Cornish City (5)
Comments from the forum - 1
My second trip was from July 1971 to January 1972 on the Cornish City. We joined after a long flight from Heathrow - Amsterdam - Anchorage - Tokyo. We were delayed at the airport in Tokyo when customs found an air rifle that dear old Flash Thomas was taking through. After a short sleep we were up very early the next morning and on the ship by 8am and sailed later that same day through the Panama to Newark, Norfolk, Tampa, Corpus Christi back through the Panama to Japan where we called at Yokohama, Shimizu, Nagoya and Kobe thence to Tacoma, Seattle,San Francisco at anchor up to Stockton and then back to Japan to pay off.
On the ship were:- Master: Anthony Thomas, C/O: Dave Wooton, 2/O: Geoff Matthewson, 3/O: Roger Davies, R/O: Bill Stephens, C/S: Bob Pierce, C/E: John Howell, 2/E: Brian Lewis, 3/E: Ian Mowat, 4/E: Dave Smith, J4/E: Chris Buckley, J/E: Dave Ricketts, J/E: Frank Wood, Elec: John Gardiner, Eng Cadet: Dougie Cummings, Deck Cadet: Hugh Hurst. David Ricketts. Posted on forum 7th September 2009.
I was in the crew you relieved in Yokohama July 1971, we had an exciting trip joined in Tampa in Jan after if I recollect correctly we had a week in a motel waiting for the ship, loaded phosphate rock through the canal to Niigata, Tsurga and Akata I think on the Sea of Japan for discharge, ocean crossing was six weeks owning to bad weather and engine problems and a slight amount of weather damage to the accommodation, masthouses etc, we then loaded steel and motor bikes for LA and East Coast of USA, engineers changed a cam shaft in LA in record time, down to New Orleans for grain for Kaoshuing where we were for six weeks or there about's then up to Yokohama and home, with KLM/Aeroflot on a 16 hour flight via Moscow & Amsterdam which took just over two days
Crew. Master: D. L. G. Jones,
C/O: Norman Brown,
2/O: Kenny Milburn,
3/0: Bob Bailey,
R/O: Neddy Willocks,
2R/O: ? Campbell( first tripper),
C/E: Danny Trigg & Mike Ridley + Judith,
2/E: Brian Draper,
3/E: Pat Silcock,
4/E: Andy Dalhousie,
J/E: Andy Warburton,
J/E: ? Carruthers,
Elec: Kenny Hampton,
C/S: Fred Lever, Deck Cadets: Alec Skeogh, Wally Hutchings,
Eng Cadet: Colin Hayles. Wally Hutchings. Posted on forum 9th March 2010.
I'm guessing I must have moved into Andy Warburton's cabin (second to last on the port side opposite the smoke room.
As John Howell said in the main the Cornish was a happy ship.
On one passage John Gardiner and I both developed toothache that was untreated at the Panama canal, Newark and not until Norfolk did we go to the dentist (bit of a butcher as I remember).
It was the time of strikes on the eastern and western seaboards so on the last crossing we went to Seattle and Stockton.
I remember a great afternoon (and evening) ashore just outside of Pier 90 in Seattle. A trip up to the city where I purchased some really great records (including Carol King's Tapestry - still a favourite). Then back to a bar just outside the port area where i had arranged to meet Bob Pearce who failed to show (later pleading pressure of work). I met up with a great bunch of people including a guy who was a brewery rep. He asked if there were anyone else who would like to go to this club he knew that played heavy rock music. He had this Fiat Sport Spider and so off we went to pick up Chris Buckley. The guy let me drive but that's another story. So off we went to the club where Chris and I enjoyed a group playing Led Zeppelin music. By 10 pm the guy was feeling what I would now call over counseled and told the barman that anything Chris and I wanted was on his tab. He was very trusting but by 3am we'd had enough and so it was back to the ship.
WE then went down to Stockton but before going up we anchored in the bay and ran the life boat ashore to visit San Francisco we with about $15 between four of us we had one of the best runs ashore that I remember. No beer just the tourist stuff before ending up at Fisherman's Wharf with just 40c left for four coffees with the eternal refills. We got on the wrong side of the Port authorities for having no lights on the lifeboat.
Then it was back to Kobe where we were due to pay off. After arriving in Kobe where we thought it was finished with engines a last minute change meant that we had to go about 6 hours down the coast to Mizushima where we finally did finish with engines and off home.
We had a similar trip to yours where we flew from Mizushima to Tokyo for a night in a hotel then off to on KLM/Aeroflot to Moscow for refueling and on to Amsterdam for another night in a hotel.
The flight was memorable in that the aircraft did not run out of beer (unusual in those days) for the whole flight from Tokyo to Amsterdam). On arrival in Amsterdam we were told that there was a limit of on the meal we could have (which frankly would have bought only a hamburger or similar). A mild rebellion led to a more generous allowance. I'd like to think this was not a company limitation but a local issue.
The next day onwards to Heathrow and home.
That was my first and last experience of the Ruston AO and from then on for me it was the Cardiff Class with a short spell on the Maria Elisa and the P Type. I would not however have missed that experience on the Cornish for anything. I later joined Scottish Ship Management (big, big mistake) but managed to miss their Ruston powered ships. David Ricketts. Posted on forum 9th March 2010.
Disclaimer: The statements on this page are the views of the person who posted them on the forum. The events took place many years ago and in most cases rely on those people's memories, and so we cannot guarantee the accuracy although every effort is made to check it.
Cornish City. Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] |
Welsh City/Cornish City Data. Page No. [1] |