past times @ sea.

[j.sabourn]

The ships movies I was with were from Walports. Whatever happened to them.

[Ivan Cloherty]

. Oh for the gadgetry & IT stuff around to today .
Cheers Brian W.

Brian, we were better without it, we managed to discover things with our brain and feet in most cases. Another good radio was the 'Eddystone marine receiver' model 670, which operated on AC or DC and voltage ranges 110-250 volts and suitable for all climates, mind you it was very expensive and certainly beyond my means

[John Arton]

We had Walport movies in C.P. and they later changed from the reel movies to video cassettes. The first ship I was on had a record player in the lounge along with a selection of L.P.'s but by the late 60's the cassette music player (Sony Walkman) had become the norm so you could take away a decent selection of music with you along with the player without having to employ Charles Atlas to lug your baggage around. AKAI was the most popular maker of radio cassette players and they could be picked up quite cheaply in the likes of Rotterdam or Panama.
Can anyone remember the name of the store in Rotterdam that would send a bus down to the ship to pick up crew members and take them to the store where they could purchase duty or tax free items. They sold all manner of goods, clothing, electrical, spirits and tobacco.
If you had an Indian crew they would only purchase an electrical item that was marked "Made in Japan" as an electrical item made in any other country would not attract the same value as a Japanese made one, when sold on when they returned home.
rgds
JA

[Captain Kong]

In the old days before trannies etc, we entertained ourselves with foo foo bands, A tea chest, broom handle and boat lacing as a Base, mouth organ and maybe a guitar,
On the old `Georgic`, with our 3,000 immigrants Australia on the fore deck we had such a band, I was on the `base`, all the young teenage girls came down to the fore deck, which was for crew only and dance. The Master at Arms would be trying to shift them and gave up in the end.
some good nights in that six weeks to OZ .via the Cape. I copped off with a beautiful green eyed ginger girl.
Brian

[Brian McIlroy]

We had Walport movies in C.P. and they later changed from the reel movies to video cassettes. The first ship I was on had a record player in the lounge along with a selection of L.P.'s but by the late 60's the cassette music player (Sony Walkman) had become the norm so you could take away a decent selection of music with you along with the player without having to employ Charles Atlas to lug your baggage around. AKAI was the most popular maker of radio cassette players and they could be picked up quite cheaply in the likes of Rotterdam or Panama.
Can anyone remember the name of the store in Rotterdam that would send a bus down to the ship to pick up crew members and take them to the store where they could purchase duty or tax free items. They sold all manner of goods, clothing, electrical, spirits and tobacco.
If you had an Indian crew they would only purchase an electrical item that was marked "Made in Japan" as an electrical item made in any other country would not attract the same value as a Japanese made one, when sold on when they returned home.
rgds
JA

Botlek Stores (sp?)

[John Arton]

Brian #15
Yes Botlek stores it was, bit of a rip off merchant. They were still going up to 2008 as were a similar outfit in Antwerp, Sunny Radio. Both of them used to deliver the duty free purchases just before the ship sailed and you would see all the Indian crew (and later the Russians) hopping around as departure time approached hoping to receive their purchases before the ship sailed. They always delivered though the Antwerp outfit would only deliver once you were in the locks out bound.
Latterly I had problems with crew members buying spirits in those places and trying to smuggle them on board. We did have a bond with spirits in it but sale was strictly limited and it was there for paying off crew members, along with entertaining shore whallahs.
rgds
JA

[Ivan Cloherty]

I,

1.I was on the `base`,

2.I copped off with a beautiful green eyed ginger girl.
Brian

1. I used to play the teachest base as well, in our onboard skiffle group, we were asked to play in a few pubs in Oz (1950/60's), free beer

2. Sounds like a bit of a Tomcat Brian

[John F Collier]

#8, Hi John, I used to take a Phillips record player to sea I had a transformer that was very lightweight but big in size, I had the 45rpm singles and ep's, 78rpm's were not very suitable as they were heavy and broke easily, it livened up many a dull evening at sea, "Happy Days" .
The NZSCo ORARI also had a screen rigged for movies in suitable weather, it was great to sit out on a hatch on a warm evening watching a movie under the stars with all the lads having a laugh, we also had a timber framed canvas lined swim pool that was put together as soon as the weather warmed up, a far cry from life on the sailing ship days I think. cheers JC

[joseph connor]

Of my various radios at sea one was a blue and white PERDIO the handle having deep teeth marks from when climbing up to the lookout on Canada ,lol.
Another a big Bush if you took the two big batteries out you could get 220 ciggs inside ,worked every time .
Blue flus had brilliant radiogram in the rec room ,loved listening to the American forces network .
On Blueys the top ten record chart was supplied at the start of a deep sea ttrip .
Remember watching all theEalling movies on the hatch , drinking Tuborg beer .

[John F Collier]

Of my various radios at sea one was a blue and white PERDIO the handle having deep teeth marks from when climbing up to the lookout on Canada ,lol.
Another a big Bush if you took the two big batteries out you could get 220 ciggs inside ,worked every time .
Blue flus had brilliant radiogram in the rec room ,loved listening to the American forces network .

I also bought a Perdio in that colour when I left the MN, they were great little radio's you could take them anywhere, I kept it for years, you can still see them on eBay. JC