M/T "Seestern"
 
 

 
Motortanker „Seestern“, call sign DABF, 20.301 GRT, started in service 11.10.54 as Norwegian “Bergeland”. Sold 1968 as “Friedland” to Somalia. 02.03.76 broken up in Mansan/Korea. 
Seafaring time: 01.10.66 – 04.02.67

The tanker "Seestern" was at that time (1966-1967) in possession of the commercial house Helmut Horten, and was chartered from the shipping firm Fritzen, in Emden.
The ship was built in 1954 in Stavanger/Norway and sailed originally under the Norwegian flag. After the "Marie Horn", I had the feeling that my next ship would be giant one.  In fact, this large tanker was for that time, "Standard."  I went on board at Dunkirk, and made many voyages between the Persian Golf and Europe, and one voyage from the Persian Golf and Singapore.
The living quarters on this ship were for that time very comfortable; living room, bedroom, and bathroom with shower.

Left the Redifon main receiver "R50M".
(Thanks to Allan Headley for the
information) In the background right on the wall the emergency transmitter.

The ship was chartered to British Petroleum. 
The travel orders came by radio from London, so Portishead Radio was my main radio contact, and with which I had overwhelmingly positive experience.  At this time Portishead Radio was becoming one of the largest coastal radio stations. The traffic list (list of ship stations to take traffic) took at least a half hour, and since my call sign was DABF I was 10'th or 15'th on the list, (QRY 10, or maybe QRY 15) and didn't have to listen to the whole list. The radio station on the "Seestern" was acceptable.  As much as I can remember, it was a combination of short-wave and medium-wave-transmitter, with 400 Watts output, from "Standard Radio."  Next to the customarily provided emergency transmitter and emergency receiver and autoalarm receiver, I had a "Redifon R50M" main receiver.  This receiver had no dial calibration in Khz, only a logging scale from 0 to 100 for all bands.  When the frequency was known, one must make a pencil mark - and it was disagreeable when Portishead Radio specified a working frequency without a pencil mark.  If there was no "v v v loop" running on the frequency, one could complete one's QSO (contact) and start a new call.


Medium wave tuning. The medium wave transmitter had no crystals. The frequencies were engaged, notched. Left the emergency transmitter, over it the antenna switch with the old “knife contacts”
 

Maintaing of the main transmitter. Left the medium wave part, center the coastal telephony part, right the short wave part. In the bottom the power supply