Devon City (4)
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Top left: Tom Sperrin & Chippie.
Top right: Focsle.
Left: David Thomson.
Copyright © David Thomson. |
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| St Lawrence River - Christmas Day 1975. Copyright © Harry Scott. |
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That was an interesting passage down the St.Lawrence.Set off in a convoy of four ships with an ice breaker breaking the ice for us.The"Devon" was third in line and all was going well until about noon as stated previously by Dave Thomson when the ship stopped and the Engine-room alarms sounded.The off-duty Engineers went below and were confronted by an over heating engine and no apparent reason why.The pumps were working,no leaks in pipework,opened strainers and there was the problem;packed tight with ice.The ice came from the shards in the river caused by the icebreaker breaking up the ice and the two ships n front of us breaking it down into bits and our pumps sucking it into our cooling system.Only one thing for it,empty the strainer of ice.Not as simple as it sounds.
Change over to other strainer(Duplex system)open up blocked one,empty it by digging it out,put it back,changeover,check in use strainer,full,empty it and so on.After about fifteen minutes of this the engine was cool enough to carry on;but the ice had closed in around us.Finally broke free and carried on down the river with Binnsy at the controls and two teams of Engineers alternately emptying and replacing the strainers and the Serang and his men dumping the ice over the wall.I can't remember how long this went on for but it was a heavy,cold job and a bit knackering and we had our watches to keep.But,hey, we wouldn't have it any other way in an emergency and nothing that a bottle of rum and a case or two of beer couldn't fix!!! And Charlie Parry produced a cracking Christmas dinner on Boxing Day including his trademark Suckling Pig. Mike Snook. |
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Devon City. Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
Memories from RSL staff. Page No. [1]
