M.v.discovery

[cappy]

could be crabs in your y fronts

[Red Lead Ted]

Did the scan show up any old chippings in the system mate. Think we are still coughing them up still every now and again.

Hi Les my old mate hope all is well with you and your crew, All Them hatch coamings remember getting underneath them bloody nightmare, Windy Hammers on deck, Them Scrappers were bloody useless on the Fish plates etc... Remember the deck heads in the alleyways on deck steam and water pipes everywhere always remember a sprite of a deck boy with a scraper trying to impress on the inner fish plate in one alleyway ended up missing the spot and falling over the side only for a cleat catching his strides it would have been man overboard, Always one hand for you and one for the ship I think anyone on deck had more holidays in them alleyways than anywhere else aboard ship Regards to all your crew mate Terry.

[Les Woodard]

Yes Roger recall them well and also trying to get them out of the old lug holes. Recall how after a session of chipping and the end of the shift it would take a few hours before anyone could hear anything. Can not get over that I still have good hearing after all these years. Ear plugs or stuff like that was for the pussies.

---------- Post added at 09:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:56 AM ----------

Posted just now but seems that it disappeared. Roger do you recall gouging them out of the old lug holes mate. How it would take a few hours at the end of the watch on the rattlers to be able to start hearing again. Ear protection. That is for pussies. The other one was after a day in the hatches painting with the covers on. Did not know if one was getting drunk or if still under the influence of the fumes. Many things like that at sea and yet was lucky enough to come through it all and retain good hearing and health. Some bugger up there must have liked us all hey.

[Roger Dyer]

How true, Les. We were certainly hardy young b-ggers weren't we? Slapping on the "silverine' with a brush, usually in the most confined places, until eventually having to go outside to suck fresh air into our lungs then going back in for more. Perhaps, some (including modern day seaman) may find that hard to believe, but to us it was nothing special. Like 'tank cleaning' and so many other tasks we were expected to perform as seamen, we carried them out with little thought for OH & S (which at the time was non-existent anyway!). We accepted and understood that such occupational hazards were part and parcel of our duties as merchant seaman and with little thought just got on with it. Looking back it makes you realise that most Shipping Companies of the day had little regard for the men (or the women- then a rarity in British ships, other than liners,etc.) who crewed their ships, otherwise they would have paid us a damn sight more than what they did. Thankfully, there were a few exceptions to the rule and I count myself lucky to be amongst those who gained benefit from such maritime benevolence.

Still, having said that, if I had the chance (with a new body) I'd go back tomorrow.


........Roger

[Keith Tindell]

Remember swinging about aloft, difficult ares to paint, etc, under the mast table, lashing yourself in at all sorts of difficult angles, safety hat, whats that?, we would not have worn it even if it was available !, flip flops instead of steel capped boots etc, but didn`t we have fun. now its just the armchair, computer and memories , KT

[Ivan Cloherty]

But at least we have the memories Keith, and memories of a very varied life at sea, especially us trampers. Wonder what memories today's seafarers will have in 50 years time, mind you there are some wonderous looking ships out there, Liners NOT included, which all look like boxes, but they'll never have the times we had in port, the whole world is in too much of a rush to nowhere nowadays

[cappy]

yes ivan some wierd and wonderful shapes.......some of the big ships remind me of a big pigeon loftwhen you look at them side on ...open the balconies and they all fly out...regards cappy

---------- Post added at 12:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:15 PM ----------

take care kieth .....lashing youself at all angles......you could now have a band of sisters from the larger ships forming a fan club