We get an answer to an exam question

HALF TIME...the stern section of the Happy Dragon is towed into the Tyne in 1967.

By JANIS BLOWER
Published on Monday 20 February 2012 17:00

IT has taken a while to return to the subject, but in doing so, I’m reminded of how small even the seafaring world of Shields is.

This rewinds to a query from a reader some while back, who wondered if anyone could give him details of what the subjects were for Department of Trade examinations some years ago.

Several folk subsequently got in touch, even lent me copies of text books, such as Cole’s Shipmasters Handbook To The Merchant Shipping Acts, and Nicholls’s Concise Guide. I’m particularly grateful to Jim Barton in that respect.

But it was also a pleasure to hear from David Robinson, who was head of nautical science at the college here between 1971 and 1987.

He now lives in Oxfordshire where, just to digress, he was sent a cutting of the query by a friend in Ipswich who regularly dispatches used postage stamps to him.

These are in support of a project, originally started by the Rotary Club of Harton, by which stamps are sold to collectors, thereby raising money for charities, including the Mission to Seafarers.

Actually, one or two things in Cookson Country had piqued Capt Robinson’s interest, among them Capt Gerard Grey’s memories of the pre-sea course at the old Marine School in Shields just after the end of the Second World War. Capt Robinson was himself a student on the course in 1942-1943.

To go back to the subject of exams, his copy of Masters and Mates Regulations sets out the subjects for the likes of second mate (foreign going), which were general ship knowledge, chart work, practical navigation, mathematics, principles of navigation, English and orals – at least 13-14 hours of examination over four days. No mean feat. First mate (foreign going), as well as practical navigation and chart work, also included ship construction, meteorology, ship maintenance and magnetism.

For General Masters, subjects included commercial and legal knowledge, chart construction and marine surveying, general physics and theoretical naval architecture and hydrostatics - more than 30 hours in total, albeit over two weeks.

* Today’s picture is an interesting one from 45 years ago, when the stern half of the Norwegian bulk carrier Happy Dragon was towed into the Tyne from the Wear.

It was followed shortly after by the forepart, the two sections to be dry docked at Palmer’s, Hebburn, for joining into a whole ship. The carrier had been built in two sections by Austin and Pickersgill, Sunderland.

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ALEX KYPRIADIS

Friday, February 24, 2012 at 05:45 PM

I REMEMBER SEEING THE HAPPY DRAGON AS I SERVED MY APPRENTICESHIP AT READHEADS SHIPYARD

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Thursday 24 May 2012

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We get an answer to an exam question