Signing Articles

[j.sabourn]

#9... Ive got a photo of the pennyworth an ore carrier I was on coming down some canal under a bridge, don't know if its the Kiel Canal or the Manchester ship canal, this was pre 1966. The last time I was in the Kiel canal was in 69/70 loaded coke in Gdansk (another deadweight cargo) for Karachi. The second mate an Indian jumped over the side coming down the canal, didn't want to come with us. Took me 10 months to find out he had more sense than me. Never did get a replacement either. JS

[Colin Wood]

Good threadf and some great answers. I understood that if the vessel had cargo on board for discharge in UK at the end of 2 years, you had to stay till cargo was arrived in UK/Continent.
Ther story goes, that some of the honourable of the tramp compaanies would have a large packing case loaded after about 23 months marked with UK dischaarge. Anyone had this happen to them??

[j.sabourn]

Could well have been. We came off a Palm Line Charter in Rotterdam and the new master would not close the Articles. Lots of friction as I was an apprentice made no difference whatsoever to me as was there for 4 years in any case. One AB took up a 28 lb. Sledge and smashed it on his foot saying now send me home. Another stowed away on a Paper boat going to the UK. We continued on down to South America cant remember how long the total voyage was. Another time a similar thing happened by this time I was 2nd. mate, the ship sailed from the continent with a very upset crowd. Finished up in BA in collision, nothing to do with the discontent, think there were about 15 double DRs on arrival Liverpool most of which were totally unnecessary. A very unhappy voyage. JS

[Keith Tindell]

I remember my last trip and in Hamburg, several asked the skipper to pay off, we had been away 6 mths, and initially he refused, half a dozen of us had a meeting with him, told him we would not be sailing with him, we intended walking off at the last minute, he finally agreed and we were off , kt

[Ivan Cloherty]

If after serving two years on Articles, the Master (Company) could legally keep you on board if the vessel was scheduled to reach any port within UK home trade limits within three months of the expiry of the 24 month period. So if you loaded a cargo of lumber in Vancouver for EC USA, they would have to either pay you off on EC USA or fly you home and a replacement crew out, in those days 50's/60's, with the cost of airfares it would have been more economical to sail the ship in ballast to the Continent, but you could usually pick up a cargo of grain or coal to avoid a ballast passage.

[j.sabourn]

#22...In the early 60"s were a couple of large packing cases placed on British Flag vessels courtesy of the Admiralty. When at the time a war with the superpowers seemed to be on the cards. Contained face masks flash masks boiler suits and instruments for measuring rotogens. Code flags, and cypher books were kept separate the code books in the ships safe. The way things are going they will soon be putting back on vessels, although this time a couple of dozen tea chests should just about account for all the British Flags requiring. For those who captured the de-gaussing copper wire, if still alive you will have to pay back as the government has made a mistake and will in some cases have to replace. Thinking back to Colins post they would of had a Ministry of Defense address on in UK, a wily and most were very wily shipowner could have said these were cargo to be returned to UK before breaking the Articles.