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  1. Replies
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    I was on Blue Funnel's Maron, doing sea trials...

    I was on Blue Funnel's Maron, doing sea trials from the Caledon Shipyard in Dundee when the strike broke out.
    We steamed around the North East coast of Scotland for several days, and then anchored...
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    Just out of interest, that large area of open...

    Just out of interest, that large area of open water in the East Float, where the caisson and the sunken ship are, is known for some reason, as Stavanger Bay.
    If you stand by the sunken ship and look...
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    . That slaughterhouse complex was called the...

    .

    That slaughterhouse complex was called the Lairage. One of the cattle boats I recall was called the Dundalk. We had her in Lairds for repairs in the early sixties. I was working ashore at the...
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    'Blocker' is still in use in Cammell Lairds,...

    'Blocker' is still in use in Cammell Lairds, where a mate of mine is a foreman plater. Although the bowler hats went out of the window back in the sixties to be replaced with hard hats, currently...
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    Steve, Jack Cleary was from Ireland, Co Wicklow...

    Steve,
    Jack Cleary was from Ireland, Co Wicklow I believe. He settled in Wallasey, in the Seacombe area. He was about fifty five when I sailed with him and that was fifty years ago.
    Jack had two...
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    Brian, You are quite right, the peggies,...

    Brian,
    You are quite right, the peggies, particularly the sailors peggy had the hardest job on the ship. Can you remember staggering round to the messroom at 06.00, to find the gash bucket...
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    Kevin, There are thugs and bullies in all walks...

    Kevin,
    There are thugs and bullies in all walks of life, and I have encountered many since I came ashore. but, on a ship, living and working with each other in close proximity for weeks and months...
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    Brian, That Lampy was Vic Blower, his brother's...

    Brian,
    That Lampy was Vic Blower, his brother's name was Jimmy.
    Vic was OK, his brother not quite so popular, Vic became shore bosun in Birkenhead after the enforced retirement of the previous...
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    Trader, I was on the Eumaeus round the land...

    Trader,
    I was on the Eumaeus round the land with Butch Mason, I was still a peggy at that juncture. we joined in Hull and Butch was already on board when we arrived and was much the worse for wear....
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    Brian, I knew Elweyn Jones, or to be precise, I...

    Brian, I knew Elweyn Jones, or to be precise, I knew three of them, two came from Amlwch, and the other from Nefyn. All three had tattoes up to the armpits. No doubt there was a whole raft of Elwyn...
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    Hello Alec, Yes, I knew all of those characters...

    Hello Alec,
    Yes, I knew all of those characters except Spud Murphy.
    All except Jack Cleary and Jimmy Mason I found to be Ok.
    Bill Davies would disagree with me here , but I found Jack Cleary to...
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    182
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    Wally Skeggs , I heard of him, but never sailed...

    Wally Skeggs , I heard of him, but never sailed with him, apparently he was supposed to be almost blind.
    Another character was Aussie Burke, the original ancient mariner. he was well over sixty when...
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    Brian, Jock Sutherland was drowned in Gladstone...

    Brian,
    Jock Sutherland was drowned in Gladstone Dock. It was in 1961 I think, we joined the Hector at 08.00, and she was sailing to Glasgow at 23.00, so after we had finished on deck at about...
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    mutual shipmates

    Brian,
    I'm sure we do have some mutual shipmates, lets start with bosuns. As you know, Blue Funnel bosuns were the acknowledged masters of their trade, and most were widely known throughout the...
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    Brian, We must have been close contemporaries...

    Brian,
    We must have been close contemporaries then, because I sailed on my first trip as a deck boy in the Achilles, left Birkenhead on Dec 24th 1958. I stayed in Blue funnel until I was AB then...
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    Pool Fisher

    Captain Kong,
    I'm a newcomer to this site, and I have just read your account of the sinking of the Pool Fisher.
    I have wondered for years what happened to that ship, because the bosun on her,...
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