British Workers Aboard Cruise Ships.

[Captain Kong]

At the Vindi in March 1952,
We did the seamanship and the Lifeboat exams there BUT they were not the Official ones, only to pass out of the Vindi.
You had to be 18 years old to take the BOT ones, In Liverpool, Lifeboat School was in Kings Dock and spent a week there under instruction and then the Examination. Then when you got the Life Boat Certificate only then could you go to the EDH School .
Upstairs in the NUS building in Canning Place for another week of instruction and then the Exam,
Then you came out after Two weeks and sailed as a EDH.
Four Years as EDH you were then issued with an AB Certificate,
.
Today never set foot on a ship in two weeks at the Gravesend Sea School come out with a LifeBoat Certificate and an ABLE SEAMANS CERTIFICATE.
The most dangerous Certificate ever issued.

[happy daze john in oz]

At the Vindi all catering crew had to do life boat drill and ticket but not to the same level as deck.
We were tested at the end of the course and in our discharge book an entry was made to say we had completed the course.

For the exam we were given a written one and a verbal examination as well.
On the written I was called up in front of the officer in charge and accused of cheating, I got it 100%, better according to him than some deck crew.
I eventually convinced him that I had a photographic memory and it just came back to me with ease.
Can still remember some of it now such as sea anchor and how to fit, compass points and a few other bits of little consequence.

- - - Updated - - -

[j.sabourn]

Re the sea anchor John, I wonder if today they still have the oil to carry with it, with all the carry on of pollution today. Or whether the regulations have been changed to suit Cheers JWS For those not aware a sea anchor was a drogue which was streamed and tripped by a tripping line to hold the boats head into the sea. Attached to the drogue was an oil bag to let out oil on the old assumption it would help to keep the seas down. Never had the misfortune to test the theory. Maybe anyone from the war years might comment on. Cheers JWS

[happy daze john in oz]

Had a good look around the modern ones John, many are used as tenders to take passengers ashore where no berth.
All I can see is 'water here' and life jacket cabinets.
No oars or sails but there has to be enough fuel on board to make 4 knots for 24 hours.

[j.sabourn]

Maybe it hasn't reached the UK yet If not stand by for scenes of Bedlam on the Carnival Legend as passengers go berserk and are landed in Eden. SE Australia. I fitted out a ship one time for preparing for a sea bottom survey between Bondi and Auckland. Eden wont know whats hit it and the Fishermans club there will have to get in more Grog. Cheers JWS PS Have just seen another post by John in Oz, if same story John... sorry never saw. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Des, i was not at Vindi, at Gravesend 1957, and we did do exams on the lifeboats, rowing on the thames etc, but was not the official lifeboat ticket, as i said mine was done just before my AB ticket, some years later, so i had sailed as Deck boy , jos, sos, without a lifeboat ticket, so be interesting if you were before or after my time, and if the system had changed, kt

Hi Keith.
I was at the Vindi in June 49., I think I was almost sure we got it then as it wasn't that long since the war and they might not have changed things, the lads there during the war would have to have had a lifeboat ticket before they sailed. That was only what I could think of, might have got it like you when I went for EDH or AB it's the one thing I can't find in my junk pile, I stupidly threw some stuff out years ago.
Cheers Des

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Brian.
Only did one day for EDH exam in Swansea, passed, then did twelve months as EDH then got my AB's in same place.
John S.
That was the second punch up on a Carnival ship in a week, the first one was just outside Sydney she had to come back into the Harbour, and the police took them off, some woman had started it by hitting a bloke over the head with a bottle.the blokes were bragging to the TV cameras as they walked along the street; that it was the best bucks night they had ever had.
The second was on TV showing the security people kicking the sh%t out of people lying on the floor fighting and the captain hovering around, that's the one that pulled into Eden, I think they do call in there now and again, Turnbull promised them $10million to build a cruise terminal if they voted for his candidate, they didn't, so I don't know what has happening down there, might do a trip there one day.
Cheers Des

[j.sabourn]

Used to be a nice little quiet port Des. Was a fairly steep hill from the Harbour to the Fishermans Club. Would be struggling these days to make it . All right coming back could just roll down. Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Maybe it hasn't reached the UK yet If not stand by for scenes of Bedlam on the Carnival Legend as passengers go berserk and are landed in Eden. SE Australia. I fitted out a ship one time for preparing for a sea bottom survey between Bondi and Auckland. Eden wont know whats hit it and the Fishermans club there will have to get in more Grog. Cheers JWS PS Have just seen another post by John in Oz, if same story John... sorry never saw. JS

Now worries mate, but it must have been a ripper of a fight.
Done 18 cruises now and only seen problems with a couple of two person fights on one.
Must have gone on the wrong ones LOL

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John, John.
Apparently it was a very large family of Italian extraction who not only fought among themselves from day one but for some reason were hunting down Aussies to beat up?? The skipper told some passengers if they were frightened to go and lock themselves in their cabin? What, for the remainder of the cruise?. They have been offered one third off the price of any future cruises, I'd say in his dreams.
Cheers Des