Drugs at sea

[Dennis McGuckin]

During my time at sea, in the fifties and sixty's.I never came across drugs. Not even marijuana.
Only thing I was ever offered by the locals, was the Port Said Bible.
I am sure as the years went by, and drugs were readily available.
They must have caused a problem aboard?

[John Albert Evans]

Dennis,

I too never saw anyone take any drugs whilst I was at sea.

John.

[Keith Moody]

I too never saw any signs of drugs, then like Dennis we mostly read the Port Said Bible to get thrills, were we inercent of drugs or what?or were they not around? but if you read of the 1920`s, drugs were all about then. the only thing i remember was that in a lot of these mid. east countries we were offered Spanish Fly which was supposed to be the thing. never tried it myself though to see if it worked.
keith moody
R635978

[Captain Kong]

I also never saw any Drugs at sea in the 50s 60s 70s, 80s or 90s.
only.......
On the Java coast in 1960 in the Bataan Bar in Tanjong Priok there was a jam jar on the bar top with roll ups of what must have been marijuana, thinking they had free cigs I had a puff of one of these and went strait into my tin of Golden Virginia and had a proper roll up. They were an awful smoke. That is the nearest I ever came to a drug.
I was in Cape Town on the Esso Northumbria in 1976, along side for three months, and there was a strange smell coming up the Fire Tower to the bridge from the Sailors Alleyway below. I thought it was Dagga but the Sailors denied it.
Brian.

[Ivan Cloherty]

We never ever needed drugs to enhance (or destroy) our lives, we seemed to have enough excitement whilst in port without any artificial stimulants necessary, after the war and even post war rationing the places we visited always seemed exotic and colourful enough after our gray laden years.

[Dennis McGuckin]

I too never saw any signs of drugs, then like Dennis we mostly read the Port Said Bible to get thrills, were we inercent of drugs or what?or were they not around? but if you read of the 1920`s, drugs were all about then. the only thing i remember was that in a lot of these mid. east countries we were offered Spanish Fly which was supposed to be the thing. never tried it myself though to see if it worked.
keith moody
R635978

Hi Keith,
Never tried it either. Didn't need it back then.
Might be tempted to give it a go these days though!!!

[John Pruden]

japan in the late 60s most American service men and women had r/r there most bars had classes on tables with weed in them free and I wondered some were pilots flying jets of carriers they would buzz our ships going from Hong Kong to Singapore the poor radio officer repeated the same thing over and over we are a British ship the jets would come down very close to see if any deck cargo was military but having seen them stoned and it could have been a few days before the same pilots of their sculls on the stuff makes you wonder it was at the time America was bombing Vietnam with the big bombers looking back a bit scary ?? jp

[Dennis McGuckin]

Hi Keith,
Never tried it either. Didn't need it back then.
Might be tempted to give it a go these days though!!!

Just remembered. Supposed to be given to the ladies!

[Dennis McGuckin]

Remember once in Aden.By chance walked into an Opium Den.
Scary place. Guys laying on bunks smoking away.
Kiwi coast. Some crew took pills to keep awake and partying.
Not my style. I was all for going to bed.

[Jim Brady]

Talking about taking pills to keep awake Dennis do you remember guys used to buy Vic Inhaler the one that you stuck up your nose.There was a long thing the size of the tube inside impregnated with I suppose Vic it was compressed from top to bottom so you could peel it off say the size of an Aspirin and chew it and this was supposed to be good for keeping you awake.I am not sure if they called it speed,never tried.Tried a bit of grass once in the West Indies did'nt like the smell and did nothing for me so never bothered again I prefer Appleton Estate and coke.
Regards.
Jim.B.