Sorry about the title, but it occurred to me that although I've spent a lot of time describing bits of my life at sea, there wasn't all that much about some of the ships themselves. And they all had their own quirks.
Others on the forum could well add to this.....after all, it's an open forum. One of the aspects of the recent and on-going thing about members "profiles" is that although there is a general interest in ships and the sea, there are many members who are not and never have been, "sea-going". So rather than dwell on events that happened maybe some would like a bit more info on the ships. If I start back to my 1st trip in 1957 and perhaps just go gradually forward from then it may be possible to see some of the changes in ship construction and operation that I encountered (endured?) over the years.
I would also find it interesting to read about comparible careers, albeit in different trades, conditions etc.
Assuming that this new topic won't "bomb", I'll start with s/s"Bardic"....my 1st ship.
7,951 gross tons. 12,546 dwt tons.
492' x 70' x 29'(draught)
The eagle-eyed will have noted that for a ship of her size there is quite a disparity between her Gross tonnage and her Deadweight. I'm just talking about "dry-cargo" ships here. Liners and Warships run under somewhat different rules.
You may well think that all the main bulkheads on a ship go from the bottom of the ship upwards to the deck that has all the winches and so on and sort of assume that this is the "main deck". Not necessarily so. If the bulkheads all stop at another,lower deck, then that deck becomes the "main deck", and all subsequent measurements are taken from this level. This ship is now classified as an "Open Shelterdeck" ship. In practise it means that you could load a car into the forward hold and drive it to the aftermost one. "Open". So technically any cargo in this space is "deck cargo"...even if it is surrounded on all sides by steel plates. Being "deck cargo space" that volume will not be counted as part of the Gross tonnage (Gt is 100cu.ft=1 ton...not a ton of "real" weight). So you can have many thousands of cubic feet of available cargo space that is just not counted as part of the ships carrying capacity. But there is a drawback.
And that is in the allowed freeboard, and consequently a reduced draught. Freeboard is a safety thing, and so all hull markings are measured downwards from the main-deck level rather than upwards from the ships bottom as is generally percieved. We are all sort of familiar with at least the concept of the "Plimsoll Line", but next time you look at a ship, cast your eyes directly upwards and you will see another short line (only 1 ft long). This line shows the location of the ships main deck. Usually this line will be seen at the deck level that has all the deck stuff on, but now and again it will be seen about 8 ft below where you expect to see it. This denotes that the ship is an "open-shelterdeck" ship. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages, depending on the "trade", general weather conditions in the trade area and owners choice.....etc.
"Bardic" was launched at the end of 1943 in the USA (Seattle-Tacoma) as the Escort Carrier "Willapa" for the USN but was transferred to the RN under the "lease lend" agreement and re-named HMS "Puncher". She was returned to the USN in 1948 and re-constructed as a merchant ship. Then she was bought by the "Lancashire Shipping Co." (Mollers of Hong Kong!) and re-named "Muncaster Castle"...and later sold to Shaw-Saville and renamed "Bardic", and then on to the Ben Line in 1957 (when I joined her). Later re-named "Bennevis", and then soldiered on until 1973 when she was broken up in Korea.
P.S....as an 11 year old, I remember one of her sisters being berthed on the Tyne during a Festival of Brtain tour in 1951...I think it was called "Canopus". Looked big to me then!.....BY. Forgot the pics!!! Rats. Do it soon.
