Merchant Seamen

[Colin Pook]

Hello Cap'n. Sounds very much like a Westminster Dredging ship I was on. Eight of us under the foc'sle, coal bogey that threatened to axphixiate all of us in our sleep, and the only source of hot water for washing, shaving, etc. was to bleed the valve on the capstan, AND PARAFFIN LIGHTS!!
But were we unhappy? YOU BET YOUR BOOTS WE WERE!!!!!
Regards,
Colin.

[Captain Kong]

Cockroaches and such
All considered fresh meat by some. Cheers John Sabourn
.
Cockroaches, pound for pound have more protein than a beef steak. Not a lot of people know that,
.
Is a female cockroach called a Henroach, ????
Brian.

[Captain Kong]

accomodation
Hello Cap'n. Sounds very much like a Westminster Dredging ship I was on. Eight of us under the foc'sle, coal bogey that threatened to axphixiate all of us in our sleep, and the only source of hot water for washing, shaving, etc. was to bleed the valve on the capstan, AND PARAFFIN LIGHTS!!
But were we unhappy? YOU BET YOUR BOOTS WE WERE!!!!!
Regards,
Colin.
.
. Hi Colin,
Ships like that were many in the good old days, what an experience, and convicts had their own cabins and laundary done.
Here is the old BEECHFIELD with its open wheelhouse, no shelter from wind, sea, rain or snow when on the wheel.
just a bulkhead behind the wheel and a canvas dodger in front.
Here she is, accomodation under the water line down the bottom of the focsle. Now that was real seafaring.
Happy days,
Brian

[robpage]

There was a clan Line theory that one cockroach was bad , but half of one in the freshly bit bread roll in your hand was worse

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates, I had it easy deepsea, but my first time at sea non pool on the westward ho a paddle steamer? age 14yrs they were six boys to a cabin about 6f x6ft and the food was very bad, but not for the passengers, one of my jobs was mopping the saloon , a few sprung rivets at sea the water would come in so had to keep mopping, non stop The only ship I came across that had cockroachs was the "pennyworth" a old iron ore ship the but crew were good and plenty of rum.

[j.sabourn]

Louis, I was mate on the Pennyworth in 1964, dont know if mentioned this once before. I kept a bottle of rum in cabin for tots. However on taking a half bottle home one time gave to my old man who used to love his rum, asked him a couple of days later if he had finished, he said it was a bit weak, so found out it had been watered down. On going back to ship the next bottle I had I put some black draft in. A certain individual was going round for days with a woebegone expression on his face. Nothing said but rum was never watered down again. Cheers John Sabourn

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
Most of the ships I was on had two berth cabins, a couple had single berth, all tankers. But I did do a trip across the North Atlantic in an open forcastle, 9 able seamen and a mess boy on his first trip.
Coal stove in the centre, clanking anchor chains for a lullaby, and sea water coming in through cracks in the hawse pipes, all expierence, that is, it gave you the expierence never to be caught again.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

[QUOTE=Captain Kong;102599]Cockroaches and such
All considered fresh meat by some. Cheers John Sabourn
.
Cockroaches, pound for pound have more protein than a beef steak. Not a lot of people know that,
.
Is that the voice of experience I hear??

[Tony Wilding]

FCSLE HEAD Must have been bad in heavy seas, was aft a few times, but never FWD, worse thing AFT was when the Prop raced, or you went Astern. never realized a Ship could shake so much.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, Hi J Sabourn The "pennyworth" had a good crew you officers were the best!! Did you give out the Rum? it was a happy ship, do you remember the chief steward? I had my first curry on that ship, They were no cockroachs' in the food. I will check my first discharge book for the dates ,What happen to all the mugs we had our rum in?