30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017
OFFWATCH ships of the past by Trevor Boult
50 YEARS AGO
famous brands of beer, sold in more F than 120 countries and brewed in almost
The increasing number of container ships will, over time, reduce employment for seagoing officers, MNAOA general secretary Douglas Tennant told the Association’s General Meeting in Southampton. Even allowing for an increase in world trade, a lesser number of ships will undoubtedly carry a greater amount of traffic, he said, and this will mean a reduction in employment and promotion prospects. At the same time, said Mr Tennant, developments in automated equipment and electronics will play an increasingly important part in all departments aboard ships and urgent consideration must be given to assessing future manpower requirements and the training and education needed to meet the shipping industry’s requirements 10 and 15 years hence so that officers can ‘emerge from the technical jungle with higher rewards and improved all-round conditions of employment’ MN Journal, July 1967
Guinness is one of the world’s most
50. Arthur Guinness started brewing ales in Dublin in 1759 and a decade later he first exported his porter ale — six-and-a-half barrels — from the Irish capital to England. As the business expanded, there was further exporting to the English market. By the mid-19th century the company’s financial success enabled a successor, Benjamin Guinness, to finance the major neo-Gothic reconstruction of the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland, one of the two Protestant cathedrals in Dublin. A bronze statue of Sir Benjamin Guinness, erected in 1875, stands outside the cathedral. Exports were shipped by regular carriers until 1913, when a strike at Dublin port led to the company purchasing a former steam collier from a firm in Belfast. This ship, the WM Barkley, was sunk by U-boat in 1917 with the loss of five lives. The in-house operation proved so successful that three other ex-colliers were acquired. These vessels served the London, Liverpool and Manchester routes. Guinness also used barges to transport casks and barrels to and from the port, by way of the tidal River Liffey, the low bridges restricting their sailing times. Capacity was 300 hogsheads — or 150 butts. Many men were employed by the company to work on the expanding fleet, and were initially referred to as the ‘Cross Channel Gang’. A young man of 18 proudly recalls an aspect of his own work with the barges in the late 1940s: ‘One of my chores [on Victoria Quay] was to make out shipping details for the cargo of each barge going to Dublin port. It listed the name and number of each barge and its cargo. These had to be checked and stamped by the Customs Officer resident in the brewery. The skipper of each barge was given this document, which he handed over to the Customs Officer at the port.’ The canal barges owned by The Grand Canal Company carried stout to the Guinness stores in Limerick and Ballinasloe, as well as barley from the country. The familiar barges made their last appearance in 1961, when all the casks had been replaced by steel transportable tanks. In 1931 a new ship, ss Guinness, was ordered from Scotland, replacing one of the former colliers. Guinness also used B&I
25 YEARS AGO MV Miranda Guinness ‒ the world’s first purpose-built beer tanker Picture: Guinness Archives
Guinness ships: stout hearted beer carriers to carry porter to Liverpool, Manchester, Plymouth and Southampton, British Rail to Holyhead, Burns & Laird to Glasgow, and Palgrave Murphy to continental Europe. New ships were purchased in the mid1950s to carry the new tanks. In 1962, Lady Patricia was delivered from Bristol, replacing the ageing ss Guinness. In 1973, Lady Patricia was converted into the world’s first beer tanker, increasing her capacity to over 200,000 gallons, or a satisfying 1.87m pints. 1976 was to see the arrival of the world’s first specially commissioned bulk liquid carrier. The 1,732dwt mv Miranda Guinness was launched by the Countess of Iveagh, after whom she was named. The ship was the last to be built by the Albion Yard, Bristol, after more than 150 years of shipbuilding on the site. Miranda Guinness made her maiden voyage from Dublin to Runcorn in Cheshire in January 1977. The ship, ably propelled by twin diesels rendering 16 knots, went into service twice weekly on routes between Dublin and Liverpool. She had 15 stainless steel tanks carrying a total volume of 6,500 barrels: some 2m pints of Guinness.
Company archives keenly point out involvement in an historic event: ‘In 1964 the first trans-Atlantic crossing of an atomic powered merchant vessel from Ireland to the United States was made by the Savannah, with a cargo of 6000 cartons of bottled Guinness stout.’ In 1987 Irish Marine Services, a company made up of ex-Irish Shipping management and crew, took over the running of the Guinness ships, but this only lasted until 1993. Archives also explain the fate of the last two vessels of the fleet: ‘Innovation and quality are the foundations of St James’s Gate Brewery and in the search for more efficiency and greater quality control in the handling of Guinness exports, the Guinness ships were replaced by transportable tanks. In April 1993, the MVs Miranda and Patricia sailed out of Dublin for the last time. They sailed to the Manchester Ship Canal where they were sold.’ For generations of Dubliners, the era of the famous and familiar carriers of the drink that essentially symbolises their country had ended.
Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book London Docks in the 1960s by Mark Lee Inman (reviewed on the facing page). To enter, simply complete the form right and send it, along with your completed crossword, to: Nautilus International, Telegraph Crossword Competition, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane,
South Woodford, London E18 1BD, or fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015. You can also enter by email, by sending your list of answers and your contact details to: telegraph@nautilusint.org.
10 YEARS AGO Dutch shipowners have warned that radical action is needed to stop stagnation in the growth of the country’s merchant fleet and in maritime employment. The owners’ organisation KVNR says significant changes are need to keep the Dutch tonnage tax system competitive with other countries. KVNR says the Netherlands led the world in pioneering the tonnage tax concept a decade ago, and it had boosted the register by 50% and employment by 57% in its first seven years of existence. But, the owners note, other countries have copied the idea and improved upon it and the number of ships registered in the Netherlands has dropped from 810 in 2003 to 747 at the start of this year. There has also been an overall reduction in the number of students at Dutch nautical schools, the KVNR report adds The Telegraph, July 2007
THEQUIZ 1
What proportion of total global greenhouse gas emissions originates from maritime transport?
2
In which year was the Panama ship registry established?
3
China is the biggest exporter of containerised cargo. Which country is the biggest importer?
4
The top three shipbuilding countries — Japan, China and South Korea — together built what percentage of the world’s total new tonnage in 2015?
5
In 1887, the Cunard liner Etruria held the Atlantic Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing. What was her average speed on the fastest crossing?
6
Where in the world is the port of Dutch Harbour?
J Quiz answers are on page 42.
Name: Address:
Telephone:
Membership No.:
Closing date is Friday 14 July 2017.
QUICK CLUES
30_offwatch_SR edit.indd 30
Evidence is emerging from NUMAST members of serious shortcomings in the Global Maritime Distress & Safety System (GMDSS), which began its seven-year phase-in process in February. Concerns raised by members include inadequate training, user-unfriendly equipment, unreliable equipment, a lack of awareness among employers that the GMDSS General Certificate qualifies the holder as an operator only and does not imply technical knowledge, and the need for a practical DSC testing arrangement. Meanwhile, the International Chamber of Shipping has written to the International Maritime Organisation to express concern about the inadequate provision of MSI via the international SafetyNET service, warning that broadcasts are currently being made from only two of 15 Coast Earth Stations The Telegraph, July 1992
1. 4. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 18. 20. 23. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29.
Across Trouble (6) A Chaucer tale teller (8) Building (9) Musical instrument (5) Illumination (3,4) Ghost (7) Motor (5) Covered walk (8) Fuel (8) Nancy, MP (5) Young royal (7) Heavenly (7) First appearance (5) Compel (9) Livestock farmer (8) Preacher (6)
1. 2. 3. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Down Non-combatant (8) Number (7) Clot (9) African heights (5,9) Pilotless craft (5) Sleeping attire (7) Melt down (6)
9. 16. 17. 19. 21. 22. 24.
Line of latitude (6,2,6) Carnage (9) Area (8) Friendly (7) Crop land (7) Religious followers (6) Nick (5)
CRYPTIC CLUES 1. 4. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Across For rest, sappers line up for photographer (6) Measure of ruler ahead of dance move some may follow in (8) King or knave, for example, get on as likely boxing material (9) Those people’s capital from Turin was linked to inheritor (5) Ecstasy when engrossed with charity singer Midge (7) A name is changed in state of forgetfulness (7) In addition to returning paintings to former spouse (5) Liver in copper vessel, in October (8)
18. Half dead but then engages in swordplay as anti-attack resources (8) 20. Light fossil resin (5) 23. Sounds like rule and looks like lowering of head, a spectral display (7) 25. Telephone to allow for lock (7) 26. It laughs, but only a little about currency (5) 27. Want to splash in Dee before the Loch (9) 28. Advocate of colonialism stripped bare (8) 29. Faster upset by dessert (6)
Down Musical instrument and device to pick it up (8) 2. One of the 18 is average of course with a domesticated animal (7) 3. Small underwater craft and vessel took food to defeat enemy (9) 5. Yes drove, can run all over the place using one of their 1.
publications (14) 6. Greek deity hiding in boat, it annoyed others (5) 7. A square for drafts and motive for seditious plot (7) 8. An outsider, father turned sixties musical on its head (6) 9. So few declaring revised meteorological phenomena (4,5,5) 16. Simple quarrel put together for petitioner (9) 17. Demonstrations in favour of international matches (8) 19. “So clear, so shining, and so ---/ That it will glimmer through a blind man’s eye” (Henry VI.I) (7) 21. Have faith in dance of live bee (7) 22. Foundling, alternatively level of acidity with article (6) 24. Born in Taurus out of Libra disjunction, PM (5) J Crossword answers are on page 42.
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