Dave Davies

I sailed with RSL from June '69 to mid 71 sailing on the maiden voyage of the Cornish City with Capt Danny Lloyd, Tony Crowther as mate.  Eddie Morgan was the 2nd Eng'r and Jack Lowden was the Ch Stwd.
I then sailed on  the Orient City but the only crew member I remember was the Paddy electrcian Sean Cullinane from Bandon Southern Ireland. Have just remembered that the Capt was Jim Murray.
My 3rd and last ship with RSL was the CHIYODA (Eastern City) and I shall never forget that trip. Master was the infamous Capt Bartholomue (Barti) Parkhouse and  his 2nd mate side kick was none other that Evan Walmsley. What a pair of characters they were.

I then  went foreign flag (much more money) sailing with Niarchos (2 Years) and then with an American company Kaiser Int'l Shiping Corp based in Oakland Calif staying with them for 8 years.
My next company was Norse Managment from Oslo but based in Singapore. I was based in Malmoe/Sweden and worked in the shipyard there looking after the radio room installation of  radio room + bridge equipment. I think I sailed on 5 or six maiden voyages of Panamax tankers during my time  with that company.
My last company was with NSCSA (National Shipping Co of Saudi Arabia) who had four 45,000 ton RoRo's built in Gothenbourg from 81 to 84. I did the maiden voyages on two of them.

I left the sea in 86 but would go back tomorrow given the opportunity..

Having "swallowed the pick" in 86, its been a bit of a vaired career. Have worked for various companies including MARS Chocolates of Slough as a service engineer looking after domestic and industrial hot/cold/carbonated drinks vending machines which involved a yearly mileage drive in excessof 60K Miles per year. That did my back a load of favours !!  Then a spell with Rank Zerox looking after foto copiers in schools/hospitalsoffices of all sorts etc.

For 11 years I was then involved with an American Company building a Cable TV + Telephone Network in S Wales. They spent millions millions of pounds in S Wales alone and the final spend before the "Dot/Com Bubble burst" was in excess of five hundred million pounds in  S Wales alone. I set up a workshop building Fibre Optic transmission equipment for broadcasting Cable TV in our  designated area.
I joined that company with a full head of hair and a black beard, you wanna see the state of me now !!!!

Having recently retired, my last job was looking after a repair workshop for tool hire equipment for the well kown Building Supply company of "JEWSON".  Had a worshop  here in Carmarthen with fitters and drivers to repair and distribute/collect failed/repaired tool hire equiment for the whole of Wales  Major travelling miles + major headaches.

Retired at 65 three months ago.  Am finding it a bit of a problem not to have to go to work but that should improve wth time.

May 2012.