Hi birdseye, I read Eric Newbys book when I was at sea and was enchanted by his tales of the Moshulu, I also read Cracker Hash before I went to sea and that made me even more determined to have a life less ordinary.
I tried to post two pictures on here tonight,one of the Thermopylae and the other of the Cutty Sark, both with the bone in their mouths soaring along under full sail. Unfortunately they would'nt download because the browser wanted a security code? whats up?
The browser has accepted the Gunung Djati, Blue Funnels only full size passenger liner.
Formerly the Empire Orwell,she was purchased by Holts in 1958 and was used on the Hadj service from Indonesia to Djeddah and was renamed after an ancient Javanese Islamic holy man.
Nice picture Brian. Funny how ships always look better in paintings rather than photographs. Here's a link about sailing ships you might not have come across. Shows what happened to the Moshulu - a very swish dockside restaurant in Philladelphia now.
Some good pictures there lads. I used to see the Gunung Djati at Tanjong Priok in 1960, our cadets and Mates used to go aboard to see their Blu Flu mates.
Gunung Djati once said ?Ingsun titip tajug lan fakir miskin?
The word Gunung means `Mountain` in Javanese. bagoos.
GUNUNG DJATI was built in 1936 by Blohm & Voss K.a.A. at Hamburg with a tonnage of 16662grt, a length of 578ft, a beam of 72ft and a service speed of 18 knots. She was launched as the Pretoria on 16th July 1936 for the Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie and commenced her maiden voyage from Hamburg to South Africa via Southampton on 19th December. In 1939 she was requisitioned by the German Navy as an accommodation ship based at Hamburg. She was taken over by the British Government as a war prize in 1945 for use as a troopship. Renamed Empire Doon she was managed by the Orient Line for the Ministry of War Transport but it was soon ascertained that she had problems with her boilers and was laid up. She was reboilered in 1949, brought up to troopship standard and renamed Empire Orwell in recognition of Orient Line management retaining also the MOWT's 'Empire', the Troopship's 'River' and the Orient Line's 'O' nomenclature. In 1958 she was chartered to Pan-Islamic Steam Ship Co. of Karachi to carry pilgrims and at the end of the season was laid up in the Kyles of Bute. Alfred Holt & Co. purchased her in November of the same year for pilgrimage duties. It was Holt's intention to rename her Dardanus but she entered service as the Gunung Djati, the name of the leading Javanese Haji and an Islamic missionary. Operated by the Ocean Steam Ship Co. she was refitted by Barclay Curle at Glasgow who replaced the troopship accommodation with space for 2000 pilgrims and 106 first class passengers. On 7th March 1959 she sailed from Liverpool bound for Djarkarta where she joined the Tyndareus which was operating a similar service. After three seasons she was sold to the Indonesian Government in 1962 who continued to operate her for pilgrimages. In 1965 she was sold to P. T. Maskapai Pelajaran 'Sang Saka' of Djakarta without a change of name and transferred to Pan-Islamic Steam Ship Co. who continued the Mecca Pilgrimage service. She was converted to diesel in 1973 and refitted at Hong Kong in 1975. She returned to the Indonesian flag in 1980 as a naval accommodation ship and was renamed Kri Tanjung, Penant 971. By 1984 she was no longer operating as a seagoing vessel.
Source: http://www.red-duster.co.uk/BLUEFUN19.htm
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I have been on the Peking in South Street a few times. I have some photos some where. I`ll try to find them. When your on deck she is massive, UI was amazed at the size of her. The Vindi is no comparison.
The Moshulu, I have the book by Eric Newby and a photo book by him taken when he did the "Last Grain Race".
An interesting link about it there.
I did a painting of the Moshulu.
Here is the Peking, I found it on my computer, I think it belongs to a lady who put it on a site somewhere. If she sees it thanks for the use of it.I lost the details.
Last edited by captain kong; 02-18-2009 at 09:23 PM.
The steamship "Tregenna" was built for the Hain Steamship Co. in 1949 and is shown being berthed by an Alexanders tug on the London River. She has nice elegant lines,but I don't know what they were like to sail in.
The "Thermopylae" was one of the greatest tea clippers ,built in 1868,she set a record on her maiden voyage which has stood for all time .She left Gravesend for Melbourne in November 1868 and anchored off Melbourne sixty two days after passing the Lizard . She went on to greatness in competition with the Cutty Sark and the Peking in the China Tea "races"
Built in 1869 ,the Cutty Sark was designed to rival the Thermopylae.She made her maiden voyage from London to Shanghai in 104 days. She has come to personify the greatest in Maritime achievement and is currently being restored to her former beauty in Greenwich.
Thanks Brian. Yes, the Tregenna does have very elegant lines, a really sleek looking ship. I was just thinking, looking at the squareriggers, what it must have been like to be ordered aloft to take in sail when the ship was battering along in a gale. Just the thought of doing it is frightening enough.
Thanks for the Red Duster link Cap'n Kong. Never come across that one. I'm saving it for the next rainy Sunday afternoon.
Hi Taffy, I used to see the London Royal Daffodil regularly when I was working on the Thames,she was a very pretty ship much larger than the original owner of the name ,the Mersey ferry . They both perormed heroically in their respective wars and were worthy of the "Royal" sobriquet.
Tho it is not a ship it is the Merchant Navy Memorial in Cardiff, near the bottom of Bute St. on the dock side. Very unusal.
Some kids were jumping on it so I gave them a bollocking and ended up having to defend my title against some dads.
The Ariel of 1865 was one of the most extreme of the clippers built for the china Tea trade.She had a length of 195 feet, a beam of 33.9 feet,a depth of 21 feet ,and a gross tonnage of 1085. The vessel was unusually fast in some conditions ,but to this speed her after lines were so fine that it was dangerous for her to run before the wind in heavy weather. This probably accounted for her disappearance without a trace in 1872.(Ignore the Title Taipei on the picture, a mistake)BD.
This should bring back the memory Brian
The Star Ferry in Hong Kong. I took the photo last March while in Honkers.
They are still the same ones we sailed on 50 years ago. never changed.
The trip on them was free for pensioners.
Last edited by captain kong; 02-21-2009 at 02:17 PM.
Here is a superb painting of the Cunard Liner, FRANCONIA, built in 1922.
I sailed on her as Quartermaster in 1956, Liverpool -- New York run. then scrapped in December 1956.
This Painting is on board QE2.
Here is another memorable historic ship, photo taken in San Francisco.
the ARRANMORE, built in 1893 on the Clyde.
later the VINDICATRIX. I was Bosun on her in 1952
Here is the CERAMIC,
Built in 1913 for White Star Line, in 1934 when Cunard took over she was transferred to Shaw Savill,Torpedoed and sunk by U515. (The Captain was later shot in USA as a POW trying to escape, he was accused of being a war criminal.) on 6/7 December 1942
655 pasengers and crew were left in the lifeboats to perish. one man, Eric Monday, was taken prisoner.
Last edited by captain kong; 02-21-2009 at 02:19 PM.
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