What's happend ?

[terry ryan]

what about the hundreds of years ship owners starved their crews, at least unions got there members better working conditions better food, pensions, holiday pay, rather a socialist than a greedy owner.
p.s try reading the ragged trousered philanthropists by robert tressel, will make you cry and laugh, such pathos, and most of our parents would have experienced those times.
terry

[Captain Kong]

In 1960 I was on the bridge of the Euryades, Blue Funnel., we had the Pilot on board and arriving in Singapore. We passed a ship with containers on. The Captain said to the Pilot " What kind of a ship is that", the Pilot replied, "That means the end of Blue Funnel Captain. that is the future. " Rubbish " said our Captain.
Alfred Holts and all his Companies had one of the biggest fleets in the world. in a few years there was nothing left. The Pilot was right.

[terry ryan]

i was on an elder dempster ship for 8 months west coast of africa (crew boys living in the forepeak or on makeshift tents on the hatch eating garry, rice) thunderboxe.s side of ship, sign of the future, that was 1963.
terry

[Ivan Cloherty]

i was on an elder dempster ship for 8 months west coast of africa (crew boys living in the forepeak or on makeshift tents on the hatch eating garry, rice) thunderboxe.s side of ship, sign of the future, that was 1963.
terry

Terry

As far as I remember that was nothing to do with crew "manning" it was to do with stevedoring requirements on the coast, the crew boys preferred the thunderboxes and had nothing to do with shipowners, besides were you one of the ones on the end of a shovel and a hose when the crew boys did use the ship's toilets and didn't flush, if you were then you would have been only too happy in constructing the thunderboxes, if you weren't then count your blessings.

The thunderboxes were a part and parcel of many trades, as the ship's facilities could not handle the requirements of the stevedores carried from port to port in certain areas

Ivan

[happy daze john in oz]

The activities of many wharf side workers had alot to do with the final demise, not just in U.K. but elsewhere. At one time things were so bad here in Oz that some shipping companies would not go into Australian waters. I recall a strike in Sydney back in 64 all because the ship owners would not give the men half a day off to go to an international rugby match.
But are things any better now? Cruise ships crew from all over the world and most of them work hard to please and the wage they recieve is often far better than they would ever earn in their own country. But what happens in a few years time, when the oceans are flooded with cruise ships and the competition gets so tough companies find it hard to earn a quid?

[Gulliver]

Terry

As far as I remember that was nothing to do with crew "manning" it was to do with stevedoring requirements on the coast, the crew boys preferred the thunderboxes and had nothing to do with shipowners, besides were you one of the ones on the end of a shovel and a hose when the crew boys did use the ship's toilets and didn't flush, if you were then you would have been only too happy in constructing the thunderboxes, if you weren't then count your blessings.

The thunderboxes were a part and parcel of many trades, as the ship's facilities could not handle the requirements of the stevedores carried from port to port in certain areas

Ivan

I do agree with Ivan here that the taking on of KROO ** Boys in West Africa by E.D. ships had no bearing on future manning policy or events. Or led to the eventual demise of the M.N. !

They were a self-contained ‘extra crew’,who rigged the cargo gear and cleaned the holds in the many ports called at along the coast,thus leaving the mooring and maintenance to the regular crew.
This was similar I suppose to the Shore Gang to work ship that would come on board Blue Funnel ships in Hong Kong.
As for the Kroo Boys,I would imagine they were well tolerated by the E.D. crews,as it greatly reduced their deck workload..



** many think it’s spelt‘ Crew’ ,but they are named after Kroo Bay in the capital of Freetown,Sierra Leone where they would embark ,do the coast (living on deck of course),then disembarking at Freetown again.maybe six weeks later. Apparently, Kroo Bay today is just a rubbish-filled slum of Freetown….




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Gulliver

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
I agree with Billy in regards to the demise of British shipping, But at the time neither I or any other seaman saw it coming, then it was trying to obtain a better living, I had left the UK for the NZ coast by the time of the strikes. It is only in the last ten or so years when finding out what had happened to the ships I had sailed on that I realised that between1952 and 1970 they had all been broken up. As for shipowners not making a profit, when I was on The British Guardian on her maiden voyage we were told she would pay for herself in 12 months, after that it would be all profit; less wages and costs, definitley black gold.
The world would have changed anyway. But Lads lets all rejoice that we were part of that great fleet the British Merchant Navy.
Cheers Des

[Captain Kong]

We are the last of the Seafarers,
The world will not see our likes again.

remember that, we were the lucky ones.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates , the deck crews and the stewards and cooks had the short end of the stick, but the Native workers in many countries across the world had it much worst than us, Do any of you remember the sugar workers in Brazil running up the the decks with bags of sugar on there heads in hot sunshine 12 hours a day? The british dockers would go on strike for years if they were told to do that? But without the unions the pay and conditions would have been pretty poor for all of us .The officers had it easy on some ships ,the best food and waited on hand and foot with great pay? sometimes??? but they jobs were plentyfull then company men had it better? my point of view !!! But for a proper view of what happen to our british merchant navy read{ Fiddlers Green } The history of the british merchant navy 1921-2010 The great squandering by Richard woodman a great book I am glad I was at sea years before the quick turnaround and time is extra money accountants took over would not do it today? unless all my old shipmates were alive again and we had a good captain a rum ration, The ship it had steam boilers, and canvas hatches with real derricks and wooden decks but I still can dream ?please send the boy with the telegram S.A.P sea bag packed

[terry ryan]

still no reply on this book, come on people, or are you forgetting your ancestors poor past.
terry