Fire! Fire! Fire Down Below.

#60 There was always a bravado approach by seamen when drink was mentioned, but they were no better and no worse than what I have witnessed ashore for the past 18 years , in fact I would say they were better behaved with it, or I am mixing in the wrong company. When you ration beer you would probably find about 50% would not even buy it , and lose all interest in the bar. Anyone trying to impose rationing in a pub is going to lose that customer. So might as well close the bar altogether and go back to pre 1960 , it certainly wouldnt of bothered me. The moans and groans you heard are always there by people who will always have a gripe , they are professional groaners and exist everywhere. I mention 50% as Know someone will say how did you arrive at that figure , it is as neutral as I can get, it could even be as high as 100% or as low as zero %. its just a figure picked at random. But do know that any ship would not be complete without its sea lawyers, and no matter what instructions are put out there will always be dissenters and others who load the guns for others to fire. So it was usually more than one. I commiserate with you. Cheers JS

Many who took the two cans would save them for a week or so then have at least one good night.
Good mates with the cook you could use the fridge

#1: Very interesting Peter.

Keith.

As regards the title of this post, there was a film made of the same I believe, otherwise how many have used when asking to see a quack, and given as an answer when asked what is wrong. ??? Am referring of course to a bad stomach.
JS

Although it happened sixty four years ago, I remember oil in the drip tray underneath the two water tube boilers caught fire. The sea was causing the ship to roll a bit which didn't help as the burning oil kept swirling about. It developed into a shut down job and the black balls were put up to show that we were drifting. We didn't have any special protective garments on, all we wore was our underwear and ordinary boiler suits. I also remember the heat from the steel engine room plates coming through our boots and making our feet unbearingly hot. Eventually six of us (engineers) and two of our firemen put the fire out.

Fouro.

The only time I saw a fire at sea was on the Tanker Baron Kilmarnock, we had just loaded a cargo of crude for Freemantle up in Kuwait, the stink of crude gas was everywhere, as we were leaving me and my mate were taking in the pilot ladder in when the whistle started going off like a banshee, the Skipper was yelling down to us that there appeared to be a fire in the forcsle, we grabbed a fire hose and run along the after flying bridge, coming around to the fore deck we looked up and saw nothing but a wisp of smoke, the Mate yelled out it's OK, its just the rope burning, it's out now, we run back around the mid-ship housing and there were two fire tugs racing over, I said to my mate at least we can jump on those and get away.
It was something different to talk about in the mess-room.
Des

Only time I saw a fire at sea was in Durban in port.
On the Windsor and the donkey engine went up.
All crew ashore apart from engineers in the engine room fighting the fire, and me up on the funnel deck catching up on some much needed sleep.
Heard the alarm in my sleep and thought it was part of a dream.

i could write a book on this subject. i went to sea in 1963. In those days the ration for AB's ädult crew"was two cans a day, per man perhaps. No matter if you had been at sea for all of your working life. A junior engineer first tripper could walk aboard and get a carton of beer and a bottle of spirits every day if he wished. When bars started to appear on ships they caused nothing but grief.that caused the end of many skills the old hands who would have been sitting in their cabins making and mending no end of articles to sustain their way of life. Bob Rowson R785766

For those that remember the safety film featuring the narration of Alan Whicker and the song "there's fire in the galley there's fire down below..." etc.
See here: https://youtu.be/RUMNkGfRrPI

Hi Bob
I was only on one ship that I can remember where you could buy two cans of beer, I don't remember if it was for the week or everyday. Most of the crew did; as you say make things like belts, shorts, steaming revies, ships in bottles or models of same.
I never missed having beer on board, only got paid enough for a run ashore anyway.
Des