Ship’s crew ‘special breed'

Press, 28 November 1980, Page 20

Ship’s crew ‘special breed '

PA Wellington It takes a special breed to crew the Transglobe expedition support ship Benjamin Bowring — men such as a New Zealander, James Young, and his captain, David Ramsay. The red-hulled 63m ship slipped into Wellington Harbour on Tuesday morning, completely belying the adventure that surrounds her. The Benjamin Bowring is the support vessel for the British Transglobe expedition which is circumnavigating the world around its axis. Three men, led by. Sir Ranulph Fiennes, are in the Antarctic trying to cross the ice continent on Snowmobiles. Already they have crossed the Sahara Desert, and hope eventually to cross the Antarctic and back to London. \ Mr Young, of Alexandra, is one of the crew

members determined that the adventurers are going to be successful on their three-year trip. He told a reporter it would be a great challenge to keep 15 men, and a female cook, • together in the same confined space through tortuous conditions. “We will be going as far as man can go by ship,” Mr Young said. Mr Young, aged 26, worked his way to London by crewing in a cargo ship two years ago. Now a fully qualified marine engineer, he saw the voyage as the best way of using his talents and seeing the world. For the last month the Benjamin Bowring has been chartered for cargo work in the Pacific Islands, and after running non-stop for six months will be having a refit while in Wellington. “Everyone is hand-

picked especially to make sure we can get on with one another. It is not a regimented ship. No-one is told what to do but everything gets done,” said Mr Young. Mr Young is one of two New Zealanders in the ship, commanded by Lieutenant - Commander David Ramsay, formerly of the Royal Navy. Commander Ramsay joined when he was 14, served before, during, and after World War’ II in everything from torpedo boats to battleships, and retired last year when he was 68. “I have always wanted to go to Antarctica,” he said. “I did not expect to get the command of this ship, though. “I have seen the Arctic ice before, but it was very noisy then — there was a war on.” This might be Commander Ramsay’s last

voyage, apart from casual yachting. He is determined that it will draw out the best from his young crew — the eldest is 28 years his junior — and show that the young people of today have “got what it takes.” “It shows there are blokes prepared to give three years pay away to do something really worth while,” he said. “I am retired, and so these young men are giving up far more than I am. They just need someone in charge, and it happens to be me.” The Benjamin Bowring is specially designed for the ice and violent weather. The all-welded ship has special reinforcing of the hull — including steel across the portholes, 10cm insulation, and a crow’s nest that includes bridge controls for manoeuvering the ship through ice.