| Description | Tape 1 Side A: DAVID EDWARD BLAND born 25 November 1952 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Elder of 2 brothers. Details re brother. Paternal grandfather worked on lighters, coasters, herring drifters in Yarmouth. Father in Navy during war, became carpenter. Names in family. Recalls grandmother. Maternal family from Wales. Grandfather a cobbler. Told little information about parents' families. Recalls childhood home. Born in a prefab. Grew up in new council estate named after Oxford college. After marriage, 1976, moved to Hopton. Details re father's work, family boats, fishing. Recalls summers on Norfolk Broads. Comments on liking for water activities. Father nearly 82, self-sufficient. Details. Describes parents. Mother ruled house. Spent more time with father in childhood, close to him. Recalls friend Paul who had polio, fishing, boating with him. Details re verbal bullying of friend at school. Details re own current martial arts club. Trains children in dealing with bullying. Recalls boxing at school, karate, jogging. Runs martial arts club. Does spirit combat Jujitsu. Details. British over-40s kick-boxing champion. Likes to keep fit. Recalls using martial arts skills in Aberdeen on a drugged robber. Sense of justice instilled by mother who stood up for herself. Parents' politics Labour. Has always avoided politics, religion. Mentions Ranger/Celtic rivalry. Explains importance of discipline in current job. Details re schools attended. Recalls headmaster, former Japanese prisoner-of-war. Failed 11-plus exam but in top stream. Feelings about education system, constant changes. Left school at 16, had decided to go to sea with Merchant Navy but went fishing. Details. Recalls going fishing with uncle at 14. Details re his boat, crew, routines, own tasks, long-lining procedures, terminology, hazards.
Tape 1 Side B: Fishing was hard work, disciplined. No second chances. Learned rope-work, mending nets. Recalls learning fancy rope-work from Captain Cook at Sea School. Was a loner, yet lot of involvement in public events. Explains situation as ship captain. Recalls school days, influential teacher, introduction of girls to the school. Reference to company in Yarmouth making baskets for herring industry. Recalls last Scottish drifters, inspiration to go to sea. Scottish boats were clean, belonged to families. Reason for learning boxing. Reason for not wanting to join Royal Navy. Recalls enjoyment of technical aspects of fishing at Fishing School. Explains qualifying time requirements, watch-keeping. Was a Mate at 19. Impact of father's coronary, mother's having to go to social services for support, their attitude, own situation, new focus on path to follow. Explains own political leanings. Recalls Captain Law who ran Herring School, former wartime bombing raid planner. Impact of Captain Cook's training in seamanship. Explains routine of boxing the compass. Won Deckhand-of-the-Year award. Recalls seamanship rhymes, their effectiveness. Still teaches cadets same way. Details re other classes at Sea School including maths, English, chartwork. Explains requirements for, entitlements of unlimited Mate's Fishing Ticket. Describes skills of fishing skippers sailing in Arctic without compass etc, disparaging attitude of Merchant Navy people. Mentions sophistication of fishing boats today. Explains different groups, hierarchies of seafarers, fishermen. Learned about weather, tides from uncle. Details re his intuition, self-reliance. Comments on written rules. Describes curious sun phenomenon foretelling bad weather. Details re understanding tides, seabed, visualising areas, navigation, Decca-navigator equipment, shipping lanes. Reference to GPS (global positioning system). Brother joined Navy.
Tape 2 Side A: Hierarchy of seafarers (cont'd). Comments on Navy, their reputation, importance of teamwork. Was youngest serving Mate out of Lowestoft. Explains role of Mate, reaction of others. Mate paid on fish catch. Recalls first boat, side-trawler Bahama, owned by Gordon Claridge, Cologne Fishing. Explains equipment, boat layout, trawling routines, dangers. Compares with stern trawler. Fishing boats designed for weather. Recalls George Harper, skipper, his knowledge, attitudes. Recalls working with other skippers, e.g. in old minefield, bringing up mines. Impact of new technology. Recalls meeting wife at youth club at time of arrival of first American oilmen, early 1970s. Offered work by them. Was ambitious, wanted to be top skipper, thwarted by crises in fishing industry. Details. Explains area fished. Recalls first oil/gas industry exploration boats when still at school, 1968. First boats not suitable for North Sea. Explains. 1974 joined Island Offshore Shipping. Details re IOS, their plans for standby boats, initial use of incompetent personnel, reason for leaving. North Sea oil industry grew up by default. Explains consequences of this. Describes early standby boats. People didn't realise what they were doing. Lack of regulations specific to offshore industry. Compares with shipping regulations, own current experience. Industry a mish-mash, e.g. explosive materials carried alongside other volatile materials. Recalls return to fishing industry in 1970s, poor returns, low morale, changes necessary. Returned to IOS 1975 in BJ Islander, working for Phillips in Hewitt field on supply, standby duties. Describes primitive state of ship. Learned ship-handling, recalls snatching passengers etc. Explains importance of working down-tide of rigs, use of tide as extra engine.
Tape 2 Side B: Own philosophy for ship-handling is never to fight the elements. Gives example of approaching a rig, being in working position. Describes engine controls. Recalls master of BJ Islander, ex-fisherman. Details re crew. Recalls rescue of two painters who fell into water. Describes living conditions on boat, a former minesweeper. Based out of Yarmouth, worked in Hewitt Field. Details re routines including transferring crews, diver standby, cargo moves. Describes use of Billy Pugh, personnel transfer baskets. No safety harness, only life jackets, survival suits. Recalls good relationship with platform crews. Crew-changes done by helicopter. Main concern was tides. Explains. Describes weather in southern North Sea, shipping hazards, danger from sandbanks. Mentions working for BNOC (British National Oil Corporation) 1981. Recalls emergency when accommodation barge broke adrift, extraordinary rescue by American tugs, involvement of HMS Achilles. Explains danger of running aground on sandbank. Americans were good ship handlers in open waters, not in River Yare, unable to understand unusual tidal movement there. Explains. They learned quickly how unforgiving North Sea was. Impact of Americans on Yarmouth - they brought in a lot of money, rebuilt quays, warehouses, employed local people etc. They took all the women. Details. Recalls fights between Americans and locals. Reference to Yarmouth's previous experience of Scottish herring fishermen. Own social life limited to short stays ashore. Details. Always brought money home, put it on table, gave share to mother, divided it up, bought household items etc. Was highest-earning family member. Effect of alcohol on area. Mentions country & western singer, friend Don Woods. Recalls going out with future wife. Married 1976. Details re children.
Tape 3 Side A: Background to leaving IOS and joining Stirling Shipping 1976. IOS was going downhill. Story of predecessor's sudden departure, own immediate appointment. Has been with Stirling since. Recalls adjustment to a pure Merchant Navy ship and crew. Explains differences from fishing, standby ships. Details re origins of Stirling Shipping, owners Ian Harrison and Peter Wordie. Details re own first ship, Stirling Brig. Stirling ships were good in heavy seas, felt comfortable in them. Explains atmosphere on ships. Recalls old seafaring superstitions. Not superstitious. Always felt pressure to produce, pushed to the limit. Attitude of Americans when they came, worship of the drill bit. Pressure on supply boats, especially in rough weather. Recalls threats to get jobs done. Norwegians ships always one step better, always there in the wings. Impossible to work in Norwegian sector, unlike British sector where it was free for all. No women on Stirling ships in North Sea. Compares with Norwegians, Danes. Recalls level of health and safety in IOS, Stirling. Recalls contradictions between Safe Manning Certificate, DTI N-notices, e.g. 781, safety at any cost as long as it's not money. Gives example of risks taken even today. Nothing has changed. Explains safety procedures, meetings. Reaction to good ideas if they are expensive. Recalls being reprimanded after being involved in Numast union action re closure of Pentland Coastguard, possible removal of standby vessels by BP. In 1980s Stirling Shipping directors split up, changed company, added ships. 2001 Stirling bought by Seacor. Details re directors. Effect of changes on company from family to faceless company. Feelings about working for Americans, changing working conditions.
Tape 3 Side B: Explains membership of Numast union. Never a great union man but benefited from help when Island Offshore Shipping went bankrupt. Mentions ticket protection, legal aid. Concerned about attitude of Seacor to pensions, unions. Offshore workers in a peculiar situation, need a strong voice. Effect of American attitude. Need to show ignorance when working offshore, not intelligence. Explains. Comments on effectiveness of Numast and other unions, possible need for one offshore union. Reference to OILC (Offshore Industry Liaison Committee). Explains role of National Offshore Oil Forum. People still reluctant to speak out. Details re marine qualifications, requirements. Sailed as Master of Stirling Brig 1979. Recalls first experience as Master, duties. Mentions other ships. Explains own style of command, importance of maintaining distance from crew. Impact of job on family life. Details of shift patterns. Recalls caravan holidays, taking children out of school. Explains financial, domestic arrangements with wife, attitude of father-in-law. 1981 joined Stirling Sword, carrier for BNOC, BP. Explains technical, safety aspects. Explains dislike of working for the Dutch. Shipping Ministers were bit of a laugh. Compares standby boats, supply boats. Describes inadequate living, working conditions on standby boats. Things have changed. Details re crew changes. Compares with rig crews' situation. Supply boats, water-born lorries fall in between oil companies and service companies. Recalls wastage of materials, food. Recalls Piper Alpha disaster, accident waiting to happen, questions never answered. Contrast between Norwegian, British approach. Explains lack of contact with rig crews - just voice on the radio. Explains procedures in case of fire, accidents, frequency of safety drills. Mentions fire on Stirling ship, successful outcome.
Tape 4 Side A: Compares supply boat work and platform work. Platform is a construction factory at sea. Explains complexities of work of supply boat crew. Describes routines, atmosphere on bridge at sea, loneliness, feelings in bad weather. Describes violence of movement, improvements in bridge facilities. Describes sounds on ship and when alongside rig. In early days oil industry seemed like a game, now deadly serious. Extra accountability has not made job safer. Explains sense of guilt when on boat. No fun left in job. Daily cost of hire of own ship. Comments on wastage of money, economies in manpower. Contrast between rush onshore, delays offshore. Describes offshore crane drivers' skills, contrasts with onshore crane work. Explains use of safe havens on ship. Mentions work in worse weather. Details re shift routines, formal handover procedures. Compares with handovers on rigs. Offshore workers not mariners. Mentions situation re presence of marine people in Brent Field. Semi-submersible drilling rigs have OIM/Master. Fixed installations different. Frustrated by having to deal with shoreside logistics people rather than oil companies. Gives examples of unqualified non-marine people taking charge of dangerous job resulting in accident, dangerous instruction to sail in force 12 storm by non-marine person. Further example of stupid instructions. Pressures greater now than in earlier days. Marine decisions should be taken by Masters. People have been given wrong weather information. Comments on underlying reasons for situation. All down to money, false expectations. Explains. Pushy attitude of Seaforth. Explains difficulty with spot market, market forces. Coastal ships run for shelter in bad weather. Compares with oil industry. Industry has grown up by default. Explains.
Tape 4 Side B: Became liaison officer for Stirling Shipping/Numast in 1980s. Recalls explaining what industry doing, own work. Became chairman of National Offshore Oil Committee. Pushed fatigue issue, use of safety hooks offshore. National Offshore Oil Forum formed. Explains purpose. Explains mixed response of own employers to involvement. Safety culture has not improved. More paper, procedures. Inadequate manpower to comply with regulations. Shore-based people make rules which are watered down. Gives example re loading levels. Future of North Sea industry. Likely exploitation of smaller fields, greater use of FPSOs (field production storage units) specially west of Shetland. Comments on removal of platforms, Brent Spar situation. Opinion of Greenpeace action. Competition in supply boat field has remained at same level. Smaller companies gobbled up by big ones. More managing companies now. Details. Attitude of American owners of Stirling, possibility of their pulling out of North Sea. Need for large sophisticated boats in North Sea. Own career prospects. Explains own qualifications. Mentions GPS (global positioning system), STCW 95 ticket regulations. Hopes to leave when 55. Details re pension etc. Hopes to pursue martial arts - time ashore spent doing this. Reasons for wanting to retire before getting too old. Things have become more sophisticated in the industry but goalposts have moved. Explains. Mentions weather conditions, unpredictability of industry, oil prices, profits, BP profits and attitude to standby boats. Fishing career possibilities in retrospect. Fishing, British Merchant Navy in turmoil. Details re ethnic mix of crews. Changes to demands of sea careers. Has done well out of oil industry. Increased pressures, stress in recent years. Own prospects. Explains ability to read weather.
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