Where are you ?

[vic mcclymont]

Rob, should have said 73, traditional menus.
Vic

[robpage]

The choice was chops or steaks all that kind of stuff and it was supposed to save money on waste I can't remember who did the early experiments but the idea was when you ordered it breakfast they took it out of the freezer for dinner time lunch was a set menu as per usual I never heard any more about it because I left the company

[Chris Allman]

Anyone remember ' mock crab ' got them in sandwiches on the bridge tray at night, also fried egg sandwiches from eggs left over from breakfast !!! - hmm ate them but only because I was hungry and a growing lad

[j.sabourn]

In general those brought up in the liner trades and passenger trades oil tankers etc. I would consider the nearest you are going to get to specialised seafarers. Their experience gained through repetition . For those in the tramp business was way out of. Tune with the others as had to cut your cloth to make do with whatever charter got thrown at you. I honestly don’t know how a passenger ship mate would survive if he had to switch places with a cargo mate. He may have passed a certificate but certainly would never have the experience of loading say a full cargo of cotton where the stowage requires certain ventilation built into the stowage. These examples are too numerous to mention. Ships business alone for the old tramp shipmaster alone would have many scratching their heads. Today. So everything really to do with shipping is relevant to ones own experiences. These experiences are not taught in a classroom , they maybe discussed but there is a big difference between doing and talking about. The old time seaman was worth his weight in gold. JS

[robpage]

At the risk of being corrected on the Union Castle passenger ships they carried an awful lot of cargo both refrigerated and ambient when I first went to them for a brief one-year sojourn I was amazed at how much cargo particularly in value each other ships carried and in fact I believe there was once a statement from head office that if they sacked the stewards and threw the Passengers off they would much better profit I am not sure of cargo rates but I believe that male and gold were very good money earners

[Doc Vernon]

The mail Boats of UCL were mainly kept going by the Cargo they carried,the Passengers were just a Bonus for the Line.
The Gold Bullion carried each Trip was a real Money puller and the amount of Gold was a lot on each Ship! It was only the Mial Boats though that did that,the other smaller ones had to rely a lot on other Types of Cargo and Passengers to make their Money. The Fruit Boats made a good trade as well.
The Intermediate Boats (Round Africa) were also quite profit makes with Cargo at most Ports being Loaded and Discharged, and of course the Passengers made up the rest.
It was a good Line with many good points and Perks ,but the Catering Crew had it hard at most times with I recall as did (Alf Bless his Soul) on most trips we had Two Sittings of Fourteen (that made 28 Bloods each Meal)Plus on the Mail runs we had the Kids Tea's to serve as well,a heck of a lot of running around I can tell you,but all in all it was good!
What I found most rewarding(and there have been those who disagree and disbelieve) but I know from my own experiences that I got really good Tips (Money that is not Advice LOL) making far more in those than the Wages I earned!
Great times!

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes Vernon and Rob, UCL carried a lot of cargo.
Many of the liners such as Windsor, Edi and Pre had as many as 8 holds.
Fruit, gold, diamonds and of course the mail.

As to salt water, on the Paparoa going across the Indian ocean we had a fresh water restriction of two pints per man per day.
Showered in salt water with special soap so got a good lather and no salt residue on the skin.

But clothes we wore went white with all the sweat ,most went over the wall when we got to Oz had to go ashore to buy new.

[happy daze john in oz]

Louis, there is one other part to this which maybe you and some others have not considered.

There are no doubt many out there, members and visitors, who do not answer posts or initiate any for good reason.

They may not be computer literate enough to do so, may not be confident at writing with a key board, not be confident they could put together any written word in a suitable manner.


But that does not mean they do not enjoy the site or even talk with other members via another media.

We all enjoy the site in our own way remembering that over time the number of Merchant Seamen will diminish to a level where there will be no site.
But that my friend is a long way off yet, so enjoy the site as it operates now.

[Fouro]

I quote the last sentence in post # 34.

The old time seaman was worth his weight in gold.
And I would add to that:-
So was the old time practical engineer who had to know how to handle and work with tools.

Fouro.

[Louis the fly]

When my father was drifting in a lifeboat the chief engineer named Murray made a still from the broken down engine parts. It did not produce much fresh water but enough to keep the men alive. He was one engineer who was worth his weight in gold.