Where were you on your 21st birthday

[luke Horwat]

Hi, I have just seen the list and one said "Where were you on your 21st Birthday", I recall that on my 19th Birthday 12 August 1969 I was joining on that day, The Tucarinca, a Fifes Banana boat. The Bursar reminded me as I handed in my joining docs that it was my Birthday. I gained my starring cert. going through the Straights of Gib. I bet some of those monkeys ate some of our bananas Also, I was on the Northern Star and apparently, it had the largest swimming pool mural of any passenger ship at that time, It was beautiful. You felt like you were on a beach. I was a swimming pool attendant for a while, a lovely job as you can imagine. I wonder if the mural was saved before the Northern Star was sent to be turned into other things, very sad, it only had 4 years as the engines were breaking down a lot I believe.
I am not sure if this was on the Northern Star or SA Vall, but one day they had a clay pigeon shooting off the stern, I was helping and there was a massive crowd behind us, I was so embarrassed, every time the gun went off, I jumped out of my skin. Great memories, at least I entertained the passengers, a double whammy, they enjoyed the shooting and me.
The Captain of the SA Vall was nicknamed Swivel-eyed Lloyd, he was a terror. I had to clean the toilets ready for inspection. I was nervous. He came in and rubbed his finger around the top edge of a toilet bowl and there was a lot of cleaning gunk on his finger and he gave me a serious look and a wink. He wasn't that bad.
Oh yes, on the Tucarinca the Chief Engineer died and he was buried at sea. I was on Edinborough Castle, Pendiniss Castle, Northern Star, Tucarinca, and SA Vall.

Kind regards
Lucian aka Luke Horwat

[ben bryant]

Portsmouth Harbour pissed getting beaten up outside the Dockyard gate lost me front teeth

[Kenneth Kenny]

For My 21st Birthday 1959. Sailed on P.S.N.C.Santander, Down the West Coast Of South America.R.634888.

[Kenneth Kenny]

R.634898.Sorry about mistake.Fingers to Thick.Not Me.Don’t Think So?All The Best To All The Crew.

[Stan Hackett]

HI i WAS ON A COASTER CALLED THE FRESWICK AND WE WERE TIED UP AT THE AT THE (LONGMAN) IN INVERNESS

[Stan Hackett]

I joined the Santander in November 1964, in Hull we went to Rotterdam,prior to going down to Sth America,however the skipper was a drunk,and she went back to the UK,I could not get off too soon,as the ship and all its gear was a rust bucket,and the crew were all from Immingham and appeared very clicky,I volanteered to be watchman in Rotterdam,so I kept to myself ,and was glad to see the uk.

[Ricky Baird]

May 1974 ~ St Croix, Virgin Islands. On way up from Santos, Brazil, heading to Pasadena Ethyl Terminal on the Houston Ship Canal, on a Tetra_Ethyl Lead carrier.
Had an excellent run ashore as I remember... Trinidad was a stop-off prior to St Croix!
Capt Peck was giving a good impression of Capt Bligh!

[Alan Briggs]

MV Cedric, Shaw Savill, departing Auckland bound for Panama.

[Tudor Davies]

Nothing too exciting.
On the Holyhead- Dun Laighaire run. Possibly on the chartered Stena Timer.

[Michael Cheyne]

My 21st was spent on the City of Toronto (on the CIP run) in Durban.
Greatly enthused by the camaraderie of my ship mates, I was eager to accept the free pints!
Several days later and after a vigil at my bedside to make sure I was still alive, I found out that someone had been topping up the beer with spirits!
By God I was ill, but thankfully, the Second Engineer took pity on me and his wife made sure I survived!
Needless to say, I don't remember a great deal of my 21st or Durban on that occasion!
Even now, in retirement, I look back on those days as the last of the good times, the time when seafaring was hard work, but immense fun.

[David Allan]

Hi
My 21st was in May1969 as a senior 4 Eng on the TSMV City of York on the UK/South Africa /Mozambique run every time we looked for an excuse for a party it was my21st 2 in Capetown 1 in PE 2 in Durban 2 in Lourenco marques 1 in Las Palmas & the last in Royal Albert dock !!!!
My 22 nd was in Vigo during a UK dock strike we had a draw to see where we would end after the strike everyone chipped in with chitties for pints enough for a barrel of beer and I won
We had to set sail immediately & I was on stand by then 8-4 we sailed and my junior & I came up to the bar after watch I poured a pint for him and only got 1/2 pint for myself ,I thought no probs I ll get my barrel tomorrow only to find out that the whole crew had put the barrel on when I was on watch & celebrated the end of the strike so out of 11galls I got 1/1 pint HAPPY BIRTHDAY