Aids to Navigation

[j.sabourn]

One of the most useful additions in latter years on newer tonnage was the Bridge Toilet. Brought out latterly as well as other domestic facilities to facilitate the introduction of female crew members I suppose. Having a Bridge toilet cut out the necessity of going down 2 decks sometimes 3 when caught short, and that obvious smell in the wing scupper which one always had suspicions about. I think even worse design as regards toilets and accomodation was on American built ships. Why the cabins were ever called staterooms should be classed as misinformation. A bare cabin, composition flooring and a tin locker. There was never or rarely I saw anything that would likely burn on American built ships. Their toilets consisted of blocks of 3 or 4 stalls with the space between deck and bottom of door at least 18 inches. Totally unsuitable for females. Anyhow this is digressing, I vote the old Bridge Toilet the most agreeable and advanced technology of latter years. Cheers John Sabourn.

[leratty]

Off the title subject John however as to toilets on US ships, a toilet memory came to mind, we dived the President Coolidge in Esperitu Santo, she is the largest accessible WW2 wreck in Pacific. She is an old Presidents line passenger vessel sunk whilst avoiding a Japanese sub decided to risk a run across a US laid mine field & what was expected occurred, happily with only one casualty. Anyway she is in around 100' at bow & 160+' at stern. You can penetrate but you need to be serious knowledgeable divers to do so as it is akin diving through a large office building on its side underwater with maybe 20' viz, i.e. easy to get lost. She was trooping so some conversions were carried out but if you can imagine having hysterical laughter 100+'underwater in the middle of ship when you came across toilets which were maybe 30 per line & in Toto, possibly 100 of them back to back in rows & side to side. I took some good photos. I wonder if UK troop ships were similar?

[Captain Kong]

Hi John
Here is a cabin on an American built ship, one of the SAM boats, I was on one the Simon B Elliot,
This photo was on the Jeremiah O`Brien in San Francisco.
Very Luxurious. apart from the mattress, all metal. Four of us in this steel biox for six months in the Spice Islands. But we were happy.
Cheers
Brian.

[j.sabourn]

Thats a stateroom Brian. Like the Americans say. Is probably on ships plans as such. Cheers John Sabourn

[Captain Kong]

Thanks John,
Sorry I called it a cabin,
It really was a Stateroom, it was always in a state....... a dreadful state.
Still we didnt know any different 50 odd years ago.
Cheers
Brian.

[Tony Frost]

The bridge toilet should be fitted with either a glass door or a periscope,because thats how we hit the canter leaver bridge at the locks in LeHavre(Old man went to WC)(Blamed the CPP).The bridge as more AID's (inc.few pairs of eye's)between them than a gay festival and still they manage to hit some-thing eg.COSTA CONCORDIA

[Red Lead Ted]

Thanks John,
Sorry I called it a cabin,
It really was a Stateroom, it was always in a state....... a dreadful state.
Still we didnt know any different 50 odd years ago.
Cheers
Brian.

Today,s Seaman would call that a bosun,s chair, Terry.

[Tony Morcom]

Hi John
Here is a cabin on an American built ship, one of the SAM boats,

Doesn't the wooden door look out of place against all the grey. Wonder what the logic was there

[Captain Kong]

Doesn't the wooden door look out of place against all the grey. Wonder what the logic was there
.
Hi Tony, I dont think the door on the Jeremiah O`Brien is the original, looks too new.
On the sister ship I was on, the Simon B Elliot. later Euryades of Blu Flu, we also had a wooden door, my Cockatoo, Charlie, ate his way through the wooden grill at the bottom of the door and walked out on deck.
I should imagine the original door would have been made of metal to keep them more fire proof.
Cheers
Brian.