Where were you on your 21st birthday
by Published on 4th August 2023 09:48 AM
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