On Which Vessels Have You Visited or Sailed

[AllanKP69]

Recent posts brought this idea to mind. I was curious to know how many members have sailed as crew or passengers on boats or ships, large and small and, if possible, post pictures and the names of these vessels. This includes visits to ships like Victory or Constitution et al. The idea may be a bust, but hopefully some will find it interesting.
Allan

 

[Alan Smith]

There was the old steam paddle 'free' ferry. Growing up in London as a kid my friends and I would often ride it across the Thames and back. Best of all was the passenger viewing platform in the engine room. This was one of four altogether - one of them even went to Dunkirk to help evacuate the troops.

Amazing thing (for me) is that 48 seconds into this video there's a fleeting shot of my late brother and his mutt boarding the ferry- on his way to work in the South-side docks.

 

[Senorbob]

Unfortunately I would bore you to tears with a list. I have 5 notebooks filled with information. Then I quit keeping track

 

[RogerD]

Unfortunately I would bore you to tears with a list. I have 5 notebooks filled with information. Then I quit keeping track

I hear you and on the notebooks .

 

[AllanKP69]

Unfortunately I would bore you to tears with a list.

OK, I'll start the boredom with a partial list, but hope you will add the boredom as well.
Freighters
SS African Comet C-4 NY to South Africa and Mozambique 60 days


SS American Merchant C-2 This was built in 1945 so it was old even in '66 when I was aboard. January and February across the north Atlantic would have been very scary if I was not still a teenager and didn't know better how dangerous the voyage back to NY from Southampton really was. We were hove to and lost about 50 nm one day it was so bad.



More to come
Allan

 

[AllanKP69]

Santa Elena, first ship I sailed with bow thrusters and bridge control of the main engine speed. After a small collision in Buena Ventura trying to dock, there were some lessons offered for the pilots. Pic below is one of her sisters, Santa Paula.



Pioneer Myth C-4 NY to far east and back 90 day trip.

 

[AllanKP69]

1

 

[AllanKP69]

Military Vessels
USS Hank DD702. 30 days USNR duty. Never left port of Philadelphia. Boring!

USS Yosemite (AD-19) a Dixie-class destroyer tender built during World War II for the U.S. Navy. Fun duty in Mayport, FL for a month. Easy peasy.

 

[AllanKP69]

Sailed as 3rd engineeer on the tanker Atlantic Prestige up and down the US east coast and Gulf of Mexico for about a year. Followed Hurricane Camille into Louisiana a day after it hit Waveland in August, 1969. Camille ranks as the second most intense hurricane to strike the continental US. We saw dead cattle and a church roof with its steeple floating down the river and a freighter stranded on a sand bar. Made us appreciate the power of Mother Nature more than ever before.

 

[AndyA]

I don't have anything as dramatic as the earlier posts, but I had fun. Living in the northeast I have been aboard all the vessels at Mystic Seaport, of course. Also, I was aboard the Wavertree (iron-hulled, full-rigged ship) when she first came to South Street Seaport NY (pic 1). I slept aboard the Joseph Conrad at Mystic Seaport (my dad sailed on her when she was a training ship for the US Merchant Marine during WWII) (pic 2). My son-in-law treated me to a sail on the pinky schooner Fame when he lived in Salem MA (pic 3). I've seen the sloop Clearwater a number of times on the Hudson River; once I was able to paddle along with her in my kayak (pic 4). And, some years ago, I got to help row a whaleboat down the river from Mystic Seaport (pic 5).

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Sailed the following:
SS Exxon Houstion, Engine Cadet


SS Exxon Benicia, Engine Cadet


SS Arco Alaska, Engine Cadet


SS President Cleveland (formerly SS American Mail), Engine Cadet and 2nd Engineer


MV Sheldon Lykes (former MV Alstar Express), Engine Cadet


USNS Algol TAKR 287, 3rd Engineer


USNS Altair, 3rd Engineer


USNS Altair, 3rd Engineer


SS Flickertail State, 3rd Engineer, 2nd Engineer


SS American Ketsrel (formerly SS Lash Pacifico), 2nd Engineer

 

[Farmboy]

As a visitor. Not very big, but loads of personality.
HMCS Sackville, believed to be the last surviving Flower Class Corvette from WW2. Outfitted in 1940's camo.
Docked at Halifax and open to public.

 

[SAHaskell]

Here is a summary about the USS Arcadia, a Destroyer Tender that I served on in Newport, Rhode Island.

 

[AllanKP69]

These are great!! Thanks for sharing everyone.
My first ship as engine cadet was Moore McCormack's SS Brasil. I thought it was HUGE, but compared to today's cruise ships, it was a little thing. First trip was summer of 1966, thirty days NY to the Med and back and got to stay on board for two weeks from NY to the Caribbean and back. Great duty and ports.

My working days on board ships ended in 1974 but the Admiral and I took up cruising 24 years later with our first cruise together on the Majesty of the Seas. We did another cruise on her a couple years later with my mother-in-law (and she turned out to be a lot of fun)

The second ship we sailed on RCCL was the Voyager of the Seas in 2002. We were officially hooked on cruising by that point.

 

[AllanKP69]

We have had the very good fortune to sail on over a dozen cruise ships over the past years. Up until about five years ago, our favorites were Royal Caribbean ships. One of our all time favorites is the Allure of the Seas for personal reasons. The second photo is a model of the schooner Columbia sitting in the Schooner Bar on the Allure which I built for them and is still on board as far as I know from a friend who saw it about two years ago. It was quite an honor and a great ego boost plus they paid
well
Allan

 

[AllanKP69]

Bigger does not mean better. Some of my favorite days have been spent on small boats, including annual trips with a bunch of guys for fishing and carousing without our significant others. The below is from two weeks ago in Loreto, BCS Mexico on the Sea of Cortez. Couple of our guys can be seen with their guide in a 22 foot panga as we were heading out of the marina just before sunup.
Allan

 

[pebbleworm]

As far as ships of historic interest and under their own power, I've traveled on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Liberty Ship Jeremiah O'Brien, and while under tow, the late and lamented ferry Kalakala. If you have any interest in old ships, steam power, WWII or ocean shipping before containerization I really recommend a trip on the Jeremiah O'Brien! Food and beverages provided, great views and places to sit. And very reasonable pricing in my opinion- you get full run of the ship:

Events

Come aboard the SS Jeremiah O'Brien and experience another year of living history. August 10, 2024Steam Up & Engine Room Open Open 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Witness the marvel of the ship’s 2,500-horsepower engine in action—an experience not to be missed! Click Here for More Details October 12 & 13...

www.ssjeremiahobrien.org

 

[AllanKP69]

Jeremiah O'Brien

PW
It is great that the Jeremiah O'Brien is sailing again after the fire and refurbishing the past few years. Would love to make a day trip on her as you have done if I ever have to go back to San Francisco. She looks really good! Hope you don't mind, but after seeing the below photos of the O'Brien and Clearwater I thought others would enjoy seeing them posted. Clearwater would make a really nice model.

Allan

 

[AllanKP69]

As we have gotten older and the playgrounds on the new ships are more for the younger generations we gave MSC a try sailing on the Seaview. I believe it was her second voyage and it was wonderful.

In keeping with ships with a little bit of an older crowd we made a switch to Celebrity Cruise Lines several years ago. They are fantastic and 90 minutes to the dock from home if we sail out of Florida. They have great food and entertainment and their prices are very competitive. We did tours of the Edge and the Silhouette that included engine control room, bridge, galley, crew quarters and much more. Worthwhile way to spend a few hours to get an appreciation of how these behemoths are operated.

Seaview


Edge



Silhouette & her sister Reflection are two favorites

 

[Pathfinder65]

Wow, some great comments and excellent pictures. I had to use the Internet to find the ships linked to my sea travels while serving in the military many many years ago.





USA to Europe, terrible trip because of March Atlantic storms.





USA to ASIA, great trip through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific.

I had a lot of company on these military troop transports.