Bon Accord

There is a large and modern container terminal at the Port Said end which should be capable of handling EVER GIVEN. It's on a branch connected to the new canal entrance. There's also a substantial container port along the coast to the west at Diametta.

I was hearing noises from some people I know in the Maersk Empire that their Tripe E's were being charged somewhere in the region of $500k per transit. The last time I went through was in a cargo ship of only 23000GT and they were charging us north of $100K each way, albeit that was with a special condition such as no locals permitted onboard at all except the pilots themselves.

As I remember Extra Masters and Extra Chiefs disappeared sometime in the 1990s - about '98 I think - just before the implementation of STCW '95.

When I went to cargo ships we had to empty out various store rooms for the canal transit and open the doors/hatches, as otherwise this was calculated as cargo space and the canal fee increased accordingly. The stores were normally deposited in a pile on a well lit hatch cover and a cadet detailed to guard it for the duration of the canal transit, usually issued with a brand new pick axe/sledgehammer handle for the purpose of detering unwelcome visitors and a whistle should he require assitance. That rigmarole was accepted by all as simply being par for the course.

If the SCA were to attempt to come after me, then a carton of Marlboro and at a push a bottle of cheap export whisky to the right people would I'm sure make the case vanish instantly. Not forgetting that it's only defamation if it's untrue.

The shipping companies have no choice but to use the canal, it's either that or go around the Cape. Hence why they've simply put up with systemic corruption and varying competence since the days of Nasser. Incidents in the canal are far from uncommon; usually groundings or the odd sideswipe of the canal bank. By the nature of the geography (sand) and the low speed at which vessels move around, such incidents rarely have serious consequences. Most of the pilots I encountered were to some degree ex Egyptian Navy. In my latter years I was in ships operated for the MOD and since we went through with all the privileges of a warship we were usually graced by the Chief Pilot (whose other job is Captain of the Presidential yacht) or one of his senior men for the actual canal transit. Unfortunately that was not always the case, especially with regard to the "roads pilots" who take ships from the anchorage into the entrance of the canal; once inside they then hand over to the actual canal pilot. Many of the former had variable knowledge of the concept of set/drift, which is why you had to watch them like a hawk if the winds were anything above light airs. Your conception of a pilot is (or at least was) mostly correct for most countries Western and otherwise, but far from all. Firstly, it's worth nothing that the standards of certification worldwide vary massively, even with the advent of STCW in 1978. By that I mean not only the route to that certification, e.g. seatime requirements and the examinations required, but also academic content and standards. Even in Europe it varies massively. The UK is far from immune from any change of course, as even here the recruitment requirements for Pilots have been watered down significantly from days past. Historically, to be a Trinity House pilot in the Channel or indeed to be taken on by the individual authorities at the major ports generally required that the individual concerned had a minimum of 2-3 years command experience as Master of a foreign going vessel whilst holding a foreign going Master's certificate. If an individual did not posess that experience they didn't even get to the interview stage. For the past couple of decades there has been an ongoing shortage of suitably qualified and experienced personnel available, such that most ports now only require that an individual posess a Master or a Mates certificate, but often no actual experience is required at that rank, it's merely "desirable". Other places have gone further; on the River Humber for example their pilots are only required to posess a basic officer of the watch certificate and no post cadetship seatime is required. I know that because one of my former cadets is now a Humber Pilot. In the latter estuary, the pilots ceased to be self employed some 20 years ago - an enforced change which led to prolonged but futile industrial action - and are now directly employed by the statutory authority (ABP), as is now increasingly common. On the Clyde a few years ago, faced with industrial action by their Pilots, Peel Ports rounded up everyone they could muster to stand in as pilots during the strike - this even included the river hydrographer who had no seagoing experience! Some ports/areas haven't changed of course, the River Forth being one which still requires the requisite command experience.

I think everyone could see that coming, regardless of what actually happened. The pilotage service there is very much a jobs for the boys arrangement and whilst some are ok, others are simply dangerous.

It wasn't just outsiders who took a dim view of the railway. As a youngster (and already a committed enthusiast) when thinking about possible careers I was warned off BR in no uncertain terms by my maternal Grandfather because he thought there was no future in it, which perhaps was no great surprise considering he'd had to transfer no less than 4 times to keep his job in the face of closures. He'd started in 1925 with the LNER and finally retired in '74.

Just had my LNER Garter Blue W1 and BR late crest W1 preorders cancelled by Hattons.

They were trapped there for 8 years. Four of the ships were British. Most were eventually abandoned to the insurers, however when released in 1975 two ships did manage to steam out under their own power (both West German), the rest had to be towed out and most were scrapped in due course.

There are vessel traffic centres controlling the canal and it's approaches, this is accomplished via VHF radio. The operators seem to be hand picked to ensure their knowledge of English is as poor as possible and their accents unintelligble - the working language there is nominally English. As you approach the canal the afternoon before your transit date you're given an anchorage position and told to wait there pending further instructions. At some point the local agent and Suez Canal Inspector(s) turn up for some paperwork to be signed and also to collect at least one carton of cigarettes each. The boat crew which brought them also get cigarettes. In the early hours of the morning the canal authority contact each ship in turn and tell them their number in the convoy, they'll then tell you to shorten your anchor cable and have engines and gangway ready at a specific time so as to be ready to board the first of four pilots and their various hangers on, e.g. canal boatmen and "electricians". The launch crews which bring the pilots etc to/from the ship all receive cartons of cigarettes. You normally hoist two small mooring boats onboard with their attendant crews, they are nominally there to moor the vessel to the canal bank if required; there's normally 6-12 of them and they all get a carton of cigarettes each and have to be provided with a dedicated cabin - this only has access from the outside and can't be used to enter the crew accommodation. The "electricians" operate the Suez Canal headlight, which most ships provide themselves anyway and simply plug in and switch on - they also get a carton of cigarettes each. The ships decks are cleared for the transit, all ports and doors secured and locked as they will steal literally anything they can get their hands on and carry away. You also find that despite being provided with toilets, they will leave it looking like the pub toilet from Trainspotting or simply relieve themselves (both types) on the open deck. Each pilot gets a carton of cigarettes and anything else they can either grab or beg. You normally find all the fresh fruit has disappeared from the saloon, along with pens, mugs etc after they've been onboard. Crew cabin doors and storerooms are always kept locked for the duration. The pilot boarding time is a total work of fiction and they'll generally turn up some time afterwards, but usually no more than 2 hours later so you wait until you see the whites of their eyes before dragging everyone out of their bunk to start what will be a very long day (you normally enter the canal approx 0400, and clear the other end sometime around 17-1800). These days many shipping companies have a "no gifts/bribes" rule, some companies also prefer to have only the pilot onboard and nobody else. Both result in the transit fees being increased which in reality simply tranfers the bribe from the men at the bottom to the men at the top. Before the unknowing get too outraged, the above is generally the experience of every ship which transits the canal, regardless of type or nationality. I'm sure those members who are either at sea or retired can confirm that. Until I decided to stay closer to home a few years ago I normally made 4-6 transits a year, however friends still at it confirm nothing has changed. Whilst a canal transit is an interesting experience the first time around, thereafter it's just a wholly unwelcome and often unpleasant chore/ordeal for all onboard with the entire operation absolutely riddled with corruption from top to bottom.

I see the news is doing the rounds that Monmouth and Montrose are to decomission next year, taking the nominal frigate/destroyer fleet down to 17. Money is of course the problem and this is only going to cause more overstretch in the remaining active vessels, or more to the point taskings will either have to be cancelled or undertaken by less capable/wholly unsuitable vessels. Still at least we've got two shiny new albeit mostly ornamental carriers and the Trident renewal project to look forward to, even though they're both manpower and financial sponges and are of no use whatsoever for nearly all the taskings the RN (and increasingly RFA) are expected to undertake.

The Singapore based ship plus that which is going to be based in Gib (Trent I believe) will most definitely be drafts exclusively reserved for the golden boys/rising stars considering how "social" both will be in terms of showing the flag etc.

Not enough would be the simple answer, particularly considering that both RN and RFA have ships laid up as there isn't enough money in the kitty to send them to sea, nor enough men to crew them even if the cash was available. This is despite there being no shortage of operational commitments. High profile jollies like the one coming up will put immense strain on the RN for a period, hence why it'll happen now and probably not again for some time.

As I remember the reason for the depot and turntable at Arthur's Pass was because that's where steam handed over to electric traction (and vice versa), as the Otira Tunnel was thought to be too long and steeply graded for steam traction to be practical. Latterly the electrification was removed and it's now worked by diesels. The Christchurch/Springfield to Arthur's Pass section was famously the home of the Kb class until the end of steam in the late 60s and the NZ film unit made an excellent documentary on the locos and the line prior to their demise: Kb Country. https://youtu.be/s2YH-djIASE

That's really good to know, thanks. The running plate really stuck out to me as being wrong, which perhaps it wasn't massively when viewed from a normal distance rather than up close, but all the same "once seen, unable to unsee" etc.

As I remember there were two of them, River Embley/River Boyne and both burning pulverised coal. I think both managed 30 years service under the Australian flag before scrapping.

Interesting to note they still use a "monkeys face" (the red triangular steel plate) to join the two runners above the hook. I'm pretty sure it's use was banned in conventional general cargo ships some decades ago due to the high risk of failure because of the stresses imposed on the steel plate; it was replaced with three interlocking steel rings which were shackled to the blocks/wire end. That was of course specifically related to use during loading/discharging via union purchase, a type of cargo handling now all bit extinct. Patricia's Hallen derrick derivative is also all but extinct in the shipping world and doesn't work on the union purchase principle so the forces involved are quite different, hence why it's use is permitted.

Not only that but containers aren't really designed to be lifted in such a fashion, especially 40' boxes; they're designed to be lifted vertically on four points - the upper twistlock housings - using a spreader or similar. If a spreader isn't available then it's advisable to have the slings from crane hook to 'box as long as possible. I've seen quite a few containers fold up and suffer structural failure when lifted like in that picture. They probably got away with it there because the container was new and likely empty.

I think I heard that the company which sold it either ceased trading or was consumed into another. Last saw 4 Bells on sale in Shetland a good decade or so ago, the more modern incarnation had a dark blue label. Always remember the tot received after tank cleaning.

The catwalk incident wasn't a certain short, Scottish master from Ullapool driving was it? He certainly clattered one but I can't remember if it was the main berth or the paper berth across the basin. If it was the same one we did start calling it the golden bridge as every time we came back the cost of repair seemed to exponentially increase. He had an unfortunate habit of the occasional dunt including demolishing a section of the old berth further upriver by virtue of the bulbous bow crashing through it. Paul Hamlin on Longstone started calling him "Lancaster" after that. When asked why, the response was he'd done just as much damage to Lubeck as the RAF.

For all the convenience gained we did lose a lot with the advent of GMDSS and the advent of e-mail and high speed connections - the huge increase of shoreside micro-management now that the ship was constnaly accessible being one enormously negative aspect of it. The ritual of Sparks getting the football results every Saturday on HF, Interflora requests, hugely expensive link calls, the only news being via crackly BBC World Service broadcasts via shortwave radio attached to all manner of creative home made aerials etc. It was never quite the same latterly, not forgetting bar receipts suffered massively once the Marconi Sahib was eradicated!

John, I should imagine we know quite a few of the same people. I ended up doing 8 years in the Foreland ships and did all 6 of that class although I only managed the Baltic pair once each; a few weeks filling in aboard Longstone whilst my 6 week trip on the Beachy turned into 4 months. Those two were on charter to Transfennica at the time and it was all very civilised (in summer at least) except for the occasional express days in Lubeck where I'm still amazed nobody was ever flattened by a Tug/MAFI going far too fast. One of the regular masters of the Teignbank/Boularibank was an old shipmate of mine and we still meet up for a pint in Shields whenever I'm in the vicinity now that he's in happy retirement, or at least we did pre Covid.

John, Welcome from another Bank line veteran/refugee! After I left tankers (when insanity beckoned) I fell into a job with Weirs and spent a number of years with them in the various companies they managed etc including the last classes of Bank boat, e.g. Cora class and the ex Russian ships. It was all a bit of an education at the time and for the most part a good laugh too. I'm driving buses these days, or at least that's what it feels like sometimes (passenger ferries)!

Received 1646 in the post from Kernow this morning having ordered it on Thursday, excellent service. It really is a smashing little model and commendably heavy. The much mentioned bunker seam is hardly visible on mine, no doubt helped by the black livery and in all honesty if I hadn't read about it on here I doubt I would have noticed it. Well done Model Rail, Rapido and Kernow.