Words we will never use again.

[cappy]

I remember my granny's last words to me ... "Robert, you're not as black as you're painted".

#####my granny always said ah 99 are in the fold and 1 on the hills far away......regards cappy

[Captain Kong]

When I was 15 in 1950 I told my Grandma that I was going to join the Merchant Navy,
she said,,"Why are you joining that, only thieves and murderers join that, you should join that Navy that has guns on".
She was born in 1879.
Brian

[Evan Lewis]

Re.your Post 110 Ivan.
Beggars belief that the situation you describe, obtained
The sort of thing one would expect to see in Ripley's .Believe it or not
How were they ever allowed to practice it? Considering the obvious result .In busy Shipping lanes etc.

different actions as we know that Blue Flue (and a couple of others Glen etc) had different names for things, cabins were always 'rooms' they rang one bell for something sighted on the port side, and two bells for something sighted on the starboard side, which was quite contrary to all other vessels sailing the oceans.

[Roger Dyer]

Re.your Post 110 Ivan.
Beggars belief that the situation you describe, obtained
The sort of thing one would expect to see in Ripley's .Believe it or not
How were they ever allowed to practice it? Considering the obvious result .In busy Shipping lanes etc.

different actions as we know that Blue Flue (and a couple of others Glen etc) had different names for things, cabins were always 'rooms' they rang one bell for something sighted on the port side, and two bells for something sighted on the starboard side, which was quite contrary to all other vessels sailing the oceans.

Evan, old mate, I share your disbelief. Unfortunately, the example of 'latent confusion' given by Ivan is but one of many that seafarers have had to contend with in the past (and still do, no doubt).

As a 'frinstance', may I draw your attention to the matter of lateral buoyage when entering/or leaving a port, harbour or marked channel (waterway). At one time, there existed in the world more than thirty (30) different buoyage systems, each with it's own interpretation of usage. For example, a vessel entering a European harbour or channel would find that a right-hand 'lateral buoy or marker' was/ is, coloured green, whereas in North America and certain other parts of the world the reverse is true. In 1980, seeking to standardise procedures and thereby minimise confusion, the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (I.A.L.A.) agreed to adopt a dual system throughout the world....Region A and Region B.

Region A. (adopting the Eoropean system).... applies in Europe, Australasia, parts of Africa and most of Asia and the Pacific (other than the Philippines, Japan and Korea).

Region B..(adopting the U.S. system).... applies in North America, South America, Central America, Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan and Korea.

It would seem that, in the main (forgive the pun), this partition has been brought about by the traditional influence of Europe and the U.S. upon World trade. What a pity it is then, that in this modern world wherein maritime safety is ever more critical to future ecology and seafarer alike, petty jealousies and self-interest cannot be put aside for the common good. They can't quite get it right, can they ? Oh! well on with the motley....hard right...hard left.... flank speed..... and away we Gooooo!!!

Roger

[j.sabourn]

Navigation in buoyed waters to the Board of Trade always referred to the Admiralty Buoyage system and worked on the main stream of flood tide around the British Isles. A buoyed channel in that case would leave buoy on whatever side as appropriate when going into a port and on the opposite side coming out. As buoys usually have lights on as well, they were also distinguishable in darkness. They were either flashing or occulting. For those not aware of an occulting light it is one where the period of light is greater than the period of darkness. That is if my memory hasn't gone with other parts of the body. Ships due to the ordinary practice of seamen always kept to the starboard side of the channel. The likes of an isolated danger buoy you would know which side to pass on by its topmark on the buoy itself, whether to leave it to port or starboard, today I would imagine the Admiralty Buoyage system would be I imagine still be a compulsory subject for British certification, but again may be wrong, it used to be an orals question for second mate. As this for me was 60 years ago, it was proof that things got drummed into you in those days, or you were out the door. I got an old broomshank and cut it down to 2 inch bits carved out every bit in the shape of a can or sphere or triangle painted the appropriate colour and used to set out my own buoyage system hopefully in readiness for the examiner as it turned out he asked something entirely different wanting to know all the characteristics of the lights instead, I had as well learned them off by heart as well, but would have to look in a book now which I don't have. Cheers JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

Re.your Post 110 Ivan.
Beggars belief that the situation you describe, obtained
The sort of thing one would expect to see in Ripley's .Believe it or not
How were they ever allowed to practice it? Considering the obvious result .In busy Shipping lanes etc.

different actions as we know that Blue Flue (and a couple of others Glen etc) had different names for things, cabins were always 'rooms' they rang one bell for something sighted on the port side, and two bells for something sighted on the starboard side, which was quite contrary to all other vessels sailing the oceans.

Unfortunately Evan it is absolutely true as many who served with Blue Flue have reminded us, if you are brought up with the system as a midshipman (not cadet in Blue Flue) then you know no difference, and as a lookout you probably do as you are told, although most Blue Flue deckies were lifetime served in that company

[Ivan Cloherty]

Buoyage was first introduced into Britain in Liverpool in 1770 by one Captain William Hutchinson, (who incidentally invented the first parabolic reflector for lighthouses) it was adopted by other river authorities and became the UK standard and remained virtually unchanged until 1939 (when it was changed probably because of war reasons), but the system had migrated to the USA in the 1800's and is retained by the Americans to this day. In 1997 in modified form it became the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (region B) and pertains today throughout the Americas, North and South Korea, Japan and the Philippines.

Whilst we are commenting on that era in 1775 the Royal Navy changed from French Brandy as a standard issue to Rum, this was to aid the sugar plantations of the West Indies and also deprive the French of a source of revenue.

After the American war of Independence trade between America and Great Britain expanded at an unprecedented rate with America becoming one of Britain's largest markets

Funny old world innit!

[j.sabourn]

Just trying to go back when checking ships certification re wires ropes and chains. I am also not sure but think the word insurance wire was a seamans interpretation. We all called it an insurance wire, but think the certificate said Towing Wire. As regards the preventers on derricks I also called them that apart from other things, as Ivan says they were usually the most kinked up wires on a ship as had spent their proper working life around the barrel of a winch. The working life of any wire used to be the percentage of breakage of wires to a strand, so a perfectly good wire could be condemned for a small length of the wire being damaged. One had also preventer wires around the goosenecks of the derrick heel blocks. This was a bone of contention especially in Aussie ports, as was the normal practice to put these short lengths of wire on with bulldog grips. Some of the Aussie stevedores used to insist they were spliced which was a very awkward job to do. It is all things of long ago as would be rare to see any wire splicing nowadays as is all ferrules, modern bulldog grips, As regards mooring ropes it would be more likely to see a bowline for an eye than an eye splice, as for long and short splices in the length of the rope that would probably be regarded as a specialist job. We lost more than ships when the British MN went down the gurgler, we lost all the experience and knowledge of seafarers in general. JS

[j.sabourn]

Cappy did you know a Bosun from SS called Kincaid. JS

[cappy]

Cappy did you know a Bosun from SS called Kincaid. JS

#####seppy kincaid bosun on the cragmoor .....blieve he was a company man for runcimans .....one of the nicest guys i ever came across loked after me on ist trip ...rang his home address a few years ago now ....and his wife stated she had lost her loveley seppi ....i was gutted at the time and lost for words he was the sort of guy you would think lived forever.........a gentleman of the sea .......very much admiredin the seafaring community regards cappy