ss Nevasa Engineroom Logbook

If there's no menu on the left click on the dog to take you back to frames.

ss Nevasa’s Very Last Engine Room Logbook

This section will only really mean something to the few of us who served in the Nevasa Engine Room during her last voyage from Malta to Kaohsiung on her scrap run but I hope others will appreciate the amazing artistic skills of our beloved Duncan Kilgour who, sadly, we believe is no longer with us.

This first picture is the front cover and the rest follow as they appear in the log. I’ve added the dates they were drawn (if known) with an explanation of the relevance.

Please be aware that no apology is made for the language in the sketches as it’s important that I show them as they are in their original form.

Started 17th February 1975

The Front Cover

Above is the inside of the front cover. The person skiing with long hair is me and I think it’s about when Harry Ritchie (J2nd) thought it’d be funny to tell the new boy (me) that my hair was too long and I had to get it cut so I went to the Ship’s Barbershop and had a Number 1 put through it which was meant to make him feel guilty about taking the piss but I’m not sure it worked.

Here’s Bob Eden and Duncan sunbaking, drawn on the 20th Feb 1975. Bob believes the sketch came from an incident where Dunk was showing Bob how to operate the soot blowers on the 12-4 watch. What they didn't realise was that the 3rd Mate (some bloke who played the fiddle) had on the previous day washed all the signal flags. Imagine his consternation in the morning when he found them all covered in soot! (four letters beginning with s and ending in t)

This is me diving into the Ship’s pool. Duncan always drew me wearing my tartan Tam O' Shanter flat cap with a white fluffy bobble on top as you’ll see later. The incident happened on the 24th Feb 1975 when I was showing off around the pool. Unfortunately my stupidity and level of alcohol consumption led me to try and dive from the top of the hand rail and my foot slipped as I pushed off and I hit the side of the pool on entry. Completely winded I sank to the bottom unable to move. I remember laying on my back looking up and then I drifted into unconsciousness and the next thing I remember is waking up with, what I thought was, the ship’s Priest giving me the last rites but it turns out that Father Brian had actually dived in fully clothed, pulled me out and got me breathing again using mouth to mouth. After that I bought that man his favourite Jameson’s Irish Whiskey every time I saw him on deck and we became very good friends. I owe him my life.

Above is Duncan’s opinion of the 4-8 watch. Drawn on the 15th March 1975, the animal with the tartan Tam O' Shanter is me again and I’m supposed to a Kangaroo due to my wheeling of an Australian (now 30 years my wife). The guy in the deck chair is probably Harry Ritchie smoking his pipe. You’ll see a continuing theme of Harry complaining about how hot his pipe tobacco burns.

On the 24th March 1975 a whole page has been devoted to writing down the names of every Engineer who, those present could remember, ever sailed on Nevasa. Interestingly the first name is Derek Cook so maybe it was Derek who wrote the names. There’s also an attempt to name all the nick names too. The people with an asterisk were the scrap runners.

The very last legitimate log entry is the 12-4 on the 25th March 1975. The back 12 pages are all Duncan’s amazing sketches which I’ll show in order.

The first being The Dave Kirchin Cha-Cha written and illustrated by Duncan Kilgour. If anyone’s in touch with Dave Kirchin please tell him about this tribute as I’m sure he’d like to see it. We’d love to hear from Jock Doig too if he ever turns up.

Next shows Duncan’s sense of humour as well as his artistry. Left to right is Willy Patterson (Chief), Duncan and Bob Eden.

Next is another of me but I’ve forgotten the relevance.

The next is brilliant and features me being flogged for forgetting to log the engine revolution counters … again J

And next is, you guessed it, me again. This was after I’d seen a huge Albatross gliding effortlessly alongside the ship as we sailed down the west coast of Africa between Dakar and Cape Town. They all thought it was funny that I was convinced it was the biggest Albatross in the whole World.

Amazingly I’ve found this photo of the actual Albatross. It flew alongside the ship for over a week hardly moving a muscle just surfed the slipstream created by the ship. It’s wingspan was well over 10 feet and he got so close to the handrail on occasions I was able to touch his wingtip. I was very sad the morning he was there no more.

Fortunately I don’t feature in the next few as I’m sure you’d be thinking I’ve made this section because it was all about me.

This in Duncan trying to dip a double bottom tank being watched by Harry Ritchie. The strange shape sticking into Harry’s head is actually the underwater view explaining why Duncan can’t get a sounding i.e. there’s a hole in the bottom of the ship.

Next is Jock Doig doing his D.T.I. exam and the only boiler he knows is the tea urn J

Next is Duncan’s poem called The Sludger’s Psalm

Next is Duncan using a Micrometer as a G clamp

Next is a bit confusing. Something to do with Nevasa being blow up by an exploding Release All Can and it being witnessed by a Russian Convoy. Who knows, I guess only Duncan can tell us but check out the comment coming from the Submarine periscope.

Next is Duncan getting upset with Bob Eden and Bob’s follow up comment.

Next is Harry Ritchie with an exploding Guinness Book of Records 1972 Edition ????. No Idea what that’s all about. I see my Tam O' Shanter gets a look in again.

The next one I’m going to leave until the last but one as it’s the most poignant one of all.

Then comes an amazing drawing of Harry’s next ship.

Next is Nevasa sinking because of the actions of Bob Eden. That’s me in the bottom right corner with my Tam O' Shanter and Boomerang.

Next is one of me using my Karate skills to knock Bob Eden’s block off for some reason. Sorry Pirate Bob but I’ve got no Idea what’s that was all about.

We’re getting close now.

Next is an Ode to Nevasa written by myself.

That’s followed on the same page by a very clever Owed to Kirch (6 Beers). The Author wished to remain anonymous.

On the back page is another poem by yours truly.

Thanks to whoever added the comment at the bottom!

The one I mentioned earlier as being very poignant was written in 1975 and is called 30 Years On 2005 A.D. And it was this year, 2005, that I actually remembered I had the book and it’s taken me nearly three months searching old boxes in the garage and deep at the back and the top of wardrobes etc to finally find it.

I find it very sad and upsetting that Duncan didn’t make it this far but his amazing talent and humour will be remembered forever on this website.

And finally the back page