Film of the early days of containerisation on video
Post date: Jul 31, 2011 8:52:33 PM
Captain Joe Welch spent his whole career at sea with P&O, OCL P&O Containers and P&O Nedlloyd. From when he started in 1959 until her retired in 1997, he took every available opportunity to record life at sea in film and pictures.
Having found a bit of time to spare last year, Captain Welch decided to convert his film and picture library into a digital archive. One thing led to another, and he found himself at a P&O Reunion in Sonning selling copies of his first video, Volume 1 - The Early Voyages with all profits going to the marine charity Mission to Seafarers.
Captain Welch's first video covers the period from his start with OCL in 1969 through to the early 1980s. Most of the footage is of the Encounter Bay class vessels on voyages to Australia and the Arabian Gulf, but other company ships that were in service during that period make an appearance, including the Resolution and Mairangi Bays, the Strathconon and the Strathettrick.
The OCL vessels on the video are seen in heavy seas, berthed in Abu Dhabi and arriving in Sydney (sailing under the Harbour Bridge on the way to White Bay). There is fascinating footage of Suez and Panama Canal transits, and a trip along the Elbe through ice. This video will be of interest to sea staff and operations people who want a trip down memory lane, and those who are interested in the history of shipping and want to see what life at sea was like in the early days of containerisation. For a review of the video and details of how to get your own copy, please go to The OCL Containerships
FEBRUARY 2023 UPDATE!
The videos have previously been offered in DVD form but with many people no longer having access to a suitable DVD player, Captain Welch has decided to switch to using USB/memory sticks. The price of £10 per video with all profits going to the Mission to Seafarers charity remains unchanged.
As of 01/02/2023 Joe advises that nearly £2,000 has been donated to the Mission.
Updated 03/02/2023