#8.... Agree totally with you Lewis. I served about 5+ years on foreign flagged ships so had built up a bit of a barrier to the minus"s with foreign crews. I retired officially in 2002 and even then was pleased to get out. The standard of seamanship and knowledge was way back what it had been 20 years previous to this and this wasn't foreign flagged ships. The standards what I saw are abysmal compared with previous years. Just before retiring the mate about 24 years of age asked me when I was retiring, why I asked him, his reply was you are holding me back. Personally I wouldn't of carried him as ballast he was useless. The same man or boy had a Master 1 certificate and my only answer to such is they must be giving them away now. Cheers JS