Luggage

[Kenneth Kenny]

Hello Captain,you are wrong about the Liverpool Dockers,working on the C.P.R. Ships,they never did ships stores,they had there own shore gang,i worked on the docks 29 years.25 as a Holdsman,Stevdore,9out of 10 were good men,not robbers.What about all the Dirty cargo's we worked on,all at to man handled.In the 1960's eleven pound aweek.From Ken.

[j.sabourn]

I think most people on this site can remember the old sea chest and seabag days when one had to carry their own seaboots oilskins overalls etc. etc. For the deck officers this included sextants and sometimes the master carried his own chronometer. I beleive most Chief Cooks still carry their own knives (if they can get through airports with them) All this seems to have stopped round about the time of crews joining ships by aircraft, and the beneficient shipowner then started to supply such gear on the vessel. This I have no doubt was to cut back on excess luggage fees on aircraft. Some mathematician must have sat down and worked it out that it would be cheaper to do so. It must have broke the shipowners heart to do this, still I suppose those that had a companys bond found the prices went up at the same time. Regards John Sabourn

[happy daze john in oz]

does anyone remember the taxis at las palmas thet used to line up by the passenger berth.they looked like cars out of gangster films.all were immaculate and today would be worth fortunes.I,m talking about 1950
john sutton

There were still some of them around on Teneriffe in the 70's so they must have been good ones.

[John Arton]

To Kenneth and all who corrected me regarding the loading of stores on the Empress boats in the 70's.
My mistake, I had just been transferred from a little Beaver boat that was laid up in Liverpool after we had just completed a charter for KNSM round the Caribbean (great trip). Got shanghied onto the Canada as 5th Mate and had absolutley no idea of how passy boats operated. Watching the stores being loaded whilst keeping sea watches on the landing stage I never realised that the guys loading the stores were C.P.'s own gang, just assumed they were L'Pool dockers.
Took me some time to adjust to passy boats. Keeping sea watches whilst tied up to the landing stage with all your running lights on foxed me at first but it turned out that for some reason if you were tied up to the landing stage you were considered not to be "tied up to the shore" as per rule of the road and so you had to be classed as being at sea.
Maybe money came into it (port fees?) don't know. Maybe someone can enlighten me on this.
Again my apolgies, I was not doing all L'Pool dockers down, just the ones I used to see nicking the ships stores who as you have correctly righted me, were not dockers but C.P. shore staff.
The amount of stuff that went missing was amazing. Just before we arrived in Liverpool each voyage the cabin steward just to come round to us all asking what size meat parcel we wanted to take hom £5, £10, or £15 worth of the best meat possible.
Still wish we were back in those days though as all on board, be they beggars, thieves, alkies, etc. were still professional and all took a 100% pride in their job, irrespective of rank or station.
Plus once I got into it I found that female companionship of either passenger or crew type was sooooooo readily available that I don't think I got more than 4 hrs. kip a day.
rgds
Capt. John Arton (ret'd)

[Captain Kong]

Hi John ,
alongside the Stage in Liverpool was always classed as being at sea. If alongside on a Sunday we got a `Sunday at Sea` an extra days leave for sitting in Tom Halls with a pint. You are right, the Nav lights were always on,
Cheers
Brian.

[Jim Brady]

John.the only time we were at the stage was docking day from Montreal for passengers to disembark and sailing day on the way out for passengers to embark.the only unloading or loading would be the passengers baggage all stores loaded in the Gladstone.That was in my time maybe things changed in the 70's,also in my time I'm not sure that the amount of theft was astromical from the loading of stores,plenty of people keeping an eye on things.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[alf corbyn]

those las palmas taxi's were great.open top tourers and sports types. even white wall tyres and spare tyres on the running boards.

i was always told that you were not considered tied up until the phone was connected.

[Captain Kong]

Those Las Palmas, taxis, one could get a leg over in the back whilst the driver drove around town for a few Peseters, . Of course I never did, but I did hear of it going on.
Cheerrs
Brian.

[Lou Barron]

What some very interesting posts i really enjoyed reading them .Icannot recall thosev sort of things happening to me .There was only one thing that did happen to me.Paid of the Empire Austen in Middlesbrough got the train to Liverpool coming out of Lime St station a good time girl ask me if i would like a quickie i said not interested the what she said sound like some foreign language

[happy daze john in oz]

Those Las Palmas, taxis, one could get a leg over in the back whilst the driver drove around town for a few Peseters, . Of course I never did, but I did hear of it going on.
Cheerrs
Brian.

Of course Brian we all know you were saving yourself, what for we are not sure, but you were one of the good boys I am sure.