Robbie Bell
My name is Robbie Bell and I am from Berwick on Tweed.
I am the other Robbie (younger :-) ) and I only sailed with Reardon Smiths for about three years.
My First Ship was the Victoria City which I joined in Tampa on the 7th of January 1974 as a Junior Engineer.
From Tampa we sailed at economical speed to Durban for Bunkers. It was then on to Visakhapatnam and then on up to Japan.
We dry-docked in Japan before sailing light ship to Vancouver for a full load of Timber. The ship then proceeded through the Panama Canal and onto New Haven for a partial discharge before crossing the Atlantic to Liverpool and pay off.
A round the world trip was quite an adventure for a wide eyed lad from Berwick in 1974!
My Reardon Smiths ships were Victoria City, Fresno City, Sara Lupe, Cardiff City, and Devon City.
I then moved on to Denholms, Sugar Line and then about five years with Seahorse Ship management where there were a number of ex Reardon staff.
I achieved my Seconds ticket with Smiths and my Chiefs with Seahorse.
I then dodged about with a few companies but amongst that did a few years under the Jebsens funnel mainly on the Norwegian coast.
In 1988 I acquired a Fishing Tackle Shop in Berwick and I am still there.
The early nineties saw me do a bit of relief work including a couple of short trips as Chief Engineer on a Diving Support Vessel in the North Sea.
I am married to Margaret and we have two grown up sons.
I am also now a qualified Fly Fishing Instructor and one of my proudest achievements has been representing England in International Fly Fishing Competitions. This has been as Competitor and Manager.
I have a website if anyone is interested and would of course be more than happy to hear from anyone I sailed with. http://www.gamefair-flyfishing.net/About_Robbie_Bell.htm
I occasionally see "Uncle" Robbie, John Gardiner and Bill Parkin around the town.
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| Margaret and Robbie |
January 2011.