NAESS CRUSADER page 2

NAESS CRUSADER page 2

Postby fitter » Sat Apr 06, 2013 11:02 pm

5.JPG

The quayside crane is at Folly End, an ancient ferry landing for monks and later the public that Thompsons had to apply to Parliament to in order to close it and chop some of the bend of the river away. A painter works from the box of the "Dalek" a former street lighting wagon (cherry pickers they are called now), that was worked to death on these ships in the holds and alongside. Further forward two workmen are suspended in a gangway with gates at each end. A generator is running and the port side funnel was installed early to allow it to do so, but, happy days, no body about measuring parts per million of soot in exhaust. A solitary fishing boat reminds us that shipbuilding is not the only activity that the river was famous for and fishing predated shipbuilding anyhow. The zig zag vertical gangway is midships, it is pleasanter walking up Great Gable at night to catch a sunrise than it was walking up that thing. The six bladed propeller is in place but no body yet knows who pinched the bronze lifting lugs when we cut them off, except perhaps a local scrap man. But the ship is almost assembled now. Its December the 15th, only ten days to go.


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Leonardo Decaprio has turned up for a trial run and autograph hunters await the end of the practice. The temporary light in the hawse pipe creates an impression of the ship having an eye, no doubt looking for Kate Winslet and hoping for a preview of a particular scene, relished by men, all over the world. Still only ten days to Christmas but for the thirsty, seventeen days hence is the one they look forward to the most.


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There now. Safely water borne. I always thought that the bridge looked awful without wings, it just never looked finished and seemed an odd omission compared with 99.999% of similar ships world wide. Can't think whey they never had them. It wouldn't be surprising if the crew found it a nuisance sometimes, even just for a walk when they were on watch and there was nowt doing because "saint" nav was in control.


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Whatever would Health and Safety say to the chap on number eleven hatch cover? Old Sunderland, Lambton Staithes, the power station, Wearmouth colliery where men traveled beneath us, out under the sea for coal. The old bonded warehouse is behind the jib of the scotch derrick, beyond the fore end. In the yard, the former Dickensons, later Doxfords engine works are to the starboard side to the right of the furthermost luffing crane. Behind the tip of the port stores derrick jib is the many windowed joiners shop, and the heating coils have arrived. Better get them fixed quickly before they disappear over the port side and to a scrapyard, after all Christmas is only ten days away and its an expensive time of year.
Last edited by fitter on Sun Apr 07, 2013 11:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NAESS CRUSADER page 2

Postby magoonigal » Sun Apr 07, 2013 12:02 am

Errr why has No 9 Hatch got three covers when all the rest appear to have two?
Paul Hood. + WSS Tyneside Branch Hon Sec.
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Re: NAESS CRUSADER page 2

Postby fitter » Sun Apr 07, 2013 8:59 am

Maybe because no 11 only has one ??
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Re: NAESS CRUSADER page 2

Postby magoonigal » Sun Apr 07, 2013 9:25 am

Good thinking and they parked it there for a while!

Well it was late................ :lol:
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