Flew the Nest

[Capt Bill Davies]

Interested to hear the reason you left the company where you served your time. Was it a tanker man wanting to gain cargo boat experience or vice versa, promotion, the run, boredom. For me it was promotion, which was the scourge of the British liner companies. Telling a young man of 21 with a brand new 2nd Mates (FG) that he was looking at 30 years before command was not very encouraging.

Brgds

Bill

[Ivan Cloherty]

[QUOTE=. For me it was promotion, which was the scourge of the British liner companies. Telling a young man of 21 with a brand new 2nd Mates (FG) that he was looking at 30 years before command was not very encouraging.

Brgds

Bill[/QUOTE]

Hi Bill

Same reason as above for me, our regular run was WCS America, then we got a Time Charter to N Zealand, so instead of turning to port after Panama we sailed straight ahead, you would have thought that we were going to discover the New World, there were three Masters Tickets on board and one 1st mates, lookout watches were doubled steaming into the wide Pacific, which they never had been on the WCSA busy shipping lanes with hundreds of fishing boats. I was 17 at the time and even then thought this cannot be right, never forgot that incident. All the deck officers had done the WCSA all their lives and it was dead mens shoes promotion. Luckily I was on three ships which got runs away from WCSA so that opened my eyes to a wider world, although I did miss "Rosita" also found that a bar of "Yardleys" could not buy the same favours in the rest of the world that it could down the WCSA, perhaps that's why the company men stuck it so long

Ivan

Incidentally lookout doubling ceased after 24 hours after leaving Panama, someone deciding that we were not going to sail off the edge

[Captain Gordon Whittaker]

When I looked at the Chief Officers in Cunard, in their mid - fifties, patiently awaiting the demise of a Master, I vowed it was not for me! As soon as I had gained Master F.G. I joined Jackson Marine and was Mate on a Supply Vessel. As we all know, the Americans fled the North Sea after one winter, and we Brits were all promoted. First command at 34, so I was well pleased. Never looked back and enjoyed all the ship handling it entailed.

[j.sabourn]

The demise of Moor Line Ltd. (Walter Runcimans) who moved to Glasgow and was incorporated with Anchor Line as Runciman Shipping. Was very sad at the time, as knew no other or better, thought it was the end of the world. Must have been really brainwashed in those days. Loyalty to a Shipowner went slowly and methodically out the window after this as saw the shipowner doing the same with scant regard to long serving employees in other Companys also. Regards John Sabourn

[Capt Bill Davies]

It would appear that we were all more or less in agreement.

The Liner companies obviously attracted those drawn to the lifestyle offered therein. It is unfortunate that most never realised their dreams as the companies 'folded' underneath them. I knew some good men who ended up 'very bitter' with the way they were treated.

As for where I served my early years. Fourth Mate with a Second Mates (FG) ,Third Mate with a First Mates (FG) and Master's (FG) before you could sail as Second Mate was hard to accept. 5/6 years as Second Mate followed by 12/14 years as Mate! Whew!!

[Ivan Cloherty]

It would appear that we were all more or less in agreement.

The Liner companies obviously attracted those drawn to the lifestyle offered therein. It is unfortunate that most never realised their dreams as the companies 'folded' underneath them.!

Yes I bet there were quite a few on "Deep Sea Ferry Runs" (Liners) that upon coming ashore had never realised their probably boyhood dream of seeing the world. I could not see my self on the same run ad infinitum when finishing my time. On my last trip the C/O full of good intent said see you in a few months, when I told him I would not be returning to the company said, it will be your downfall, but all he had ever done was WCSA. I sailed with eleven different companies, some for weeks , some for months, and Ropners for a few years (one trip was 22 months!) my last company brought me ashore as a Marine Superintendent just before my 27th birthday- Why? - because I had experience in so many companies - also probably I was CHEAP, but it suited me as I was getting married two months after coming ashore, mind you spent as much time away from home as when I was at sea. Moving companies allowed me to visit in excess of 50 countries, not many Liner men could say that. Since coming ashore the tally rose to 90+, so glad I didn't go back on the Liner Trade. I sailed with men who had never been through Panama Canal, they missed a treat, not a woman in every bar in South Africa could compensate for that

[Capt Bill Davies]

y laI sailed with eleven different companies, some for weeks , some for months, and Ropners for a few years (one trip was 22 months!)

Well Ivan, you obviously got to know your stuff working for Ropners. They had a legendary reputation. I always remember Ropners and the quality of seamanship expected therein being a regular topic of conversation in Blue Funnel. I always thought that making ones own paint brushes went a little too far but I am sure you get my meaning.

Brgds

Bill

[Ivan Cloherty]

Well Ivan, you obviously got to know your stuff working for Ropners. They had a legendary reputation. I always remember Ropners and the quality of seamanship expected therein being a regular topic of conversation in Blue Funnel. I always thought that making ones own paint brushes went a little too far but I am sure you get my meaning.

Brgds

Bill

Not sure which way to take that, but I'll accept it as a compliment. All the green hulls I sailed on where good feeders and well found, apart from the war built "Levenpool" where navigation aids were restricted to magnetic compass and echo sounder and a steam whistle for fog. Being trampers with constant change of orders we didn't always have, or were unable to obtain the necessary charts we would have liked, only because they were unavailable not because of any fiscal arrangements of the company, but we managed to reach our destination get into and out of ports without doing any damage.

I found Ropners to be very fair, nothing was ever removed from our stores requision lists and we didn't order things we didn't need and the supers seemed to understand that. Also the only company I sailed with who offered to keep me on full pay whilst I served aboard a different company's ship on a relief job if I made myself available for their ship which had been delayed, and I was only a lowly 3rd mate then.

I made myself available, but refused their offer of the full pay whilst I was working for someone else, although I did appreciate the offer, many thought me a fool for refusing the money, but just the request to make myself available was good enough for me, there were plenty of 3rd mates on the Pool

Yep I did make paint brushes out of old ropes once but that was in PSNC, which in scouse stood for Poverty Stricken Navigation Company

Ivan

[Lou Barron]

as i have said before i went to sea as a deck boy on a troopship but ended up on a tramp ship i was very fortunate to learn about the work on deck my tutorwas a old seaman who had been at all his life he learnt me all the knots rope and wire splicing boxing the compass and alot of other seaman like things evan how to swear one ship i was on we got the job of painting the funnel job and finish it was in Adelaide so off we went but one of the abs could not make is self fast in the bosuns chair i thought any deck hand knew how to do that i came across a few guys who did not know a lot about seamanship did any of you guys strike that

[john sutton]

if troopships were for carrying troops does that mean that trampships were for carrying tramps?
john sutton