Blue Star Gangway No.15 Spring 1978 - BlueStarLine.org

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graphs, and making a detailed survey of a few sites. Our day was more or less totally filled with preparation for and recovery from a dive, which at the most would last an hour. It is not an exceptionally efficient method of research. After we had recovered-a process which entailed washing the equipment, taking a shower, and eating-we might or might not go back to the lab to sort out all the samples that had been brought up that day. The animal and plant life to be seen at the depths we were diving to (down to 25 metres) was quite beautiful. The predominant specie that we found was the jewel anemone; clusters covered the rock faces in brightly coloured patches. There were also many sea urchins which the unfortunate diver got swept onto at times, depositing nests of spines under the skin. Despite all the old seadoq tales of sharks recounted to us with glea on Romney, there were none to be seen. Martin enjoyed a very pleasant return voyage aboard Raeburn and we are now trying to put our results into some sort of meaningful order. All in all it was a most rewarding trip and we are most grateful to Blue Star for making it possible. Amver Award The majority of our seagoing personnel arefamiliar with Amver, the Automated Mutual-assistance Vessel Rescue system. Basically the system operates as follows. After completing a questionnaire regarding radio watch schedules and available medical and communication facilities, a vessel forwards a simple passage plot to the Amver Centre in New York and this information is fed into a computer. Periodic position adjustments and reports are sent free of charge through any of approximately 70 cooperating radio stations throughout the world. Through this computerised system for search and rescue the Coast Guards are able to forecast and identify the names, locations, and facilities of merchant vessels near an emergency. To demonstrate their appreciation of the support given to this international lifesaving programme the US Coast Guards make an annual award of blue Amver pennants and Certificates of Recognition to ships qualifying for such an award for the first time, and a gold pennant to those vessels which have qualified for an award for five consecutive years. During 1976 New Zealand Star gained her first award, California Star her third award, and Columbia Star her fourth award. Captain T D Brewster of 'Columbia Star receives his vessel's pennant from Rear Admiral Raymond H Wood, US Coast Guerds, at a ceremony at the US Embassy in London 18
y Eddie Oakes ~ =- ~ead slow as we took the two _ _~ard-one ataciturn European . the other a shirtsleeved . ith a more flamboyant style ~-- eaded into Port Said. --:c - l thought on coming aboard ;} a reversal of time honoured u the 'dirty postcard' trade. au any Penthouses, Playayfairs ?' they asked the Mate. go see if other officers have - cabin?' as e approached the channel = in 0 the port, with a sunken ::0=-. er yellow goalpost derricks - isted, forming the end of the '~-'-'-"'-er, the little group on the thinking back a decade and other passagesof the Canal. asn't improved with age: I .,.... ...•' ••-"'.J Captain Jones. aye the people: grunted the o obviously was not on the - terms with the pilots. He had since leaving Genoa, thinkrays to keep the ship secure e inevitable invasion of the men with their travelling ot 'souvenirs', ranging from ic 0 the downright tawdry. = - is passenger there were of wartime days, and also of - armed and abortive Port Said __ :0 by the Anqlo- French force 4 ::=-. oday most of the wreckage as been cleared, although the area has business-like flak --=.. ••••.•'••s mounted to deter any lowflying Israeli jets. However, the offshore smells were the same as we all remembered. Eager hawkers After the Agent had come aboard, the Mate made sure that the gangway was quickly lifted out of reach of the bumboat men. For an hour they circledin motor launches now-frustrated. But when the Agent called-in his launch he was virtually swept aside by the rush of eager hawkers up the gangway and into the ship. The more experienced quickly set up shop-as it happened, right outside the Mate's cabin, which caused an explosion when he came down from the bridge. One flourished a rather grubby sheet of Blue Star Line headed notepaper containing a 'certificate' that one 'Jock McLean' had shown himself at all times 'to be well behaved when aboard ship.' The wives, most of them visiting the Canal Zone for the first time, were soon trying to 'bargain'. The purser, an old hand with the traders of Port Said, was not impressed. 'Not even a filthy postcard: he remarked. 'It's all ,just rubbish.' Cleverly constructed small tables and stools, a little rough in their finish, produced the most spirited bargaining. Nobody wanted the large bags of roasted peanuts, the kilos of Turkish Delight, or the tinselly toys. Gradually, the bum-boat men drifted away to try other ships in the assembling convoy as they moored nearby, ready for the early morning start southward. But the Ghillie-Ghillie Man stayed on board, first to give his street magician's show to the crew, then to come up after dinner and sit crosslegged on the floor near the bar in the Officers' lounge, his audience all around him and literally breathing down his neck from above and behind. He was a quiet, hawk-faced man, wearing a neat grey suit and speaking excellent English, Quickly the Ghillie- Ghillie Man summed up his audience. He drew the Master's t l-vear-olo son, Nigel, down beside him to 'help' with card tricks, then gradually brought in others. His smooth patter was climaxed by the repeated 'ghillie-ghillie-ghillie' as each trick was expertly performed, and the audience visibly warmed to an unusually good performance. Then came the moment the old hands had been waiting for: Mike, the burly 3rd Engineer, looked genuinely embarrassed as the magician's deft fingers drew not one, but three live baby chickens from his shirt. Shock of her life Brenda, the 2nd Engineer's pretty wife, got the shock of her life when, with a whispered 'do you mind?' she felt the agile fingers toss a chicken into the top of her blouse, then drop another in as he produced the first one, There were delighted roars from that part of the audience out of reach -of the Ghillie- Ghillie Man's flickering, long-fingered hands. 'It was horrible when I felt him do it-but now I can see the funny side: she confessed later. 'I wanted to go all modest, but he didn't give rne.timel' 'The best show I've seen for a:long time', was a comment that summed up the general view, and the tribute, was generous when the inevitable collection came. ACT 1 was moving again at 2 am, near the middle of the 18-ship convoy. Sun-up revealed that the northern end of the Canal at least is still the frontline of a war: the defensive positions were fully-manned and the guns in place. The Egyptian radio, relayed loudly by a harbour tug, had been full of President Sadat's peace-making mission to Jerusalem, then about to take place. But here there seemed little relaxation. EI Oantara had obviously taken a bashing. Across Lake Timsah more distance made Ismalia seem like its old self. But the north bank, where the Israelis had built their fortified line -had 'largely been cleared, although there were hints of minefields along deserted stretches. By 11 am, ACT 1 was stopped on the southern side of the Great Bitter Lake, where Scottish Star had _once lain rusting for so long, as we waited 19
Page 2 and 3: Gangway Number 15 Spring 1978 Journ
Page 4 and 5: ~ustraliaStar' Christening · the n
Page 6 and 7: At least she has been spared that t
Page 8 and 9: different marketing projects. This
Page 10 and 11: B:I:Z 8SSM news Much has happened o
Page 12 and 13: LAMPORT & HOLT LINE News Welcome ab
Page 14 and 15: Captain W A Sparks William Sparks w
Page 16 and 17: Aroundthe orldin twenty-three days
Page 18 and 19: dawn, we boarded a chartered light
Page 22 and 23: for the northbound convoy to come t
Page 24 and 25: , by Eddie Oakes Like all radio off
Page 26 and 27: Kiwi column 'Gladstone Star' firefi
Page 28: There are 184 good reasons for book

Blue Star Gangway No.15 Spring 1978 - BlueStarLine.org

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