washing down

[Ivan Cloherty]

think the cleaning process was spelt "soogee"? but of course I could be wrong, it's been a long time.

You're probably correct Johnny, as think the term was widely used in India along with Dhobiwallah

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Imagine singing on one of those modern liners as a deck boy and being told to report to the soogee bosun. All your training at the Sea School up the spout, or down the Haws-pipe.
Des

[cappy]

You're probably correct Johnny, as think the term was widely used in India along with Dhobiwallah

and punka wallah

[Keith Tindell]

In the 50-60s while on trampers, we would many times spend 7-0 days in port discharging, depending on what type of cargo, and what facilities were available. Many times, run out of money, ship filthy, dunnage, hatch boards, wire etc all over the decks , rubbish everywhere, trip hazard ?, you bet, no H@S in those days. Lots of time glad to get back to sea, stow everything away, out came the hoses, and wash the whole ship down, and back to watches and the routines, and after a few days looking forward to doing it all over again.

[James Curry]

Just think if there had been Health and safety in those days how many times Brian would not have ended up in plaster casts.

[John Arton]

I was cadet on a forest products ship loading timber and timber products and there was always loads of quality timber dunnage on board. The captain was a bit of an odd ball who regularly had me working in his cabin repairing damage he had done to the fixed furniture in his cabin. He decided he wanted to have his own garden on the deck outside his cabin, so I was tasked with building the framework for then whilst in harmac on Vancouver's island going ashore and digging soil to fill the beds. He then insisted that I accompany him to a nearby garden center where he bought plants to fill his garden with. On completion I must admit it looked pretty good.
After spending 3 weeks loading at port's on the island we were fully laden so off we went bound for the u.k and Europe. The next day after sailing the mate had the crew, who didn't like the captain much as he restricted overtime, washing down the outside of the accommodation block with sea water and that included washing away the captain's garden.
Rgds
J.A

[happy daze john in oz]

I did hear that Mary had no problem with Cappy when he washed her down.
Maybe he borrowed the 3/9 to buy the soap, only he knows.
Maybe that is why she ran away, no like Lifebuoy soap!!!!

[Marian Gray]

#17, John, I would have thought Linseed oil the better option but hey ho

[Ivan Cloherty]

#17, John, I would have thought Linseed oil the better option but hey ho

We used to cover ourselves with linseed oil before going up the mast, get in the bosun's chair come down the stays whilst we covered the stays in white lead and tallow, dirty job, but the linseed gave a great bronzy and made the WL & T easy to get off your body. Just for info Marion we applied it with rags (brushes no good for that job) dipped into large paint pots which were held in buckets with our bronzied arms and bodies and very white hands we could have joined the black and white minstrel show. Some lads opted to cut a hole in a sack and put it over their bodies instead of oiling but I found that the sack caught the wind and made the job more difficult, but they were cleaner when they took the sack off. Could never understand why some mates chose to do the WL&T after painting the decks rather than before

[Mike R868356]

In the galley on Liners it was Soogy or Wash Down 60's 70's the to use cleaning agent was Clhorox Bleach and Wash Up Liquid everything sparkled and was mirror clean. The US Port Health Authority then decided Antibacterial Sprays were the way forward run your hand over a table after cleaning with it you felt all the particles left behind and nothing shone anymore, progress hey.