Experiences at sea

[denniswalker]

1 Was probably my first trip at sea. Flew to Hamburg,a night in a hotel,got shown the night life.Joined the next day as deckboy/peggy.Sailed to the far east via the suez canal to Singapore,Korea,Malaysia Japan,and to Europe.A experence for a 17yr old lad
2 This one was sometime in the 1990s,i was on a lpg carrier,we had left Antwerp heading back east.we were in the Bay of Biscay somewhere off the coast of Spain when a yacht called for assistance.it turned out that a woman had given birth to a stillborn child,and could we help.The captain tried to get the yacht alongside but there was agood 5 to6 metre swell running,andwe ended up damaging the rigging of the yacht.It was decided to launch our enclosed lifeboat we lauched the lifeboat went alongside the yacht withthe stretcher,we got the lady into the stretcher on the boat along with her husband and waited for the helicopter.After what semed a lifetime the helicopter eventually arrived,then to our amazement they send the hook down we hooked the stretcher on,they started to lift, then the stretcher got caught in the rotor wash and was spinning at a alarming rate.They eventually got the lady on board,they then took the husband on board.We discovered the helicopter was at its extreme range.To make matters worse,the hydraulics blew as we tried to get back onboard.We found a couple days later that the lady was fine.Quite a night.
3 was spending a month in Brazil trying to unload of gran during the rainy season.
There many happy ones and sad ones but these are the ones that stick cheers dennis

[Ivan Cloherty]

Had many good and bad experiences at sea similar to those posted already but the things I remember most about being at sea in 1962.

(1) the First mate Joe M persuading me whilst docked in Avonmouth to go to a dance with him in Bristol and I really did not feel like going but he talked me into it.

(2) meeting the girl at that dance who later became my wife, I hadn't danced with her, didn't know her name, but knew she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, sounds daft but thats the way it was (still have the Dance ticket #123 dated 9th February 1962) and when we danced I knew it was going to happen

(3) sailed away with Joe M for 20 month trip (it was supposed to be 3 months) another Ropner special, after having just two dates with my lovely girl

(4) marrying the girl in 1965 with Joe M at my wedding

Have not seen Joe since then because as with most seamen we went our different ways, but finally found him a month ago and I am driving 600 miles next week to meet up, guess we'll have a lot to talk about after 47 years. I have a lot to thank a sea career for and Joe for being so persuasive.

[Lou Barron]

Well there is some very good experiences i have just read . I have had a few like sailing up the Mersey after three and half years away .The one i do remember was on th Saminver we sailed from New Plymouth NZ for Tahiti we had three women passengers going there It was beautiful weatherlovely and anyhow i came off watch and had a shower i came out on deck in the nuddy but low and behold two of the woen came down the ladder and saw me i dont know who got the biggest shock no screams

[Ivan Cloherty]

Well there is some very good experiences i have just read . I have had a few like sailing up the Mersey after three and half years away .The one i do remember was on th Saminver we sailed from New Plymouth NZ for Tahiti we had three women passengers going there It was beautiful weatherlovely and anyhow i came off watch and had a shower i came out on deck in the nuddy but low and behold two of the woen came down the ladder and saw me i dont know who got the biggest shock no screams

I do hope you and John Thomas stood to attention Louis

[Lou Barron]

Well Ivan shock does some funny tricks ???

[robpage]

we have nearly all mentioned whales what majestic magical animals they are why did we have to butcher them and still are of all the animals on earth for their size you know they meen you no harm and never would? sometimes we look but don't see!!!!!JP

Putting aside the majesty of the whales for a moment , I have been on ships carrying Fish Meal back from Walvis Bay . I, in my innocence thought it was a by-product of the canning factory , I had not realised that we took sardines from the sea and turned them into fertiliser to grow wheat with , it was , to my thinking such a waste . There is an old Bilblical saying "that you reap what you sow " , I think there is too much reaping of the natural resorces and not enough sowing .

[john walker]

Rob it is not just used as fertiliser it is sometimes used as animal feed. Have you ever had chicken that tasted slightly fishy?

[Tony Morcom]

You learn something new everyday. I didn't realise they harvested sardines like this either. I thought there was a shortage of them.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates, Another three, On watch 4am till 8am on the wing of the bridge watching the dawn break over an empty sea. The storm waves in bad weather around the coast on a small ship in winter, going into port behind an ice breaker on a frozen sea with the spray freezing on you, my time at sea never be forgot .

[alf corbyn]

second trip on an athel tanker north atlantic holding on to the walkway chains near the mast, whlst being swept horizontal by a wave. very very frightening. watching a hammerhead shark that followed the ship for two days. it even swallowed an empty seven pound biscuit tin. my first sight of table mountain. awe inspiring. saw it many times still like to see it again. many other sights.