By Robert Toreaux

A lifespan of a Mariners Dream

I started my life at sea on the Dredges on the Brisbane River in 1960 as a Cabin Boy aged 16 and for 2 years, Before I joined the Seaman’s Union Of Australia, I started my first job as Deck Boy on the S.S.Dubbo on the Australian Coast and stayed there for 2 years till my time was served as Deck Boy. I graduated to Ordinary Seaman for 12 months before I became a Seaman. Most of my sea life was on the East Coast of Australia and all major ports of Australia. I also spent time over seas on merchant ships. I sailed on many vessels and carried all types of cargos all over Australia , I have been around Australia 7 times now, till my retirement in 1992 due to Doctors advice. I suffer of I.T.P and there is no cure unless they operate to take my spleen out which I do not want that to happen. I do miss the sea life with all my shipmates. My last 25 years I spent on the Brisbane River working on the Tug Boats for Qld Tug Company, then a taken over by Howard Smith Shipping Company. Bringing the ships in and out of the Port of Brisbane, We worked long hours each day every day as ships don’t have holidays only people do. During my time on the Tugs we worked during the Australia Day1974 Floods for 10 days till the floods eased, when during the floods the tanker Robert Miller broke away from her moorings, and Brisbane was flooded by biggest floods in 50 years, all shipping was stopped in the Port whilst the the floods were still happening in the port, so many vessels broke there moorings during this time and we had to assist many of them to safer berths. We had to hold this tanker fast for 10 days till floods abated, the tanker was Robert Miller of 65,000 tonnes, she turned in the river on her own , and a watchman dropped her anchor midstream as she was unmanned vessel being a new ship, the river was in flood at time of this happening and the current was flowing about 13 knots, so many things happened during that time of the floods. I have seen many changes during my time at sea and also on the river , steam vessels and coal burners to container vessels, then automation took over and there was major changes to the industry Australia wide, as a Cabin Boy I worked on the dredges ,Echeneis , Morwong, they were both cutter side suction dredges, Groper was a Bucket Dredge as was the Platapus They are all gone now, sunk to make an artificial reef about 30 miles this side of Moreton Bay Island at Tanglooma. The Tugs I worked on were, Fearless,Carlock,Naldham,Coringa,Eagar,Barbary,Farm Cove There have been many Tugs working the river and I spent little time on others for short periods also. So I do hope you will enjoy my small life history all about myself On the Brisbane River and also at sea. As you look through my web site you will see many pictures of some of the vessels I worked on,. I travelled to many towns and city’s around Australia and New Guinea and loved every day of it, seeing other places of interest, also went to east too to Ocean Island (Gilbert and Ellis Islands group) (now Banarba Island) and Nauru carrying cargos of Phosphate for Brittish Phosphate Shipping Company and unloading at Geelong, Victoria during my time on this vessel. So many places I could tell you about and would take forever to do, so please browse through my pages here in my Webpage. Many pictures of all the ships I worked on are in this webpage for you to see also. I do hope you enjoy this webpage as much as I have making it, And many thanks go to those who helped me with information to add to this site.

Ships I worked on Page 2 A Mariners life is not just Women and Rum