barber menestheus

Rick writes

I had the pleasure of serving on all the Japanese built M class ships. (Tsu shipyard). They were gross 16301 tonnes and had Mitsubishi licenced Sulzer 7 cylinder RND76M main propulsion units. I think they were built about '76/'77. Memnon, Menestheus, Menelaus, mainly in blue funnel livery sailed on the around the world service named Barber Memnon, Barber Menestheus etc. Melampus served on the UK West Africa lines service between Tilbury and all ports West Africa in ED colours. In July 1986 Barber Menelaus sailed into its home port of Liverpool for the first time and reverted to the name Menelaus. It moved from Blue flue to ED yellow funnel and was sent on the West Africa service. (This was mainly due to the introduction of Barber Hector on the Barber Blue Sea service around the world.) I returned to Menelaus in July 1987 when she again went foreign flag, this time to Douglas Isle of Man on the inaugural trip for the new Ocean Fleets manning company based in Douglas. (It had just transferred to Panamanian in 1983 when I had first sailed on her.) This was to be my last trip as I decided after receiving my brown enveloppe from Ocean T & T that my first trip as 3rd eng. which was great would be my last. On 8.9.87 we arrived at Avonmouth and I got off. End of my days at sea!! I wonder where they are now? Great ships down below, not so good on deck. They had all those funny masts and winches. I remember as the ships were getting older the hatch cover hydraulic pipes started to corrode and burst all too frequently and we spent some amount of time changing hydraulic pipes and replacing steel pipes. That apart they were great.

Another trip down memory lane.