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Regarding Filipino crews, After being a bit of a naughty boy aboard a yellow peril, I was not to report to the pool, They would report to me as Q. Gets a phone call one afternoon report to the pool with your kit tomorrow morning if you're interested to sign Articles in the pool coach awaiting to take the crew over to Shell berth Wirral to join the ship SS Achatina. Bloody ell I thought this is going to turn into a 2 yr nightmare. Finances left me no choice. Goes the pool next morning didn't take long to spot the press gang in a line to sign on this tanker. I asked one guy I knew from the pool was it a shell tanker or looking at this lot Walt Disney. Signed on got on the coach mid November bloody freezing. As we pulled up alongside the ship the Filipino crew were paying off coming down the gangway. Turned to my mate W.T.F. Have we done here. She was to say in a bad state as in maintenance would be an understatement. As we went aboard she was slightly listing to port in the alleyway as we stepped of the gangway table was awash with oily slush she hadn't seen any soogie for months the accommodation was abysmal the whole ship was in a right state. Do I stay or do I go I thought. Cut a long story short the lifeboats were seized on there chocks I don't think they had had lifeboat drill in months. It took us 5 days to make her seaworthy before she loaded any cargo. The only thing she had going for her was I think we had all been naughty boys and did we have some laughter the skipper was a great guy he laughed along with us even the mate saw the funny side of it I think he was under the cosh also. Moral of the story never sign articles in the pool. Especially after taking over from a crew of Filipinos with a crew of undateables. We had one guy Denny nicknamed him deckhead Den. He must have been 9 foot tall he never needed a striker or roller most deckheads were to low for him to paint he had plates of meat like lifeboats and hands like shovels he was never born from motherhood this guy was hatched out of an egg Terry.
{terry scouse}
Plenty of overtime then Ted??? JS
I joined the WILLIAM WHEELWRIGHT a PSNC tanker at Tranmere a few months after the 60 strike, It had had a crew of Spanish Coal Miners since the strike. The accommodation was manky and the first night I turned in, I was covered in Flea bites, fleas all over the mattress. unfortunately we were half way down the Irish Sea or would have walked off. the ship was lousy. The dirty berstereds. Brian.
Brian, you were lucky, Knowing your luck it wasnt a one off a rat carrying the Black Plague. Cheers John S ---------- Post added at 09:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:25 AM ---------- On the ship I walked off, shortly after joining saw this wee mouse running across the deck in cabin, 2 months later it was a full grown rat. Very unsociable it was wouldnt stop and talk, dont think it trusted me. Never saw the rest of the family they probably played it safe by appearing only one at a time. Never ever managed to find and kill it or any of the others was too busy trying to get by. What a ship, unbelievable. John S
Originally Posted by j.sabourn Plenty of overtime then Ted??? JS John. What I thought was going to be a traumatic experience, Turned out to be a very happy 7 months in my life, It was the only tanker I sailed in to be honest I preferred good old cargo boat tramping around the Windies and Gulf of Mexico to the Persian gulf and god knows were on a tanker. But it was a day in the life and would I do it all again certainly I would. I was never a companys man I was born under a wandering star as the song goes. And yes mate painted every inch of that wagon. But to be honest she was the best feeder I ever sailed in. The crew where a right motley bunch of lads but did we have some laughs. From the skipper down I would have sailed with them all again. Its not easy to remember everything we got up to at sea as you well no , But one thing does stick in my mind while aboard her most of the ports were dry states bond sealed as you can imagine. When we eventually got a cargo for shell haven blighty you were still not out of the woods as you know there was always the dreaded LEFO Awaiting you at lands end. So when we paid off her we tied up on a late tide the mate come down to our mess and told us all to don the gladrags and come ashore with him for a drink as we couldn't use our travel warrant until the next day anyway. We all went ashore the mate leading the way he was about knee high to a grass hopper with deck head den towering above him, It really was like something out of a Walt Disney movie one guy had no nose he was nicknamed Donald Duck, Needless to say we all ended up pissed in a fish and chip shop somewhere, What would you like sir the owner said, The mate was quick with the whit, Do you do Fishcakes yes sir we do We had a lad from Burnley of all places he was a ringer for a cod, To a T, Big eyes bloated cheeks and even breathed like a fish big round grid, The mate pointed towards him and said can you have a fishcake prepared for him for tomorrow its his birthday We were all rolling around in laughter. Yes one happy trip mate I often wonder were they all are now if only we could turn back the hands of time know and again still I think we had the best of it Regards lads Terry.
Off , For a C.T Scan on my pins lads wish me luck Terry.
Good luck Terry
Cheers Ivan, All went as well as expected awaiting the surgeons decision now mate ??. Boy do I bloody meet them gets there 4pm as requested for my scan 4.30pm This guy sat next to me all his tack hanging out must have been 20 stone the limit for a C.T, We both had our notes we received from the hospital 3 in all all I had read was the scan the time and the date. This village idiot sat next to me hello........ Hello mucker lets hope its not a long wait, I would be more worried of becoming one of the 80.000 people a year who die after getting this fluid injected he said, What!!!!!!!!!! Oh yes he said this can also knock 3yrs of your life span the amount of radiation used in there he said, What!!!!!!!!! And if you read further on he said it can bring on premature cancer W.T.F. I thought to myself!!!!!!!!!!!!! As he was about to tell me something else Hey lad I said listen to me you can walk out of here and get hit by a bus don't be bloody reading it that's the worse case there printing there. Oh Yes he said it warns you to stay within the hospital for at least an hour after as you can have dizzy spells or an allergic reaction you could very well get knocked down by a bus its in the notes. With that I got called in for my scan................ I turned to him as I stood up and said does it really say all that in your notes OH YES he said. Bloody strange that mate I wish you well because there is nothing like that in mine What he said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ---------- Post added at 08:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:26 PM ---------- Well lads my good wife had a pan of scouse on the stove when I got back about 7.15pm now that I have digested it I am off out for a few beers be good now see ya manyana Regards Terry.
Did the scan show up any old chippings in the system mate. Think we are still coughing them up still every now and again.
That's the way the mop flops. My thanks to Brian for this site.
Jeez, Les, tell me you're kidding !!! .....Chippings! still floating around in our lungs after all this time ...Oh! my Gawd........ and here's me worrying 'cos fifty years on I'm still finding 'em in me Y-Fronts. Is there no end to this nightmare? ......Roger
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