CANOPIC / CAPETAN NICOLAS
BUILT IN 1954 BY VICKERS-ARMSTRONG IN NEWCASTLE FOR SHAW SAVILL AND ALBION SHE WAS REGISTERED IN SOUTHAMPTON, SHE WAS A SISTER SHIP TO CEDRIC,CRETIC,CARNATIC AND CYMRIC. SHE HAD A GROSS TONNAGE OF 10902 TONNES. SHE WAS A REFRIGERATED CARGO VESSEL, BUT HAD ALSO BEEN MODIFIED TO CARRY 'CHILLED BEEF', AS OPPOSED TO FROZEN BEEF. SHE WAS THE LAST OF THE FIVE 'C' BOATS TO BE BUILT.HER RADIO CALLSIGN WAS 'GSWK'. IN 1975 SHE WAS SOLD TO A CYPRIOT COMPANY AND RE-NAMED 'CAPETAN NICOLAS'. SHE WAS LAID UP IN PIRAEUS, GREECE IN 1981 AND SCRAPPED IN 1986 IN TURKEY. I JOINED THIS VESSEL IN PORT OF SPAIN ,TRINIDAD IN 1973 AND LEFT HER IN KINGSTON,JAMAICA A YEAR LATER IN 1974. SHE WAS ON THE 'MILK RUN' AT THE TIME, COMING UP FROM NEW ZEALAND TO CENTRAL AMERICA, TOP PART OF SOUTH AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN WITH DAIRY PRODUCTS, MILK POWDER AND FROZEN MEAT AND RETURNING TO N.Z WITH GENERAL CARGO AND QUITE OFTEN UN-REFINED RUM. OUR LIST OF PORTS INCLUDED ON A REGULAR BASIS ACAJUTLA IN EL SALVADOR THEN THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL TO COLON ( VERY LIMITED CARGO FOR HERE ) THEN UP TO PUERTO LIMON AND ACROSS TO KINGSTON, PORT OF SPAIN ( WE GENERALLY SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME HERE,THE DOCKERS WENT ON STRIKE ON ONE TRIP AND WE SPENT MANY WEEKS THERE, WITH MOST OF US SPENDING A LOT OF TIME IN THE " NIGHT PEARL", WHICH WAS A DRINKING DEN UPSTAIRS FROM THE " CHINA CLIPPER RESTAURANT", IT HAD AN AMAZING WALL MURIEL OF FLYING ELEPHANTS, BASED I THINK ON ONE OF THE OSSIBISA LP COVERS,THE ELEPHANTS SEEM TO COME TO LIFE AFTER A FEW RUM & COKES ) BRIDGETOWN, BUNKERING AT CURACAO ( AMONGST OTHER THINGS CURACAO HAD THE MOST AMAZING STATE RUN " ENTERTAINMENT COMPOUND " FOR SEAMEN CALLED THE " HAPPY VALLEY " ) AND THEN BACK THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL TO NEW ZEALAND.OCCASIONALLY WE WENT TO PORT AU PRINCE,HAITI OR LA PLATA IN THE DOMINION REPUBLIC AND THEN DROPPED DOWN TO SANTA MARTA AND BARRANQUILLA,COLOMBIA. OUR REGULAR PORTS IN NEW ZEALAND WERE LYTTLETON, NAPIER, AUCKLAND ,WELLINGTON, NELSON, NEW PLYMOUTH AND DOWN TO INVERCARGILL AND BLUFF.HER CAPTAIN AT THIS TIME WAS CAPTAIN MURCHISON, A NICE OLD GUY, ONE OF THE 'OLD SCHOOL'. IT WAS A GOOD RUN AND A GOOD SHIP AND SOME OF THE CREW HAD BEEN ONBOARD HER FOR YEARS TAKING ONLY LOCAL LEAVE.
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Image courtesy of Tom McGrattan |
THE ABOVE PICTURE SHOWS CANOPIC AT PANAMA IN 1972 |
RADIO ROOM EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON CANOPIC / GSWK
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MAIN RECEIVER WAS THE MARCONI MARINE 'MERCURY' ACCOMPANIED BY 'ELETTRA' |
MAIN TRANSMITTER WAS A MARCONI MARINE 'OCEANSPAN' |
EMERGENCY LIFEBOAT TRANSCEIVER WAS A MARCONI MARINE 'SALVITTA III' |
AUTOMATIC WATCH KEEPING RECEIVER WAS THE MARCONI MARINE 'SEAGUARD' |
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ABOVE IS THE MARCONI MARINE 'DYNATRON' WHICH WAS A GENERAL COVERAGE BROADCAST RECEIVER USED ON MERCHANT SHIPS FOR 'ENTERTAINMENT', ITS OUTPUT WAS CHANNELLED THROUGH TO SPEAKERS AROUND THE VESSEL I.E TO THE OFFICERS SALOON,CREWS MESSROOM ETC.CANOPIC'S DYNATRON WAS SITUATED IN THE RADIO ROOM. |
ABOVE IS THE MARCONI MARINE ' LODESTONE ' DIRECTION FINDER RECEIVER -THE FORE RUNNER OF THE LODESTAR RECEIVER. CANOPIC HAD HER LODESTONE, NOT IN THE RADIO ROOM BUT IN THE CHART ROOM BEHIND THE BRIDGE. |
Image courtesy of Heinrich Busch http://www.seefunk.hbusch.de |
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ABOVE IS THE MARCONI MARINE RELIANCE EMERGENCY TRANSMITTER BOTH CANOPIC AND CEDRIC HAD ONE OF THESE TRANSMITTERS |
ABOVE IS THE MARCONI MARINE AUTO KEY UNIT. BOTH CANOPIC AND CEDRIC HAD ONE OF THESE UNITS, AS DID MOST LIKELY ALL OF THE SHAW SAVILL FLEET. |
