SeaDog-46

FOR  JOHN -

Yesterday was the 108th anniversary of the sinking of Titanic.

For as long as there are those of us who remember our halcyon days - the art will never die.

Photos of Radio Officers memorial New York

Name of Jack Phillips - 1st RO Titanic  who did not make it.

Mean while - in the rest of the world.

Voyager ots has arrived in Bali to disembark Indonesian crew & some others. 

Some days ago there was a large night time operation in Sydney harbour where crews from several RCC ships transfered to other vessel & they all set off for different countries.

Radiance ots is approaching Singapore & was involved in the same operation.

If you are returning your rental to the same place - you could look at Apex.  We hired a Mitsubishi Outlander in Tasmania last month & were very pleased by the staff at Hobart & the car. Apex are off airport at Melbourne & an Outlander goes for under $20/day. Outlanders are very near the same size as Subaru Forester. 

Yes John -

Astoria is over 70 years old but I think something was found at her last docking that may mean curtains for this old girl.

Many wanted to take a cruise on Astoria before end of year, but unlikely now.

This morning :-

MSC Magnifica is through the Suez Canal with eta Fos 20/4 . Passengers that have not been ashore since NZ?

QM2 has arrived at Southampton to join Azura, Queen Victoria, Btitannia & Ventura alongside in layup?

Voyager ots has arrived Bali.

Radiance ots is approaching Singapore.

VdG was in & out of Cape Town quickly so I hope they got the bunkers they needed.  Now off Namibia with eta Tilbury 30/4.

MSC Magnifica with passengers onboard has anchored at Suez for bunkers / Canal.  Eta Fos [Marseilles] France 20/4.

The story of the wreck of the sailing ship Loch Ard is well worth reading - as is a trip to the gorge & down to the beach.

The Peacock is ceramic & was part of the ship's cargo.  Drive further west to stay in Warrnambool  & visit maritime museum.

Both those places are pie in the sky because they are open to the SE swell from the Tasman Sea.

There would need to be a large breakwater built to protect the berth/s & this may obstruct the channel into the bay. 

Both Hainan & Nanshan are Chinese companies but only Hainan is an airline.

It has made a name for itself since launching as a domestic carrier from the area of the same name in 1993.

Named a 5* airline by Skytrax for 9 consecutive years.

Virgin Australia is mainly [80%] owned by 4 airlines - Emirates,  Singapore Air,  Nanshaw  &  Hainan.  All with around 20% each.

New Zealand lamb is the best in the world & far better than the "dought fed" Aussie lamb.

It's a pity the cruise companies do not realise this when in NZ. 

A few years ago P&O UK Arcadia took a load of NZ lamb on a the round the world cruise along with green lipped mussels.

Best I have had on any cruise ship.

Is this thread turning into another bl..dy cooking show?

Pic. of a lovely $55 Tassie Lobster lunch @ Bichino last month.

John

Maritime news item.

Between 5th & 12th April the Philippines government allowed repatriation by air of 4,700 cruise ship Filipino nationals from Costa, Carnival, Scenic, NCL, P&O UK, Viking, Mystic, Oceania, Virgin & some others.  Note - Princess was not mentioned.

VdG is due to depart Tilbury in Oct. for Aust. via Pacific Ocean.

A lot can happen by then.  CMV have got to stay viable & maybe off load some of the vessels on charter.

Astoria is due to go - most likely to the breakers.

Vasco Da Gama has berthed in Cape Town for bunkers.

Columbus is approaching Thames estuary & will berth at Tilbury to lay up.

So Chief what sort of rotation do you normally do on your tanker?

In Australia 20 years ago we did 6 week "swings" on our coastal tankers & minimum of 12 weeks on the overseas ones.  We do not have any petroleum tankers anymore.

Back in the good old days when I started as a UK cadet [1964] - the ships were smaller about 10,000gtr refrigerated cargo liners. My 1st voyage was under 4 months to NZ, & back with frozen lamb.  The second voyage we expected to be the same but prior to starting loading we were shanghied & sent to Australia to load frozen boneless beef for the US/Canada east coast hamburger trade.

After 3 loadings the ship was due for docking & we left Montreal for Glasgow. Fog all the way at half ahead. Due to loss of some deck crew I was put on 4-8 morning watch as lookout on the forecastle head.  

Arrived on the Clyde after a 14 month & 8 days trip away. No Radar, no AC & very few half days off.

The RAAF plane that took out relief cargo yesterday could not land because of unsafe runway due to obstructions.

There are only 4 cruise ships in Singapore & near by at the moment.

Sapphire Princess is in her docking period now but has been at Sembawang Johor Straits for most of March as well.

Crystal Symphony is also there.

Majestic P. is still at Sembcorp Tuas yard.  A vessel called Aegean Paradise is anchored in Johor, Malaysia.

Both Marina & Harbour side cruise docks seem to be shut with no vessels of any sort.

Chief - if you can run a very large container ship with about 15 crew & most tankers with under 30 crew - how come 100 would be needed on an empty cruise ship?  Most of the Australian fleet were running 1 on deck watch, unmanned engine rooms, 2 stewads & 1 cook.  This was before the government broke cabartage rules & allowed overseas ships under a permit. Now we have just over a handfull left.

I first landed in Queen Street, Auckland - main drag up from waterfront in 1964.

It was a very quiet one horse town in those days.

The cruise ships are berthed closer to town than in Sydney & about the same as Vancouver.

The city is built over several extinct volcanoes.  See a Moa in one of the museums overlooking the harbour.

Apart from that already mentioned - if you have time get to Coromandel - the scenary & beachs are some of the best in NZ.

Also spend some time at the DRIVING CREEK railway just south of Coromandel.  Founded by Barry Brickell [1935-2016] to bring clay for his pottery down to the workshop. This place is unique - a narrow guage railway built by Barry & others. Features the local timber Kauri built Eye-full- tower.   www.dcrail.nz

Thanks bluesea321 - thought everybody knew this. 

Built as mv Stockholm in Sweden - sailed in 1948.

Famous for collision with Italian liner Andrea Doria in fog off Nantucket 25th July in 1950's.

Great story. 

At Tilbury London UK - the following cruise ships are laid up -

Spirit of Discovery,  Saga Sapphire, [Saga].   Astoria the oldest cruise ship,  Magellan  [CMV] ,  Viking Star [Viking Ocean].   Columbus [CMV] due in 14th April.

Fred Olsen Lines fleet of 4 cruise ships are now been anchored together NE of Edinburgh in the Firth of Forth.

This is already happening - Golden,  Sun &  Sea  Princess left Australia & are well on there way to Philippines.

Also 4 x RCC,  1 x Celebrity,  3 x P&O Australia all going to Indonesia / Singapore / Philippines.

Spectrum of the Seas used the Gt. NE Passege with pilot & is now through Torres Strait bound for Benoa.