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The Liverpool Nautical Research Society (Founded in 1938) THE BULLETIN Volume 46, Number I, June 2002 Editor : John Shepherd Obituary: L.N.R.S. Secretary P.J.H. (John) Tebay page Hound of the Sea (John Tebay) page 3 Introduction of Steam Pilot Boats at Liverpool (Cordon Bodey) page 5 The 13altle of Hood and Bismarck: part 2 : the Bismarck page 19 Brunei's Ships- 'Great Western', 'Great Britain' and 'Great Eastern' (Dr Denis Griffiths) page 29 Post War Steam Cargo Liner Developments (A/an /lkC/el/and) page 43 The Cunard Liner Sylvania in Canadian Vickers' floating dock at Montreal in J u\y 1967 _ The Sylvani• ran aground whilst on 'PB.SSB..IZC from Monu-eal to The Liverpool Nautical Re.'learch Societv President: Mr A.S. Davidson Vice-President: Mr H.M. Hignett Chairman: Mr D.K.C. Eccles Vice-Chairman: MrG. Bodey Council: G.Cubbin, R.Dennis (Meetings Secretary), J.E. Lingwood, D. Littler, M.D.R. Jones, A.H.McCielland, J.Shepherd (Editor), G.F. Wright Honorary Officers: Secretary: J. Stokoe Treasurer: A.A.Williamson Membership and General Correspondence: The Liverpool Nautical Research Society. Maritime Archives and Library, Merseyside Maritime Museum, Albert Dock, LIVERPOOL, L3 4AA, U.K. 'Bulletin' related ma/lers: John Shepherd, Flat 7, "Mount Court", Mount Road, WALLASEY, CH45 9JS, U.K. (e-mail: < [email protected] >) Front Cover: Brunei's Great Eastern was laid down at Millwall on I" May 1854 and was ready for launching on J'd November 1857. This 'white elephant' broke only one record in her career: during the whole of her existence she remained by far the largest ship in the world. The Great Eastern was broken up on the beach at New Ferry, Birkenhead, between 1889 and 1891. OBITUARY PHILIP JOHN HOLT TEBA Y 1928-2002 In May I 996, I, as a rather apprehensive, newly-elected incumbent, had just accepted the Chairmanship of the Liverpool Nautical Research Society (L.N.R.S.), a singular honour. My first question, containing only a mild trace of panic, was: ''What do I do now?" The response came promptly from John Tebay, the well-respected Hon. Secretary of our Society: "Thank the members for their confidence. and promise to serve the Society to the best ofyour ability. " I gathered my scattered wits and did just that - with, I hope, conviction. Thereafter I never looked back, for John was always on hand to offer guidance and advice whenever doubts or problems arose. For that was the essence of John's philosophy: Pilot and guide to shipmasters vt the Mersey; friend and guide to all with whom he came in contact in other walks of .....-fe . Born in Wallasey in 1928, John Tebay completed his formal education at 'allasey Grammar School in 1944. It had always been his desire "to go down to the :><!a in ships", and not even the tragic loss of his Pilot father in the wreck of No.l Pilot Boat Charles Livingston on Ainsdale Beach in November 1939 could deflect him from his purpose. So John joined the Liverpool Pilot Service, obtaining his sea-going experience with Alfred Holt. His professional career embraced many facets. First licensed in 1952, he became a First Class Pilot in 1956. Shortly aftenvards his expertise was sought by Esso Tankers Ltd., and he became their choice Pilot, bringing deep-laden supertankers up the Mersey to berth at the Tranmere Jetties. Another prestigious appointment was as Pilot to the Royal Yacht Britannia when Her Majesty the Queen visited Liverpool in the 1980s. John's talents, however, were not confined to navigation and ship-handling, impressive though they were. A skilful administrator and negotiator, he was, for many years, Chairman of the Liverpool Pilots' Association and their representative on the Pilotage Committee. From 1974, he was Chairman of the National Pilots' Technical Sub-Committee, and was appointed United Kingdom representative on the Department of Trade's delegation to the European Maritime Pilots' Association, which visited all major European ports over a period of twelve years. For his work in this field John was awarded the E.M.P.A. Gold Medal. John applied to join the L.N.R.S. soon after his retirement in 1988. He was at once made welcome, for his reputation had forestalled his application! It so happened that the post of Secretary became vacant a year or so later and John was invited to fill the void. To the members he was the obvious choice; to John, the new boy, it was a I complete surprise, but he accepted nonetheless, and proceeded to perform his duties with diligence and distinction. One of his earliest self-imposed tasks was to create a detailed list off all Liverpool Pilots since the mid-18th Century to 1991- a sort of Pilots' 'Who's Who'. The list comprises over I ,500 names and was compiled from records held by the Pilotage Authority and the Merseyside Maritime Museum. It took several years in the making and is now a standard work of reference, a fitting memorial to John and his long-standing devotion to his colleagues. John wrote many well-researched articles for various specialised publications, including our own Bulletin, and the papers he read occasionally at our monthly meetings were always eagerly anticipated and well attended. It was no coincidence that the Society's membership doubled during his tenure. Word of the affliction which struck John down came as a shock to everybody, and our hearts went out to June, his wife, and to his children. News of his death a week or two later on 24th April 2002 simply added to our grief and to our growing sense of bewilderment. Certainly, John, and his rare brand of amiable affability, will be missed, and we shall all lament his passing. But life must continue, and (in the words of Alfred, Lord Tennyson) .... "....... the stately ships go on To their haven under the hill; But 0 for the touch ofa vanish 'd hand, And the sound ofa voice that is still. " But to those whose privilege it was to know and work with John, and whose delight it is to recall his memory, the pleasure and sheer satisfaction inspired by that privilege far exceeds the pain of his passing. John has gone, but his work lives on. G.C.. Mav, 2002. HOUND OF THE SEA bv John Tebav John Tebay regularly contributed to 'The Bulletin'. In this article, wrillen in 1998, he recalls his experiences as Pilot ofthe Boeing Jetfoil Cu na Mara, the Mersey's first fast craft, introduced on the Liverpool to Dublin route in I 980. 1 On 13 h February 1980 a Boeing Jetfoil, to be named Cii na Mara (Hound of the Sea), arrived in Gladstone Dock on the deck of the Antonia Johnson. Built in 2 Seattle, and intended for the B. & I. Line, she was to carry 250 passengers on a 3'1. hour passage between Liverpool and Dublin at approximately 45 knots. Foreknowledge of the B. & I.'s plans had resulted by November 1979 in meetings between representatives of the Port and Pilotage Authorities and senior B. & I. staff, when safety and practical operational aspects were discussed. Prior to the Cu na Mara coming into service, there were to be at least six weeks of working-up trials and crew training. Initially, an American bridge team of captain and engineer would instruct a small number of selected B. & I. masters and mates until they were officially qualified to operate the craft. Amongst the Port of Liverpool's requirements would be the employment of a Liverpool Pilot when navigating the River and Mersey channels. The pilots to be used would have to be current members of the Pilotage and Examination Committees and would report back on any potential problems whilst in the pilotage area. B. & I. also suggested that, before the jetfoil arrived, a small team should travel to Brighton to have a look at a similar craft then running a service to Dieppe. This team consisted of Captain G. Barry (B. & I. Line Commodore), Captain J. Devaney (Superintendent, Dublin), Captain A. Jones (8. & 1., Liverpool), and Pilots Tebay and Webber. Arriving at the Brighton Marina, I think it is fair to say tha~ considering the craft was intended to carry 250 passengers across the Irish Sea, she looked a mite small- actually 99 feet long with the foils up, and 30 feet beam - and she was moving gently in the sheltered waters. Whilst manoeuvring when sailing or berthing, the jetfoil did so in displacement mode (i.e. floating on the hull), and with a vectored jet aft and a small bow thrust forward she could turn in her own length. Displacement speed was about I 0 knots. In this trim, and once out into a slight swell, she tended to roll uncomfortably, probably due to her flattish hull and light draft. However as she swiftly accelerated past 30 knots with the foils down, she rose up and became pleasantly steady, the twin 4,500 hp gas turbines drawing in water at the leading edge of the engine pod and ejecting it with great force through the rear jets. Despite the speed of 43 knots, and with her hull clear of the water, she did not appear to make a broad or high wash, and from a passenger seat on the upper of two decks il was like being in a low flying aircraft as we skimmed the waves. This sensation was encouraged by the seating layout being similar to a wide-bodied jet, plus the use of aviation terminology such as 'take-off' or 'landing'.