I bet you re Gld the engineers are all sober guys

[Captain Kong]

As an alternative to the drunk Captain.
many years ago I was Third Mate on a VLCC, on the Gulf to Red Sea run, Kharg to Ain Suhkna. for five months.
The Captain was an alcoholic, so we had a Dry Ship, we had a bar but only stocked with softies, lemonade, coke etc.
But Bar Hours were still kept. and the bar closed at 10 pm.
One hot night I came off the bridge at 0015 after my 8 to 12 watch.
The bar was deserted, no one around to talk to, I was thirsty with the Heat of the Red Sea. I got a can of lemonade out of the fridge and sat alone in the bar. but someone must have seen me there.
Next morning on 8 to 12 watch, the Mate walked into the wheelhouse and said , "The Captain wants to see you in his cabin."
I handed over and went down.
`What do you want Captain`I said, "Sit down, Last night you were observed drinking lemonade after midnight"
I nearly fell of his chair laughing, "This is serious" he said, I said, "I`m off. you are mad, " "Sit down mate, I haven't with finished with you yet,"
I said `I am going, you really are mad, if I stay you might attack me, " and I went through the door and up to the bridge.
I told the Mate. and he agreed, he was Mad.
Brian

[Ivan Cloherty]

`What do you want Captain`I said, "Sit down, Last night you were observed drinking lemonade after midnight"

Brian

Brian have you never thought he may have been taking the fizz out of you!

[robpage]

Obviously a. Secret lemonade drinker

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, Captain kong you should have had a lock it , Next time closed the curtains and lock the door, that evil lemonade is a killer? I will stick to my single malt with beer chaser{ not much nowdays without my buddy laurie} none of that evil lemonade for me.

[John Arton]

With the Exxon Valdez disaster it was the tanker owners who first started banning alcohol on board. In my last company no alcohol was allowed to be sold 24 hrs before arrival in Port, which as most of our sea voyages were only around 48 hrs or less, left little chance for drunkenness.
Up to the mid eighties I sailed with a number of Alcoholics, including
2nd Mate on the "Canada" who used to have a bottle of whiskey and a glass left between his cabin window and the shutter so as the bridge boy could trot up and down with a refill for him at regular intervals.
An electrician who used his wetted finger to test for live wires.
An ex Empress boat Captain who always consumed 2 litres of Gordons per day plus 100 Senior Service, and this on a VLCC.
Strangely enough though although most seafarers would nowadays be classed as alcoholics going by the recommended maximum units of alcohol consumption by the medical profession, we all managed to do our job without killing ourselves, crashing ships, falling asleep on watch etc and often with a banging headache from the night before exertions in the ships bar. Both companies I worked for recognised that banning alcohol in its entirety was stupid and would only lead to secret drinking so allowed alcohol in moderation and in the open with ships bars and self regulation whilst at sea.
rgds
JA

[cappy]

on the hemiplecta a shell tanker they were brewing there own in a galvanised bucket as they ladled it out the inside of the bucket instead of thr usual glazeshone like a mirrorand some drank it and were still here next day..

[Captain Kong]

In ESSO after the Valdes incident, bars were taken off the ships, breathalisers were issued.
The Master could breathalise anyone the morning after a night in port at the breakfast table. I saw an engineer, after a night ashore, looked OK but failed the breathalizer he was sacked instantly and sent home with loss of non contributary Company Pension.
On a trip to the Gulf and back round the Cape, taking four and a half months, it was a long time without a drink.
The longest I did was SEVEN months. at least it gave the Liver and Pancreas time to recover.
Cheers
Brian.

[robpage]

I acknowledge what you say John , and we are here today to prove it , but a massive ferry incident with a root cause in drink , the loss of a yacht after hitting a ferry off the Isle of Wight , when there was a rumour drink was involved and a few other ferry related errors make me think that we bought dry ships upon ourselves , although a couple of years after I left , We managed to do our job , after a fashion , and got away with it , there by the grace of God I walk . If I was to tell what I know about drinking culture on passenger ships and especially Passenger RORO ferries , there would be gasps of disbelief

[Captain Kong]

When the BOWBELL collided with the Marchioness on the Thames, all hands, Captain, Mates, Engineers ,Sailors and the Cook were all breathalised by the Police, All were clear. yet the papers said they had been in the pub in the previous afternoon, trying to make a case that did not excist.

Brian.

[robpage]

The disaster was found by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch to have been caused by the poor visibility from each ship's wheelhouse, the fact that both vessels were using the centre of the river and the lack of clear instructions to the lookout at the bow of the Bowbelle. In 1991, the skipper of the Bowbelle, Douglas Henderson, was tried for failing to keep a proper look-out but, after two juries were deadlocked, he was formally acquitted. A Coroner's inquest on 7 April 1995 found the victims had been unlawfully killed.


Following pressure from the Marchioness Action Group, whose publicity front had been handled by photographer and party attendee Ian Philpott, on 14 February 2000, John Prescott as Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions ordered a formal investigation into the circumstances of the collision, to be chaired by Lord Justice Clarke. Lord Clarke's report blamed poor lookouts on both vessels for the collision and criticised the owners and managers of both vessels for failing to instruct and monitor their crews in proper fashion.

In 2001 an inquiry by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency into the competence and behaviour of Captain Henderson concluded that he should be allowed to keep his master's certificate as he met all the service and medical fitness requirements. However, they "strongly deprecated" his conduct in drinking 5 pints of lager in the afternoon prior to the accident and for his admission that he had forged some signatures on certificates and testimonials in order to obtain his master mariner certificate of competency in 1988. Also in 2001, the Royal Humane Society made 19 bravery awards to people involved in rescues at the Marchioness sinking.

Subsequent to recommendations made in the Clarke report relating to the improvement of river safety, the Government asked the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Port of London Authority and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to work together to set up a dedicated Search and Rescue service for the tidal River Thames. Consequently, on 2 January 2002, the RNLI set up four lifeboat stations, at Gravesend, Tower Pier, Chiswick Pier and Teddington.

That would be 14 units of alcohol and twelve hours to clear it from the system so Captain Henderson would have been capable of driving a car legally , dependant on his personal body circumstances , so typical MCA . they just love blaming someone .

- - - Updated - - -

I sailed with one Chief Engineer who used to have a daily consumption of a bottle of 90% proof Squadron Rum and about six 330 ml cans of Carlsberg a day