Sea passages - 1976 - six months in a tramp

De halve wereld rond in 1976 - Halfway round the world in 1976 (English transcript below).
Van januari tot juli 1976 maakte ik een lange reis met het ms. Amstelpark, een bulkcarrier die van Gdansk in Polen naar Baltimore aan de Amerikaanse oostkust voer en vervolgens met een lading bouwketen naar Dammam in de Perzische Golf. Van de P.G. gingen we naar Newcastle in Australië voor een lading staal, die onderin het schip lag en op de reis naar de Rode Zee nogal wat gevolgen had voor het leefcomfort. In zes maanden zagen we vier havens en hadden we in de Atlantische Oceaan en in de Zuidelijke Oceaan veel stormweer. Het ziet er fotogeniek uit, maar als we een film wilden draaien moest iemand van ons de projector vasthouden. Of de projector hem, dat weet ik niet meer... de beelden spreken voor zich.
Deze video is gemaakt van 8 mm film geschoten met een goedkope camera. De beeldkwaliteit is niet al te goed, maar het zijn wel 40 jaar oude beelden. Er zijn een paar fotoseries tussengevoegd en de geluiden zijn er later in gemonteerd.
From January to July, 1976, I sailed in a bulk carrier that was used as a tramp ship, going empty from Gdansk in Poland, through the Pentland Firth above Scotland, over a stormy North Atlantic to Baltimore, Maryland. There we loaded prefabricated dwellings for the oil industry destined for Dammam, Saudi Arabia. We waited for three weeks before they could be discharged, then we continued to Newcastle, NSW, for a cargo of steel bar to be taken to Aqaba, Jordan. The steel sat on the tank top in the hold, and made life a misery due to the violent rolling motion. We ran into a force 10 in the Great Australian Bight, open to the Southern Ocean, and the ship took a severe beating. It looks rather pretty but it wasn't. When we wanted to run one of our three 16mm films, one of us had to hold down the projector. Or the projector held him down, I don't remember... the images speak for themselves.
This is an account filmed with an inexpensive 8mm camera. The image quality is not too good, but these are historic scenes of cargo shipping almost 40 years ago. Some photo sequences were inserted to complete the picture. Sound effects were dubbed in.

[@kennethgrindrod6438]

Brought back some memories the 70,s and 80,s was my time spent at sea

[@paulbrewer2513]

Start of my time at sea 1976 great time to be at sea.

[@robertflux5508]

Memories come flooding back I was an AB on two bulk carriers similar to that (Norse Herald and Rubens). Great times and thanks for recording it.

[@petertyson1112]

A very modern tramp, given those cranes in '76. In 1976 I was a cadet on the "City of Wellington", built in 1956. General cargo, UK to the Gulf, then Bangladesh and India, East Africa, South Africa and Canada.

[@tedpolet5431]

Thanks - it is a long time ago. Actually it was a bulk carrier, I don't know what they needed the cranes for but they were rather modern in those days.

[@struck2soon]

Good effort on the sound effects, they sound as if they were part of the original film.

[@sukiawang9896]

Ah...nice to watch this V.clip.recall the past.Especially on my 1st job onboard-junior engineer.👍👍👍👍

[@tedpolet5431]

Thank you - I remember we had a largely Indonesian crew on board that ship. For me it is very long ago as well.

[@sukiawang9896]

Ted polet,was it on Nedlloyd.cz usually rating from indonesia.as for me sail with PIL(Pacific International Line.rating mostly from indonesia.deck officer indian.engineer local-s'porean.

[@tedpolet5431]

Yes, I sailed with Nedlloyd. This vessel was the mv Amstelpark, a 50,000 ton bulk carrier. Very small by today's standards.

[@belhudson71]

Great footage eseicially North Atlantic.Great days.

[@boriscervanti8892]

The time is around two weeks to Christmas on 1988, the bulk carrier PRATINCOLE (70000 dwt, 1969 built, while I am the cadet engineer) sailed with cargo of coal from Qinhuangdao, China to Inkoo (the Coal Fired Power Station), Finland. I remember the ship started rolling from exit of Suez, all the way through Mediterranean, and fiercous while in transiting English Channel. 4/5 of seafarers onboard were seasick and vomitting.

[@thesevenseas]

Wow! Is it possible for me to use and share this footage on my youtube page? I share footage from all kind of activities on our ocean. Cargo ships in the 1960s till now, oil rigs, fishing vessels, etc. Of course full credit will be given to the owner of the footage. Looking forward to your reply. Kind regards. Cheers.

[@neilturner6865]

Empty ship going across the Pond Scary 👻👻👻 I was 🤮🤮🤮🤮on my first trip going across from Antwerp to the Great Lakes. I’m leaving the 🌊 😢😢 but hey 42 years later I’m still sailing the 7 Oceans 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳❤️ the 🌊🌊

[@bogthing1]

Ah, memories of the North Atlantic. Russian "trawlers" in Aden. Remember those too.

[@robertflux5508]

A great day to be at sea.