These assignments were brief in nature. I plan to embellish upon them in the future.

Diamond State Telephone Co., Wilmington, DE

ST Golden Endeavour/WDBU

   Joined Galveston 2-2-85 Galveston, TX

Quit 4-17-85, Nederland, TX

Ports: Port Sudan, Sudan/Muscat, Oman/ Suez Canal, Gibraltar

Sudan               Oman                   Egypt

Very possibly the very worst ship, captain,  and run I had ever worked on/for/with. The ship was relatively new but poorly maintained. We made a trip to Port Sudan which was a real nasty place where  I didn't even set foot on shore. After leaving the     Sudan we proceeded to Muscat, Oman for a load of return cargo which we discharged in Nederland Texas.

ST American Heritage/KVFN

Joined Nederland, TX 12-8-84

Departed  St. Croix, USVI, 1-10-85

Ports: Pointe Noire, Congo, Limetree Bay, St. Croix, USVI.

The only noteworthy thing about this ship was that as we got closer to the West African coast (near Barbados) we started noticing dust on the deck of the ship. I asked the captain about it and he said it was due to the severe wind storms that had been plaguing the Sahara. I found this to be incredible. Dust from the Sahara being picked up and blown all the way over to the Caribbean from Africa.

Also noteworthy was the fact that we crossed the Equator at 0 degrees Longitude.  Or to put it more clearly we were in the position of 00-00N/S 000-00E/W for a very brief time. I was vacation relief for a good friend Jack Littman who used to be an instructor at our New York school. When we arrived at Pointe Noir we were not allowed ashore. We really were not there very long and it was no real loss to me. I believe we were there long enough to load the oil from an offshore buoy and then immediately proceed to St. Croix.

I departed the vessel at St. Croix having completed my vacation relief.

This ship was clean the Captain a decent sort and the crew friendly. I don't remember much else.

S/T Chesapeake/KNFE

1983

Amerada Hess Oil Corp.

Woodbridge NJ

ST Overseas Arctic/WEHV

Maritime Overseas Corp.

511 Fifth Ave.,

NewYork, NY

Joined October 1, 1983 in Freeport, Texas

Paid off February 2, 1984 in Freeport Texas.

This was a nice ship. She had been built in Baltimore at the Sparrows Point yard in the late 70's. The captain was a rather short man with the usual characteristic Napoleonic attitude usual with some short men.  The ship brightened up considerably after this little man finally left the vessel for whatever reason. I recall he was relieved by a much more mature man. We made several trips to Panama Chiriqui Grande oil terminal to the Gulf Ports of Freeport and Lake Charles La.

SS Energy Independence/WBJF

1Jun84 - 12Oct84

Keystone SS Co.

313 Chestnut St.

Philadelphia, PA

This ship was unique in as much that it used coal as its primary fuel. This ship is a collier (coal carrier) also noteworthy is the fact that Energy Independence could burn either coal or oil depending on the local pollution laws. The coal used as fuel was surprisingly not the same as the cargo.  Coal was only burned as fuel at sea. Soot was a constant problem on deck. The ship had to be washed down almost continuously. In my area, I used to don a pair of coveralls, climb the mast and hand clean the radar scanners. It only took a week of soot accumulation to cause problems with the radar reception. This ship brings back some sad memories for me. It was the last time I would get a chance to sail with my friend and shipmate Third Mate Stephen McHugh who went on to become a Chief Mate and was later killed by an explosion on a tanker in the Persian Gulf.   He and other members of the Masters Mates and Pilots went through a very trying period on this and many other ships throughout the industry during the time I was on this ship. The tanker companies decided to play hardball and gave the deck officers an ultimatum. Either come work directly for the Owners or walk, many of these proud and brave men decided to walk.  I tried to stay on this ship after they left but found that sitting across the table from my friend's "replacements" was just too much to bear. After many days of reflection on this matter I decided to call it quits and tendered my resignation. This ship ran regularly between Norfolk, Virginia - Baltimore, MD and Philadelphia, PA to Salem and Somerset, Mass.

  01/09/2002