Before Containers
|
|
Not Rated |
As requested by a bosunsmate.org user |
|
Argentine Training Vessel at dusk in B. A. early 60s
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: Libertad web.jpg
This vessel replaced another vessel from the 1800s, which became a museum. I believe it was named the Libertad. I did a search but didn´t find the information. |
|
French Navy TV and escort
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: JeanD Arc fixed web.jpg
This picture of the Jeanne D´Arc was a real challenge. I took the picture while a cadet myself, 1960-61, and not very good with a camera. I would guess that the ship is a light cruiser, but may be wrong. It seems a bit light in firepower. |
|
Chilean Navy TV Panama Canal Mid-60s
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: chilean cropped vert.jpg
Got a good close-up view.
Nice fore and aft rig with square fore topsails
|
|
How to make a living
|
|
Rating: 5.0/5 [1 user] |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: Bahia boat cropped web.jpg
Bahia, Brazil- I used to see this boat every morning, making a trip across the bay with some sort of cargo. It probably provided a living for the family that ran it. The mast interested me. It looks a little like those on the pre-war "S" Boats, an old racing class. Note the loose-footed sail with the boom behind it. |
|
Strait of Hormuz
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: hormuz entrance.jpg
This tiny island with its lighthouse is at a turning point when entering the Persian Gulf. I was lucky to get a picture of it on a clear day. The Captain told me to take a good look because the dust storms usually obscured it. Later trips in the area proved him right. |
|
Dusty Sun
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: dusty sun web.jpg
This was taken a bit after ten in the morning. The sun finally became visible through dust storm. This was in the Persian Gulf. I used a polarizing ND filter to cut some of the glare which is why the ocean surface at the bottom has its unusual look. All my "street" clothes, my radio, and my tape recorder were sealed in plastic bags while we were in the area. (good advice from some crew members) |
|
After heavy weather #1
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: wave #1 web.jpg
It took 29 days from Sasebo, Japan to the Panama Canal. It should have taken about 18 days. The ´weather service´ seemed to have routed us through every storm in the Pacific that month. These three photos show us proceeding in ´following´ seas after breaking out of one of the messes. |
|
After heavy weather #2
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: wave #2 web.jpg
second view in the sequence. |
|
After heavy weather #3
|
|
Rating: 4.0/5 [1 user] |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: wave #3 web.jpg
Final view, with decks awash. This went on,--and on,-----and on. |
|
Cradled booms, out bound
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: P7080770booms down w.jpg
The cargo booms have been lowered and secured in their cradles for an ocean crossing. This is done for safety and to reduce wear and tear on the gear. Hatch battens would also be placed and secured at this time. |
|
Booms up, ready to ´go alongside´
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: P7080768booms up w.jpg
The cargo gear has been raised and prepared for discharge and loading of goods. One of each set will be swung out over the pier as the "yard boom",(a hold over term from a time when a block at the end of a sail yardarm would have been used), and the other would be centered over the hatch.
the ´whips´ would be connected together at the cargo hook and the winch operator would lift the cargo with one boom, shift it to the other boom using both winches and lower it with the second boom.
|
|
Solid Tires
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: P7060710solid tires.jpg
Montevideo, Uruguay always gave me the idea of a time capsule. You could still see an occasional Model ´T´ Ford in regular use on the streets. The import duties discouraged the import of vehicles so some were repaired over and over again. This truck from a ranch, delivered bales of wool one day. Look closely at the rear wheels and you will see that ´tires´ are actually solid rubber bonded to the metal wheel. |
|
3 rd Mate´s cabin, "Victory Ship", VC2
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: MM Oak cabin with jungada web.jpg
The desk in my cabin on the Mormacoak. Note the artful use of red paint and plastic shelf paper. I still have the radio. Note also the model of a JUNGADA. This shows the traditional log type of construction. Most are actually made of a closed box with similar lines. Imagine four fishermen going out for a day or two on one of these. Food was cooked over a fire built in a box of sand.
|
|
Jungada at dawn - Forteleza, Brazil
|
|
Rating: 4.0/5 [1 user] |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: jungadas at dawn web.jpg
This was a daily event. Varying numbers of these fishing boats would head out to sea each morning. The sails are mildew coated because they were kept wet to tighten the fabric for greater efficiency. Most had a crew of four ´handline´ fishermen aboard and might stay out a couple of days.
One was sailed all the way to "Rio" because they wanted to see what it looked like. I wish that I had saved the paper.
|
|
Well out to sea between Forteleza and Natal, Brazil
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: rafters at sea cropped web.jpg
Take a close look. There are two boats/rafts of fishermen in this picture. I was often amazed to see these daring people well beyond sight of land, fishing. It gives me shivers to this day thinking about this lifestyle. |
|
Widening the Cut
|
|
Rating: 5.0/5 [1 user] |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: widen the cut web.jpg
The Gaillard, or Culebra Cut once restricted traffic in the Panama Canal to "one way". It remained that way for about 50 years. In the ´60s it was widened to allow two way traffic. I was told that the geologic structure of the area is unstable, hence difficult to alter. The steam bucket dredge in the picture may well be from the era when the canal opened. |
|
Low Hertz Mules
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: old mules web.jpg
The "Mules" that controled ships in the locks of the Panama Canal for the first 50 years ran on low frequency AC current,(25 CPS comes to mind but may be wrong). When Panama went over to higher frequency, these "Mules" could not be operated and were replaced with an improved model. |
|
Hey, Mister Tallyman!
|
|
Rating: 4.0/5 [1 user] |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: banana hoist web.jpg
Bananas used to be shipped ´on the stem´. Today the ´hands´ are cut free and packed in boxes for shipping. This large device would extend over the ship and down into the hatch. Men in the hold and on the shore would either shoulder a full ´stem´ and bring it to the moving pockets on the belt of the loader, or take it as it came off the belt. Four or five of these might be working on a single ship at once. This was at a United Fruit Company terminal. |
|
Bolivar, Equador - Bananas
|
|
Rating: 1.0/5 [1 user] |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: Bolivia bananas web.jpg
These boats/barges came down river from inland plantations. You can see the end of the "loader" over the work barge. It was a very labor intensive operation as you can see by the number of longshoremen. The "stems" are sheathed in plastic bags after being given a "bug dunk" on the farm. The load is covered with leaves to slow ripening. |
|
Bees in Brazil
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: bee swarm web.jpg
The shore crew boss came to tell me that his gang did not want to work a hatch because of the bees. It sounded strange to me so I went out to look. The winch controler stand was partially covered with this swarm. They had not made the popular news at that time, but they may very well have been "africanized". |
|
Bees close up
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: bee close 1 web.jpg
This is a section of the bee swarm shown in the prior photo. You can see the very distinct markings on them. They finally did what bee swarms do, and flew off after an hour or so. They were clustered around a queen seeking a new nesting site. When scouts came back, they were followed to a new spot. |
|
Arctic sea smoke
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: arctic sea smoke web.jpg
The sea is still warm in the fall while the air can be quite cold. I believe this was taken en-route from Boston to Saint John, N. B. The wind blows across the water and is slightly warmed. Being warmer, it picks up moisture. It swirls back into the colder air, is re-chilled, and a moving, twisting mist is generated. It looks as if smoke were coming off the water. |
|
Sunrise in "The Basin" Buenos Aires
|
|
Rating: 4.0/5 [1 user] |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: B A Basin sunrise web .jpg
Larger vessels had to enter a "locked" basin at high tide. With the gates closed they could stay afloat at low tide. Barges and shallow draft lighters also had to be locked in with them for cargo work each day. Some are visible. I was standing the 4-8 watch waiting to work cargo and got this picture during the lull before a busy day. |
|
Frost Feathers
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: frost feathersweb.jpg
These crystals form on raw ice during very cold nights when there is ample water vapor. I found them in the early morning on a lake, and got out the camera before the sun could hit them. They are about three quarters of an inch high. It has been many years since I took this photo, but, because it has reasonable depth of field, I expect that I used a 3.5X telephoto lens with a thin extension tube behind it. |
|
Rainbow off Mexico
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: rainbow tihuana web .jpg
The Captain decided to give the passengers a show and went along the coast. He got a bonus when a small squall gave us this scene. |
|
It is going to rain!
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: mt rainier web lg.jpg
I was told the when you can not see Mount Rainier, that it is raining. I was then told that if you could see Mount Rainier, that it was about to rain. There is more than a grain of truth to the remarks.
When I saw the mountain hanging above the clouds, (rain), I took this picture. It is impressive, (when visible).
|
|
GULF in a floating dry dock
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: Gulf drydock 1 lg web.jpg
This is an impressive view of the bow of a C-3 class vessel. You can see the keel blocks and sides of the drydock and the anchor chains "ranged out" for inspection. Each link was struck with a hammer to detect the dull sound of hidden cracks. I think that I used a low powered wide-angle lens for this shot. |
|
Rudder and fittings in dry dock
|
|
Rating: 4.0/5 [1 user] |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: M Gulf rudder+ lg.jpg
This is the stern of a C-3 class vessel. The "wheel" has been removed for replacement. The "boss" where the shaft passes through is just visible on the left. The Third Engineer is standing next to the "skeg" which positions the lower end of the rudder. A close look will reveal that upper and lower parts of the rudder have slightly different angles. This is because the blades of the "wheel" are going in opposite directions as they pass it top and bottom. This compensates for the difference in the water flow at each position.
As I recall, the "pitch" of the blades was 19 feet 6 inches per revolution, and at sea it turned at a bit over 70 RPM. Typical speed was a bit over 16.5 knots.
|
|
Sailing the Amazon - paddlewheel
|
|
Not Rated |
From: kpbosun
views 32767
Filename: Amazon paddlewheeler web.jpg
You never know what you will see on the Amazon River. Even the century may seem out of joint. We passed this boat anchored, but ready to go. I imagine that boats like this may well go to the head of navigation at Manaus or perhaps beyond.
The slide gave me a bit of a problem as the day was dull and gloomy, but I wanted to let people see it.
|
|