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Anchor Line’s SIDONIA maiden voyage May 1961

W. S. Thomson  O.B.E.,   Master

A. R. Hutcheon   Chief Officer

Monday 22^nd May 1961    Rotterdam

1000   Crew joined ship.

1130   Ship handed over from shipbuilders to Anchor Line Ltd.

1200   Weather cloudy, fine and clear.   Ship starboard side to quay.   Wind light airs, force 1.   Barometer 29/70 and air temperature 58F.

1600   Copy of agreement posted.   Weather part cloudy, fine and clear.   Wind light airs, force 1.   Barometer 29/72 and air temperature 59F

1800   3^rd Officer on night duty.

2000   Weather part cloudy, fine and clear.   Wind light airs, force 1.   Barometer 29/75 and air temperature 54F.   All Company and Port regulations strictly observed.    Continuous gangway watch, fire and security patrol maintained.   Moorings tended.

2400   Weather cloudy and clear.  Wind light airs, force 1.   Barometer 29/70 and air temperature 51F.   Shore watchmen on continuous gangway duty.   Kidde Marine Smoke Detector run continuously.   Regulation Lights lit from Sunset to Sunrise.

 

Tuesday 23 May 1961

ROTTERDAM towards and at LONDON

0100  Starboard side to quay.   All Company and Port Regulations strictly observed.   Continuous gangway watch, fire and security patrol maintained.   Moorings tended.

0400  Cloudy, fine and clear.  Light airs, force 1.   Barometer 29/65     Air temperature 49°

0600  All Bridge and Navigation Gear tested.   Steering gear and whistle …? …..

0700  Pilot M.B.Tegelaar on board. 

0734  Bridge and Engine Room clocks synchronised.  Master's orders and Pilot's advice.

0756  Let go for'd.

0757  Let go aft.

0759  Slow ahead.   Helm and engine.

0800  Light airs, force 1.  Barometer 29/70.  Air temperature 50°

0802  Let go after tug.

0803  Let go for'd tug.

0812  Waalhaven Harbour.

0920  Poortershaven abeam to starboard.

0932  No. 4 Beacon abeam.

0946  Hook.

1018  RFA (Rang full away /rang full ahead) on passage.  Maas buoy bearing 329° distant 1 mile.

1020  Log streamed.

1100  Course 249°

1130  Crew wearing lifejackets exercised at boat and fire drill.  All LSA and FFA (… = Life saving appliances and fire fighting appliances) examined.

1200  Course 261°  Distance run 27 miles. Slight sea and low swell, overcast, fine and clear.  Wind NW (… = coming from the North West) force 3.   Barometer 29/75   Air temperature 51°

1207  Green wreck buoy bearing 171°T distant 1.2 miles °  (Remainder of line ????? is unreadable)

1300  Course 249°

1400  Course 263°   Light airs force 1, sea smooth force 1, Barometer 29/70, Air temperature 55° 

1448  GALLOPER LIGHTVESSEL bearing 353°T distance 3 miles

1457  GALLOPER LIGHTVESSEL bearing 037°T distance 4.1 miles

1500  Course 320°  

1551  SUNK LIGHTVESSEL bearing 290°distance 1 mile   Master's orders     Engines Half Ahead    EOP ( .. = what is this ????)   Approaching Pilot Cutter.

1600  Light airs force 1, Sea smooth, force 1, Barometer 29/64, Air temperature 56°

1604 ½  Master's orders and Pilot's advice.   Half ahead, helm and engines at Master's Orders and Pilot's Advice as per movement book.

1720  MID BARROW LIGHTVESSEL abeam to port    

1741  West Barrow buoy abeam to starboard

1800  Light airs, force 1.   Barometer 29/68   Air temperature 55°

1801  No.1 Sea Reach Buoy     Pilot Cairns disembarked.

1930 ½  Tilbury Landing Stage abeam to starboard.

1953  Stoneness Buoy abeam

2000  Light airs, force 1.   Barometer 29/69   Air Temperature 52°

2045  Tug SUN V fast for'd.

2051  Margaret Ness Point abeam to starboard

2113 ½  Vessel entering lock

2112  Lines ashore for'd and aft

2120  Vessel secure.

2140 ½  Vessel clear of lock.

2142  Vessel passing through oil in dock.

2211  Vessel secure for'd and aft, starboard side to quay.

2212  RWFE (.. = Rang finished with engines).   All Company and Port Regulations strictly complied with.   Continuous gangway.

2400  Starboard side to quay.   Light airs, force 1.   Barometer 29/72    Air Temperature 49°

 

0200  Kidde Marine Smoke Detector run continuously.

 

Draught sailing                       Draught arriving

Fw'd  10' 03”                         Fw'd  10' 03”

Aft     20' 03”                         Aft     20' 03”

Mid   15' 03”                         Mid    15' 03”

 

Regulation Lights lit from Sunset to Sunrise

 

M. V. SIDONIA

 

Tuesday 13 June 1961

Glasgow towards and at New York

 0000  Master’s orders and Pilot’s advice.

0030  Ring stand by engines.   Vessel approaching anchorage

0049  Stop.   Let go port anchor.

0056  Vessel brought up to 3 shackles in the water.

Vessel in Quarantine Anchorage.   Anchor bearings Fort Wadsworth Light 165 1/2°    Norton Point Light 135°  Anchor bearings frequently checked.

0200  At anchor.   Wind airs, force 1.   Sea smooth force 1.   Fog 0.

Barometer 29/51    Air temperature 67F

Kidde Marine Smoke Detector run continuously.

Natural hold ventilation flaps OPEN in all holds.

Port ..?..  and starboard exhaust fans run in No. 5 hold.

Main ..?..  scupper valves OPEN in all holds.

Security rounds at frequent intervals.

0300  At anchor.

0400  At anchor.   Weather cloudy, fine and clear.   Wind airs, force 1.

Sea calm, scale 0.   Fog 0.   Barometer 29/51   Air temperature 69F

0500  At anchor.

0600  At anchor.  Wind variable, force 1.  Sea calm force 1. 

Fog scale 0.   Barometer 29/53   Air temperature 71F

0620  Customs and Immigration Authorities boarded.

0700  At anchor. 

0725  Pratique granted.

0730  Officials disembarked.

0735  Vessel round to flood tide.

0800  At anchor.  Weather fine and clear.   Wind variable force 1.

Sea calm, force 0.   Fog 0.   Barometer 29/55   Air temperature 75F

0845  All Bridge gear tested and found in order

0900  At anchor.

0914  Ring stand by engines.   Commenced heaving anchor.

0919  Anchor aweigh.   Dead slow ahead.     ……?.....  as per ……?......   book and Master’s order and Pilot’s advice.

0941  No. 24 buoy abeam starboard.

1000  Master’s orders and Pilot’s advice.  Statue of Liberty abeam port.

1018  Docking Pilot Young aboard.

1026  Vessel approaching berth.   Tug GRACE McALLISTER port side

for’ard and CATHERINE McALLISTER starboard side assisting.

1041  Vessel in position and making fast.

1054  Vessel secure fore and aft.  Tugs dismissed.   Rang finished

with engines.  Gangway aboard. 

Kidde Smoke Detector on ….?.... No. 1

1100  Port side at Pier No.51 

1200  Weather fine and clear.  Wind light airs force 1.   Fog 0.

Barometer 29/54.   Air temperature 90F

1300  Port side to quay.   5 gangs boarded and preparing to discharge

at nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 hatches.   Security men in all hatches.

1330  Commenced discharging at all hatches.

1400 to 1430.  No. 1 detained while changing gin block.

1420 to 1440.  No. 2 detained winch breakdown.

1600  Weather fine and clear.  Wind light airs force 1.   Fog 0.

Barometer 29/57   Air temperature 94F

1700  Ceased work, labour ashore, hatches covered.

2000  Weather cloudy, fine and clear.  Wind light airs force 1.   Fog 0.  Barometer 29/55   Air temperature 85F

2400  Weather cloudy, fine and clear.  Wind light airs force 1.   Fog 0.  Barometer 29/60   Air temperature 76F

All Company’s and Port regulations strictly observed.   Continuous

Gangway watch, fire and security patrol maintained.   Moorings tended.

 

PASSAGE GLASGOW TO NEW YORK

Distance 3038 miles

Steaming time 9 days 10 hours 06 minutes

Average speed 13.43 knots

 

To be continued