Niceto de Larrinaga by Hand Over Fist Press

Niceto de Larrinaga a Voyage 1966

Alan Rutherford

A PHOTOBOOK OF SORTS Photographs by Alan Rutherford Dave Wilcockson & esteemed others i

Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

Niceto de Larrinaga a Voyage 1966

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Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

Niceto de Larrinaga a Voyage 1966 Alan Rutherford Photographs by Alan Rutherford Dave Wilcockson & esteemed others

HAND OVER FIST PRESS

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Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

HAND OVER FIST PRESS This book published by Hand Over Fist Press, 2014 email: alan.rutherford@blueyonder.co.uk website: www.handoverďŹ stpress.com

Photographs (1966) Alan Rutherford, Dave Wilcockson, Mike Leicester Adele Grice and others Design, all text, additional artwork and any errors by Alan Rutherford

Contents The Ship

An Introduction and Commentary xi Photographs by Alan Rutherford Dave Wilcockson Mike Leicester Adele Grice and others

An Index of Sorts

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Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

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The Ship MS Niceto de Larrinaga Larrinaga Steamship Company Limited Corn Exchange, Brunswick Street Liverpool Niceto de Larrinaga launched in 1958 and completed in 1959. Type: 5-hatch ‘liberty’ style cargo ship. Tonnage: 8869 – Length overall: 149.7. Builder: Short Bros. of Pallion. Machinery Overview: 1 oil engine driving 1 FP propeller – Total Power: Mcr 5,737kW (7,800hp). Service Speed: 16.50 knots. Design: Sulzer, Engine Builder: G. Clark & NEM (Sunderland) Ltd – Sunderland – 1 x 6RSAD76, 2 Stroke, Single Acting, In-Line (Vertical) – 6 Cy. 760 x 1550, Mcr: 5,737 kW (7,800 hp). She underwent lengthening at Harland & Wolff in 1964, an extra hatch was fitted and her tonnage increased from 8,869 to 10,519 [Length now 170.2]. Distinguishing Features: Hull: Black with gold band. Boot Topping: Red. Ventilators: Black or white: Cowls: Black or red. Masts: Kingposts and derricks: White.

Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

An Introduction and Commentary Although the time line for my sea bound adventures was relatively short, from June 1964 until July 1966, the experiences and observations of that period would take years to understand, process and relate to. So much happened so quickly that I lived those voyages in a bubble of ignorant naivety, not quite appreciating the amazing world I was experiencing and discovering â&#x20AC;Ś I was young and a dickhead! Fortunately I acquired a good camera for my last trip and the photographs in this book are the best of a bunch. The camera, my first 35mm, was a fixed lens Voigtlander Vitomatic, loaded with any film I could afford. A revelation, its power and magic of recording life I managed to underuse so criminally I would later live to rue â&#x20AC;Ś a novelty in my untutored hands, so loads of time lapse selfies â&#x20AC;Ś but a number of good photographs amongst the usual technical failures to at least challenge my memory banks.

Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966 In my defense, film, the lack of it, and then the developing costs soon impressed an awfully negative (sorry) censorship on my initial photographic exuberance … so, while today’s digital ‘clickety-click’ might have then resulted in a plethora of sharp, interesting, sequenced, indexed considered images to be a commentary, or complement a commentary … here is another story from the year, 1966. I joined the ship in Liverpool at the end of January 1966, and by February we were on our way South to warmer climes. Port Said, on the Mediterranean side of the Suez Canal, very hot, the ship was boarded by Arab salesmen in the form of a phenomena known as a ‘bumboat’. I think this may be where I bought a couple of watches (which both only worked for a week or so), and a Port Said Bible (I don’t think I got past page 69). The trip through the canal, fascinating to see as we rounded a bend, ships actually in the desert. Australia was a very friendly place, whereas in a lot of ports ships and their crew are seen as a bit dingy, in Australia I felt an openness and welcome. For some reason there are no pictures until Sydney which is strange because we went ashore in Freemantle/Perth and Adelaide (trains with no doors!)... and in Melbourne, at the Moomba festival, I met Robyn ... and was going to ‘jump ship’ for her. By Sydney, however, I was fickle enough to befriend Adele, who took some grainy shots around Sydney with my camera.

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Newcastle, and the ship was loaded with dredging equipment for Sattahip, Thailand. A huge barge was temprarily welded on the afterdeck, atop a hatch, cables and derricks were left in a mess, anything but shipshape! Sattahip was being developed by the Americans, who were just over the border in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam doing evil things. A small town with American jeeps, friendly people and prostitution were about to have a harbour courtesy of the dredging barge on our deck. Singapore, the ship stopped for refueling ... I was told that due to the length of my hair I would not be allowed ashore, as far as I know no-one went ashore anyway. Back to Australia and Portland where we loaded cement, no photographs but must have bought some film. Steamer Point, Aden. The British army and navy were strongly in evidence (but within a year they had abandoned Aden). Mike and I went ashore to buy records. The ship was drydocked in Brake, Germany. July 1966 and the final port of call and where I signed off was Newport in Wales. Mike had invited me to visit his parents house in Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, which I did ... and thats the start of another story.

My Seaman’s Record Book

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Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

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My wage slip for the trip

Dave, Mike and Alan Sattahip, Thailand Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

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Photographs Photographs by Alan Rutherford Dave Wilcockson Mike Leicester Adele Grice and others

Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

My cabin February 1966

Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

Suez Canal

Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

Sydney, Australia

Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

Newcastle, Australia To load dredging equipment for Thailand

Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

Sattahip, Thailand

Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

Bumboat Sattahip, or maybe Singapore?

Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

Steamer Point, Aden

Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

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Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

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Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

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Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

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Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966

Cheltenham July 1966

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An Index of Sorts From January to July 1966 the Niceto de Larrinaga visited: Liverpool, Port Said, Suez Canal, Port Suez Australia: Freemantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle Thailand: Sattahip Singapore Australia: Portland Aden: Steamer Point Suez Canal Germany: Brake Wales: Newport Photographs: Chinese cook and steward 34 Dave Wilcockson 7, 8, 10–11, 30–32, 36–38, 74–76, 110, 112 Duke 70–71 Group: Sattahip town (Dave, Mike, Vargas and others?) 78–82 Group: Sattahip boat trip (Dave, Third Officer, Vargas and others?) 84–91

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Niceto de Larrinaga: a voyage, 1966 Hassan the greaser 15 La, the Chief Steward 19 Lecky, welsh electrician 12–13, 18, 66–67, 69 Mike Leicester 20–21, 73, 77, 110 Mitzu, the dog 9, 17, 29 Third Officer 16, 40–41 Trixie, the dog 6 Colour photographs: Dave Wilcockson Grainy photographs in Sydney: Adele Grice misusing (or cleverly using) my camera

Apologies to any mis-labelling and the fact that I don’t know all the names of people in shot

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