Suez Canal

[Pete Leonard (Bruno)]

I have been reading with interest the subject of land crews being used on the passage through the Panama Canal. I never went through the Panama in my 9 years at sea, having spent most of that time going far east and Oz. I can recall problems that we had with the rogues that we were obliged to take on in The Suez Canal. As you all probably know we were obliged to take on a two man dinghy for tying up to buoys in the lakes. Also if you didn't have a searchlight you had to take one on board together with a two man crew. These guys were not to be trusted with anything that was not nailed down. Although we were very wary of leaving cabins unlocked, it seems that there were always items missing once we left Suez.

[Albert Bishop]

I think in the fifties, even the ships with their own searchlight still had to carry the two guys with their Suez light. I remember because we had to feed them, and the wanted everything going ,even down to portions of salt and pepper. Albi

[Neil Morton]

Mornin' all, reading these posts reminds me of the legendary story of the fireman who leaning on the starboard rail clad in shorts, grimey vest and compulsory sweat rag called down to a bum boat and made a purchase. The price 200 cigs. Up came the basket with said purchase and the firemen sent down 200 Woodbines. The bumboat man hurles abuse up at the fireman claiming it has to be Players.
"Get stuffed mate," he replies, "we won the war on Woodbines and you can bugger off".

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes I recall those guys on the ship going through Suez. We had to feed them nad they were on board for almost a day. The cook made a pot of stew for them made from lamb I believe. The chief steward had an eye for the cook though he had no time for the steward. The steward decided to get his own with the cook. After the boat boys had eaten he shoved a ham bone into the pot and then showed it to the boat boys. All hell broke loose as those poor buggers thought they had eaten pork. The cook not wanting to suffer at the hands of the boat boys hid away in the chain locker until we reached the end and the boat boys went ashore. He fixed the steward up later on the voyage with a meal that almost poisoned him.

[len mazza]

Hi,
When I was 2nd Stwd. on Shell I remember having to give the boatmen an issue of dry stores,can't remember if they were fed from the galley as well.In later years,mid 60s they were given the Ships Hospital to kip in,wasn't very happy with that,my job to square it up aterwards.

Len Mazza, R621945.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Len

From our experience of their habits you certainly have our sympathy on that one

[Lou Barron]

having been in the suez canal area a few times we found out that you could not trust the locals they would pinch anything that was available one of the tricks they would have a stick with a small hook and they would poke it througha open port and steal the clothes hanging in the cabin one time we caught some of them the bosun told us to put the hose on them boy when they got ashore they demonstated the would cut our throats we did get chased by some of them in tewfik boy did they have a great selection of dirty photos

[john walker]

(this should probably be posted under swinging the lamp, the bloke that told me swears its true) When his ship was at anchor in Port Said, waiting to transit the canal. The bosun and two seamen were on the focsul head having sold a new manilla mooring line to a couple of the local ali babas.They were in the act of getting the rope from the rope locker round a winch and feeding it through the fairlead into a bum boat. Suddenly the mate appears and asks the bosun what is going on ? The quick thinking bosun replies we are just bringing the new mooring line onboard. The mate then said I did not order a new mooring line send it back? OK chief said the bosun. Right lads lets get this rope ashore.

[alf corbyn]

the UCL boat iwas on ,stopped at port tewfik. one of the feluccas came alongside and they sent a monkey up the mast. it was going into the cabins and colleting anything shiny. luckily someone saw it and raised the alarm. they promptly turned the hose on it and nearly sunk it. don't know if they got any of the stolen stuff back. alf

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
Aye George Macgregor, Sandy Mcnab, and all those bum boat men, but we all enjoyed bargaining with them all, even if it was for gaudy handbags for sisters or mothers, and how about those thick camel skin covered suitcases which wieghed a ton, i still have my photo album with a camel etched on the front and not even a smell of camel on it yet. I loved steering through the canal, windows open and a cool breeze blowing through. Ah! those were the days dreams are made of.
Cheers Des