Time Marches On.

[Lodestoneman]

Recently a friend said: "we went into the Company of our choosing and expected to retire as captains 45 years later. Nobody thought that within ten years we'd all be out of a job." As a Pilot circa 1968 we were bringing in ships for discharge, then rafting them up in disused docks with no further work, turning the docks into a graveyard. Gradually they were sold off to shipbreakers in India and the Far East. They went out under their own steam - they were all perfectly good ships but nobody wanted them any more. Now the docks themselves are all built over with waterside architectural wonders housing anything from Italian restuarants and cinemas to the Imperial War Museum and the BBC. Strolling round there now is like walking over your own grave.

In the 1950's we would take a shortcut from the railway station to the docks by walking down a flight of narrow canal locks. The paving flags were all worn hollow by the feet which had pounded up and down there before us, and in the gathering dusk of a summer evening you could almost hear the chatter of the bargees as they waited for their boats to lift up in the locks. We accepted that was a way of life long overtaken by progress - we were the business now. It never occurred to us that in time the same thing would also happen to us.

Lodestoneman.

[Tony Wilding]

it all seems like a dream now, we had the best time, would not want to go now, no time in port anymore, even tankers now load from an offshore connection, cant say you go to sea to see the world anymore, lucky to see a container port, even cruise ship crews are stuck on board, now you are attacked by Pirates, no incentive for me now, just a way of earning a salary, ok if you are asian or eastern european, but the pay rates not good for us , plus none have the skills the seaman of our time had, its all gone to pot.

[j.sabourn]

Yes Tony the day of the 10000 ton trampship are over. Their day was the time when that was the size of ship was suitable for all the ports that bigger vessels could not get into. Our present day seafarers will probably see changes in their time if there are any of them left, this is what I suppose they call progress and betterment for all. Shipping as we knew it will never be the same, the old sailing ship men must have said the same on the advent of steamers. Cheers John Sabourn

[Des Taff Jenkins]

redc.gifHi John.
I'm in the process of putting another sailing ship in a bottle and it makes me think how quick it has all been from sailing around the Horn; to massive bulk carriers, the saying that time is our enemy is so right, we even have time for wars of attrition all the while time is passing us by.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Not only in the Uk, but all around the globe similar things have occured. We were lucky to see some of the places we did at a time when they were open to all, some now are very different. But the biggest difference then was that most of us were happy with our lot, as were most of th epeoiple. Then commercialisation came along and stuffed up just about every thing you could think of. In those days a pound was a pound, now it is just another piece of paper. Future generations will never know the freedom we experienced, there were no do gooders then and no PC brigade to stuff it all.

[Alan Hill]

Well lets all hope that the technology holds up and all the microchips don't get fried one day; because if that happens some people will encounter an Eiger-like learning curve.

[john sutton]

Hi lodestone man
You seem to have travelled a similar path to me in your early days.I sailed with shell,prince line and liners in the early 50,s.What ships were you on
john sutton

[Neville Roberts]

when I went to sea in 55 I was 17 and was in total awe on my first ship the Forester when we passed the coast of Spain and Gibraltar ,my first sight of foriegn lands and the great adventure that lay ahead 21 ships 10 years and over 70 countries later in 65 I saw the end coming ,so emigrated to the us and took the knowledge of menus and drinks to NYC where I knew I would get a good paying job . but my sea days were the only way to see the world at that time . this site has brought it all back to me in memories .I,m glad that I kept most of my documents and discharge book to pass on to my son .we all had a great leaning experience at a young age . those were the days footloose and fancy free .

[j.sabourn]

As most referals are back to the 50 and 60s on this site, was just thinking of the things most considered normal in those days, and those persons or items lost or soon to be lost in this modern age of shipping which is changing all the time.
Radio Telegraphy and the Radio officer.
Semaphore
Morse Code in general
International code of signals (flags)
Wooden Hatch covers and Tarpaulins
Radio Aerials, Wire with insulators.
Hand steering by seamen
60 percent of manning scale (all departments)
Derricks including Heavy lift (Jumbo) now superceded by cranes
General cargo ships in general (now containerized)
These are just a few, maybe others could add to them, as no doubt there are many at moment that have slipped the mind. Cheers John Sabourn Plus Navigation as we knew it, Patent sounding machine, leadline, watchkeeping re lookouts etc. The list if thought about could be endless John Sabourn

[Don Rafferty]

As most referals are back to the 50 and 60s on this site, was just thinking of the things most considered normal in those days,

Morse Code in general

Perversely - on a mobile phone, if you receive a text - Short Message System, the default notification is in morse ... -- ...