Photo courtesy of Dave Smith 3rd officer Cedric |
CEDRIC / SEA CONDOR
BUILT IN BELFAST BY HARLAND AND WOLFF IN 1952 FOR SHAW SAVILL AND ALBION. SHE WAS REGISTERED IN SOUTHAMPTON, SHE WAS SISTER SHIP TO CANOPIC, CRETIC, CARNATIC AND CYMRIC SHE HAD A GROSS TONNAGE OF 10902.2 AND WAS A REFRIGERATED CARGO VESSEL. SHE WAS 512 FEET LONG, 69 FEET 3 INCHE BEAM AND HOLDS 30 FEET 10 INCHES DEEP. HER OFFICIAL NUMBER WAS 185253. SHE HAD TWIN TWO STROKE, SINGLE ACTING OIL ENGINES, EACH WITH SIX CYLINDERS OF 750 MM DIAMETER EACH, STROKE 1,500 MM. THE ENGINES WERE MADE BY THE SHIP BUILDER.
I JOINED THIS VESSEL IN LONDON IN 1975 AND LEFT HER A YEAR LATER IN LIVERPOOL IN 1976. I HAD BEEN ON HER SISTER SHIP 'CANOPIC', AND CEDRIC WAS ON A SIMILAR RUN DOING THE SAME NEW ZEALAND PORTS AND MOST OF THE SAME PORTS IN THE CARIBBEAN. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS SHE DID COME BACK TO THE U.K .I DID TWO ROUND TRIPS ON HER FROM THE UK TO NEW ZEALAND, ON THE LAST TRIP WE HAD ENGINE PROBLEMS AMONGST OTHER THINGS AND COULD NOT MAKE FRESH WATER AND PUT INTO THE AZORES FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS FOR FRESH WATER ,REPAIRS ETC, WHICH MADE A GOOD BREAK AS THE AZORES GROUP OF ISLANDS IS AN INTERESTING PLACE WITH USUALLY LITTLE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THERE. HER RADIO CALL SIGN WAS 'GPRG'. THE TWO CAPTAINS I SERVED WITH DURING THIS PERIOD WERE CAPTAIN EARL AND CAPTAIN MURCHISON. IN 1976 SHE WAS SOLD TO A PANAMANIAN COMPANY AND RE-NAMED 'SEA CONDOR'. IN 1977 SHE WAS SENT TO KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN AND SCRAPPED THERE. WHO REMEMBERS THE FAMOUS T-SHIRT ? IT WAS YELLOW AND THE INSCRIPTION IN BLACK.
WHEN I DIE
I KNOW I'M GOING TO HEAVEN |
Photo courtesy of Sandy Jack 5th engineer officer |
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THERE WAS TWO PRINTINGS OF THE FAMOUS T-SHIRT, ONE FROM THE VOYAGE MAY 1974 TO NOVEMBER 1974, AND WAS REPEATED AGAIN IN 1975. THE PICTURE TO THE LEFT SHOWS SOME OF THE OFFICERS FROM THAT ORIGINAL VOYAGE. BACK ROW SANDY JACK / 5TH ENG, "KINKAID" / CHIEF ELECTRICIAN, BOB WAKEFIELD / 3RD ENGINEER, "HYRAM" / 4TH ENGINEER, TED WILLIAMS / CHIEF FREEZER ENGINEER. FRONT ROW SHOWS DOUGIE FOSTER AND THE SPARKY. IN 1975 WHEN I JOINED CEDRIC HYRAM AND DOUGIE FOSTER WERE STILL ONBOARD. |
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Photo courtesy of Dave Smith 3rd officer Cedric |
SOME OF CEDRIC'S OFFICER ASHORE AT ST.GEORGE'S, BERMUDA IN 1975. AT THE FAR LEFT, ME THE R/O, TO THE RIGHT THE ELECTRICIAN, WITH KENNY HATTON ( ENGINEER ) THIRD FROM THE LEFT. TOP ROW ON THE LEFT IS THE DECK CADET, ON HIS RIGHT IS BOBBY THE "WELSH WIZARD " ( ENGINEER ) BELOW HIM ANOTHER ENGINEER, NAME FORGOTTEN NOW. DAVID THE 3RD OFFICER IS BEHIND THE CAMERA. |
DAVID SMITH ( EX 3/O CEDRIC ) HAS HIS OWN EXCELLENT SHIPPING SITE ON THE FOLLOWING LINK http://www.coastalcrafts.co.uk
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Photo courtesy of Sandy Jack 5th engineer officer |
FORGET THE TOP THREE IMAGES OF CEDRIC - THIS IS HOW SHE REALLY LOOKED MOST OF THE TIME, SHOWN HERE IN CURACAO IN 1974 . |
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Photo courtesy of Dave Smith 3rd officer Cedric |
THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN ABOUT A YEAR AFTER THE TOP ONE, AT ANCHORAGE IN KINGSTON JAMAICA - STILL BEING ECONOMICAL WITH THE PAINT. |
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Image courtesy of Tom McGrattan |
THE ABOVE PICTURE SHOWS CEDRIC IN AUCKLAND IN 1972, BEING ASSISTED BY THE TUGS " TE AWHINA" AND "AUCKLANDER" |
PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY BERNIE VALKS - CLICK HERE
( BERNIE SAILED ON THE CEDRIC IN 1965/1966 )
RADIO ROOM EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON CEDRIC / GPRG
MAIN RECEIVER WAS THE MARCONI MARINE 'MERCURY' ACCOMPANIED BY 'ELETTRA' |
EMERGENCY LIFEBOAT TRANSCEIVER WAS A MARCONI MARINE 'SALVITTA III' |
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A MARCONI MARINE 'DYNATRON' WHICH WAS A GENERAL COVERAGE BROADCAST RECEIVER |
MAIN TRANSMITTER WAS A MARCONI MARINE 'OCEANSPAN' hoto courtesy of Steve Hill's Radio Museum / www.qsl.net/vk4czt
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MARCONI LODESTONE DIRECTION FINDER RECEIVER
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Image courtesy of Heinrich Busch http://www.seefunk.hbusch.de |
Image courtesy of Heinrich Busch http://www.seefunk.hbusch.de |
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ABOVE IS THE MARCONI MARINE RELIANCE EMERGENCY TRANSMITTER | ABOVE IS THE MARCONI MARINE AUTO KEY UNIT. |