Ships gallery

[brian daley]

The Schooner HMS Pickle is not a name that is familiar to most of todays lovers of all things maritime ,but during the Napoleonic wars she had her moment of glory. Pickle was a very fast vessel and on the 26th of October in 1805 she was tasked by Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood to take his despatches relating to the Battle of Trafalgar back to England. They contained the immortal line "The ever to be lamented death of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson,who ,in the late conflict with the enemy,fell in the hour of victory......" It was the Pickle, and her commander Lieutenant John Lapenotiere ,who brought to England the news of this great victory and the loss of Nelson. Although the Pickle has been lost to popular memory she still lives on the Royal Navy when Warrant Officers have their own celebration on Pickle Night,the 5th of November

[captain kong]

I have just booked four nights on the old QUEEN MARY in Long Beach, California. A magnificent ship with a great history. I have been on her several times as a hotel ship and a few times in the 50s when she was on the New York run.
The Americans have had her since 1966, near 45 years, The Cunard line had her for 29 years. 1937 to 1966. She is in a magnificent condition and full of nautical history.
Her and her sister, QUEEN ELIZABETH shortened WW2 by 12 months. Each could carry 18,000 troops across the Atlantic in four and a half days.
Here are some views of her. inside and out.

This is what they should have done with the QE2 at the Pier Head, she would have made a fortune for Liverpool.

[az_gila]

I have just booked four nights on the old QUEEN MARY in Long Beach, California. A magnificent ship with a great history. I have been on her several times as a hotel ship and a few times in the 50s when she was on the New York run.
The Americans have had her since 1966, near 45 years, The Cunard line had her for 29 years. 1937 to 1966. She is in a magnificent condition and full of nautical history.
.....

Captain, check out her condition when you are there.

A while back, when I lived in LA, I stopped going there since I was disgusted at the state Disney had let if fall into.

Even I could see problems at the tourist deck levels - basically rust was just painted over, not removed first - and that was in the areas you could see. Some older reports had it in danger of sinking, but there is only a foot or two under the keel, so no one would get hurt...

I think it has changed ownership (or concession - IIRC the city owns it) since then, I would really like to hear your opinion on the physical state of the hull.


Touring it was interesting, you can tie in a lot of Liverpool pub architecture into the style of the QM.

I have also met a lot of WWII US servicemen that travelled on her - I never realized it took 18,000 at a time, quite amazing.

[brian daley]

One of Britains greatest marine artists was surely Charles Dixon,he did most of his finest works upon the upon the Thames and in the Pool of London in particular. This work dates from 1897 and shows the Anchor Line steamship City of Rome slipping her moorings ,making ready to leave the Pool. Those who have worked on the river,and I count myself lucky to be among their number,will recognise the scene,the smoke and murk add to the scene and evoke an age that is long gone,never to return,
BrianD

[captain kong]

Hi AZ,
the Mary is now owned by, Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Inc. they took over from the City of Long Beach, they had it for a few years after Disney. I believe Disney just abandoned it and left her in a mess, they were not interested., but Long Beach realy did it up real nice and this new company has had it all refurbished.
I have been staying on it every two years for the last 10 and I have always found her to be in very good condition with improvements every year. I became a member of the Queen Mary Foundation and a few years ago , 2005 I was presented with a portion of her original teak deck inscribed with the 70th anniversary of her launch. There are only four of these pieces in excistence.
in 2007 I helped the Foundation to have an exibition on all the Masters of the QM while she was with Cunard, I did the Bios of them including Photos. and they were enlarged and shown on the after Exibition Hall.
B Deck Square which used to be the sailors Pig and Whistle and surrounded by cabins, where the foremast come down with the entrance to the mast for the crows nest, has been removed and is now a large exibition of WW2 when she was trooping. very interesting.
I do enjoy going aboard her. I get the feel of the old days when we sailed the ships.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:34:08 -0500
To: captainkong@msn.com
From: dncdestinations@dncinc.com
Subject: Experience Royal Treatment Aboard The Queen Mary Starting at $95


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The new photos did not come out..

[az_gila]

Thanks Captain... I guess I was really put off from my visit during the Disney era.

I'm glad it's now in much better condition and a good example of fine shipbuilding. It is pretty impressive when you just walk up to the side.

Now I've left Los Angeles, I'll think about staying there on my next visit...

Heck, $95 a night is a bargain in LA.

[brian daley]

Most of us know about the mutiny on the Bounty in 1789, it was a very civilised affair when compared with Hermione mutiny in 1797;and Captain Bligh can be called a paragon of virtue when compared to the Hermione's monstrous Captain Pigot. Under his command Hermione became a hell ship and things came to a head in September 1797 in the Caribbean. Pigots brutish behaviour had caused the deaths of three sailors on the 20th ,and on the 21st he had 12 men flogged. That night the crew rebelled and slaughtered all but one of the officers,throwing them overboard and feeding them to the sharks. They then sailed the ship500 miles to La Guaira ,in Venzuela and surrended to the Spaniards. The Spaniards renamed her Santa Cecilia and two years later the HMS Surprise ,commanded by Captain Edward Hamilton recaptured her Puerto Cabello,and action for which he was knighted. 33 mutineers were eventually captured and tried and 24 of those were hanged. More than 100 mutineers were never found.
This painting is another wonderful study of oils on canvas by Geoff Hunt,
BrianD

[az_gila]

Nice painting...

[captain kong]

These are photos of Canadian Pacifics Duchess of Bedford then after WW2 was renamed Empress of France. A popular ship in Liverpool doing 17 day trips to Montreal and back. In winter when the St Laurence River was frozen she went to St JOHN, New Brunswick.
Built as the Duchess of Bedford in 1920, she was scrapped in 1960
I sailed on her several times. Very handy for doing shopping trips on her to buy good Canadian gear in Montreal.
Empress of France and a photo I took from the Crows Nest when she was doing somersaults in the North Atlantic winter. Duchess of Bedford as built and as a Troop ship in WW2, She was the most bombed ship to survive WW2

[gregs dad]

Hi C K good site for ship pics

http://philipparker500.fotopic.net/

[brian daley]

This is a fine study of of an unamed frigate heading down the Mersey for the open sea.It was executed in the late 18th ,or early19th century by the, then, famous marine artist Robert Salmon. He was born in Whitehaven in 1775 and spent his early days learning his art in Whitehaven and Greenock, He moved to Liverpool ,where he spent much time painting the river traffic and became famous for his marine art. In 1828 he pulled up stakes and moved to America where spent at least 15 years practising his art on the Hudson and other great seaports on the east coast and is believed to have died about 1851. If you have an original,get it insured,it is now highly collectable,
BrianD

[Oudeis]

I take it then that this frigate is of 50 or more tons gross tonnage?

[http://www.fotw.net/flags/gb-ensr.html#red]

[brian daley]

Hi Oudeis,
the dictionary definition of a frigate,is as shown below.I take it that the reason for your question was the 50 ton minimum weight requirement,well frigates weighed well above that limit.A modern frigate is between four and five thousand tons ,back then it was more like two or three hundred tons .
"During the 18th and early 19th centuries, a frigate was a sailing vessel designed for speed, with a flush gun deck carrying 24 to 44 guns, used as a commerce raider and for blockade duty. When warships were made of wood and had sails, frigates were small, fast, long range, lightly armed (single gun-deck) ships used for scouting and carrying dispatches"

BrianD

[Oudeis]

Actually I took the trouble to look up the use of the Red Duster (see web-site link above) and noted that it was to be used by ships of that tonnage and above. I'm learning as I go, a little at a time.

[captain kong]

HERE IS A PHOTO OF THE Esso Aberdeen 125,000 TONS. I was 2nd Mate on her running to the Brent Spa loading tower 150 miles North of Shetlands. A wild and lonely place. The highest wind speed recorded there was 220 miles an hour.
The Spa was a hollow tube 600 feet tall with a control room and helipad on top.
It was filled with crude oil from the production rigs , five of then, in the Brent Field.
We loaded over the bow
The Spa was scrapped about five years ago