Nautical Anomalies

[Capt Bill Davies]

Just a thought Bill, do you think the lookout on the Titantic could have been ex Blue Flue and the OOW wasn't

I can see you missed your vocation Ivan!

Brgds

Bill

[Trader]

Another one Bill, cabins were always called rooms. Inspections every day except Sunday.

Alec.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Bill.
Would that be an anomalie? They had inspections every day except Sundays, when I was with Hains they only had inspections ON a Sunday, would have caught out a Blue Flue laying on his bunk.
Cheers Des
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[Capt Bill Davies]

Des,

As Alec pointed out we had inspections each day, 10:00hrs if I remember correctly, with the exception of Sunday.
There were several of the Masters who took things too far and used to wear white gloves and woe betide the poor Peggy if these gloves got dirty whilst.
The inspection started outside the Masters room (no cabins we're in BF land) where the Mate, Ch.Eng and Ch.Stwd assembled. Once the officers accommodation was inspected they were joined by the Bosun who stayed until the Greasers accommodation on the poop was inspected. It was quite something.

Bill

[John Pruden]

BILL i remember them well as Peggy my cabin mate left a dirty hand towel on my bunk i was logged for it.any stainless steal sinks had to be wiped dry any spots of water and you were in the sh.t. one lamp trimmer was the dirtiest scruffiest .... that ever came up a gangway black bob the captain never even went into his cabin you wiped you feet when you went out of it but the Peggy could have been logged{how could you place a grease gun and paint pots neatly in a cabin without them being noticed}

[Capt Bill Davies]

I was reflecting on my initial post on this thread this afternoon and have come to the conclusion that BF must have reasoned that ships to Stbd have priority (Rule of the Road) and considered that the mate on the bridge needed that little 'extra' to draw their attention to a possible 'crossing situation' that may develop.

Bill

[Captain Kong]

I was on the wheel of the BF. `Euryades` ex Samnesse, in 1960, we were passing through the anchorage in Singapore Roads, There was a ship with Containers on the Fore deck.
The Captain said to the Pilot "What kind of a ship is that?"
The Pilot, said "That Captain, is the end of Blue Funnel,"
Our Captain said , "Rubbish".
The rest is history.
.
The new `Melampus` class was just coming out, already outdated.
Cheers,
Brian.

[Capt Bill Davies]

Well Brian,

The M class, McGregor hatches and all.
BF got it wrong again 6 years later with the so called 'Super Ps' (Priam Class). Built with no provision for these new fangled things called containers (which will never catch on). Out of date as they came down the slip.
Unbelievable incompetence.

Bill

[Captain Kong]

After the voyage on the `Euryades`, see [ Spice Islands`] in Seafaring Yarns in the `swinging the lamp` thread.
Mr Greenwood sent all the deck crowd to join the Melampus, brand new, ready for her maiden voyage, at the same time the 1960 Seamens Strike started, so we never joined and that was our future with Blu Flu terminated.
Cheers
Brian.

[j.sabourn]

Bill, maybe other people who have traded up the Great Lakes of Canda/USA may remember more. My recollections are that the whistle had to be wired up to a light, so given a signal to alter port or starboard the light also signified the same. There were if I remember correctly slight differences in some cases for the rule of the road but cant remember them at the moment. I also think we had to show certain lights at night and certain signals by day to show we were a Salty as the locals up there called us. The company I worked for wanted me to go for a class B pilots licence which allowed you to do away with a pilot, but I refused as the work load up there was sufficient without having to stay on bridge 24 hours a day. Believe I did 3 round trips up there with steel products from Japan, and started backloading grain out of the Lakes topping off in Montreal and 3 Rivers each time. Beautiful place in those days. Have been back since for holidays, but the glamour seems to have worn off. Dont think the fresh water Lakes are that pure anymore. Cheers John Sabourn.