John Watson
John belongs to: The Doxford Engine Friends Association
John was born in 1936 in Hendon. He started his apprenticeship at Doxford's in 1952 with the intention of going to sea. John has no regrets about the people he has met, and friends he has made.
John was interviewed by Carl Greenwood on 26 January 2006. The interview took place at Sunderland Museum and lasted 21 minutes and 13 seconds.
First voyage, carrying dynamite through a hurricane
"I went as third engineer for my first trip on a small ship which I joined in Canada"
I went as third engineer for my first trip on a small ship which I joined in Canada, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. And the run was down to Haiti, getting dried fish, back up to St Johns, Newfoundland and then back down to Haiti and right down as far as the, South America, in Georgetown, British Guyana, loading fruit and oranges, and then back up to Canada, where then we got a charter for carrying dynamite. And the run was to go right down to South America, right down as far as Baranquila, back up through the Panama Canal, around to Peru and then back up the other side, on the Pacific, and then back through the canal and back up to Canada.
It was hard at times, there were hard times, like being in a hurricane with two hundred tonne of dynamite on for three days and you didn’t know where you were when you came out, just off Cape Harris, and you got to the Triangle, Bermuda Triangle and then you got all the electric storms and thunderbolts bouncing off the deck where you have the caps full of dynamite, and the ship, sometimes, more times underwater than it was on top. But she was a good sea boat, we kept her going, little Polar Atlas engine.
John has 14 memories in the memorynet:
John's memories with a Adventure theme:
First voyage, carrying dynamite through a hurricane
- Being in a hurricane
- What does the sea mean to you?
John's other memories:
Doxford's referenceThis memory has these themes:
Adventure | Danger | Environment | Travel | Work
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