Rape and Pillage

[vic mcclymont]

Many of you have written about your adventures, some hilarious, others serious. What stands out about your adventures is the size of the crew onboard your ships.
On the Clan Ranald in the South African fruit season, which lasted from February until late August, if lucky September.
We had a Zulu deck and engine crew; we had a crew of four engineers and one electrician, sometimes, not often a fourth engineer. We also had a fridge engineer who earned his keep whilst loading fruit.
On many occasions on the S.A. coast we would only spend maybe a max three nights loading cargo and of these we had to spend one night onboard as duty engineer..
We must have been at the cusp of the changeover of plentiful to the few. Nights ashore in Cape Town was to a restaurant on the 24th floor of a tower block (ever try to get a decent meal from a Zulu crew on the Cape Coast).
So, we did not have the luxury of large crowds venturing ashore to rape and pillage.
How I envy some of you with the stories of ventures ashore with your mates, whilst we were stuck onbaord.
Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed my time at sea, and would do it all over again given the chance
regards
Vic

[vic mcclymont]

That's her Lewis, 1970 -1973. 70 she was converted H&W to UMS.
Sailed Chief, Second, J2, 3, and Leckie. Sometimes fourth. Fridge eng. Was to busy in Port.
About 10,000 dwt.
17.5 knots.
Vic
Ps sh was a reefer

[vic mcclymont]

Yes Lewis, that was me.
Vic

[j.sabourn]

Vic, ships of the 60 s and 70s I was on with the normal as of then with 6 engineers and 3 mates on board. The mate and second eng. did no have to do a night on board. The old man and chief never. But of a certain disposition would sometimes say I”ll do it. Apprentices had to do a night on board regardless. In the UK were paid. Pound a night only if we’re not a port relief officer. One time on leave they put me relieving a second mate who was going back in the ship after being foreign. The pounds I earned doing nights on board were paid and then then taken back off me on the reading of the rules that port relief officers weren’t paid such. When the union heard they wanted me to demand back saying I wasn’t a port relieve officer I still went to sea . Being a good brainwashed company’s man I took no action, one of the many things I would put right if had the chance again. The rule from that time was displayed more clearly, a port relief officer was one who never went to sea on FG articles. As regards leckies a good friend of mine was a Ships lecky, I sailed with him when he was chief engineer . Also a second mate with a mates cert. whose intention after Master was to go for his engineering Certs. He had started life as a Ships carpenter of the old school and was a time served shipwright , I have no doubt all things being equal he would have got as well. Anyone from Wallsend May Be know him Tom Smith. He broke my nose unintentionally once, as the 2 junior engineers were taking the piss out of him one night and he wasn’t a man to mess with after a few drinks. He had a hold of one of them and would have taken his head off his shoulders. And I got between them , so took the punch for someone else. The old man wanted to know what happened and I said I had walked into a door , didn’t tell him it was a big watertight steel one though. Fixed the nose myself , and put it down as another learning curve as was only 27 at the time. Never held it against him, he was a good seaman. Cheers JWS.

[j.sabourn]

PS to previous the R/Os rarely did a day aboard never mind a night. Were usually the first down the accomodation ladder. If the quay wasn’t too far some some didn’t even wait. JS

[robpage]

the Clan "Rs" were quite ahead of their time , the British and Commonwealth engineering department were innovative and were quick off the blocks with control rooms , air conditioned for the electronics not the engineers , it was aa good company to work for , I left for higher money on tankers

[robpage]

In my old fashioned thought I would have open bridge wings on every ship

[cappy]

Vic, ships of the 60 s and 70s I was on with the normal as of then with 6 engineers and 3 mates on board. Cheers JWS.

####what do you mean you fixed your nose yourself ....it doesnt look fixed to me ........old mate lol cappy

[Ivan Cloherty]

In my old fashioned thought I would have open bridge wings on every ship

I think most of us old fashioned navigators would agree with that, nothing like a blast of cold fresh air to bring you back to life on a weary watch and an open bridge wing gives you an unrestricted view of what is around you, things you never knew existed from inside the wheelhouse

[robpage]

I have different thoughts Ivan , rattle my telegraph , eat my smoke comes to mind