I joined as a cadet in 1971 and spent the first two years training in Plymouth before going to sea on the Clan Robertson. Tony Fountain was the second engineer on board—I actually met him again three years ago at the pursers’ reunion in Southampton.

For my final year as a cadet, I went to South Shields, and after completing my training, I joined the Clan MacClay as a junior engineer for a voyage around the Cape to East Africa. That trip lasted about six to seven months.

My next assignment was on the Rothesay Castle, but the ship was sold when we arrived in Marseille.

Afterward, I sailed on the King William on the Japan-Australia iron ore run. I left her in Japan for leave, then joined the King James—nicknamed “Grim Jim”—as an extra junior engineer, trying to get her operational.

Alongside another junior engineer, Smith (I can’t recall his first name), whom I had attended college with, we handled ballasting in port and attempted repairs at sea as things inevitably broke down!

Next, I believe I joined the Bonnieway in Constanza after her maiden voyage, then sailed to New Orleans to load grain for Europe. The details after this get a bit hazy as I’ve misplaced my discharge book.

Around that time, I did a coastal trip on the Clan Alpine, where I met a good friend, Andy Whetung, the purser. I also made a few voyages on one of the Clan “R” ships, which had by then been renamed as a Castle.

In 1978, I joined the Sunnyway as fourth engineer when she was bought second-hand. We sailed to Argentina during the World Cup, then took a load of grain to Leningrad—now St. Petersburg.

Next, I returned to the Clan Robertson, though she had been renamed something Castle. We sailed to East Africa, then were told to lay up in Durban until the fruit season began. That turned into a four-month stay.

The ex-Clan Ross joined us, anchored on the buoys in the harbor. Eventually, we received orders to sail for San Francisco—a route the ship had never taken before and with no charts. At Panama Canal, we had to cut fairleads into the bow while at anchor. We ended up in Seattle, loading apples destined for Dubai and the UAE, then crossed the Pacific—a first for me. These ships didn’t carry enough water for such long voyages!

After that, I went back to the Sunnyway and sailed on some more ex-Clan “R” ships, which by then had become part of the Universal fleet.

I left the industry when I requested redundancy.