Experiences at sea

[John Arton]

Memorable, going through the ice in the Gulf Of St Lawrence and up to Montreal. Never got stuck but it was a completley different experience to normal? sailing. The silence could be eerie if you had to stop but underway the noise was tremendous. In the Gulf we used to see Deer (Moose?) and bears on the ice.
Regarding fishmeal.
The pig farmers in Brittany ? (most number of pig farms in france apparentley) fed soo much fish meal to their pigs that the pig shite and pee polluted the rivers to such an extent that I believe they were eventually banned from feeding them fish meal as the run offs from the farms was causing such cological damage to the waterways.
rgds
John A

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
The best there were hundreds, Panama canal, Huricane in the North Atlantic, painting a mast in the Indian ocean, Then today one of the saddest I think was watching the Video Capt Kong put on and watching all those beautifull ships going up too the Manchester ship canal, a sight never more to see in this life.
Cheers Des
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[Tom Martin]

First voyage October 1955 on the S.S. Malabar (Brocklebank Lines Sam boat ) outward bound passing through the Suez Canal also learned to swim in the portable canvas 5 feet deep pool ( Red Sea water ) riigged up on the wide foredeck. Same ship, homeward bound picked up Jute cargo in Sudan , seeing and hearing the fascinating chants of the tribal " Fuzzy Wuzzy " dockers as they loaded the bailed Jute cargo into the tween decks, was advised not to photograph them, however, i did have someone, who went ashore during our stay, pick up two black and white post cards showing these bygone tribal men. I still have the postcards in my collection some 57 years later.
EMAIL

[Dennis McGuckin]

Hi Tom,
Beat you to sea by one month.
Den.

[Mike williams]

not sure of the date but we were heading for japan from Fijii ,when the captain derided to see what the ripples on the water were, it was the( barrier reef) we spent tree days on there, some of use first timers went for a walk out there it was a great, to stand out there with no land in sight,
climbed a volcano in Fiji great view from the top was fantastic could see hundreds of Islands, spent a couple of nights in jail in Rosario Argentina.

[Roy Buchmueller]

There are quite a few, some humourous, some not.

Like being told by a gloating C/E over the E/R phone at 03:00 that my relief had broken his leg and I had to do another month! We got on really well, he was a good bloke for a Yorkshireman, though he and the 2/E could never beat me and the Sparks at domino's!
Like chasing a Motor Chief doing steam time around the E/R stark naked with my fiver in just a towell trying to stop me from braining him with a huge wheel key!
The night the C/E's dentures melted in the hot press during an E/R panic after he'd araldited a repair!
Like winning the 5'3" darts Championship!
My introduction to 'ladies of the night' in Beiruit for reparing the C/E's fishing rods!
Like going through Typhoon Nellie/Nora in the Sea of Japan in a 20 years old E/R welded to a 5 years old hull!
Like running out of beer between Japan and Singapree, 9 whole days without beer because the Old Man was too mean to buy any in J'pan! (See above) Don't want to go there again!
Like two of us legless in Marsailles joining the French Foreign Legion! The Old Man fortunately got us out of that escapade!
Getting legless on Ouzo, crawling, yes crawling back to the ship on hands and knees and staying drunk for what seemed like a month! Much to the miserable 2/E's displeasure because he was the only Engineer who did'nt go on the p'up, he wasn't invited anyway, even Chiefy came for a few. Still hate him even now forty years later, and his younger brother was an even bigger Richard-head! Unfortunately I sailed with both!

Sounds like the only thing I learned was the ability to consume vast amounts of alcoholic substances?

I spose the three among many would be:

The night we had a carry over, water in the Superheated Steam line, never heard a noise like it before or since, and being a first trip fiver only realised the enormity of it much later. 8 days with the three black balls hanging over the front end, not an unusual occurrence on the old Explorer!

Visiting Hiroshima on August the 6th 1975! What a day to visit! And the ride on a Bullet Train!

Having a stand up row with a drunk as a skunk C/E at 02:30 hours on the E/R plates during a medium sized panic, and ultimately getting the sack off that ship for not apologising to him in the morning. The only time my relief on the 4-8 was actually in the E/R before 04:15 hours and I considered myself lucky if he was down there by then!

[E.Martin]

1949 hauling a shot of herring while on a drifter, we finished up with 253 cran
which equates to around 253,000 fish,while hauling on a drifter the capstan
hauls the boat to the nets but all the fish are hauled aboard by manpower.
A beautiful sight all them fish coming onboard by the time the last net was hauled
we had been pulling and shaking for 18 hours,all of us just about knackered.

Some where in the Atlantic gale blowing part of the deck cargo started to move
we had to go forrard to secure it.
We dodged into the wind and sea before we attempted any thing,we went forrard
and secured the moving cargo never took alot of water at times the deck was
level with the Atlantic I can remember thinking what the F--k am I doing out here.
Was told to report to the bridge when we had finished and the Chief Officer gave
all of us aq good tot of rum,I can still taste that rum.

My first deep water ship a T2 I was detailed as dayman,a few days out after knocking off
was in the washroom stood at the sink in my underpants this other dayman came behind
me and started rudgeing me,I promptly told him to F--k off,he laughed and said you coasting
come fishermen cannot take a joke like us deep water men.
A few days later I let him go ahead of me he was stood at the sink, I primed myself went up
to him put my arms around him and let him feel my arousel,he jumped pulled away and said
F--k you with a effing hard on",we all doubled up laughing I can still remember his name Bleswick.
Over the years I have had many a chuckle over this incident.

[happy daze john in oz]

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 .

A lot of us did some sowing, wild oats mainly.

[happy daze john in oz]

My first trip through the bay with waves hitting the bridge deck. Watching a funeral at sae for the first time, and the first sight of table mountain.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Roy
Very interesting comments that you have there mate,seems you had quite a time!
I see that you nearly got caught up in the FFL ,after a good Booze up! haha!
Must have been a good awakening to find yourself in that situation!
Good job the old Man managed to get you out of that situation,you were lucky and seems that the Legion was a bit linient to let you go!

Cant say that my late Brother and me were sloshed when we joined at the old Fort at Vincennis ,just a bit crazy i think!
When i earlier did my Squarebashing at Bridgenorth in the RAF,i thought that was tough,but mate not a patch on what we went through after being kitted out at the Fort Saint Nicolas Marseilles (after being sent there by Train from Vincennis)
The Weeks that followed were really tough!
As said you were lucky!!
Cheers