Part 1 - MV Oakwood British Merchant Navy 1966-68 - Higher quality re-edit

[@rayking2111]

I was a Junior Engineer on the Oakwood for a few trips. Great time and lots of fun.

[@vicwood6281]

I have just watched this video and it brought back so many memories. The Oakwood was my last ship before I left the sea to be married. From Prescot Street I had a train and ferry trip over to join her in Rotterdam, where we departed a few days later for New Orleans. Plenty of overtime worked on the way over cleaning out all those hatches.On the return trip it was chipping hammers and red lead. I am sure we returned to Hamburg where the whole deck crew was paid off and flown home. As a merchant seaman in the 60,s it was a great life.

[@simongardiner949]

Brings back memories for me too! I sailed for 1 trip on the mv 'La Estancia' - a 46,000 DWT Bulk Carrier, built by H&W 1965 single prop. direct drive. This film captures the relentless rolling of these bulkers in the Atlantic swell. Hit a storm - force 12 - off the East Coast (USA), light ship, very frightening for a 1st. tripper!! Also a crank case explosion off Brazil - nice long break spent catching sharks! I think the life for us then (I was an apprentice) was very much better and safer than the life at sea today - no pirates, reliable employment conditions, proper food served in saloon and mess. Although the life was not for me, I still love the sea and did a trip in sail - Barque 'Europa' 2009 - quite difference!!!!!

[@neilturner6865]

Coming from Gravesend and living a stones throw from the Old Peanut School I used to sea all the lads in thier uniforms around town. I went away to sea in the late 70s the only thing left of the old Sea Training School is the life boat jetty and Davits. The new Sea training College is now a Police training facility. 41 years at sea 3 left or 7 trips and I’m retiring been a great life with good runs ashore meeting great lads and lassies along the way so sad our Merchant Navy ended up almost completely gone 😢😢😢

[@raylturner4823]

This is brilliant my father would have been serving then

[@poverf]

thanks for posting.It was really great to watch and brought back memories.

[@laikatravels]

Looks like a great life and lovely to meet Phillip. Looking forward to watching parts 2&3 when we get on WiFi! Paul & Kerrie

[@paulbland4926]

I was salon steward on the oakwood 67,68.running from New Oleans to Bangladesh.I was also a peanut at Gravesend.Where has the time gone.

[@integrale1964]

Fantastic video of a ship built in my home Town of Sunderland in 1965. I'll share this link on my Sunderland Tugs and Shipbuilding in pictures Facebook page. Music by Jean Michel Jarre is a good accompaniment to this video.

[@okxtan2648]

thank you for this film which reminds me of my youth on the same type of vessels with same type of engine burmeister in a French company.. Good feel again at §ea 😊 !

[@kiwikatnz1]

Love the music..my husband was at Gravesend Merchant naval school about almost the same time..

[@ascarforever]

@AtomicCheese92 Hi, thanks for the comment. No, he was in the Merchant Navy from 1963 to 1968, at the start of the video it shows some of the ships he sailed on before the Oakwood which he sailed on from1967 to 1968 and where he shot this film.

[@ascarforever]

@poverf Thanks for the comment, don't forget to watch part 2 and 3 of this film. Thanks again

[@michaelcharters5727]

Memories of MV Sagamore ore carrier

[@heinzthedog]

Hello, 3 of my favourite U2b vids and a big nostalgia trip for me, but now part 3 has been blocked for copyright reasons. Is there any way of getting hold of a copy of part 3?

[@Blime2913]

Back then most vessels had a rounded beviled aerodynamic character to the structures on them much like automobiles had, but now in 2020 most vessels look overly square an sharp.

[@AtomicCheese92]

was he only in merchant navy for a year? ps the music goes well with the video

[@MrRw59]

It’s a shame young people can’t have the experience of going to sea anymore thanks to the decline in the merchant navy coinciding with the arrival of container ships and cheap labour foreign crews