Drink

[Stan Carter]

while coming to Canada on the carmania, got to know our table waiter pretty well. after he finished his shifts he would take me down to the pig for a few beers. cheaper than drinking all night up top.
regards, stan

[Doc Vernon]

Not doubting this but did not know that was allowed,as the Pig was only for Crew!
I am sure he could have got in a lot of strife! Lucky!

[j.sabourn]

Sailed with a few ex alcoholics , and the saying is... There are non so pure as the purified.... the ones I knew were always preaching the evils of Drink. One was a master and used to stand right up close to you for one of two reasons, 1. He either wanted a sniff of your breath as was dying for a smell, or 2..He wanted to accuse you of drinking and give him an excuse to give you another sermon. There were some bad cases of alcoholism I had a couple with the DTs one had to get down on the deck and fish his tongue out from the back of his mouth and hold with a spoon to prevent him swallowing, this was on the deck of a supply boat fortuanetly we were alongside in Norway so able to hospitalise him. Another was a seaman shanghaied on a. Stand by boat who was thrown onboard just prior to sailing he came to with the shakes the following day at sea and hadn't a clue how he got there. I used to carry an illicit bottle of spirits so managed to wean him off during the following 6 weeks. Alcoholism is an illness and if are prone to shouldn't drink, easy enough to say if not prone to, don't look down on your father for it, he was one of the unlucky ones. Most seamen drank themselfs sick and that was it, an alcoholic just carries on drinking. Finally they suffer from alcohol poisoning and are liable to die, that is if failure of the liver doesn't beat it first. Today you have the scourge of drugs to contend with, which is just as bad if not worse. People put their own views on an alcoholic saying he only drinks to give him courage, and lack of moral fibre etc. but think a practicing doctor would put a few more views forward as to its causes. Most illnesses like cancer etc. tend to run in family's maybe it may be so with alcioholism. Is very easy to accuse someone but unless one knows the history of the person is best to seek medical advise. Some drink heavily to try and attain oblivion whilst under emotional stress. As of someone dying, I know this because tried, however know I am not an alcoholic because it didn't work for me, all I managed to attain was a bad head, sick, and a bad dose of the runs. Still owe my son 3 bottles of spirits which I consumed in 3 days plus others he didn't know about. However he never got back as didn't want to encourage him. Got him drunk in Yugoslavia on wine once when he was 15 and has never drank since, also gave him a cigarette when he was 11 as asked for one. Never smoked since. He is now in his 50"s. Has his good health to thank me for. JWS

[robpage]

ferries up until the Pride of Free Enterprise had a drink problem , i have sailed with more than one alcoholic engineer ,one used to make a home brew , 5 gallon drum with steam and condenser pipes , smelt awful , made a mash out of spuds , and bread yeast. an old RFA man swore they had a fireman who drank Avcat with orange juice

[happy daze john in oz]

Robert, Smithy and John Reagan worked at the Shipping Federation also known as the "pool" in Salford (Manchester). They ran the office where all the seamans jobs were dished out. I sailed out of there until 1966 before moving to London. I moved back in 1970 and joined the Baltic Viking.

Trader, would that John Reagan have ever done any time with Manchester Liners.?
If so he is the same John now in an aged care facility here in Sunbury, just outside of Melbourne, and I get to see him on occasions.

[j.sabourn]

Trader think it was Salford we lay at discharging grain I think, however this was about 1960 ish. The old man took me to the shipping office there and introduced me to the staff at the shipping office there but wouldn't have a clue to their names. I was the 2nd mate and he left me with a list of people needed and the articles and I used to go to the shipping office every morning as necessary. When came to sailing time we were 3 ABs short, so I phoned my new found friends at the shipping office and they sent 3 more down straight away. Getting to the locks before going out into the Mersey, the 3 originals jumped onboard. I was crapping myself having to tell the old man we had 3 too many onboard . He took it all in his stride said that's ok wel'll just pay 3 off and put them in the pilot cutter at point Lynas. My other recollection was being in the local pub at Salford and flaking out at this old woman's house coming to the next mornings All She wanted2 half crowns for her grand children. I have more than likely met the two names you mention , but as usual were ships that passed in the night. Cheers JWS.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Robert it would be nice to know if you have learnt anything from all the foregoing and whether it has changed your view on your father's perceived (on your part) alcohol problem, and if you still consider him to be an alcoholic can you perhaps better understand the reasons why

[Captain Kong]

Default Re: Drink,
Not doubting this but did not know that was allowed,as the Pig was only for Crew!
I am sure he could have got in a lot of strife! Lucky!
Vernon.

Hi Vertnon.
in the 50s in Cunard on the old Franconia.
Many passengers came down to the Pig. We had the Gambling tables, , Roulette, Poker, Crappy Dice, Cock and Hen boards etc.
Gambling was illegal on passenger ships trading to the USA in those days.

Bob Hope, Burt Lancaster. Alan Ladd and many other Celebs were frequent visitors there and always bought a round of drinks for the ;lads..
Cheers
Brian

[Red Lead Ted]

Fully agree Marian, I also believe it is genetics at work, As my old Mam would say the drink chooses you if you let it, Not you choosing the drink Regards Terry.

[John Arton]

From my very first trip to sea in C.P., every ship had a bar and alcohol was freely available to all on board, the companies thinking behind the provisions of bars was that it was better to have drink openly available in a social space where excessive consumption could be monitored and controlled if necessary, so no "cabin drinking". It certainly seemed to work as in the 20 odd years I sailed in C.P. I can only recall sailing with 4 true alcoholics and even those could still carry out their duties at all times and amongst those 4 there was only one truly obnoxious person who got aggressive when in his cups. Working with the Greeks there was always beer on the table at sunday lunch but most of the Greek captains were more interested in ensuring that their end of contract bonus was big that they would cut down, or out, any frivolous expenditures such as bond stores (exception being tobacco as they all were chain smokers). This parsimonious attitude even extended to safety items such as Draeger tubes for testing chemical atmospheres.
Even In my last company I had a Masters bond and beer was available to all though spirits were restricted to pay off bottles. As the ships were bloody hard working on constant short sea passages with tank cleaning virtually every 3 days there was very little opportunity to have a pizz up so it was down to a couple of beers at the end of the working day if you were not too knackered. Towards the end of my time there they started introducing certain restrictions such as no alcohol to be sold 18 hours prior to arrival in port, random breathalyser tests etc. All their deep sea ships had bar/lounges but on the small vessels I was on we would gather in my cabin for drinks or if we were having a birthday celebration or Philippine karaoke night, in the crew mess room.
They were getting towards banning alcohol sales to all, especially deep sea, when I retired but strangely enough on there company issued list of bond and slop chest items they always listed branded spirits, wines and beer. This to have alcohol on board should any shore staff visit or any shippers representative's on board.
As for the dreaded Oranjeboom beer (now a yuppy ale) if you had in on board you knew that the Chief Steward had done a fiddle as even Dutch people thought it was crap and chandlers always had trouble shifting it, offering it for sale to ships a low prices which suddenly went up by as much as 15% once it was on sale on board.
WE did have Heineken on board one trip (not one of my favourites) but it must not have been regular stuff but extra strength or summat. What ever, after a few of them in the bar at night time, many of us were suffering terrible nightmares and even sleep walking. That trip (I was Mate with wifey on board) had to give up the ale and revert to G & T.
rgds
J.A.