Philip Godding
My last trip with Smiths was with you on the Josefa; we were towed to New Orleans from Coatzacolcos for repairs and I eventually left the ship in Vera Cruz to go home for the birth of my first daughter and to go up for Masters.
I went up for Masters and just ten days prior to taking the written exams I received the dreaded envelope advising me that I was to be made redundant from Smiths.
I passed Masters and then went into the oil industry; two years on anchor handling vessels and then I 'graduated' onto the oil rigs.
I have been on them since 1983 and in 1984 promoted to Offshore Installation Manager.
During this period I have experienced Vietnamese refugees in 1985 whilst working in China, gas blow outs requiring total evacuation of all personnel in Vietnam, flooding of pump rooms in Vietnam and parting of all moorings in Cape Town harbour during a 75 knot South Easter and drifting down the harbour bouncing off of container ships, container cranes and finally coming to rest against Russian trawlers; to mention but a few incidents. Like all things today, we are bound down by endless streams of e mails, procedures and a safety culture that never seems to stop.
Apart from that, life is normal having worked in North Sea, throughout the South China Sea, Libya, Tunisia, South Africa, Venezuela, Congo and now Brazil.
I am still married to Laura and still living up in Scotland (Kinghorn in Fife) and have three daughters.
I regularly meet up with Douggie Cumming for golf, beer and food.
September 2010.