Cant remember this being done!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Don Rafferty]

On the Partington, a ShellmexBP coastal tanker, always loaded somewhere on the Thames and discharged anywhere between Shoreham and Kings Lynn, except once a month when we went to St Peter Port, where everyone loaded up with duty frees, customs didn't seem too bothered unless someone was paying off. I had a folding canoe on board which fitted inside a large rucksack with a drawstring top, filled this with ciggies and two or three bottles of spirits and when we were berthed in Great Yarmouth got a taxi to station with canoe and contents and left it in the station left luggage, a few days later paid off at Thames Haven with just a bottle and a couple of hundred ciggies, no problems. A week or two later, went camping on the Norfolk Broads with my brother and friends, picked up the canoe from left luggage and used it extensively for its lawful purpose and the contents were distributed appreciatively

[Captain Kong]

I was running into Dover twice a week with fuel oil. I used to jump on the Ferry to Calais, with a big grip, there and back no going ashore was only a couple of pounds takes about three or four hours, Load up with the bottles and cigs in the ships Duty Free Shop store room, the crew shop keepers knew I was a Seafarer and so they always took me behind the scenes and got a special price far cheaper than the shop. Filled my bag there with swag.
Also got several free bevies as well. Just walk down the gangway in Dover , walk round the dock to the east breakwater and aboard my tanker. One day I was well and truly drunk as a monkey, fell down the gangway and a Customs man picked me up and said were are you going? I said to the Tanker over there. He said I will walk with you so you wont fall into the dock, he carried my bag with all the swag in it. and left me at my own gangway,
What a nice man.
Cheers
Brian

[Jim Brady]

Remember the days if you got caught with dirty pictures you got done good style.I was on the Hamilton a tanker,quite a new ship.The 2nd stwd had unscrewed a panel in his cabin and overloaded it with cigs.He got caught so I had to go on the press for the meal.the pantry boy told me that the 2nd stwd had filled a duff tin with blue pictures and placed it in the fridge.The customs man came into the pantry and started to search,as soon as he opened the fridge I was away like a two bob rocket on to the after end,I always understood that whoever was in the vicinity if nobody owned up it was down to you.The pantry boy came out on deck to tell me all was clear (in the mean time all hands were in the saloon waiting for their scoff)the customs man had the duff tin trying to get the top off which were quite tight when another customs man called into the pantry and called him away,that was a close shave.What was the name we had for those pictures,something todo with around the Suez Canal if I remember.They used to reckon that you would go to gaol if you got caught bringing them into the country.
Regards.
jim.B

[Roger Dyer]

Be careful Roger, you may become a ghost writer, but at least you didn't move a Continent

Ivan, I've been incontinent for years, but I was hoping you wouldn't mention it.

[j.sabourn]

My experiences with customs uk and abroad. 1. fifty odd years ago was approached by someone in the Suez Canal with a small package for transference to London as we were bound for the Thames. All I had to do was leave this package on the table and leave the cabin at a stipulated time, I chased him. 2. Approached by two Cubans trying to get out of Cuba who offered money to assist them out of the country as far as Panama, all had to do was unlash the boatcover on one of the lifeboats and relash and loosen again arrival Panama. Thought they were 2 secret police trying me out so chased them as well. The crowd must have thought otherwise as same two escapees sent a post card to the crowd from Florida, which they received arrival Japan. 3. In more recent times though not so recent thinking back about 30 years was working out of Yarmouth, going into the River entrance was a bit of a swell and the bond locker door swung open and fell off. The bond locker was very close to the bridge and my cabin so stuffed all the goods that fell out back in and wedged the door shut. However unthinking I had 5 packets of cig. tobacco for my old man was taken home so threw them in my cabin, and later stuck them in the ships safe. Forgot all about them. Searchers on board and requested I open the safe and of course found. Threw the 2 ringers who had been sitting drinking my whiskey out of room after they fined me, and never entertained a customs official again. I was black listed for a number of years. The same as most parts of the world. In the early days of dry ships most companies put such on board for so called entertainment of customs and Immigration. In more recent times the last time on a uk ship I was allowed 30 pounds a month for so called entertainment, needless to say the customs never saw any of this, and I never had a bond bill for myself. Most of us know the ways of the world and there are very few honest people and that includes government service officers. There was a thriving gold trade between Trinidad and the old British Guiana in the 60"s all done through immigration and customs for personal gain. How do I know, because I knew someone who told me he was involved in it. Confidences are confidences however, but when one sees some of these butter wouldn't melt in their mouth characters especially politicians, one has to smile, they however have the upper hand as are better able to conceal any malpractices. Cheers John S

[happy daze john in oz]

Most of us took grog and ciggies ashore at the end of the voyage, often in oversubscibed amounts, but we did it a bit different on the Windsor for a number of voyages.
In the 60's smoked fish was not available in large quantities in South Africa, certainly not in Durban.
Each day the first class galley would order a variety of smoked fish from the main stores, smoked salmon, kippers, smoked eel etc. It was kept in the cold larder cool room. this cool room had panels that could be removed to get at the brine pipes behind should the need ever arise. Behind this panel an amount of smoked fish was stored at the end of each day.
In Durban there would be neough to fill a black rubbish bag. Loaded with the bag my mate Mick 1st assistant cook would walk down the gangway with it telling the Master at arms it was fouled food the chef wanted dumped ashore. Once of the ship we had to go through customs which was situated in the atrium of the Criterion Hotel. This was easy, just give the customs man a bag full of kippers and no worries we were in.
Jock the owner of the pub loved the smoked fish and for the bag full Mick and I could drink all day without spending abrass rasso.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi John
How could you have left out the best one of all!
Smoked Snoek!!
Its was the yummiest of them all!
Cheers

[j.sabourn]

My old man told me after the war coming back from Burma the rumour got round the customs were going to search the ship. He said there was more presents and such they had brought home for their families, all went over the side before arrival. So even the British Army which had been abroad for years were subject to these money grubbers working on behalf of the government of the day, wasn't only the MN that was ignored for past efforts. JS

[j.sabourn]

#36... was the Criterion the one on the corner with the big outside veranda/balcony upstairs. Not too far from the del Monico, Wonder what they charge now for a ginger square. Brian will know as probably been there recently Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

#14 Just remembered the funnel mark I designed. Should never have forgot as his initials were DR or RD which would have given me quite a bit of scope if had been so minded, however didn't know what the future at the time held. So the funnel marking was a D with the R in front of it turned the other way round, the upright of the D also being used for the upright of the R. Was if remember black on a white band, the rest of the funnel being black as was the original colour all black. Black went well with the general colour of the ship as was a steamer and usually its arrival could be seen well in advance of her appearing above the horizon. JS Vern the same idea as your Shippingvest with the AB JS