Oral history of the Malta Dockyard: William Catania

Entering the dockyard-Reasons for joining 

(00:30) Went to the Freres Stella Maris college, who had preparation classes for the dockyard exam for 2 years. He ranked 89 out of the students who took the exam. His parents had encouraged him to join the dockyard and sincże they were all new to the process, they asked Mr. Moses Gatt, who was secretary at the Clerical Staff Union, for an opinion on which trade their son should choose. He suggested that since the students who ranked better than him will mostly go for electrical and engine fitters, it would be ideal for him to choose the trade of shipwright, which would give him opportunities to take higher positions in the future, especially if he manages to continue his studies. So, he went for the shipwright trade.

(03:15) During the apprenticeship, apart from being taught the shipwright trade, they had to frequent the dockyard college where they were taught mathematics, physics and most of the sciences.

(04:45) They did four years of school during their six years apprenticeship.

(05:30) While learning the trade, they made their own tools using materials found in the dockyard.

Entering the dockyard-Swan Hunter / Bailey / changeovers 

(06:15) He entered the dockyard during the time of the Admiralty and the discipline they had was one similar to a militarysystem , meaning they had an authoritative type of discipline. In fact, even when it came to writing a letter to the upper management for leave, they had to be extra formal in writing it. Hence, they had to be very careful on how to approach their chargeman.

(07:15) He was sent to the drawing office as a trainee around the 1960s, where he became a draughtsman 2 years later. Being a draughtsman on shiprepair, gave him a lot of experiences where the work required to prepare drawings for any damages or conversions involving the steel structure. 

(09:15) He also mentions the experience on the ‘floor’. The mould loft was an area situated near No.3 dock. This was a large covered area, laid down with black painted plywood where the full-scale offset of the ship’s hull was marked and then using battens as rulers, the draughtsman used to draw the curves of the required ship’s section, using a pointed knife to scrape off the black paint layer. From these drawings, they produced the template required by the workshops to cut and prepare the steel material.

(11:00) Sirius was the first commercial tanker at the time of the Admiralty/Bailey transition.  He was still an apprentice and they worked on the drawings at the mould loft.

When he was in the drawing office, he worked on the newbuilding two German vessels. This was during the time they had the 7-month strike. He also worked on two other German newbuilding, barges and hopper barges. He remembers the work on the ship Poseidon that had collision damage. 

(12:45) As a draughtsman, the work mainly was that of drawing and making blueprints, which were then sent to the shop for fabrication. 

Entering the dockyard-Trades (From approval to the departure of a vessel) 

(13:00) During the 60s, ship still had rivets as the jointing system of the steel plates and sections. Every part used different amounts of rivets, so they were involved in determining and marking the rivets required. This procedure was all done in place, even the riveting, using a portable coal forge, where the rivets were heated to red hot. When the red-hot rivet is placed in its hole, one worker would hold steady the rivet from the inside, while another worker would hammer it to shape from the outside. Once riveted the caulkers would hammer the plate edges to make the work water tight.  This work created a lot of noise all over the ships and especially in closed spaces. But one used to get used to it.

(14:30) During the Admiralty, the Naval ships (he recalls the HMS Troubridge) that entered the yard for a refit that would take about a year. They would have to dismantle the vessel from top to bottom and make it as if new. Its insulation would be fiberglass and asbestos at the time, which was later deemed as a hazardous material. At that time there was no health and safety awareness. 

Education-Apprenticeship process 

(17:45) When they entered the dockyard as apprentices, they made two boxes, a steel one was for the tools and another wooden one where they kept their personal belongings, which they kept in ‘racks’ in space which they used as changing room. 

Entering the dockyard-Swan Hunter / Bailey / changeovers 

(19:15) In 1958, came the time where the British were leaving and the dockyard was rumoured to be closing down, and everybody was scared and frustrated resulting in a lot of protests and disturbances. It was then revealed that another company will come in to take over from the Admiralty. The deal with Bailey was that they would split the 12,000-yard working force in two, where half of them would remain with the Admiralty and the other half would be employed with Bailey.

Entering the dockyard-Swan Hunter / Bailey / changeovers 

(21:30) They eventually started working with Bailey’s for a while and it was not as bad as people thought. In fact, there was a lot of work with Bailey.

Then again, Bailey left the yard and the dockyard was taken put under the management of Swan Hunter. 

Entering the dockyard-Swan Hunter / Bailey / changeovers 

(24:00) Around 1996, there was the introduction of computers, which was a difference as they were doing all the drawings by hand. He remembers that they used to draw with pens which had to refilled every few minutes that even drawing a long line, they would have to stop mid line to refill the ink and continue, being attentive so as to make the joining of the lines unnoticeable. Even all lettering for the descriptions, were done free hand, so they had to be clear and easy to read. They were sent for courses to learn how to make use the new tools (computers) and software such as CAD. 

(27:30) During the third year of their apprenticeship, the students who would rank first in their tests, where given the opportunity to go to England, using the equal opportunity scheme, to continue their studies. While he was a shipwright, there were 2 people who were eligible for this scheme, where they then qualified as surveyors and stayed working abroad as well. They also had apprentices that turned priests, or took up important positions.

(31:00) The dockyard gave him the opportunity to have a family. It gave him the opportunities to meet high level persons such as designers and Naval Architects. He mentions the locations of various departments related to the drawing work. The dockyard gave them a good foundation both in terms of practical work as well as one’s personal life values.

(38:30) He again describes the way the drawing information was presented to the workshop for fabrication. He describes the evolution of the working procedures mentioning systems using 1/10 scale drawings, evolution of electronic systems, etc.

(59:45) He remembers the time when photocopiers were not existent, but they still had a system on making copies of sketches or notes.