herdendorf. The Company of Master Mariners of British subject a reward of £20,000 if they Captaining the Endeavour, Cook departed Australia is an association established to found the fabled northwest passage from from Plymouth 250 years ago on August promote the interests and status of the Hudson Bay in North America to the 26, 1768, in order to arrive in Tahiti on Merchant Navy generally and of Master Pacific. The British government wasn’t time for the transit, which would happen Mariners in particular. The Company was alone in its imperialist interests; the Dutch on June 3, 1769. His path carried him founded in 1938 by Capt.A.N. Boulton, explorer Abel Tasman had already sighted across the Atlantic and around the MBE, VRD, BCom, ExC and became an an island off the south coast of Australia difficult-to-traverse Cape Horn in South incorporated body in 1988. The Company that would later be named after Tasmania America toward the south Pacific. He of Master Mariners of Australia Limited him, and the Spanish had built carried with him sealed secret instructions is a not for profit professional fortifications on the Juan Fernández Islands from the Admiralty, which he’d been association that is limited by guarant. off the west coast of Chile. ordered not to open until after completing The Company has six Branches based in “For the Spaniards to fortify and garrison the astronomical work. Unfortunately for Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Juan Fernández meant that they intended the scientists, the actual observations of Newcastle and Brisbane. to try to keep the Pacific closed,” writes the transit at points around the world were Captain Cook’s 1768 Voyage to historian J. Holland Rose. “The British mostly useless. Telescopes of the period the South Pacific Included a Admiralty was resolved to break down the caused blurring around the planet that Secret Mission Spanish claim skewed the recorded timing of Venus It was 1768, and the European battle for But to do so without drawing undue passing across the sun. dominance of the oceans was on. Britain, attention to their goals, the Admiralty But for Cook, the adventure was just France, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands needed another reason to send ships to the beginning. “Cook left no record of when he had already spent several centuries Pacific. The Royal Society presented the opened the sealed packet of secret orders traversing the globe in search of new land perfect opportunity for just such a ruse. he’d been given by the Admiralty,” writes to conquer and resources to exploit, but Founded in 1660, the scientific group was Tony Horwitz in Blue Latitudes: Boldly the Pacific—and specifically, the South at first little more than a collection of Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Seas—remained largely unknown. In their gentlemen with the inclination and Before. “But on August 9, 1769, as he left race to be the first to lay claim to new resources to undertake scientific projects. Bora-Bora and the other Society Isles territory, the British government and the As historian Andrew S. Cook (no apparent behind, Cook put his instructions into
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action. ‘Made sail to the southward,’ he running with the tide, were simply untrue. watching the Brisbane River floods on TV. wrote, with customary brevity.” Blatant lies which green groups have honed Even a 300-500mm difference in water The gist of those instructions was for Cook into an art form. levels makes a huge difference to some to travel south and west in search of new The dredging was stopped concluding over houses and businesses, and the enquiry land—especially the legendary “Terra 100 years of effective acquisition of sand unfortunately ignored the fact that Australis,” an unknown continent first and aggregates. Brisbane then was the continued river dredging could have proposed by Greek philosophers like cheapest place in the country to build a dropped the flood levels. This flood claimed Aristotle, who believed a large southern house due to the abundance of cheap 38 lives. Soorley and Zethoven should hang continent was needed to balance out the aggregate delivered into the city by the their heads in shame. weight of northern continents. In their river, hence cheap concrete, bricks and tiles. The Brisbane upper river was navigable instructions, the Royal Navy told Cook not The lone voice consultant appointed 2 days 46kms from the CBD by the Riverside coal only to map the coastline of any new land, earlier by the Premier’s Department barges until the 1990’s. but also “to observe the genius, temper, happened to be me, and I protested against Recent investigations by the Port of disposition and number of the natives, if these lies, explaining that the proposal of there be any, and endeavor by all proper Brisbane to transport containers from the replacing these 2 old 2,000 tonne quiet Acacia Ridge rail terminal to the port, means to cultivate a friendship and alliance barges with 160 truck movements (each with them… You are also with the consent dismissed the river transport option, as the with 400hp turbocharged diesels) a day Brisbane river is now ‘way too shallow’. Rail of the natives to take possession of was madness, endangering schoolkids, convenient situations in the country, in the or road alternatives will be at least 40 contributing thousands of cubic metres of times more expensive. name of the King of Great Britain.” truck exhaust gases daily, and adding to Cook went on to follow those road maintenance costs. During the 1990’s dredging demonisation, instructions over the next year, spending despite the State Government getting But, I concluded, the halting of the river a total of 1,052 days at sea on this royalties from every cubic metre extracted, dredging would shallow the river and mission. He became the first European to dredging was halted. The navigation exacerbate the danger of flooding. circumnavigate and meticulously chart channel through to the Gold coast at the coastline of New Zealand’s two Labor’s Soorley hailed the decision to halt Jacobs Well, kept open by a sand islands, and repeatedly made contact dredging as "a significant victory for extraction program, was abandoned, and with the indigenous Maori living there. Queensland". He said that for 100 years, the vessels started to run aground again at He also traveled along the east coast of Brisbane River had been "treated as a sewer anything below mid tide. The program to Australia, again becoming the first and a mine". attract luxury superyachts to the region European to do so. By the time he and "No other capital cities in the world allow suffered a knockback. his crew (those who survived, anyway) ugly dredges into the heart of their city to Cruise ship companies are seeking new returned to England in 1771, they had mine their river", said this fool. Nodding destinations and the all year round good expanded the British Empire’s reach to an their agreement in total ignorance was weather of Queensland is a natural almost incomprehensible degree. But he Environment Minister Littleproud, Natural attraction. But even to anchor off some of hadn’t always followed his secret Resources Minister Hobbs, Ipswich Mayor the beautiful destinations and send their instructions exactly as they were Nugent, Laidley Shire Mayor Moon, and tenders ashore is being hampered by the written—he took possession of those new the Queensland Conservation Council's ongoing demonization of dredging by the territories without the consent of its Imogen Zethoven. Queensland Government. inhabitants, and continued to do so on Ms Zethoven, a fully indoctrinated greenie, his next two expeditions. Picturesque destinations such as Innisfail said the agreement was "a major Source: smithsonian.com and 1770 are not accessible from the sea breakthrough for the rehabilitation of the except for high tide, due to lack of river" and continued "Clearly dredging is dredging at the river mouths. Cooktown way out of line with community attitudes." has been listed as unsafe by marine Soorley and Zethoven are probably perplexed underwriters, with the State program of a that the Brisbane river is still brown visit by a large dredger every 5 years. Try living by having a meal once every 5 weeks The truth of the matter is that most river !. Dredging 1.0.1 says that small amounts of port cities in the world have active dredging frequently is the best way to keep dredging programs with aggregate a rivermouth deep and safe extraction as a the lowest low cost method of maintaining navigation channel depth Two years ago, Nation building initiatives of OPEN DAY AT THE ASYLUM – and mitigating flood levels. Take a trip extracting sand from river mouths for local EXPOSING GREEN-LABOR MADNESS around Asia and you will see on the Pearl use was circulated to the councils in - Selling Queensland Down the River River in China, Saigon River in Vietnam and control of 138 blocked river outlets around the nation (https://youtu.be/A14qiQUZNzU) At a public meeting at Mt Crosby in 1996, the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok, the halting of river dredging the Brisbane multitudes of low powered grab dredgers The reaction was overwhelmingly positive. was concluded. The lies spun by agitated that are anchored until the tide changes, as Clean sand extraction at rivermouths makes green groups, aided by the gullible Mayor they, like the Brisbane river grab dredgers, bar conditions safer for small vessels. Jim Soorley, of the “ugly dredgers causing are only capable of steaming with the tide. March last year saw a 13 year old girl bank erosion” from their diminutive 300hp 15 years later, in 2011, as that ex- drown on the Moruya Bar in NSW when engines and 4 knot speed, only capable of consultant, I just shook my head in dismay her family’s cruiser capsized during transit. www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 47 Global Links
The Queensland green labor Government Diamantina are helping to assist with a dredging policy for the last 23 years has more thorough search in the region. been an economic disaster for jobs and “Whatever the outcome, we are most prosperity. Despite their rhetoric of creating grateful to Sri Lanka for their co-operation jobs, the present green labor government are and understanding," Rear Admiral Mead said. now finalising policy not only to halt capital “The Vampire story illustrates the enduring dredging around the state, but to halt ties we have with Sri Lanka and the Indian transhipping and export mini ports. Hello? Ocean region.” Source: Defence Connect The successful mini port of Bing Bong NT, has exported more than $10bn of cargo in The Company of the last 26 years with one small vessel, and Master Mariners the government royalties were over $500m ! The indigenous Mawa group are still co- of New Zealand Captain Darrell Daish and Captain Ted owners of the transhipment vessel. Ewbank with students of Scots College at Now Queensland’s Department of Government House, Wellington Environment and Science wants legislation Posted in Auckland Branch, Christchurch to halt the export of economically trapped Branch, Executive Committee, General, resources, with a policy agreed by EPA’s Leave a comment Minister Leanne Enoch last November to WARD TO MOST PROMISING prohibit any new transhipment. Luckily it is not yet law. CADET AT NZ MARITME SCHOOL The current proposal by the Hopevale Congress, just north of Cooktown, to export silica sand by barge transhipment was soundly rejected by GBRMPA and Qld Transport, despite the product being exported being the same as the stuff on the seabed at the proposed transhipment point making the remote possibility of pollution by spillage at an astounding ZERO. One official stated “that may well be Dr Ballantyne, but you could use that Waitangi Day 2019 export point to handle coal !” The nearest Posted on 7 February, 2019 Capt Ewbank, Capt Barradale, Marissa coal mine to that point was 300 kms away by Larry Robbins Judkin, Capt Frankland with no road access, but this highlights The Governor General of New Zealand, The their level of delirium At a morning tea and short ceremony at Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy GNZM QSO, is the Maritime School on 8 April Marissa Nowhere in our nation for the last 100 the Honorary Patron of the NZ Company of Judkin, the 2018 most promising Cadet in years will you find evidence of any Master Mariners. the second year of study, was presented environmental damage from dredging or On Waitangi Day (6 February 2019), the with a $1,000.00 cheque from the Master transhipping. This is not science, it is Company was represented at a reception at Mariners, Auckland Branch, and the ideology pedalled by fools and Government House Wellington by the Captain Worth Prize. implemented by a bureaucracy permeated Master, Captain E E Ewbank, and the with high achievers in mediocrity. Warden of the Christchurch Branch, RNZN FRIGATES UPGRADE The frigate Te Mana has arrived in Canada This is another level of lies and madness, Captain Darrell Daish. to start her combat management system totally ignoring regional north Queensland, upgrades. The ship arrived in the Canadian our traditional owners, the prosperity of the forces base Esquimalt on March 12 and will state, and jobs for our kids and grandkids. be modernized at Seaspan’s shipyard in My staunch Labor dad would turn in his Victoria, British Columbia. Te Mana is grave watching these clowns destroy starting the upgrade after completing a community jobs for the sake of green five-month engagement in the Asia-Pacific preferences, and thankfully Scott region. The first of our two Anzac-class Morrison’s victory has them on the run. frigates, Te Kaha , started her 10-month They didn’t mind causing and watching refit in March 2018. hundreds of regional Queenslanders losing Canterbury – Canterbury is currently jobs, but when the possibility of politicians berthed at Devonport. losing their own jobs, OH NO ! Otago – Otago is currently berthed Dr. Stuart Ballantyne at Devonport. [email protected] Wellington – Wellington is berthed Australian hydrographic ship HMAS The Master, Captain Ted Ewbank, with Her at Devonport having recently Leeuwin and mine hunter HMAS Excellency the Governor General. visited Wellington.
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only be for one or two days but it will stay here for some time." Mr Atu also questioned why the mining company saw it fit to try and load bauxite during the cyclone season in Solomon Islands. Local communities on Rennell have been calling on the government and the company to quickly get the ship off their reef before it causes more damage to the environment. The Solomon Islands Permanent Secretary and Director of Mines were approached for this story but declined to comment. It has b een reported that the ship has now been refloated off the reef. 101 YEARS AGO At 1am on 18 September, 1917, when the SS Port Kembla , bound from Melbourne to Aotearoa London was 11 miles off Cape Farewell a AOTEAROA READY FOR LAUNCHING SOLOMON ISLANDS OIL SPILL terrific explosion occurred in the forward Aotearoa is expected to be launched in the 25 February holds which damaged the ship’s radio. The next fortnight. The Nature Conservancy Solomon Islands, ship took an immediate list to starboard MANAWANUI REPLACEMENT is blaming government negligence for a and within 30 minutes sank. The crew of 50 shipwreck that authorities are calling the officers and men managed to abandon ship The Royal New Zealand Navy's future worst man-made environmental disaster in into two lifeboats. hydrographic and diving support vessel, the country's history. which will be known as HMNZS At 6.30 the lifeboats were found by the SS Manawanui once commissioned, has Three weeks ago, the bulk carrier, MV Regulus which towed the survivors to Nelson. received its service livery and begun its Solomon Trader ran aground on a reef at An enquiry initially decided that an internal delivery voyage to New Zealand. Edda Lavangu Bay in East Rennell, while trying explosion caused the sinking and the Australian Fonn was acquired by the New Zealand to load bauxite from a foreign owned mine Government issued a reward of £5,000 for government in 2018 for NZD103 million on the island. information concerning the outrage. (USD70 million). It was procured to fulfil Eventually, the Government realised that a operational gaps in the RNZN's diving mine field had been laid by the German support and maritime survey capabilities Commerce Raider Wolf . New Zealand had following the retirements of its no minesweepers. The only warship in New hydrographic ship HMNZS Resolution in Zealand was the old worn out light cruiser 2012 and dive tender HMNZS HMS Philomel berthed in Wellington. Manawanui in 2018. Solomon Trader aground On 1 February, 1918, the New Zealand CHINA TO BUILD A CITY IN Government, on behalf of Admiralty in SOUTH CHINA SEA Bad weather from Cyclone Oma over the past fortnight complicated salvage London, chartered the Auckland City US CRIES FOUL operations and the vessel is now reportedly Council’s trawler Simplon (184grt) and the China says it plans to construct an "island leaking oil into the ocean and declared a New Zealand Trawling Company’s Nora city" in the disputed waters of the South total loss. 60 tons oil already spilled and Niven (166grt) for conversion to China Sea, in a move that has sparked the 600 tons oil estimated on board. minesweepers. The railways workshops were United States' objection. An official in the tasked with building and fitting the southernmost Chinese territory of Sansha The conservancy's project manager Willie minesweeping gear. announced the plan saying the Atu said this would never have happened if development would proceed on a directive the government had followed important from President Xi Jinping, the South China regulatory processes, such as conducting a Morning Post reported on Monday. proper Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), before granting the mine its licence. Under the plan, Yongxing Island, along with the two smaller islets of Zhaoshu and "Before a company can be issued a Jinqing, would be turned into a "national development consent it has to go through key strategic service and logistics base." EIA so it means like this, every possible "We need to carefully plan the overall thing that you envisage or think that will development of the islands and reefs based happen you put it in that paper. That Trawler Simplon on their different functions, taking into process it gives the public the opportunity On 12 February, 1918, the two account their complementary relationship," to ask questions," said Willie Atu. minesweepers sailed from Wellington to Zhang Jun, the Communist Party secretary "If all this does not happen...the sweep the minefield off Cape Farewell. of Sansha City, said in a statement. consequences will be with us and it will not Their crew was augmented by sailors from www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 49 Features
Philomel which acted as the base ship. On crew of 61 and 18 dockyard officials and the Oaze Bank close to her starboard side, if 20 March, a storm forced the two vessels to workers on board to carry out trials in the she had altered course to starboard, she seek shelter at Nelson. A ‘rouge’ wave hit Nore Submarine Exercise Area .She had would have run aground on the bank. The Simplon smashing her bridge, mizzen mast successfully completed the trials and was only alternative, it seemed to him, was to and dingy. Seaman Edward Wright was lost passing the Oaze Bank,returning to alter course to port; as it was considered in overboard. Chatham. At this point Truculent saw the the heat of the moment that the other More will follow in the next newsletter. lights of another ship ahead of her. This ship vessel was stationary, this was the action was the Divina, a Swedish coastal tanker of taken. However, as Truculent turned to port, 670 tons. As such, for service in the Baltic away from the Oaze Bank it suddenly THE LOSS OF THE she had an ice reinforced bow. She was on became apparent that the ship was not passage from the Thames to Ipswich with a stopped, was in fact moving toward them TRUCULENT cargo of kerosene. She had come out of the at speed, and the lights were those of a ship John Johnson Allen Thames, correctly, on the starboard side of with an extra red light at the masthead to (A condensed extract from “They the channel and was at the narrow point show that she had a dangerous cargo on Were Just Skulls”) where she needed to make an alteration of board. This light is shown by all tankers course from East to North East to enter the when in port and loading or discharging (With additional Photographs ) Oaze Deep to take her up towards Ipswich. cargo, but is extinguished when outside the On the evening of 12 th January 1950, HMS The navigable width of the channel at that limits of a port. Truculent was in collision with a Swedish point is only half a mile. As Divina Truculent 's turn to port therefore opened coastal tanker in the Thames Estuary. Sixty- approached, fine on Truculent 's port bow, her starboard side to the oncoming Divina four people died as a result of an error in the Officer of the Watch, Lt Humphrey- with disastrous results. seamanship. I have been through all the Baker was concerned: The lights that he official records of the incident, and could see did not fit a recognised pattern to Fred Henley and four of the five officers of interviewed at great length the last him and they were, he thought, too far over Truculent were on the bridge; only the First survivor of that night, Fred Henley for from the right side of the channel, even Lieutenant was below. All remaining living “They Were Just Skulls. ” His words helped allowing for the narrow width of the members of the crew were then inside a to bring this to light. channel at that point. He, correctly, called submarine that was sinking rapidly with a the Captain to come to the bridge. When he huge gash in her starboard side. It was arrived, Bowers saw the red and green approximately 1900, completely dark, in navigation sidelights of the vessel, which January with a strong and very cold ebb indicated that it was heading directly at tide flowing past, out of the Thames. Fred Truculent and above them a red light, in a and the four officers, who had been triangular formation. The single upper red washed off the bridge, were drifting light was the one that caused confusion. seawards on the ebbing tide. Bowers came to the conclusion that the Fortunately for them, after nearly an hour, She was built at the Barrow Yard of Vickers vessel was stationary, presumably an 8,000 ton Dutch merchant ship, the Armstrong, completed on New ear's Eve considering that the two red lights Almdyk picked up the five men. She sent 1942 and was one of 26 of the “T” Class,15 indicated that the ship was “not under an open radio distress message to alert all of which were built at Barrow. command” and not moving through the shipping, and the appropriate authorities: water. Because of Truculent 's position, with In 1944 she returned from service in the “HM Submarine Truculent sank NW Red Far East for a refit . She then went to Chatham Dockyard for further modifications in 1949. In October of that year her new Commanding Officer was appointed. Lt Charles Bowers was an experienced submariner who had joined the Submarine Service in May 1942. He passed the Commanding Officers Qualifying Course(otherwise known as the “Perisher”) in July 1945 and had been in command of several submarines before joining Truculent . The refit was completed in early January 1950 and on the morning of 12th January Truculent left the Royal Dockyard at Chatham and sailed down the Medway, passing out into the Thames Estuary with Sheerness on her starboard side and the sunken Liberty ship Richard Montgomery , which had sunk during the war with large quantities of explosive on board, on her port side. She proceeded out into the estuary with a
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was orderly and without panic.
The survivors who broke surface after their escape from Truculent were surprised, and probably dismayed, to find no help at hand. There was no knowledge of the sinking until the Almdyk 's distress message close to 1½ hours after the time of the collision and up to an hour after survivors reached the surface. Those who reached the surface were then in the grip of the ebb tide flowing out of the Thames. All except 10 of those who reached the surface either drowned or died of hypothermia. Bodies were washed up as far away as the Belgian coast. Those who lived were in the water for up to two hours and when recovered, were all semi-conscious and initially unable to stand.
Almdyk The Admiralty Board of Enquiry produced Sand Tower, between X4 buoy and East was created by the fact that they had been its report on the collision on 23 January. Piles buoy. Have picked up five survivors. sunk by a surface ship and the propeller It runs to 67 paragraphs in total. Many of Believe submarine in collision with Swedish noises of that ship, the Divina, and another them are of a technical nature but some ship Divina. All ships please look out.” ship could be heard overhead: from the stand out, particularly those that relate to Inside Truculent, as she sank, the First timings and the positions of other ships in the movements of Truculent prior to the Lieutenant had ordered everyone to the the area, it would seem likely that the other collision. For example, in paragraph 8 the after end of the boat. Between 50 to 60 ship heard overhead was the Almdyk ; there enquiry found the Truculent at fault in men went to the engine room and after was therefore no need to delay the escape failing to identify the lights of the Divina torpedo compartment and the bulkhead procedure. In the engine room, the Chief for what they were, and in her door was closed between the Engine room Engine Room Artificer was in charge and he subsequent alterations of course and and the forward part of the boat. Of these, told Petty Officer Cook Fry to open the actions, which were contrary to the approximately 25 men were in the after escape hatch. On so doing he was blown International Regulations for the torpedo compartment and the remainder out of the hatch and rose to the surface. Prevention of Collision at Sea.This is were in the engine room. Preparations for The remaining men in the engine room then underlined in paragraph 10 which says “… the escape from the submarine started with escaped; not all had escape sets, so the 10 We have no doubt that HMS Truculent flooding of the compartments within 30 who were fitted with them went after those was the most seriously at fault. ” The minutes of the sinking. This decision was without, the Chief Engine Room Artificer criticism continues in the next paragraph taken in the belief that there were ships to and the Electrical Artificer, who survived, “The central fact remains that Lt Bowers aid with the rescue overhead. This belief going last. Escape from both compartments turned to port on first sighting the Divina's lights when sound seamanship Truculent resurfaces and the Rule of the Road dictated that he should either have held on his course, turned to starboard or stopped. ” They continued “… Sea experience, a seaman's eye and an instinctive knowledge of the Rule of the Road are the only safeguards. ” [against such occurrences] . Despite passing the Perisher, clearly Lt. Bowers lacked those attributes.
The operation to raise the Truculent from the position where she had sunk started on 14 March during the afternoon at low water, at slack water before the tide started to make. On 23 March Truculent was towed to Sheerness dockyard where she remained until she was sold for scrap on 8 May.
John Johnson-Allen.
(Signed copies are available from the author at £15, inc. p&p. Email: [email protected].) www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 51 Features
discomfort was the threat of death by firing passed muster is evidenced by the fact that JOTTING MONTHLY squad. Picking up on the rumour that he for five days the German guards were Glyn L Evans might in fact be an artist, Worsley’s guards unaware that Lt William Mewes RNVR was My article in last quarter’s Journal, Lt. asked him to draw pornographic pictures missing. With his ability to speak German John Worsley, RNVR, Part 1. Into the for them. By this means, Worsley was able and the benefit of his forged documents, Lt Lion’s Mouth, finished with Lt. Worsley to have his daily food ration, a bowl of Mewes was able to reach the Baltic port of being taken captive by the Germans as he watery soup, supplemented by a baked Lubeck and gain access to the dock area. His endeavoured to escape from Lussin Piccolo potato and occasionally bacon and egg as pleas for passage to a neutral port fell on in a commandeered fishing boat. Worsley’s payment in lieu. the unsympathetic ears of two Swedish ship b&w sketch that accompanied the article Release from solitary brought a slight relief captains and, with his escape kit exhausted, shows Lt A Bentley-Buckle sitting on top from boredom and from the frustration of he was picked up by the Gestapo and of gallons of high-octane petrol as the ill- being unable to fully use his artistic returned to Marlag “O.” Despite questioning, fated expedition to rescue British ex-POWs capabilities. Gradually accepted as a bona the secret of Albert RN remained secure. headed up the Dalmation coast of fide prisoner by his fellow captives, always Immediately after the war ended one of the Jugoslavia, just south of Pola. The colour suspicious of a German ‘plant,’ Worsley’s ex-prisoners closely associated with this painting, also by Worsley, depicts a skills were put to good use in the escapade, Lt Guy Morgan, wrote a book previous engagement he witnessed while production of false travel warrants and “Only Ghosts Can Live,” which recounts the on board HMS Roberts during the identity cards for potential escapees. One events at Marlag “O.” bombardment of Salerno. The other b&w particular item, three weeks in the making, sketch by Worsley shows a funnel-painting was a “photograph” produced with a pencil party aboard HMS Devonshire. and paper overlaid with the cellophane wrapping from a cigarette packet. Lt. John Worsley RNVR Unfortunately, this work of art did not survive as the potential escapee was quickly Past President Royal Society of caught and literally swallowed the Marine Artists (1983 – 1988) evidence. Then from Worsley came the Part 2. PoW Worsley RNVR, most outrageous idea, to create a life-like Albert RN and Freedom dummy to stand in on the daily parades, pass inspection by the guards and thus enable the disappearance of an escaped prisoner to go unnoticed. Using all the skill and enterprise available in the camp, the dummy took shape, with Worsley being responsible for the head. Created from papier mache, the head took on a personality with hair and eyebrows “donated” by Worsley’s room-mates, the face tinted with oil paints supplied by the Later, in 1953, a fictionalised film version Swedish YMCA and a ping pong ball, from was released under the title “Albert RN” the same source, cut in half for the eyes. starring Anthony Steel, Jack Warner and Christened “Albert,” the finished dummy Robert Beatty. A re-mastered digital version was finally put to the test and, that it has recently been released.
The discomfort of a week-long train journey from his point of capture on the Dalmatian coast to the German PoW camp Milag “O” near Bremen was as nothing compared with the two months solitary confinement that awaited John Worsley, a lieutenant RNVR and official war artist. Despite the fact that all seven in the captured party wore naval uniform, the twice weekly Gestapo interrogations were based on their assumption that the prisoners were in fact spies. Thus adding to Worsley’s physical
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Faithful to his status as an official war artist, Worsley continued to record the daily life of his fellow prisoners. Art material was in short supply with reliance being placed on barter, exchange, the International and Swedish Red Cross and, to a certain extent, sacrifice. This latter took the form of the fine linen curtains supplied by the Germans that had earlier been block-printed by Worsley in a floral design to give the hut an almost homely feel. On these were painted the portraits of three particular fellow-prisoners whose exploits had earned them the highest medal award, the Victoria Cross. The first ”sitter” was Lieutenant S H “Sam” Beattie (right), VC RN, who received the award for his part in the raid on the Normandie dock at St Nazaire on 28 th March 1942. Aimed at denying access to the dock for the largest of the German navy’s ships, which included Tirpitz, the operation involved the ramming of the dock gates by a destroyer packed with explosives; Lt Commander Beattie was the Captain in command. The dock gates were completely destroyed and the raid declared a complete success despite the loss of 170 men, with many others, including Beattie, being taken prisoner. The two other “sitters,” for Worsley were (later Admiral B G C Place VC CB DSC) and Lieutenant Donald Cameron VC RNR. They were captains of X-6 and X-7 respectively, the two midget submarines that, part of Operation Source, succeeded in penetrating Alten Fjord, Norway to place the explosives that successfully put Tirpitz out of action. On 11-12 th September, 1943, six X-craft had set out on the mission. Each of 35 tons (four ton of which was amatol explosive)
Lieutenant Godfrey Place VC CB DSC Lieutenant Donald Cameron VC RNR with a four man crew, only two craft reached their objective. Lt. Place lost two of his crew members in the devastating explosion that almost blew Tirpitz out of the water, inflicting damage so severe as to render her no longer a threat to the Allies’ Arctic convoys. How Worsley’s paintings of these three remarkable men survived was again down to his own ingenuity. Dried milk (Klim) reached the prisoner of war camps, through the International Red Cross, in tin cans, “empties” being used by the resourceful Worsley to extend the hut’s stove pipe and thus make the hot air go further. Several “empties” joined together formed a canister into which the three portraits and various other drawings were packed for the long journey to freedom. As the Allied advanced from the Normandy beaches, so Marlag “O” was vacated and the prisoners marched inland towards Lubeck, www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 53 Features
paintings resulted in his being elected a member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, voted to the post of Vice President in 1978, becoming the Society’s President from 1983 to 1988. At the 1997 RSMA Exhibition his painting “Boatyard, Aberdeen, Hong Kong” (Left) won the prestigious Worshipful Company of Shipwrights’ Award.
Victoria Dock Birkenhead 120 miles away. Inexorably, the advancing vocabulary acquired over the previous five Allies caught up with the retreating German years, Worsley replied in the negative. guards and their prisoners, the latter being repatriated in a fleet of Lancaster bombers, He was commissioned by Esso to complete 25 per aeroplane, to England, terminal leave a series of paintings depicting life in the and demobilisation. oilfields of Iraq and America, then Worsley, however, still had work to do and, television work saw him produce hundreds after being kitted out at Portsmouth with of large plate illustrations for programmes new RN battledress, identity papers and such as Treasure Island, The Wind in the travel warrant, he spent two weeks leave Willows and A Christmas Carol. He provided with his father in London before it was back the illustrations for many books, one to the drawing board or, to be exact, the appropriately being Guy Morgan’s book canvas and easel. There were war-service “Only Ghosts Can Live,” an account of the VIP’s whose portraits were required by a Freedom at last, and back in civilian life author’s time in Milag “O.” The VC portraits grateful nation and Worsley was the man to Worsley continued to paint portraits now hang in the National Maritime capture them on canvas; Rear Admiral Sir including that of Edward Heath when he Museum, Greenwich while some of the Cloudsley Robinson KCB DSO, painted at the was leader of the Opposition. Maritime VIPs’ portraits can be seen at the Imperial Admiralty, Major General Hamilton Wilkie War Museum. Lt John Worsley RN PPRSMA subjects in both oil and watercolours rd Simpson, painted at the Royal Marines tended to dominate his output, one such died on 3 October 2000. barracks, Chatham, Admiral Sir John being the attempt in 1980 by the yacht Recommended further reading Cunningham KCB MVO, painted at “Villa Lionheart to win the Americas Cup. The John Worsley’s War by John Worsley and Emma”, Naples, Admiral Sir Max Kennedy sheer quality of this and his other maritime Kenneth Giggal Horton GCB DSO, painted at the Admiralty and Rear Admiral Sidney Oswell, painted at Chatham dockyard. The final portrait in the series, and for Worsley, the most challenging, began with a flight in the sitter’s private aeroplane to his headquarters in Germany. Here, Field Marshall the Viscount Montgomery KG GCB KCB CB DSO, a man of few words, spared one or two of these to advise Worsley of the times of just three sitting he could fit into his busy schedule. Worsley plucked up his courage during the final sitting to enquire of the Field Marshall, “Sir, have you yourself ever done any painting?” Monty replied “No.” Then, in an un-typical burst of conversation, added “Never had time.” Shortly after this, demobilisation finally came for Worsley and, upon leaving Portsmouth barracks in his smart, standard-issue civilian clothes, he was approached by a tout enquiring whether he might perhaps be prepared to sell same. Digging deep into a naval
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Only Ghosts Can Live by Guy Morgan Prisoner of the Kormoran The experiences of W A Jones by James Taylor Farewell Milag by Arthur H Bird MBE Goodbye Old Chap by Philip Algar Forgotten Hero of Bunker Valentin – The Harry Callan Story by Michele Callan CARGOES Compiled and Edited by Glyn L Evans When a poet or artist is truly able to capture, in words or pictures, man’s fight for mastery of the sea, he may be counted by those who fully appreciate these two art forms, a master of his craft. The honours conferred upon Masefield and Shoesmith speak for themselves. This book sets out to examine how a collaboration between the two might have flourished. Kenneth D Shoesmith was a member of the NSRS embarked onboard SD NORTHERN RIVER sailing from the Port of Glasgow Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours (SMERAS) has traditionally been a speciality requested to assist by the Russians and to and of the British Society of Poster of the submarine community. In fact, not attempt a rescue all the crew had died. In Designers, exhibiting at the Royal Academy many members of the RN know anything reality, the system is owned by France, and the Paris Salon. His maritime art about NSRS and even for the submariner Norway and the UK and currently it is perfectly captures the romance and community, it is something of an enigma. operated by JFD (James Fisher Defence) adventure of ocean liner travel in the First of all, it isn’t actually a NATO asset but under contract in a Government Owned between-war years of the 1920s and 1930s. the legacy of its inception left it with the Contractor Operated arrangement. This John E Masefield’s first sight of vessels ‘NATO’ tag. Its ‘nom de guerre’, as the NSRS means contractors are responsible for afloat would have been coal barges on the has stuck from when there were several maintaining, mobilising and operating the nearby canal. However, his cadetship in more countries involved in developing a equipment, apart from the military team HMS Conway and brief, deep-sea career rescue system as a contingency for a that operates the Transfer Under Pressure gave him an enduring love of that element KURSK type catastrophe. The KURSK was (TUP) complex. The TUP is used for the and the men whose lives were bound up in an ‘Oscar’ Class Russian Navy nuclear decompression of rescued submariners and it. Not for him the romantic view of some, submarine that sank in the Barents Sea in due to it being a deep air saturation but “the real life of the poor fellows who August 2000, following an explosion in the system, as opposed to a mixed gas one like bring them not only their luxuries but their torpedo compartment of the boat. A those found in the offshore energy very food.” number of crew remained alive for a few industry, it needs government personnel to days after the accident, but sadly, by the operate it. As a tri-nationally owned For more information or to pre-order a time the UK submarine rescue system was system, the NSRS’ priority is to respond to a copy of the book, please contact the Publishers French, Norwegian and British TUP Chamber Control Operators Saron Publishers, Pwllmeyrick House, Mamhilad, Monmouthshire, NP4 8RG Email [email protected] Anyone Seen NEMO? Commander Chris Baldwin RNR Strategic Advisor NSRS Marine Safety & Security Consultants Having spent the best part of 30 years in the RN in either frigates and destroyers, or as a Mine Warfare and Clearance Diver, it was something of an anomaly that I sought the opportunity to become the Operations Officer of the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS). Submarine escape, rescue, surface abandonment and survival www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 55 Features
know what is entailed. This involves loading 350 tonnes of equipment onto 27 articulated lorries; driving it all to an airbase; loading it into three of the world’s largest airlift cargo aircraft (ANTONOV AN- 124) and four C17s; flying it to the nearest airfield to the port of departure and mobilising all the equipment onto two vessels of opportunity (VOO). The VOOs will more than likely be large Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) and these then sail to the incident site where upon arriving, the rescue submersible can be dived to mate with the disabled submarine. NSRS has been embarked on UT 755 type OSVs and military vessels and regular vessel surveys are undertaken to explore the potential for future mobilisations. This model of operation was undertaken during the Loading the SRV into an ANTONOV AN-124 Heavy Lift Aircraft response to the KURSK disaster operation. disaster involving a submarine from one of deep water and it was clear that there had At that time the MV NORMAND PIONEER the three participating nations. For this been no survivors to be rescued as a was chartered by the UK Government and reason, the TUP is operated by diving and consequence of the accident. the rescue submersible LR5 embarked with medical specialists from all three countries. As the NSRS Operations Officer, my biggest its RN and contractor personnel. In this respect it is a unique arrangement in responsibility is ensuring the operational It goes without saying that another key terms of military and private commercial capability of the system remains at the element of the mobilisation is the co-operation which really shows just what level of readiness expected by the three integration of the NSRS manpower and can be done through co-operative, governments. This reactive status is equipment onboard the MOSHIP. The NSRS collaborative ventures. enshrined in another Memorandum of capability must be carefully integrated into Obviously, there are challenges with this Understanding, signed at Government level, the ship’s own Safety Management System heady mix of public, private and which requires that the NSRS be available under the International Safety international interests. Differing opinions, to respond to a rescue situation for the Management (ISM) Code. It must always be contrasting cultural norms and of course three participating nations (PN) anywhere borne in mind that the ship’s Master has the language element means that decision in the world and to be able to start the the ultimate responsibility for safety of all making when dealing with what would first rescue operation within 72 hours of the personnel onboard his or her ship. undoubtedly be an extremely high profile being alerted. 72 hours or 3 days and Equally, NSRS operating safety procedures and stressful situation can be even more nights might seem a long time until you incorporating both military and contractor problematic. However, there is a real sense of team spirit in the TUP Operating Group The work class Remotely Operated Vehicle – main element of the Intervention Capability or TOG, comprising of French, Norwegian and British Navy divers, medics and supporting contractors. Existing NATO protocols enable medical and diving leadership to function effectively. It is an accepted operational condition that the submarine in distress determines where the overall leadership responsibility lies. For a UK submarine the medical specialists from the Institute of Naval Medicine (INM) will carry out that task. It does become a little less clear were the system to be called to respond to an incident involving a third party’s submarine. However, NSRS already has Memoranda of Understanding with the US and Sweden for mutual rescue support. NSRS was put on stand-by to respond to the Argentinian incident involving the ARA SAN JUAN which was lost in late 2017 and some members of the management team were deployed to Argentina to provide advice and equipment in the effort to locate and assist the SAN JUAN. Sadly, the wreck of the submarine was located in
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safety policies have to be adhered to. This will be a key issue for the contractor’s Rescue Manager and myself. For example, the MV SOPHIE SIEM used by the USN during the ARA SAN JUAN rescue efforts had a considerable amount of structural work done to embark the system which is similar in size to the NSRS. The implications of such work on the vessel’s existing Class Society certification and her power and operating systems require that rapid but thorough surveys be completed. In particular, NSRS relies on the vessel being at least a DP2 Class and therefore any work required to embark the system must not compromise the DP system’s redundancy and power management arrangements, so consideration of the system’s Failure Mode Event Analysis (FMEA) is extremely important. The command and control organisation for the NSRS on operations will include the ship’s key personnel such as the Chief Engineer, Chief Officer, Senior Electrician, Bosun and of course the Master. The TUP Chamber Complex can hold up to 72 personnel The effort required to load and unload the View from the Pilot’s Seat in NEMO equipment to and mobilising onto the VOO is incredible to watch, as the order in which each load is built and then unshipped and craned onto the VOO, has to be meticulously planned. A team of specially selected welders are brought in by the contractor to fit the NSRS to the VOO which then becomes the Mothership or MOSHIP. Once the system is embarked, the ship will sail to the site of the submarine in distress – otherwise known as the DISSUB. In a real operation the mobilised equipment will be subjected to a Class certification en route; when exercising the NSRS the certification is completed before the ship sails. While the NSRS is being mobilised a lot of concurrent activities will have been taking place under the control of the submarine operating authority (SUBOPAUTH). A marine and air exclusion zone will be established through Notices to Mariners and Airmen. Search vessels and aircraft will have been deployed to locate the exact position of the DISSUB and to establish a secure operating area for the rescue assets. For a large nuclear-powered submarine, it is likely that NSRS would be working in co-operation with other submarine rescue systems. The US, Sweden, Australia and most recently India operate mobile rescue systems which can be air lifted just like the NSRS. The rescue operation is then co-ordinated by Co- ordinator Rescue Forces (CRF). This position will be held by a senior Naval Officer afloat and they will be in direct contact with the SUBOPAUTH which will provide additional support. www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 57 Features
PLARS is an extremely strong hydraulically chamber and the RCO then goes through powered crane system which can lift the the process of shutting hatches and NEMO SRV, which weighs 25 tonnes, off the deck then de-mates from the submarine to and lower it over the stern of the MOSHIP. begin the ascent. Once NEMO is back on It can do this in sea states up to strength 5 the deck of the MOSHIP it is connected to which is why it has been so strongly built. the TUP complex. The NSRS SRV is named ‘NEMO’ and it has The TUP will also be pressurised to the same a diving depth of 610 metres and can carry pressure as the submarine and the survivors up to 15 passengers. It is piloted by two are then brought into the TUP deck operators who sit in NEMO’s command chambers where they undergo compartment. They pilot the SRV and decompression treatment to prevent DCS control its life support systems. The 15 occurring before they get back to normal passengers are carried in the rescue surface pressure. The TUP can hold up to 72 chamber and this can be pressurised to the survivors and the TUP complex is even same pressure as the disabled submarine’s fitted with medical treatment chambers internal pressure. This is done so that the where injured survivors can be given survivors can be brought out of the enhanced medical treatment by the submarine and brought to the surface system’s team of medics and doctors. There without the risk of getting decompression are 36 personnel needed to operate the sickness (DCS) or more commonly known as system for one full load of 72 survivors. The the ‘bends’. The pilots manoeuvre NEMO to maximum operating requirement is for the the submarine and position her above the system to be capable of rescuing 150 Portable Launch and Recovery System submarine’s escape hatch, before slowly personnel who are in the disabled (PLARS) lowering NEMO into the water descending until NEMO’s lower hatch seal submarine at a pressure of 6 Bar Absolute. The NSRS actually comprises of lands on the submarine’s deck. The water in Therefore, the total team of operators for a ‘intervention’ and ‘rescue’ capabilities. The the gap between NEMO’s hatch and submarine rescue at this extreme end the intervention system employs a Remotely submarine is then pumped out until a operating envelope would be in the region Operated Vehicle (ROV) to confirm the state ‘hard’ seal is achieved. At this point the of 65 personnel. It is for this reason that of the DISSUB escape hatches and clear Rescue Chamber Operator (RCO), one of the the NSRS is a multi-national effort as the any debris that is obstructing the hatch. It military divers who rides inside the rescue burden for a country to have this capability can also deliver additional supplies to the chamber, operates the hatch mechanism alone would be too great and France, submarine to help the crew maintain the and opens NEMO’s lower hatch. The RCO Norway and the UK have each agreed that breathable atmosphere inside the disabled uses a hammer to knock on the submarine’s they will work together to provide this submarine. It is fitted with sonar, cameras hatch and the submariners in the subs rescue contingency. and manipulators which are all controlled escape compartment open their hatch. The Every year the NSRS Project Authority by the ROV pilots onboard the MOSHIP. Th SRV is now mated to the submarine and organises a training programme for the manipulators, one fitted at each side of the the rescue of the survivors can commence. three nations to maintain levels of front of the ROV can be used to cut, grip It may be a surprise to learn that the competency and currency for their and pull any obstacles out of the way of rescue protocol is that the healthiest operators. This centres around the annual the escape hatches to make sure that the survivors are brought out first, because any mass evacuation exercise (MASSEVEX) rescue submersible (SRV) can safely connect stretcher borne survivors would take up at where all the operators are put through to or ‘mate’ with the submarine. least half the capacity of the rescue their paces in a simulated rescue exercise chamber. Obviously, the priority must be to The rescue system is the key capability of with players simulating the submariner get the maximum number of survivors out the NSRS and it consists of the TUP survivors. Continuation training and on each dive that NEMO makes. The complex, the SRV and the SRV’s portable qualifying courses are also programmed survivors are loaded into the rescue launch and recovery system or PLARS. The every year. Internationally, NATO runs a full- Attendees at the annual MASSEVEX get briefed on the training objectives scale submarine rescue exercise every three years and this enables rescue systems to operate in a joint exercise thereby practising the full range of measures that would be necessary if there was a major submarine incident involving a NATO submarine. The NSRS project has worked successfully for 10 years and the system has a further 12 years of operational life before it needs to be replaced. Obsolescence is an ongoing challenge and the NSRS undergoes continuous project reviews and appraisals to ensure that operating safety is always the primary consideration. The next generation of the submarines are highly capable, safe but complex capital assets
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and as they continue to operate with him over the Styx after being drowned. being remedied by dropping a red-hot human crews, the need for a rescue The Emperor Hadrian also encouraged cannon ball into it before it was vaguely capability will continue to be a requirement vessels to carry a medical officer and potable. For meat the only preservative was into the future. records show that the Phoenicians, Arabs salt and the biscuits full of weevils, at least In summary, the special nature of and Vikings also carried them; the Greeks the fish was fresh when it could be caught. submarine rescue ensures that there is sailing to the Siege of Troy carried doctors The arrangements for disposal of faeces never a dull moment and as Operations according to the writings of Homer. The and waste were piscatorial, with ‘heads’ at Officer there is always more to do to make Viking approach was more diagnostic than the fo’c’sle of the vessel. In the bow of the sure that, if the unimaginable happened, curative; the victim of an abdominal ship rather than in the stern, thus well the NSRS is ready to respond. As a child of wound in battle being made to drink a away from the officers quarters, but with the 60s, it really is getting ready for my potion of strong garlic. If some minutes the obvious risk of the wind blowing the ‘Thunderbirds Are Go!’ moment. later the smell of garlic was detected from effluent onto and into the vessel. However the wound indicting an eventually fatal the use of the plural is an indication of By Cdr Chris Baldwin RNR bowel perforation, their throat was cut to awareness of the prevailing wind and the save them the agonies of peritonitis. use of which ever side was in the “lee” so that the effluent would fall clear. In case of SURGEONS, SHIP’S a miscalculation or a sudden sheering of DOCTORS - PELAGIC the wind or the ship, this area was floored with gratings so that sea water could wash PRACTICE PAST. them clean or be pumped over them. Dr Robert M. Bruce-Chwatt Greeks and the Romans, famed in their day for their fleets of ships, both mercantile and naval, had doctors as part of their crew and listed on the manifest as the - iatros or more interestingly as medici duplicavii respectively, indicating that, on Roman ships at least, they were on double pay. The doctors were usually young, about 20 or 21 years of age and assuming there was one for every trireme crewed by 200 Silver votive offerings; promessas or ex-voto men, then at the height of the power of By the Middle Ages mention is noted in a the Roman Empire under Severus (193-2l1 decree by the High Council of Venice in AD) when the Roman navy had about 1322 concerning ship's doctors that: "unus 30,000 men there would have been over medicus phisicus mittatur cum istis galeis 150 naval medical officers. Although with pro servitio mercatorem et hominum In 1681 the French Navy Minister, Jean- little experience at that age and only of galearum" - a doctor of physic (medicine) be Baptiste Colbert, (1619-1683) issued his petty officer rank, unlike today, they were sent to deal with the galley crew on behalf "Grande Ordonance de la Marine" . One free of military duties and if on call-up of the merchant service and the owners of section not only required an oral they had given up a medical practice the galleys." In 1411 Venice went further and examination of those postulants as ship’s ashore, they had the right of restitution, required two doctors, both a physician and a surgeons before a council of the iure restitutionis, for such financial loss as surgeon. There was sometimes an assistant, a "chirurgiens jurés" , or examining surgeons, they might incur during their enforced barbierotti , or little barber, the "loblolly-boy" before engagement and embarkation, but naval service. Medical practice was fairly of Nelson's time. also dealt with advice and rules for the rudimentary, as was the surgery; the latter The 1500's were the heyday of the promotion of health aboard all French limited to binding up wounds and explorer-navigators such as Magellan and naval vessels. The training establishment prescribing remedies that in those times Vasco de Gama, but with or without a ashore, the "Ecole Maritime de Chirurgie, consisted mainly of charms and drugs of ship's surgeon the mortality rates were d'Anatomie et de Medicine pratique " was various types some of dubious often astronomically high with death rates founded at Marseilles in 1746 and after a pharmacological use, whilst others were of 30% and higher. Magellan sailing from shaky start, did well, but survived only until positively dangerous, such as the use of San Lucar in 1519, took vinegar as an the time of the French Revolution. Other mercury to control body lice. This limited antiseptic and anti-scorbutic, seasickness maritime nations also followed suite and scope was evidenced by the many remedies of thyme, honey, vinegar, the Dutch East India Company - Vereenigde Asclepeion temples to Aesculapius the God pennyroyal and wine, whilst the then Oost Companie - selected medical officers of Medicine where small votives offerings recommended cure for leprosy was to with some care and also founded an depicting the organ affected were hung bathe in the blood of sea-turtles, which academy for their further medical and asking either for divine protection or asking was bad luck for sea turtles as well as being surgical education in 1685 at Batavia, the for the healing of a previous injury. useless. On board hygiene and sanitation old capital of what is now Indonesia. As for The ex-voto were often of clay, but left a great deal to be desired and Britain, in the years that followed standards sometimes of silver and very occasionally morbidity a factor as well for those that in the Royal Navy fell to such a point that gold. The mariner’s gold earring was the survived. The barrels of fresh water shipped allegedly, in 1790, one Admiral refused to last resort as it was to pay Charon to ferry with the vessels rapidly becoming foul, this go about to rescue a surgeon who had www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 59 Features
fallen overboard since "he was useless". It the alkaloids reserpine and rescinnamine. Dover, was the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's should be noted that the annual salary of a They have anti-hypertensive effects and novel "Robinson Crusoe" published in 1719, shore-side doctor in the reign of James I were thus used, even up to the mid 1950s, but we remember the author and the title, was about £200 and with ship's doctors to treat hypertension. not the man who made it possible. received around half of this sum so it was Improvements were slow in coming with Scurvy, the curse of the mariner, is first hardly surprising that they were not of the the gradual provision of better medical thought to have been described, but not highest motivation, calibre or skill. stores aboard, a manual on treatment and understood, by the medieval French the introduction of Sanitary regulations chronicler Jean de Joinville in 1260 when he with bills of health for ships before entering accompanied King Louis IX of France during port with free pratique and the Q-flag, the the Seventh Crusade of 1248-1254. Scurvy, yellow jack indicating contagion on board. a deficit of ascorbic acid or vitamin C, was Today this has been replaced by the L-flag, the most dreaded of diseases amongst quartered black and yellow, the Q-flag now seamen and resulting in a failure to replace indicating just the opposite. collagen. The Dutch merchant adventurers advised sauerkraut and molasses as a The United States enacted legislation as preventative; surprisingly sauerkraut is a early as 1790 requiring the provision of a good source of vitamin C and an standardised medicine chest on all antioxidant as well. Then in 1753, Dr James American-flagged vessels of over 150 tons Lind published his now famous "Treatise of with ten or more souls aboard. This US Act the Scurvy" further to his findings in 1747 brought brisk business to sea-port of the value of lemon juice, although lemon apothecaries who designed, made and juice had been recommended already by stocked them, including a manual of James Woodhall in his "Surgeon's Mate" instruction to go with the chest. Names published in London in 1617, a hundred and such as James Hanna of Baltimore, thirty years earlier. Maryland and Jonathan Webb of Salem, Mass. becoming the best known. The The old academic adage of: “Publish or whaling ships of the Lyman Allen Line perish”, seems reversed here and to the carried a standard medicine chest as they second writer published go the spoils, fame sailed out of their home port of New and immortality. London, Connecticut; the era of Herman The Cista Militaris or “Military Chest" Melville’s “Moby Dick” with Captain Ahab, published by Gulielmus Fabritius Hildamus Ishmael, Queeqeg and The Pequod hunting in 1686 was another recommended text, for The Great White Whale. whilst Sir Gilbert Blane, William Gilbert, The chests contained Chloroform, tincture William Cockburn and Thomas Trotter were of iodine, essence of Jamaica ginger, instrumental, together with Lind, in tannin, collodion, spirits of Hart’s horn improving the general hygiene standards of (ammonia), Hoffmann's anodyne (a form of the Royal Navy. pain killer), calomel, bicarbonate of soda, Smallpox and venereal disease ravaged both deodorised tincture of opium, bismuth sub- naval and mercantile fleets, with syphilis nitrate, three mortar bowls, powdered coming back from the New World with ipecac and a balance scale and pharmacist’s Columbus’ crews. It was said that whilst weights. Hoffmann’s drops or Compositis they had tried to “civilise” the peoples of aetheris spiritus , were a 3:1 mixture of the New World, the latter had successfully ethyl alcohol and diethyl ether, traditionally “syphilised” them with the spirochete of also used as a hypnotic. There is no Dr James Lind, (1716-1794), portrait by Trepanoma pallidum, Columbus’ sailors mention of any surgical instruments, Chalmers, treatise and watercolours. successfully bringing syphilis back to Europe perhaps it was assumed that the surgeon The early on-board pioneers of naval to ravage the populations here. would have his own set which would be medicine left accounts of their experiences Geographical recognition, in the way of washed , but not sterilised by boiling. Louis of which the Reise Buchlein - voyage features, honoured ship's doctors with Pasteur and Joseph Lister still had to be (booklet) diary of George Pictorius (1501- names such as the Bass Strait, Cape born for the theory and practice of asepsis 1569) published in Strasbourg in 1557 can Richardson and Cape Armstrong and Elliot's to be discovered and promulgated. be described as the first true manual of Cove, but did not include Albert Calmette British naval medicine improved slowly and maritime medicine and pelagic practice. of the anti-TB vaccine B.C.G. (Bacillus by 1805 only fully qualified physicians were The first work on tropical medicine, Calmette-Guerin) who had spent time at accepted by the Royal Navy. For the including the medicinal herbs of India, was sea as a ship's doctor. Dr Rudolf Virchoff felt merchant service it was a very different written by the Portuguese Garcia del that "a long sea voyage (for a doctor) is an matter, particularly on the emigrant and Huerto (1490-1570), remembered mainly invaluable opportunity to do his own work convict ships, but by 1859 the ship's doctor for his description of Rauwolfia serpentaria and to reflect more deeply" and used this to had been accorded officer rank in the and R. vomitoria. These are both members develop his theory of cellular biology. On a British Navy, long after the French, who of the dogbane or Apocynaceae family or biographical note, Alexander Selkirk, had done so in 1793 and even the milk weeds and from which are obtained rescued by the doctor-privateer Thomas Americans who had done so in 1828. The
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Imperial German Navy, founded in 1871, and the sick person will get over it all the than to send off a person in an advanced had its own naval medical officer corps sooner if he is taken in hand and ordered stage of consumption on the voyage to who were eventually incorporated in the about by a friendly neighbour. A piece of Australia" or, let’s be honest, more likely to regular naval officer structure after 1918. ice (which should be procurable without infect their fellow passengers and, perhaps By the mid-1800's the concept of a long sea difficulty at any time) helps to allay the more importantly, the crew. Not to say that voyage for an invalid as a beneficial retching if sucked slowly. Food should be there would not be a crew member with TB environment for a convalescence was pressed upon the more helpless, as the living conditions on board for the already recognised by “eminent” London notwithstanding their loathing of it; crew would have been ideal for the spread doctors" as the "air at sea is different in arrowroot - the genuine article and not of the bacillus. Indeed during the both that it contains more ozone and less potato starch is a good thing to begin World Wars the incidence of TB amongst carbonic acid and is practically free from with, and there should be some simple both RN and MN sailors rose due to the dust or particles of organic matter and has means of getting boiling water to prepare conditions aboard in the living and sleeping among its proper constituents, a certain it with at any time; afterwards dry toast quarters which were crowded, warm and amount of sea—salts which are distilled into and beef tea flavoured with cayenne with a high humidity; an ideal environment the atmosphere by the constant pepper may be offered.” The well-known for a disease such as TB to flourish, being a evaporation from the surface of the water..." rule to lie on the back quite still, with the droplet spread infection. or so says the Orient Line Guide of 1885. head down, was based on sound principle The final claim in the 1885Orient Line even if it does not work and omits any Guide as to the benefits of a sea voyage It did however, admit to certain alleged mention of a bucket. Whatever may be the does seem a bit far fetched however; problems of a medical nature that could more particular cause of sea-sickness, it is "lastly, the exercise and fresh air that may arise from a sea voyage. "The change to the in a general way due to the kind of be got on board ship without effort are life on board ship produces certain effects movement which the body has not yet peculiarly suited to those persons who that require medicinal treatment. Most learned to adapt itself to. My own view is have had the misfortune to suffer an people suffer from constipation, against that sea-sickness is of labyrinthine origin, injury to the spine in a railway accident, or which the passenger should provide in both senses, and the nausea made worse in the hunting field." They would probably himself with some convenient preparation by the inevitable hypoglycaemia resulting do just as well at home, but the truth of of an aperient saline medicine. Indigestion from not eating. The advice of granulated the matter was that a long sea voyage is an exceedingly common complaint at sugar allowed to dissolve slowly under the recommended by their own doctor was sea, and it is best counteracted by eating tongue to counter the hypoglycaemia was more beneficial for the latter, as a holiday less and pacing the deck more.” Toothache sound, as was the injection of 12-25mg of from his tedious patients that he could not and “relaxed” throat were said to be more Phenergan or promethazine in the buttock cure or were merely constantly having “the occasional troubles. The obvious initial of passenger choice. Amusing anecdotes vapours” would do him a power of good. discouragement of a sea-voyage was and abound, however these days there is the remains, of course sea-sickness, though fear of upsetting the professional umbrage Britain's far-f1ung Empire led in the mid- these days the size and stability of modern taker and who may not even be the person nineteenth Century to an increasing ocean liners is very much better. The P&O’s who is the subject of the tale. demand by her Colonial Governors, ADCs, Administrators, District Commissioners and Canberra , my first working ship, was In the 1900s, and for obvious reasons, extraordinarily stable and I can remember other civil servants for better and swifter shipping lines were not that keen on passenger ships and a number of Steam lying in my bunk thinking that we had passengers with ‘the tubercle’ (TB), booking arrived at Suva early, only to lift the Navigation Companies notably the P&O, a cruise so as to benefit from the bracing Elder Dempster and the Orient Line were deadlight, look out of the scuttle and see sea air. Despite their earlier view that at sea the ocean flying past on the starboard side. happy to oblige; such names being rivals the invalid, under the charge of an able and competitors for the mail and passenger The medical advice offered for mal-de-mer ship's surgeon, could enjoy surroundings of services. There was a parallel increase in was hardly reassuring: “A t once dismiss the far greater promise, and far more intrinsic demand for good and experienced ships idea of finding a remedy in drugs. The best value than those that can be obtained surgeons to serve aboard these ships, and preventive is a purge taken the night ashore at anything like a similar outlay, unlike common misconceptions, their duties before embarking, followed by a saline they were in fact positively discouraging, were, and remain, a major responsibility. draught in the morning, together with probably feeling, quite rightly, that the risk extreme moderation in (or still better, of contagion of open TB would be less in Further reading: “The Ship's Doctor abstinence from) tobacco and drink, more the mountains of Switzerland, as in Thomas Yesterday and Today”, W. H. G. Goethe et al. particularly beer. The body should be kept Mann’s novel “The Magic Mountain” or the (eds.), Handbook of Nautical Medicine, warm, especially the hands and feet, and sandy deserts of Egypt than in the confines Springer-Verlag. Berlin, Heidelberg 1984 the loins around which a broad sash may of a ship were they might easily spread the be wrapped with advantage. If sea- bacillus to other passengers as they SMOKE SIGNALS sickness is imminent, it is well to coughed discretely into their blood stained encourage it. A firm resolution to get into handkerchiefs… "Many a consumptive Michael Grey the air on deck at the earliest possible patients has been permitted to start on a (Lloyds List) moment, will often provide the first step long ocean voyage when unfit to 2 December, 2018 towards recovery. Courage to sit down at undertake more than a carriage drive on a SHIPPING has often been described as an table, even before the nausea has quite fine day. There can be nothing crueler to industry that operates “on the frontier”, passed off, has been rewarded in like the unhappy patient, more upsetting to his which could be taken to mean there are manner. Sea-sickness is depressing and fellow-passengers, or more injurious to the always many hostile tribes out there, which even paralysing to the will and purpose, legitimate interests of shipping companies, bear it no goodwill. www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 61 Features
Anticipating where the trouble will flare up court cases in France, where masters found could be much like the old Admiralty next may be thought of as an essential skill themselves fined and given criminal Sailing Directions also known as Pilots, in the experienced frontiersman, who, in records, after an overflying aircraft had which would warn mariners of poor the best Westerns, was always alert to photographed a ship that appeared holding ground, or other local smoke signals or other signs of danger. suspiciously near what may have been an navigational hazards. It might grade the For the professional master, exposure to oil slick on the sea. No other corroboration country for its corruption — an index may criminal or civil sanctions has always been was needed. be a useful indicator — or the propensity the downside of the job, inextricably part A very experienced retired master of my of its courts to deal with visiting masters of the responsibilities that come with the acquaintance tells of a nasty time he in an unjust manner. A colour code would ship they command. experienced in a Spanish port after his provide ease of use. But in recent years, this risk has been second engineer, who did not speak English The problem, in these politically correct greatly increased along with port state very well, made an innocent mistake with days, is that nobody would be sufficiently control, which for better or worse, has the oil record book and suggested in error brave to publish such advice. Maybe a enabled anyone with a bit of authority to that sludge had been discharged overside. seafarer union would take it on board. march on board a ship and throw a lot of Only the helpful intervention of a “Sailor, beware of the Bight of Benin…” weight around. Time in port, once a place classification society surveyor saved the began an old sailing ship shanty, which to perhaps relax a little after a stormy sea master from a court appearance. nobody would dare to recite these days. passage, is often a place of tension and one But all around the world, the authorities of perpetual inspection. are anticipating the 2020 sulphur cap and It is also threatening to become a whole lot sharpening their investigative powers. And Man Made Fibre Ropes worse, with coastal states, international it is shipmasters who stand to be out there, Captain Eric Tinney regulations and local bylaws, all combining “on the frontier”, when these new powers Ropes made of natural fibre such as to make the air cleaner and the sea free are exercised. manilla, sisal and coir used to be very from harmful alien species which might be Corrupt authorities common on seafaring craft, they are still transported around in ballast water. The They hope that justice and fairness may be around however it is unlikely that any charges for which a master may end up in vessel will have these ropes in the rope court are multiplying fast. watchwords in this new environmental regime, but one does not imagine they are locker nowadays. It would be reasonable to There are plenty of smoke signals to counting on this. In too many parts of the say that all ropes used at sea today are be seen. world, it will be regarded by corrupt constructed with man made fibres. Not all This month the master of P&O cruiseship authorities as just another opportunity to man made fibres have the same properties Azura will find out whether charges he make some money. and some are better than others for specific tasks. faced at the Criminal Court of Marseilles But even in places where normally the for burning non-compliant fuel will stand. authorities will be scrupulous regarding The ropes in question are listed in the In theory, he and the company face heavy their regulatory powers, there are chart opposite. financial penalties with up to a year’s unanswered questions. Polyamides custody for the master, after it was There is a presumption of tremendous Polyamides have a higher specific gravity discovered that a local sulphur limit of precision about the performance of than water and as a result do not float. 1.5% was breached, the ship having environmental equipment, along with a They also absorb water and lose strength bunkered in Spain with 1.68% sulphur fuel. largely misplaced belief that the blended when wet. They are resistant to alkalis and It is regarded as something of a “test case”, fuels that are taken on board are formulated mineral oils but can be damaged by acids, but any criminal record for any shipmaster to the standards that it says on the tin. bleaching agents and paint remover. They is a very heavy penalty, that is magnified Scarcely a week elapses without some P&I are light to handle, twice as strong as an hugely by the demands of his profession to equivalent sized manilla and give the travel unhindered. club warning about horrible things somebody has managed to tip into a tank appearance of a smooth slippery surface. There is already a growing number of cases of ship’s fuel, whether it is cutter stock, They are impervious to water, have a high of ships that have been detained, after shale, or just the odd tonne or two of melting point, 250°C, and in normal contraventions of emission regulations have chemicals they wanted to get rid of. temperature are pliable, however, in cold been discovered. Even more sinister, there climates they tend to stiffen up and have been warnings that bogus The clubs are chiefly warning about the become difficult to handle. “environmental inspectors” have been plying harm it can do to the ship, or the They have very high elasticity, on initial use their trade on certain Black Sea waterfronts, machinery, but is this the sort of a polyamide rope will stretch some 40% looking to make some easy money. behaviour that provides the master with and in regular use will stretch another 10% Anyone with a little common sense may confidence that the sample taken by the inspector will come back from the to 20%. This makes them very good at wonder why it is the master of a ship, who absorbing shock. This shock-absorbing probably has limited exposure to the laboratory smelling of roses and fulfilling all the environmental criteria? quality makes them useful as 'tails' on a contents of the bunker tanks, or indeed the mooring wire and in combined deep-sea operation of the ballast management It has occurred to me from time to time towlines i.e. wire-polyamide-wire. They systems, who would be the person dragged that some friendly agency ought to be should not be used as foresprings or into court concerning any alleged infraction. providing masters with some sort of global backsprings when the ship is moored Nothing new about this, of course. analysis of prosecution risk. alongside nor should they be used on Think back to those infamous “Perben” Smoke signals for the 21st century, they tension winches. On yachts polyamides are
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useful as mooring and anchor lines as the that it never absorbs any and is not bleaching agents may cause deterioration, shock-absorbing quality will give a weakened when wet. These ropes are very they are also resistant to rot and mildew. comfortable platform, they are also suitable strong, strength-to-weight ratios for these Polypropylene, however, is sensitive to UV for most forms of yacht rigging. materials are in a range from 10 to 100 degradation and will become brittle and These ropes can be identified by having times higher than steel. Strength-to-weight weak if left in the sun, because of this the one green yarn in one strand. ratios for HMPE are about 40% higher than ropes are usually coloured to protect them for aramid such as Kevlar. It has great from UV, black, orange and yellow are Polyester abrasion resistance, better than Teflon, and favourite colours, but other dark colours Polyesters, like polyamides, have a higher in some forms is more resistant to abrasion are sometimes used. The ropes have a low specific gravity than water and as a result than carbon steel. It feels very slippery to resistance to abrasion. Under strain the do not float, however, unlike polyamides the hand and does not hold knots very rope will stretch, the elasticity is about half they do not absorb water and do not lose well. It also is subject to 'creep' when under of polyamides, some 5-10%. their strength when wet. They are resistant continuous load. It is difficult to cut evenly Polypropylene ropes are manufactured in to acids, oils and organic solvents, however, because of the slipperiness. four types they can be damaged by alkalis. They are a These ropes are widely used in the fishing slightly heavier rope to use when compared a) Multifilament – soft and silky industry as buoy ropes for basket traps, to polyamides but almost as strong. They b) Monofilament – wiry like bristles furling lines, mooring, tuna rafts etc. and in are impervious to water, have a high high-performance sails and rigging in c) Staple spun – appearance of sisal, soft melting point, 260°C, and are not affected yachting. Having low stretch lets the sails like animal Hair by cold weather like polyamides. retain an optimal shape and they have d) Split film – has the harsh appearance They do not have the same elasticity as exceptional resistance to abrasion. The of straw polyamides and are suitable for use on useful life exceeds that of other material 'Staple Spun' and 'Split Film' are the most tension winches as well as normal moorings many times over. They are also useful as and 'tails' on wire ropes. In yachts they are common types found on merchant vessels, mooring ropes and tow-ropes in they are generally used as mooring ropes. widely used for boat lines and for sail circumstances where price is not an issue. material because they combine good Smaller sizes are used as general purpose strength and durability, relatively low These ropes can be identified by having ropes around the ship. stretch and reasonable prices. one orange yarn in one strand. These ropes, when not completely These ropes can be identified by having coloured, can be identified by having one Polypropylene red yarn in one strand. one blue yarn in one strand These ropes are by far the most likely to be Polyethylene found on a merchant ship, they are cheap, Aramids or Aromatic Polyamides tough and flexible, not as strong as Ropes made from these fibres are not Polyethylene ropes are not in general use polyamides or polyesters, having about normally found on merchant vessels. They on merchant ships, mainly because of price. 60% of the strength of these ropes, they are very strong lightweight ropes, and These ropes are about 5 times more are nevertheless a good rope for most appear in a variety of constructions, expensive than Polyesters and 10 times purposes. Specific gravity is 0.91 therefore including 4-strand, wire lay, braided and more expensive than Polypropylene. these ropes float. Much lighter than parallel yarns, and strand ropes. They are Polyethylene has a specific gravity of polyamides and polyesters they handle usually covered by a sleeve (parallel yarns) around 0.95 and floats in seawater. It is easily, they are resistant to chemical attack as the fibres lose strength when twisted Hydrofuge and repels water. This means by acids, alkalis and oils, but solvents and into a lay. They were originally thought to
1. Polyamides Usually better known by the Du Pont trade name 'Nylon'
2. Polyester Usually known by the ICI trade name 'Terylene' or the French 'Tergal'
3. Polyethylene Known as HMPE (High Modulus Poly Ethylene) HMPE has many other names such as HPPE (High Performance Polyethylene) UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) which sometimes shortened to UHMW. It is also known by Royal DSM (Dutch State Mines) trade name 'Dyneema' and Honeywells trade name 'Spectra'.
4. Polypropylene Sometimes known as polyprop or Marlow's trade name 'Nelson'
5. Aramids or Aromatic Polyamides Known by Du Pont trade name 'Kevlar'
6. Mixtures As you can imagine many mixtures of the above mentioned fibres are used when trying to create a rope for a specific purpose. These mixtures are not in common use at sea in merchant ships.
www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 63 Features
be ideal for deep-sea towage, however, it the loss caused by external wear as a swivel, rotated, and the rope taken was soon discovered that they cannot stand outlined above. Materials with high from outside the coil, "turns' in the rope shock loading and many towlines parted stretch will show greater interstrand will be avoided. without warning. Nowadays many deep-sea wear and powdering than those that do 2. Do not surge ropes on winch barrels if it tow-lines have Aramid fibres mixed with not stretch so much. As an indicator of can be avoided. Do not pay out or slack Polyamide, indeed I would say that it would extreme overworking some ropes away by rendering, but always try to be very unlikely to find a 'pure' Aramid rope (polyamide in particular) may walk back the rope. anywhere. They seem to perform better become hard and stiff. 3. See that the surface condition of winch when mixed with other fibres. 3. The effect of chemical contamination barrels is good, and that they are free Du Pont say, about their Kevlar, “ropes with of ropes depends to a great extent on from rust and paint. the type of fibre from which the rope Kevlar® are up to 95% lighter than steel 4. Do not use more than three turns of the is made. ropes of comparable strength. Salvage rope on the winch barrel. Polyamide will be attacked by moderate ropes, ice safety barriers, towed and 5. On whelped drums, it is suggested that concentration of acids, whilst they are stationary arrays, umbilical hoses, fiber one or two extra turns be made to virtually immune to damage by alkalis. optic cables, escape chutes, orbital straps, ensure a good grip. A whelped drum is and tow ropes have incorporated Kevlar® to Polyester rope is the reverse of one which has ridges on its surface. polyamide being highly resistant to acids help increase strength and reduce weight. 6. See that fairleads are in good condition Lightweight rope constructions based on and will be damaged by alkalis, whilst polypropylene ropes are unaffected by and if of the roller type, ensure that they Kevlar® fiber help enable rescue services to rotate properly and are lubricated regularly. handle and deploy equipment far more either acids or alkalis. 7. Avoid sharp angles in the rope. easily. Additionally, it is possible to have All types of man-made fibres are longer cable lengths because of the attacked to a greater or lesser degree by 8. A stopper should be of the same lightweight, high-strength properties.” organic solvents, such as white spirit, material as that of the rope being xylene and metacresol. Avoid rope stoppered off, except polyamides, a Mixtures contact with wet paint or coal tar and polyamide stopper should never be used All of the above mentioned fibres can be paint stripping preparations. on a polyamide rope. Stoppers should mixed to provide ropes of particular or To be safe wash any rope thoroughly preferably be of the ‘West Country’ type. special use. The most common, at least in with water as soon as possible should it 9. It is important when Joining wire rope to merchant shipping usage, is a become contaminated either with acids, any man-made (or natural) fibre rope that polyester/polypropylene blend which or alkalis or solvents. a thimble be inserted in the eye of the provides a strong mooring rope which floats. 4. Where thimbles are fitted to man-made fibre portion, and at all times both ropes The properties, advantages and fibre ropes, ensure by inspection that should have the same direction of lay. disadvantages of mixtures is the same as they have not become slack in the rope 10.Do not leave ropes unduly exposed to described for the fibres used as stated above. eye. If excessive slackness exists, tighten sunlight when at sea; keep covered by Care and Maintenance of Man the rope eye around the thimble by tarpaulins, or store below deck. Made Fibre Ropes seizing at the throat with strong man- 11.Keep ropes clear of contamination by made fibre cord, at the same time chemicals. 1. Before use a rope should be examined ensuring that the thimble itself is not 12.Do not store ropes in the vicinity of visually throughout its length and its badly distorted or damaged. residual strength assessed. The latter can boilers or heaters. be carried out fairly accurately by Residual Strength Assessment of 13.Have as few men as possible in the assessing the external damage as a Man Made Fibre Ropes vicinity of all ropes under strain percentage of the cross-sectional area The strength of man-made fibre ropes may particularly man-made fibre ropes and of the rope. (See below) be assessed using the following formulae wire ropes. Always assess the strength in the worst where D is the diameter in millimetres. 14.Never stand in the bight of a rope or in worn or damaged parts of the rope, and Remember to measure the diameter in the the path of a rope under strain. bear in mind that man-made fibres do worst part of the rope as mentioned in 15.Ensure that all splices are intact as all not deteriorate in strength by wetting previous paragraph Item 1. the tucks recommended by the and drying as do natural fibres. Breaking strength:- ropemakers are necessary for safety. Cut out any particularly badly worn or Polyamide = 5D2/300 tonnes 16.Never allow a wire rope to cross a fibre damaged parts and splice-up. Polyester = 4D2/300 tonnes rope on a bollard nor a fairlead. A rope is not progressively weakened by Polyethylene = 3D2/300 tonnes 17.Always make certain that the end of a an increased number of splices; the Polypropylene = 3D2/300.tonnes man-made fibre rope is made fast to bitts approximate 10% reduction in rope and not just wound on the drum end. strength at a splice is equally effective if The Safe working Load (SWL) is found 18.Man-made fibre ropes, unlike natural one, or more splices, are in a rope. by allowing a safety factor of six for fibre ropes, when approaching the 2. In addition to external wear, inspect also general marine work. i.e. SWL = breaking point give no audible or visual for wear between the strands. In Breaking Strength/6 warning. Stretch imparted to man-made excessive cases a high degree of Care and Safety Precautions fibre ropes is recovered almost powdering will be visible, giving a clear 1. When taking new ropes out of the coil instantaneously with release of tension indication that the rope has been always do so in an anticlockwise and with considerable recoil if fracture worked hard, and that its strength is direction to avoid disturbing the lay of of the rope occurs. Polypropylene rope, impaired to some degree in addition to the rope. If the coil can be suspended on however, has less recoil effect than
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either polyamide or polyester Painted Hall, Greenwich, on Thursday 19th has now extended the opportunity to all Rope splice guidelines September 2019. The menu has been members of the MNA with an invitation for designed to reflect trading patterns to them to play a part in promoting the RNLI’s The method of making eye splices in ropes British Ports in the 1950's with a "sparkling" “Respect the Water” campaign aimed at of man-made fibres should be chosen Ships in Passage finale to the meal. significantly reducing the 200 plus fatalities according to the material of the rope. The evening will be full of colour, each year as a result of drowning. (i) Polyamide and polyester fibre ropes need four full tucks in the splice each pageantry, music and magic. This event “I am delighted to be working alongside with the completed strands of the rope provides a wonderful opportunity for the the MNA with this initiative. We have a followed by two tapered tucks for maritime family of Great Britain and other variety of ways of promoting our safety which the strands are halved and countries around the world to enjoy a messages, but nothing beats a face to face quartered for one tuck each notable maritime anniversary. It is with conversation with a knowledgeable person. respectively. The length of the splicing great personal pleasure to me to invite you MNA members acting as RNLI Community tail from the finished splice should be and your Company or Organisation to Safety Volunteers will be able to pass on equal to at least three rope diameters. consider supporting this special occasion. their experience and knowledge to others The portions of the splice containing A "Welcome Aboard" Reception will take in order to save more lives around our the tucks with the reduced number of place in the King William Colonnade, coasts and waterways.” Steve Instance, filaments should be securely wrapped adjacent to the Painted Hall from 7.30pm RNLI Community Safety Partner. with adhesive tape or other suitable to B.30pm, followed by the Gala Dinner in It has now been agreed that members of material. the Painted Hall from B.30pm to 1l.00pm. the MNA Boat Club should be invited to (ii)Polypropylene ropes should have at The cost of a ticket is £125.00 or you may take on the role of RNLI Community Safety least three but not more than four full choose to pay for a table of 10 for £1,000.00 Volunteer (CSVs) for all the inland tucks in the splice. The protruding waterways of the UK and Ireland – e.g. I would be grateful if you could register your spliced tails should be equal to three rivers, canals, lakes, The Broads, The Fens, interest in attending soonest as seating is rope diameters at least. etc. At the same time any members of the very limited. This will ensure you a unique MNA interested in joining an existing RNLI (iii)Polyethylene ropes should have four and most enjoyable evening of Community Safety Team attached to a full tucks in the splice with protruding entertainment and the celebration of a most Lifeboat station will be offered an tails of three rope diameters at least. significant date in our maritime history. Mechanical fastenings should not be opportunity to do this’ Please reply to Bruno Peek LVO OBE OPR, used in lieu of splices on man-made Pageantmaster, mn100 Gala Dinner. fibre ropes because strands may be So what exactly does damaged during application of the Email: [email protected] mechanical fastening and the grip of the Thank you and look forward to hearing being an RNLI CSV fastenings may be much affected by from you. slight unavoidable fluctuations in the entail? Admiral the Lord Alan West GCB DSC PC diameter of the strands. Essentially being an RNLI CSV involves President mn100 Gala Dinner establishing and maintaining good relationships with organisations involved in The Merchant Navy activities on or around our inland waters, such as boatyards, marinas, boat hire Association Boat operators, sailing clubs, lock-keepers etc. Club and affording them the benefit of our members’ extensive professional expertise Commodore: Clive Edwards, 19 Horsford and experience in terms of giving relevant Street, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UH maritime safety advice to these Tel 01305 781725, organisations and, where appropriate, also email [email protected] to members of the public. CSV’s will also seek out opportunities e.g. boat shows, mn l00 Gala Dinner Merchant Navy Association boat jumbles, regattas etc. to promote the It was 100 years ago that King George V, (MNA) Boat Club joins forces RNLI’s safety messages. "the Sailor's King", spoke about the with the RNLI to promote the commitment of the Merchant Navy and its RNLI’s Respect the Water As a RNLI Community Safety Volunteers MNA Boat Club members will normally be courageous seafarers. This was not the first Campaign on the UK’s inland time his Royal Highness promoted affiliated to an RNLI Community Safety waterways Team based at an RNLI lifeboat station. recognition and awareness for all those On behalf of the MNA Boat Club I’m who served in the Merchant Navy; a term delighted to announce the launching of a For further information please contact: the King promoted that was later adopted new joint working relationship between the MNA Boat Club Commodore and across the world. This event also seeks to MNA Boat Club and the Royal National Weymouth RNLI Community Safety Officer recognise all those maritime business Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). I am delighted Clive Edwards.or go to enterprises and professional organisations that the hugely respected RNLI has www.seafarersafloat.com that make the carriage of goods by sea, recognised the experience, skill and Tel: 01305 781725 Email : safe, secure and continuous. knowledge of MNA members by choosing [email protected] or A special Gala Dinner is being held at the to work with the MNA Boat Club. The RNLI [email protected] www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2019 • Page 65 Events Diary
CURRY LUNCHES – ALL CURRY LUNCHES EXCEPT MID-SEPTEMBER ARE NOW FULLY BOOKED, BUT PLEASE CALL The Honourable TO BE WAIT LISTED AS PLACES ARE OFTEN FREED UP, PARTICULARLY IF YOU CAN ATTEND AT SHORT NOTICE Company of Master London Maritime Charity Ball Mariners Friday 12 July 2019 – 1830 Editorial Dress: Black Tie and Tartan Cost : £85 The views expressed in articles or in correspondence appearing in the Journal The closing date for reservations is 1200 on 9 July 2019 are those of the writer and are not necessarily endorsed by the Honourable Outport Ladies Lunch Company of Master Mariners. Friday 19 July 2019 - 1230 Items appearing in the Journal may not be reproduced without the Dress: Lounge Suit & Tie consent of the Editor. Cost : £65 The Editor will be pleased to receive The closing date for reservations is 1200 on 17 July 2019 correspondence from Members intended for reproduction in the Journal. Mid-Month Curry Lunch Committees Friday 13 September 2019 – 1230 Education and Training Committee Dress: Lounge Suit + Tie Chairman: Commander Peter Aylott RN Cost : £34 members/ £39 non-members Finance and Risk Committee The closing date for reservations is 1200 on 11 September 2019 Chairman: Mr Matt Burrow
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All correspondence, books, documents Post-ANSS Hot Pot Supper or enquiries relevant to the work of Wednesday 9 October 2019 – 1830 the P&T Committee should be addressed to the Secretary, Mrs Alison Dress: Lounge Suit & Tie Harris c/o HQS Wellington . Cost : £23 Treasures Committee The closing date for reservations is 1200 on 7 October 2019 Chairman: Captain Martin Reed RD* RNR
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