Your best and worst trips to sea ?

[Archie Coulter]

My best trip to sea was as Cadet in LOF. I joined the London Fusilier, a brand new shinny SD 14 cargo ship at Pallions yard Sunderland in June 1972. We had a great bunch of people on board, especially the other Cadet( Brum) and a great run! Europe to Central America and back to Europe. Then Europe WC USA and Canada. Next was the WC USA to Far East and finally, Far East back to Europe, an eight month trip in total.
I am stiil in contact with Brum after all these years.

My worst trip was also in LOF as cadet on the Overseas Discoverer. Tanker, lousey run,virtually no shore leave and not a great crowd of people on board. I was going to leave the sea after that trip if I had been
assigned another tanker. But luckilly... I got the London Fusilier and I am still enjoying being at sea 37 years later.....

NB: The cadet who was on the Discoverer when I joined and sailed with for two months called Quine Parkes I am in contact with again. I met him on Facebook. He is also still at sea and lives in Perth Aus.

So what was your best and worst trips to sea ?

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Archie
This has been put on before somewhere,but anyway as i said in the last one!
I cant remember having a worst trip,as all the trips i did were of a new experience to me!
The best Trip however must have been my first trip on the old Dunnottar Castle,as it was such a buzz for a young Lad,and just to part of that Crew to me it was absolutely amazing!
Will never forget that trip,the Friends i made and the lovely times aboard!
Really opened my Eyes to a World i never knew !
Grew up so fast too! And learnt a heap of things!
Cheers

[Graham Griffiths]

Helo all,

My worst trip was Br. Surveyor. she was the largest ship in the fleet but not the flag ship, that was the Br. Explorer.
Everyone on board thought they were the bees knees but we two deck cadets.
it was a miserable time, my third ship and I wanted to quit

We were ejected from the the ship in Le Havre but not before the new 'crew' took over.
We had to give up our cabins and sleep in the hospital which was a walk way to the mates cabin.
On came the new crew and suddenly we were protected.

I have no idea who that 'Chief' was but I thank you

[monty montgomery]

Hello all, best trips would have been on the BA flyers to argentina, fell in love every night......
Worst trip was on the MV Waipawa joined in dry dock Belfast 1964 or 1965? with almost a full Belfast crew there were a lot of not so entertaining boxing Matches (definately no queensbury rules)and it was 5 months of wondering when things would get better.
Great old Shaw Saville boat which from memory was about 30 years old at the time, pity about the crew.

[Archie Coulter]

Hello,
I didnt realise someone else had put a similar post up previously. Anyway it should still be interesting
to hear of other peoples experiences.
You said your first trip was your best and a wonderful experience for a young lad. Mine was quite good
on the London Pioneer (Bulk carrier) a round the world trip of 6 months including Japan and San Fran two of the places I had most wanted to vist when I first went to sea. But a lot of other factors were not so good
and I felt a bit awkward at times being the Rookie on board.

Archie

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Archie
I think the other was Titled Worst Ship,but that doesnt matter at all, as i am sure this Thread will soon grow!
You had a good start to Sea,with great Ports involved!
As far as being the Rookie,wel yes i know about that haha!
But soon got to know all the rpoes and as said made Friends very easily!
That first Trip was also the very last for the Dunnottar Castle,so that made the trip so much more enjoyable with the Atmosphere really great all round!
Also as i have posted before,a Pic was taken of her in Mid Atlantic unknown to me till many Years later!
Cheers

This is the acual Pic whilst i was aboard her!
Something special for me to keep!

From the site!
Thanks to Mr. Anderson and a certain quartermaster aboard the DURBAN CASTLE the evocative picture above was taken of the DUNNOTTAR CASTLE (1936) as seen from the DURBAN CASTLE between Ascension Island and St. Helena in the South Atlantic on July 19th 1958. DUNNOTTAR CASTLE was homeward bound on her last voyage as a Union-Castle liner

Other Pic is a copy of my First trip as you can see it was on the 15th July from Cape Town ,i am listed as First Trip at Number 163

[Neil Morton]

I have given this thread a great deal of thought. I have carefully studied my discharge book. As I look at each ship and try to recall the highs and the lows there are some 'orrible "bar stewards", that I remember with loathing and some magificent fellows who are a part of my life to this very day. For accommadation it would be the Southern Cross, also the job as bathroom stwd. For the scenery Brazil or New Zealand; for good fellowship most of them I sailed on but in particular FSNCo "Huntingdon" 1956 and the "Port New Plymouth", 1962.
Thanks for the memories Archie. Happy days and good healthMort.

[Graham Payne]

When I was a deck boy I seem to remember a old AB saying to me " your last ship will always seem the best". He was not far wrong as far as I can remember.

[Peter Trodden]

I suppose looking back we have all had good,bad and memorable trips,for various reasons. My first trip had all the above. Left Birkenhead Docks March 1955.mv Cyclops(Blue Flu) After leaving a cold and wintery UK then a stormy passage south to Gib,then the wonders of sailing East thru the Med, Suez Canal,Red Sea and on to Singapore,Hong Kong and the Jap coast.It opened up a whole new world I'd only dreamt about.
It was hard work for a skinny first trip Peggy,But Hell,if you wanted to be an AB this is where you start.
In the nice weather,steaming thru the tropics the ABs would gather on No4 hatch,having a few beers and a yarn and I would be sat nearby wide eyed listening to their stories.
These ABs were all old men aged 35-45yrs to a 16yr boy thats old. But listening to their stories of past ships and experiences,my hard life was nothing in comparison
At that time(1955) it was only 10yrs since the end of the war and these old men had been young men that had sailed in convoys under constant threat from U-Boats,Surface-Raiders,Mines and Bombers.
After 3 trips on this ship with the same crew my whole attitude to life,and the world about me fundamentaly changed. (He left a boy,but returned a man) certainly applies to me.
I wonder how many site-members would say the same
ttfn. Peter.

[Captain Kong]

One of my worst ships was the Tarkwa, one of EDs to West Africa, I was a JOS 18 years old. Up Sapell Creek when
a canoe came alongside, a young lady [ Mamio ] in it shouting "Flash for Dash, you dash me I flash you,"
I went to find something to dash her with, I could only find a 7 pound tin of Greegage jam. So I dropped it down to her and it went straight through the bottom of the canoe like a cannon ball.
The canoe slowly sank and she started to swim across the Creek screaming the JU-JU man would
"go for fix me for good".
I laughed at her. Next port a few days later Port Harcourt, I was up the mast breaking out the Jumbo, my hands were greasy and I slipped, could not hold on and down I came about 45 feet and landed in a heap in the winch bed. I broke both legs and my right arm and was covered in blood. The Bosun shouting `Leap aloft
again or you will lose your nerve` The JU-JU Man had got me.
I was taken to hospital on the back of a lorry and plastered up.
I was returned to the ship a few days later as we were about to sail.
The Mate asked the alcoholic Doctor if I was fit to work. He said , "There is nothing wrong with his left arm so he could use a paint brush."
The crowd would carry me out on deck and sit me down. I had to chip the steel deck with my good arm brush the chippings to one side then paint red lead.
Then the monsoon would come down and the crowd would disapear and leave me in the rain. or Smoko, all hands would leg it down aft and leave me behind again.
I never did`Flash for Dash`again.