Nautical (Nostalgia B)log

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25 January, 2025
Many ships, especially passenger vessels, become well-known when they enter service. As the years pass they tend to fade out of the limelight, eclipsed by newer vessels.…
25 January, 2025
I have occasionally been asked which ships I consider to be the best looking of all. It's a difficult choice, but the two Cunarders in this month's…
5 September, 2024
Ship speed is measured in “knots”, a knot being a speed of one nautical mile per hour. I am occasionally asked why this unit is so named.
24 June, 2024
My seafaring career could have said to have started on the deck of the "Royal Sovereign". Allow me to explain. For several years running, in the late…
24 June, 2024
The "Salsette" has been described as the prettiest vessel operated by the P&O, and I wouldn't disagree. This mini-liner was built in 1909 for a very specific…
31 January, 2024
In September we took the opportunity to visit family in Kent. It would be the first time we'd seen them since Covid. I had planned to visit…
30 January, 2024
The Cunarder “Campania” was the first of two liners completed in 1893 for the prestigious North Atlantic route. Built at the Govan yard of the Fairfield Shipbuilding…
30 January, 2024
As the 1950s came to a close, Cunard was forced to appraise the future of their express North Atlantic service. At the time this was maintained by…
21 September, 2023
I first went to sea as Cadet with Ellerman City Line in 1965, aged 16. Ellermans operated a fleet of cargo liners on world-wide routes. Completing my…
21 September, 2023
I’ve got a new project for the winter. Model Boats magazine has asked me to do a kit review of the Billings (Denmark) kit of HMS “Warrior”,…
24 July, 2023
Waratah's second voyage to Australia commenced in April 1909. On 27th July, she was sighted by the cargo steamer "Clan Macintyre". It was her last confirmed sighting;…
28 February, 2023
From the brush of David Bray Sea Breezes issue: March 2023 The paintings this month represent three phases in the history of the Aberdeen Line, a shipping…
27 January, 2023
From the brush of David Bray Sea Breezes issue: January 2023 In 1960, my old friend Captain Peter Elphick found himself in command of a vessel under…
15 December, 2022
From the brush of David Bray Sea Breezes issue: November 2022 Mention the words "Union Steam" and the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand usually springs to…
22 July, 2022
From the brush of David Bray January this year (2022) marked the 70th anniversary of a maritime event that briefly gripped the world. Did it involve a pitched…
21 June, 2022
From the brush of David Bray “We’re NEVER late….we’re the Mail Boat” I was very interested to read the article from my good friend Tony Cooke, about…
21 May, 2022
From the brush of David Bray In 1973 I was sailing as Second Mate on the RRS “John Biscoe”, a small research vessel belonging to the British…
23 February, 2022
Published in Sea-Breezes magazine by David Bray and Simon Adams We have a breakfast bar in our kitchen, but it has never seen a cornflake or boiled…
29 December, 2021
From the brush of... “Arlanza” was one of three ships built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast, for the Royal Mail Line services to South America. Always known…
24 November, 2021
From the brush of... In the development of merchant and naval shipping, the ocean-going paddle steamer was ultimately a dead end. From around 1810, small wooden-hulled paddle…
25 October, 2021
From the brush of... “Big ships need big tugs” said Sir William Hoy, Chairman of the South African Railways and Harbours. Union Castle Line was introducing ever…
26 September, 2021
From the brush of... When I was about 11 I started reading “Sea Breezes”. At that time the most interesting regular article was “Steamers of the Past”…
10 July, 2021
From the brush of... Almost forgotten nowadays is the fleet of small passenger-cargo vessels running regular services around the UK and in Home-Trade waters. In the mid-19th…
28 April, 2021
From the brush of... As a kid in Great Yarmouth, the coasters of F T Everard were a familiar sight. There was always at least one in…
12 March, 2021
From the brush of... Delivered in 1973 for Norwegian American Line, and originally named “Vistafjord”, the “Saga Ruby” was the last ocean liner to be built in…
24 January, 2021
From the brush of... The “Larpool” was a tramp steamer built in 1924 by Pickersgill’s in Sunderland for Headlam & Sons of Whitby. She was 3,872 tons…
19 December, 2020
From the brush of... The Apcar company was founded in 1819 by the Armenian Apcar brothers. Originally based in Bombay, the company relocated to Calcutta in 1830.…
5 December, 2020
First published in the NWT Journal, Spring 1989 by “Leveret” (David Bray) The wherry lay on the White Swan quay in the North River. Young Albert had been…
23 November, 2020
I would like to take space in these pages to highlight the work of our skippers...
22 November, 2020
On 28th June 2019 “Albion” and “Maud” sailed in company across Breydon”. I would guess that this was the first time in eighty or more years that…
12 November, 2020
I have often been asked the question – “How did you learn to sail Albion?” Well, it’s a long story, and it started when I was about 12…
11 November, 2020
From the brush of David Bray The venerable ‘Sea Breezes’ magazine which celebrated its centenary in 2019, is featuring some of David’s paintings in a series called…
3 November, 2020
Lessons learnt young are retained for a lifetime, and one’s whole character is formed from childhood influences.
22 July, 2020
DP Operator's Handbook - 3rd Edition A major update of this definitive work is now available after a major update. Accepted as the standard textbook for the…
6 June, 2020
It was 1970. I was 2nd Mate in a cargo ship, the “City of Canberra”, sailing on the MANZ line route between the East coast of the…
17 May, 2020
I had always wanted to join the Merchant Navy. And here I was, cadet with Ellerman Lines. Joined my first ship in Avonmouth. A few weeks previously…
12 April, 2020
Ship speed is measured in “knots”, a knot being a speed of one nautical mile per hour. I am occasionally asked why this unit is so named. Back…
18 March, 2020
In November 2014 I had a speaking appointment aboard Queen Mary 2. Very pleased finally to get to lecture on board this magnificent vessel. It was to be…
14 February, 2020
One of the joys of serving as a cruise-ship speaker is talking to the members of the audience after a lecture. Invariably there is a small gaggle…
3 January, 2020
From 1972 till 1975 I served as Navigating Officer in the RRS (Royal Research Ship) “John Biscoe”. This was an interesting appointment, a huge contrast from the…