Best & Worst

[Charlie Hannah]

I always like the west indies run till one of the harrison ships i was on we docked in Trinidad,Chistmas day this hugh firman Ginger we called him from Birkenhead had a walk up the road called in to the mission then on to a bar had a few there then decided on going to another bar on the way this darkie comes running toward us next thing quick as a flash his hand was in my pocket i managed to grab his hand and next thing with his other had wich just happened to be holding a shiv he gave me a deep slash to the gut,i thought he had just punched me anyway i took off after the guy thats when i felt all this soggy stuff looked down my guts were hanging out.I pushed them back in as best i could and walking back to Ginger he asked me why i was chasing the guy, took my hand off my gut and ginger passed out!I had to carry him over my shoulder.Any way i stoped a cab and took us both to the hospital being a head wound on ginger they attended him first,i had to hold him down while they stiched him up then i lay on the table and while they were stiching me up ten stiches inside and about twenty outside all these kids and grown ups were all gathered around me and all having a poke.Hospital called the cops i gave them a discription and next day had to go for a tectnis needle no booze but the bold Ginger payed no attion and had a beer,they refused to touch him.from there we had to go to the cop shop they had the ar----- cuffed to the leg of a table sitting on the deck he was begging me not to pick him out,i just lagphed at him and told the cops thats the b-------.We sailed the next day,glad to get away from the place.I did do a few more runs ashore in after years thou and enjoyed them but i was a lot more wary of the place after that incident.

[happy daze john in oz]

Jim,
Just beat your mate.
Did six months and paid of with 15 quid!

Obviously overpaid Den if you came off with that lot.
Best I had was as officers steward on UCL, pay was about 48 pounds per month but we got 4 hours overtime every day. Abercrombie, cheif engineer and Chuckles Charnley Cheif officer said we should be on call at all times in cae we were needed, so 4 hours a day, not complaining.

[john walker]

[QUOTE=Neil Morton;183863]I disliked sailing on large passenger ships mainly because of the accommodation ; banged up in cabins with 8 bunks was not for me. You will all know what a smart looking vessel the CANBERRA was with her funnel aft and raked masts, however it was the worst and the last ship I was in, both for overtime and accommodation. Were all P & O ships bad news ?[/QUOTE

The Orcades was when I sailed on her in 1970, c**p accommodation food for a lot of the crew was quite often reheated passenger leftovers. Very little overtime, snobby senior officers and far too many homosexual senior catering officers/ petty officers .

[cappy]

miht have put this on site before ......up abadan on a tramp 1958 or 9 ......we were told not to go ashore apart from the seamans clubwere you could get a good steak and fresh milk .....which i always missed at sea ......but my gear was gettuing tatty jeans worn out for going ashore and tee shirts tatty ......we found that there was a market about a mile or two away and set of to go ......just two of us ........we walked through the little village and didnt feel to safe as they were shouting out in arabic.....not in a freindly way ........we found the small market and a tee shirt stall .....we started to barter and the trouble started......a crowd got around us and i got a punch in the head.......my mate also got hit .....i turned and took a swing at the scruffy bustard .....then they sarted to spit on us and punch and kick from all directions as the crowd gatthered....it felt a no hope situation....i was getting kicked and punched by too many and covered in spit.......a whistle blew and i could hear a womans voice shouting in arabic.....the crowd stated to back off.......it was one one big relief we were black and blue and covered in spit .....the woman was one of the shah,s secret police dressed in western style and very feared by the population.....at that time the attacks on seamen were many and a german seaman on the next ship had his throat cut and chucked in the shatt al arab....she got us behind her and blew her whistle andmore secret police arrived.....we got back aboard2 17 year oldswho learned a big lesson........they did try to come aboard fromthe river at night but were hit with pick axe handlesand one or perhaps twodidnt surface after..being battered and falling in the river ......part of cappys learning curve of life

[John Gill]

Obviously overpaid Den if you came off with that lot.
Best I had was as officers steward on UCL, pay was about 48 pounds per month but we got 4 hours overtime every day. Abercrombie, cheif engineer and Chuckles Charnley Cheif officer said we should be on call at all times in cae we were needed, so 4 hours a day, not complaining.

Hmm, Chuckles on ucl? for £48 a month all found plus 4 hours a day I'd be chuckling as well.
Gilly

[happy daze john in oz]

Hmm, Chuckles on ucl? for £48 a month all found plus 4 hours a day I'd be chuckling as well.
Gilly

Not only that but we had accomodation on the boat deck with most of the officers. Best job I ever had at sea.

[Dennis McGuckin]

Blimey John,
How did you cop for that accommodation
On the Warwick I was in an eight berth, with one port hole.

[Nigel Smith]

There's probably 2 ships that rank as equally as bad. I'd always been a deep sea man but felt like trying home trade for a change. I joined Sealinks 'Caesarea' at Weymouth for the Channels Islands run, it was the middle of winter and the ship was on 3 runs a week with a weekend layover in Guernsey. The accomodation was very very basic albeit 2 berth cabins, the food was abysmal, the accomodation was freezing cold and damp. A lot of the crew either lived in the Channel Islands or Weymouth so could spend the odd night at home so not too bad for them. The conditions were pretty grim to say the least, I lasted 6 weeks.

The other 'ship from hell' was taken as it offered a good tax free salary in US dollars. It was a 'fly out' job to a bulk carrier named 'Ghent' operated by a swiss company by the name of Tradax. Boarding the ship she seemed clean and tidy and the accomodation wasn't too bad, in fact pretty good for a Jap built ship. What I didn't know was that the ships company were mainly Yugoslavians with a few Pakistani's. The old man was Yugoslav and spoke pretty good English, the rest of the officers spoke little English, I was 2nd Mate so conversation was limited......... I could cope with that.

After 2 days of being served with disgusting oily fish (including breakfast) I assumed the old man was trying to get rid of it rather than dump it. My thoughts couldn't have been further from the truth, particularly when the old man asked me to call him if I saw any trawlers. The inevitable happened, and fish (in various forms) was back on the menu for the foreseable future. Next port of call was Casablanca so no chance of getting off there, by this time I was off my food completely. I struggled on until we reached Rotterdam at which point the old man said I wasn't looking too well. I hadn't actually thought of this exit strategy so played the sicky card and said I needed to get to a hospital upon arrival in Rotterdam. I asked for a sub (pro rata to my time on the ship)...... and never returned to the ship

I had my Discharge book in hand and the ship was Liberian registered so no harm done to my career, just put me off fish for some years.

[John Gill]

#37. I did two trips on the Capetown in an eight berth- never did find a port hole.(although I believe there were other facilities at hand).
Gilly

[Captain Kong]

My worst one of many, was the London Greek, `Nicholas K` of Kiryakides of Athens, on our pound and pint from day one. Only fresh meat was cockroaches, water rationed to one hour a day. we ordered fresh meat in Cochin and the man brought to the gangway 12 goats on the hoof. "This is very fresh meat Sahib,"
In Port Lincoln The Captain, Mate and Chief Engineer skinned out, so it must have been bad, We had a two year contract, Grain from Australia to Calcutta and Iron ore from Vizagapatnam to Whyalla
Only one trip after they skinned out so we went home.
We walked down the gangway in Birkenhead , six abreast whistling, we were so thin,Mother did not recognise me when I got home.
Had others like that.
Cheers
Brian.