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13th December 2017, 10:32 AM
#1
adrift
I was thinking as usual of my sea going days, and how we must have pi**** off the skippers in my days, late 50s early 60s. Most of the skippers would have been war served , and gone through plenty of stress, then along came my generation with all its going ons. This particular episode occurred in May 1959, and which i am not particularly proud of. I was SOS on the Lancastrian and berthed in East India docks, two of us went ashore for a couple of drinks, and had been told we sail at midnight for Hull. So the usual story, a couple of pints developed into quite a few, and the two of us met some very nice girls, and the carnal desires filled the spot that should have contained a brain, so returning to the berth at approx 0200 hrs, no surprise the ship was gone. Some of the brain had returned by this time, and we thought if we go to Billingsgate fish market there will bound to be a lorry for a lift to Hull. Having spent the next day, no lorry, we headed for the company offices, there we met a guy in the office who was an absolute gent, he gave us a travel warrant to hull, and some money for a meal, what a guy, he also gave us a letter to the skipper to deduct this money from our wages to pay him back, as it was his personnel money .
We arrived on the ship the next day, as soon as the skipper saw us he told us to get off his ship !!!, now we were in Hull, no ship, totally broke. We did give the skipper the letter from the guy in the office. We decided we would try the union office in Hull, which was some distance away, so we walked to the office, and on arrival we were told to return to the ship. We walked back to the ship to be met by the skipper, who had read the letter, and decided to have us back, we were logged heavily, and warned one more problem we would be DRd . WE both paid off a couple of months later with good discharges, but ashamed to say we never contacted that brilliant guy in the office to thank him, i am ashamed of that to this day. Ah well the happy days of our youth, kt
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13th December 2017, 10:44 AM
#2
Re: adrift
##one thing i found in catering keith was we could cover for each other and just scat off........different of course on deck ........but as i remember always had plenty shore time daywise to spend up and hunt for the ladies ....or should i say be caught by the ladies lol ....regards cappy
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18th December 2017, 09:25 AM
#3
Re: adrift
I was senior cadet on Pacific Reliance and with an ab Jack Turner was painting out the old mans accommodation in our terminal port of Vancouver. After lunch Jack did not show as he was up the road. The old man came in a couple of times looking for Jack and I said he was getting paint or relieving himself ect. Next day when we turned too to finish the job, the old man (PDF Owens) told Jack. "You owe Woodsie a days pay". Was always looked after by the deck crew after.
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18th December 2017, 11:10 AM
#4
Re: adrift
i did reed a post where the deck crew all turned to some adrift most pi..ed the captain lined them all up demoted the bosun to peggy and the peggy to bosun to teach the crew a lesson every morning the bosun{peggy? put the lads to work after a couple of weeks the crew seen the error of their ways and a new form of discipline was with the deck crowed and all given their ranks back and was a happy ship after that anyone else know about this it goes way back? jp
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19th December 2017, 05:51 AM
#5
Re: adrift
Originally Posted by
cappy
##one thing i found in catering keith was we could cover for each other and just scat off........different of course on deck ........but as i remember always had plenty shore time daywise to spend up and hunt for the ladies ....or should i say be caught by the ladies lol ....regards cappy
Yes Cappy, in catering it was bit easier to hide a mate who may have been 'over refreshed' and not fit to turn to.
But it can work the other way.
There was one of my mate sup in front of the old man one sailing morning in Cape Town.
I was still ashore, missing in action, but not missing the action.
He was asked if he knew where I was, he was still so full all he could say was 'I am note sure where I am just now".
We both lost about it a weeks pay for it .
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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