Page 157 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK TWO "BOSTON 1960 TO 1970"

BACK WITH ECYB
To develop our business, Ruth and I decided a boat
transport contract was needed, servicing a major
manufacturer and I initially wrote dozens of letters to
companies all over the U.K. offering our services. It was not
until later in 1969 that ECYB Transport began to operate
alongside my time with Firestone.

ON THE DOCKS
After many weeks following up sales leads and writing to
countless boat builders and importers, I had managed to land a
contract for moving imported “Magyar” class sailing cruisers
from Hull docks.
This new range of heavy plywood boats were being built in
Hungary and imported through Hull. They were to be
transported to the concessionaires who had sales licences in
various corners of the country. These locations were Glasgow,
Windermere, Emsworth in Hampshire and Brightlingsea in
Essex. The day of this particular story I was heading for
Windermere.
It was always a bitter battle getting the boats loaded at
Hull. These were the “good old days” when Dockers worked in
gangs. One gang did a job no matter how many were needed.

They were allocated a task and the gang did it. (You may
recall this is what largely caused the demise of England’s docks
and Dockers in general.) I only needed a mobile crane and two
men. There were about eight or ten in the gang so the job took
ages!

Loading at Hull dock was the worst part of the
job….normally!

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