Do you miss the sea?

[Dennis McGuckin]

Missed the sea since the day I swallowed the anchor.
Luckley I live close to the beach.
Still have dreams of signing on.
Then again. Don't think I would enjoy the runs ashore like I used to.
Would only have the sub in one hand, and nothing in the other!

[Rodney Mills]

I had five and a half years in the Merch. Not a long time when measured against many site-members, but I have to say long enough for me.

I've always been thankful for the great catering training it gave me and under the same life circumstances I most definitely would do it again. I had many good experiences at sea and some down right miserable ones. I remember some absolutely great shipmates and some royal pr@#%s.

I spend a two separate weeks a year down at the shore and do enjoy sitting on the verandah and gazing out to sea, not necessarily reminiscing, I just enjoy the sea.

I am quite content with every aspect of my life, be it the Merch., emigrating (twice, Canada & U.S.), my career, and best of all my retirement years. Even my unhappy first marriage, it sure has made me appreciative of what a great one the second one has and still is.

I've always had the view in life that when one door closes another one opens. and each new door in my life has been better than the last.

[Lewis McColl]

Dennis runs ashore are few and far between, even if you are lucky enough to get ashore it is usually bus to the gate and instructions to back in 3 hours. Also if the security at the dock gate suspect you may have had one beer to many they will detain you. More often than not when you get back onboard the Oldman will be there to meet you with two things the breathalyser kit and a bottle for your urine sample. If you fail you will be sacked and gone by the next port.
I remember once a second engineer did not come back one night but arrived first thing in the morning still in plenty of time to turn to. The master sent for him and asked why he did not come back, simples I had had a few beers so booked myself into a hotel for the night, show me in the regs I have to return the same night if I am not on duty?? He still asked him to blow into the breathalyser and give a Urine sample, there is nothing worse thank having an Recoverying Alcoholic as master.

[j.sabourn]

What did they say about an ex alky, " Theres non so pure as the purified" very true and when you get one standing close to you wonder whether he"s trying to smell your breath to see if you have had a drink, or to try and steal a bit of it to keep him going. JS

[j.sabourn]

As I said in a previous post my enforced labour on stand by vessels in the North Sea I used sometimes to carry a bottle of illicit whisky for medicinal purposes was my excuse, and only if time was in hand to buy before sailing. I was caught out once with a bloke with the DTs.
It turned out useful as sailed one time about midnight we were shorthanded so the office did a tour of the pubs found someone and threw him on board the ship and away we went. The naval gangs that went around 2 centuries ago was still being practised in Aberdeen then, and maybe still is. When he came to next morning he had no idea where he was and must have got the shock of his life when he saw the big green rollers. However he had the DTs so weaned him off by a shot glass of whisky at 3 or 4 hour intervals, although any doctor would probably be horrified, it worked, and he was able after a week to get in the frc without falling out. When needs be. Do what is necessary with what you have at hand. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

As most shipping on offer today on a permanent basis or as near to a permanent basis as one is likely to get. Is on offshore vessels. Apart from normal certification you are expected to have a valid certificate in Basic sea survival, A FRC cox"ns certificate, an oil dispersant certificate, a valid HUET certificate, a helicopter landing officers certificate. An advanced First Aid Cert. an advanced Fire Fighting cert. and others I cant remember at the moment, probably more since I retired. You will always find instructors for same and others. Makes one think which came first the chicken or the egg. The normal traits of a seaman the likes of wire splicing I doubt would be hard to find today, as most wire splicing is illegal today and the going word for a seaman is ferral ( should maybe be feral as in government according to J in Oz) When I went on rigs sometimes to shift them they had sometimes referraled a wire and I had to sign the certificate to say it was correct, anyone with experience of such maybe able to tell me what I was supposed to look for apart from loose wires sticking outside of the ferral. A ferral is a ferral but after being replaced had to have the SWL load etc etc stamped on it. Ferral maybe the wrong spelling and I'm going to get wrong off Ivan, I just learnt the word and not how to spell it. Cheers JWS

[Ivan Cloherty]

. Ferral maybe the wrong spelling and I'm going to get wrong off Ivan, I just learnt the word and not how to spell it. Cheers JWS

Oh yee of little faith, never heard the term ferral (feral) used at sea, used to be 'fetch me a spliced snotter' or fetch me a steel snotter' etc. etc however the correct description for the factory fitting according to the 'Rigging Manual' is 'swaged socket' as used in the crane and grab manufacturers guidelines. (knew that book would come in useful one day) my main business for my own company (27 years) was grab design and supply for ports, industry, salvage, etc etc, electro-hydraulic, hydraulic, radio remote, hook-on. 2 or 3 or 4 wire operation, so books like that were my bibles. So during that 27 years was still involved with ships and the sea as well as other things like mobile bagging factories, Aid programmes and travelling the world, retired at 73, still busy don't know how I found time to work, do the days get shorter as you get older?

The spliced eye is considered 80% efficient the swaged eye is considered 100% efficient

[happy daze john in oz]

All this 'elf and safety, what is it?

Last year undergoing a medical examination, which I passed I might add, I was asked if I had had any fall during the year.

Only twice I said and each time off a ladder.

You should not be up a ladder at your age he told me.

I told him here in Oz discrimination on age is illegal.
He changed the subject.

[j.sabourn]

Do you mean to tell me Ivan that all those riggers barge masters and OIMs were having me on when they came and asked me to certify their Ferrules, Ferrals, Ferrals, Ferals, and should have said otherwise. I was going to say socket sets but thought that description was too fancy and the name ferral was how they were known in the shipping industry probably after your book was printed and you had left the scene for greener pastures. I would sue them for misnaming of items , challenge them in the name of safety, I know a few safety officers who could start the ball rolling. How old is your book and is the SWL still one third of the breaking strain or is that going too far back. Books like you have are good to have, but heavy reading at times. memerising Nories tables I gave up a long time ago. Thanks your info. however. A life on the Ocean wave with all the accompanying music. Just to keep it in the theme of the title. It would have been good in latter years to say to some novice just starting up go and get me a 50 ton swager. He would be thinking it was a modern day Golden Rivet. Cheers JWS

[Keith Tindell]

The main discussion on splicing in the 50-60 that i recall was with regard to the board of trade splice, some said that it could twist out, and therefore the splice should have a locking of overhand tuck, dont know if others recall this argument. I never saw a splice fail in a wire, but i can see that the normal worming and parcelling could allow the ingress of water over time, unless you were on the OZ coast, the warfies would have scrapped the whole wire, long before the splice was rusting, kt