Met' man

[Calvin Kent]

When I was on the Sugar Exporter we used to carry a met' man. He used to send up a box of tricks on the end of a balloon but only when we were beyond a certain range of weather ships or shore stations. He would decipher the info that came back and give it to the sparks to send. The rest of the time seemed to be his own. Did anyone else come across this strange creature?

Regards

Calvin

[John Arton]

Hi
When I was on the C.P. Ambassador around 1986 we had a met man permantley on board and they had a special container that acted as their office. It was all very fancy. At regular intervals a hatch would open in the top of this container and a ballon with a measuring and transmitted device would be sent up. The info from the transmitter was sent back to the container for automatic onwards transmisson to a world met. office. There were two guys who sailed with us, one Brit and his relief was a Finnish guy. Apart from releasing ballons their main occupation appeared to be drinking copious amounts of vodka. One of them actually missed the ship in Montreal but C.P. were getting such a tidy sum from the world met. office that they put him in a taxi at their expense and drove him hell for leather down to Escoumains where he rejoined the ship, looking very green, via the pilot boat.
rgds
JA

[Calvin Kent]

Nothing so fancy on the sugar boats. There were a dozen helium bottles in the after masthouse and another dozen on the poop. He had to fill his ballon via a length of rubber tube and if there was a bit of wind a couple of us would give him a hand to hold onto it while he tied on the box and launched it. There must have been about half a pound of French chalk in each balloon. A carefully flicked piece of scale and pooffff, enter Mr Pastry. I only did a few months on there but would be surprised if he let off into double figures though to be fair to him we were a little early for the sugar season so were not on the normal run.

I recall we were in Savanna la Mar and ran the tube into the officers bar and slow fed them helium one evening. Seemed to take forever for them to realise they were all talking Donald Duck!

Regards

Calvin

[leratty]

JC Calvin I do not recall the 'met man' on Sugar Exporter back in 66. I do remember my two trips & all the accidents she seemed to have & the strike over bake beans, crew wanted Heinz & were being served some 'no frills'brand.' They marched around the fore deck with signs "we want Heinz." We lost the anchor when anchoring in the Thames estuary, windlass had something brake & anchor just ran out in a rush. Can still see the look on the chippy s face. What a performance that was, a JOS was sent into the chain locker to coil the anchor cable down as it came in very slowly as it was recovered, what a mad man the CO was sending a boy or anyone in to do that when he knew there was a problem with the windlass! Then some other incidents over two trips but she was a happy ship. What was T&L's saying, "Untouched By Human Hands"oh yes NOT. I was on the wheel when she left at night on 2nd trip about 9.30pm thus all of us had had one or two, from T & L London berth. Tug had just got us off the wharf, pilot gave an order, I obeyed, then leant back as there was a bulkhead behind the wheel but it was the signal flag locker.... I crashed through the doors landing flat on my nether region flags all over me, heaps of noise too, much ado from those on bridge. Still brings a wry smile to my face. Ah the memories of youth & the Millies (My Boy Lolly Pop) in Jamaica, so much fun being at sea in them thar days.

[Calvin Kent]

Hi Keratty
Seems ishe was still prone to the odd mishap when I was on her. Went to Newfoundland in ballast to load newsprint for Charleston, Tampico, Vera Cruz and Progresso waiting for season to start. Never felt vibrations like it empty ship, definitely something wrong with the screw. By the end of the day your legs felt like jelly. Dragged anchor in Newfoundland and picked up every last old runner ever dumped in the bay along with a rather large amount of mud. Got alongside and laid all the gear out for the derricks ready for morning. Next morning ten inches of snow on deck, mud on anchor frozen solid, and we're all schooner rigged thinking we're off to Jamaica. Borrowed a boat that was pulled up on the foreshore to try and clear the crap off the anchor. Few hours later realised the heat off our feet had melted the ice in bottom of boat and we were now sinking due to pre-existing hole in planking. 'Twas a cold day indeed.

The agent came down and gave us all a fifty dollar bonus and said please look after cargo. Seemed rather hopeful on his part considering our hatches. Got to Vera Cruz and put her on the bottom and doubled up all ropes as a tropical storm blew in and the skipper didn't fancy going out to ride it out in shallow water. Remaining cargo turned to pulp. Good job we got the bonus up front.

I had the forward cabin starboard side under the bitumen deck. Hottest cabin I ever had!

Regards

Calvin

[leratty]

Ha Calvin maybe some ships are accident prone? Another one she had happen to her was when she was going into the lock, or is it a narrow entry, so long ago hard to recall at Dunkirk & order to drop port anchor came as she was moving to fast, by time chippy let her go it landed on the entry to same. Me I am a cynic just could not stop laughing, CO by this time had decided I was just too odd so said nothing. When we went to Rotterdam I was sent to supervise the App putting the ladder over for the pilot to come aboard, dark with sea quite rough too, anyway he had caught a spreader around-under the lip of the combing so when pilot was half way up ship side it released & down he went about two-three meters, then wave went over him....): he came on board a tad unhappy as well as boots full, soaked + cold. Asked if anyone spoke Dutch, I said being the smart rectal p......., " yes, clog, windmill, dyke" he went ballistic. Brought before the Capt. next day & logged for insubordination, still laugh at the memory. Ah those Dutch no sense of humour! Gotta say though she was a happy ship with a hilarious London crew, i.e. the Heinz bake bean march on foredeck just so funny with a sting in the tail. JC I would not have been best pleased to wind up in Newfoundland & schooner rigged too, not amusing Heard many a tale of guys joining ships meant to be going to X & in fact went somewhere far different or worse were away twelve months or more. Never happened to me must have been good luck or choices?

[Gulliver]

JC ...... I do remember the strike over bake beans, crew wanted Heinz & were being served some 'no frills'brand.' They marched around the fore deck with signs "we want Heinz." ...... so much fun being at sea in them thar days.

Leratty,You certainly seemed to have had a lot of fun in your days,what memories!

So it's 1966 . The time of the Seamen's Strikes . I can just see the headlines . "Now Seamen are Striking over 'No Frills Baked Beans-. Is this the Beginning of the End for our British MN Crewed Ships?"

Rules!.gif"WE WANT HEINZ !"Yum Yum!.gif


Still, you have to wonder sometimes............don't you?

Gulliver
Coffee & News.gif

[leratty]

Hi Gulliver, yes I did have a terrific time at sea from starting as an App & then going on deck (best decision I ever made) with so many great people & some wonderful ships-trips. I would not have missed it for quids! I sincerely believe the sea going community in those days were just a very happy lot in the main, well certainly the ships I served on anyway & the life style as well as places we saw were never to be repeated unfortunately. Some of the mates I made are still mates & I see a couple in the UK when there. Must say it is as if we have only been down the road as the laughter roars with the now oft recalled memories of ships & places-bars, lady friends without the bad times which there were a few.
We were a very fortunate lot to have experienced the life that is for sure. Richard