Sugying

[Martyn Clark]

Hello everyone, my name is Martyn Clark (new member), I'm the son of a former Merchant Navy officer who served with the British Tanker Company between 1947 and 1951 and I have a question.
My Dad died last year, and sorting through his stuff, I found his apprentice diary from the time he was aboard the British Guardsman. When describing his work duties, the word 'sugying' (past tense 'sugyied') comes up several times - the context is in maintenance and may mean 'scraping' or something similar. Can anybody enlighten me as to the real meaning, origin or usage of the word?
Thanks, in anticipation.

[Tony Taylor]

Hello everyone, my name is Martyn Clark (new member), I'm the son of a former Merchant Navy officer who served with the British Tanker Company between 1947 and 1951 and I have a question.
My Dad died last year, and sorting through his stuff, I found his apprentice diary from the time he was aboard the British Guardsman. When describing his work duties, the word 'sugying' (past tense 'sugyied') comes up several times - the context is in maintenance and may mean 'scraping' or something similar. Can anybody enlighten me as to the real meaning, origin or usage of the word?
Thanks, in anticipation.

General reference to washing with a mop or rags, I dont think there is an official spelling as long as everyone knows what you are referring to, could be soogie, soogy, etc, all sounds the same. e.g He soogied the bulkheads - but "missed a bit" usual observation by a passing crewmate.

[Johnny Kieran]

I remember it as using a block of, I think it was called "sugar soap" or something, to wash the paintwork on bulkheads and deckheads. It was rubbed with a wet rag, then applied to the paint in a scrubbing manner. It got rid of dirt and rust stains. Been a long time now, but it was an abrasive kind of soapy sand stuff.

[John Cassels]

Get the teepol out .

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Soogying was one of the main jobs at sea along with painting. There were different stuff used, As John has mentioned Teepol, a later addition also sugar soap, soda ash. One had two buckets, one with the cleaning stuff in; the other a clean bucket of water to wash of the paintwork.
As he was with BTC tankers that along with painting and tank cleaning would have been the major jobs. I did ten trips with BTC.
Des

[j.sabourn]

#1 During your father’s time with BTC it would have been straight soda and water , not the digestible soda unless you wanted a burned out stomach. I went to school with 2 future BTC apprentices who were there about 1953 and they still had to keep the diary or work book you describe. They were twins and both emigrated to NZ in later life , one went stevedoring and one stayed at sea , some on site may know them their surname was Watson , always referred to as the Watson twins as boys. Sugi , suji, or whatever was a word most seamen of whatever nationality seemed to know. It may even of originated from some lascar word ?
JS
Another unfamiliar word that might crop up Martyn may be farmer , which doesn’t refer to cattle or Wheat , but to a position as a watch keeper on every third watch , which unless told maybe another question. Welcome to the site . JS….

[happy daze john in oz]

As a tourist winger with UCL it often meant on your knees with a scrubber cleaning vinyl flooring before breakfast.

[Martyn Clark]

Thank you to all for the explanations. I have to admit to being surprised that 'sugying' involved cleaning with water, since one of my Dad's diary entries read:
"Today we had the job of cleaning out the after starboard boat, but after we got the gear out, it started to rain, so we put on oilskins and commenced sugying it."
I thought it would be more like a scraping or abrasive task (as Johnny Kieran indicated).
And, yes Des Taff Jenkins, painting, tank cleaning (derusting, he called it) and sugying seem to make up the bulk of his diary entries
Thanks again to all who answered.
Martyn Clark

[j.sabourn]

Water was always a short commodity in your Father’s Day. We even used to store rain water by blocking the scuppers on the main deck and taking off the air pipes to the E.R. Feed water tanks. These were the days before evaporators and distillers on run of the mill ships. Fresh water was like gold and was often rationed on long passages. Today is a different story. You didn’t waste water either when soogying you did it with buckets like cleaning your windows at home. JS

[Johnny Kieran]

Just out of interest, in olden days, the reference to "farmer" as I was told, meant exactly that. From the days of sail, when live animals were carried for food. The "farmer" would be feeding and generally looking after those animals, chickens geese and cattle. The farmer part of watches these days, was usually standing by in the mess in case of any need for a hand.