I worked for Furness Ship Management in London in my first job. I was involved in calculating the salary and other payments to the officers in the second Pacific Reliance built after the war.

Colin

I started off with Manchester Liners, who eventually became purchased by Furness in 1970 just before I started with them. The group started to operate as a single company not so long after I finished my time so I suddenly found myself on other ships in the group, despite the usual assurances this would not happen!

My worst ever trip was on an ex Houlder Bros gas tanker, I hated every minute of it. The group also incorporated Shaw Saville, Prince Line, Royal Mail Lines, PSNC to name just a couple.

Most people of my age tend to yearn for the ships of the 70s with beautiful sheer lines and flared bows such as Blue Star and Port Line ships but I have always found the earlier ships of the 50s and 60s to be more attractive. I probably see the ships of the 70s as part of the massive decline in the fortunes of the British Merchant Navy as we seemed to struggle in vain to keep up with the rest of the world.

Oddly enough the Sagamore seems to have very similar lines to the four transatlantic Manchester Liners container ships I sailed on!