Gurney Panton is seated at the radio console in the radio room of the S/S Petrolene.

By the Cayman Islands
Seafarers Association

An interesting fact of Cayman’s Maritime History is that in addition to all the other positions held by Caymanian Seamen, from Messman to Captain and Chief Engineer, who sailed with the National Bulk Carriers, Universe Tank Ships Fleet over the years, there were only two Caymanian Wireless Officers among them.

The first was the late Cyril A. Rich, from Cayman Brac. Cyril left Cayman Brac for Kingston, Jamaica and worked for Pan American Airways for a while before being recruited by National Bulk Carriers as a Wireless Officer and sometime later to the New York office of Mr Daniel K. Ludwig as a Personnel Officer.

The other was Gurney A.W. Panton. Gurney left Cayman in 1953 at the age of 17 and joined the SS Bulk Petrol in Newport News, Virginia. When the ship sailed they were headed to the Persian Gulf via the Suez Canal. When Egypt nationalized the Canal in 1956, it became necessary to make the trip via the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, which added weeks to the voyage. Gurney had gained experience as a Wireless Radio Operator while working at a Cuban weather station which during the 1950s occupied the area where Radio Cayman’s Studio is now located.

Gurney remembers some funny and some very sad moments. A funny although uncomfortable moment at the time was having been seasick for the first week of the journey; he was throwing up over the stern of the vessel when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

On turning the man standing behind him asked:

“You feel anything in your throat?” The man must have been referring to what was obviously a long attack - too weak to answer, he nodded in the affirmative. The man then said: “I beg you don’t spit it out, for it must be your big toe.” But Gurney survived the seasickness and continued to work for the next five years.

A very sad experience was when as Wireless Officer he received a message from Captain Southwell of the New York office informing him of the sudden passing of his father Albert C. (Bertie) Panton, who was the National Bulk Carrier’s recruiting Agent for the Cayman Islands.

After receiving the first few words of the message in Morse code which read “Regret to advise the passing of your Father”, it took about 30 minutes for Gurney to compose himself enough to complete the reception of the message. Gurney was unable to attend his father’s funeral because his ship the “Ore Convey” was en-route to Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, rendering it impossible to travel to Cayman in time for the funeral.

Gurney retired from sea after his father’s death, returned home and managed several businesses including a Shell gas station in George Town where the Bank of Nova Scotia now stands.

His love of the sea has never diminished and after acquiring a 48ft Super Sport Fisherman, which he named “Gunner”, he took part in various fishing tournaments here and in Port Antonio, Jamaica.

Today, at age 72, he will often, at a moment’s notice, jump on his boat and head over to Little Cayman.
This article is part of a series of monthly features produced by the Cayman Islands Seafarers Association and printed in Cayman Net News.