Crew Trouble In Gothic

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31881, 8 January 1969, Page 20

Crew Trouble In Gothic

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Jan. 7.

The Shaw Savill liner Gothic returned to Wellington from Britain this morning with the smell of smoke still about her superstructure almost five months to the day of her arrival after the disastrous fire which claimed seven lives.

But she has come back not entirely a happy ship—and of the original crew only nine of the 25 officers and two of 44 ratings are on board. Incidents in front of a passenger ship in the Panama

Canal had resulted in eight members being warned by her master (Captain B. Agnew). Interference with navigation equipment on the bridge on New Year’s eve by three of the eight involved in the previous incident resulted in the stoppage of a day’s pay, beer allowance and the withholding of cash advances until Friday, Captain Agnew confirmed. Own Choice

Captain Agnew said today that the company left to him the choice whether he made another voyage in the ship. “1 decided to cpme back. I felt it was my ship and I was familiar with her layout,” he said. The vessel’s ultimate fate had not been decided at the time he left Britain.

Captain Agnew said he would not talk about the Panama Canal incident which was embarrassing. There was no punishment; the men were just warned. The unscrewing of the compensating balls each side of the magnetic compass was regarded in a more serious light. One of the crew later said the balls had been removed and those involved were playing bowls with them on the floor of the bridge. “But we are quite a happy crew,” Captain Agnew said. “There was no drunkenness in the bridge offence and there are no bad people on this ship. Those involved in the offences are about the 18 to 20 age group.”

Some of the crew said' one of the reasons for discontent

was the general appearance and condition of the ship. Another seaman said a union official had addressed a meeting at the London Pool and told them the union was not protesting against the ship coming back to New Zealand without being permanently repaired. To take her off would mean substitution, perhaps, by a foreign ship, and British seamen would lose a job.

Unlike the usual rush to fill a ship coming to New Zealand, there was a poor response in London for men to crew the Gothic. Eight had to be recruited from Glasgow, he said.