Another cruise ship mishap

[Keith Tindell]

I would not argue with that Rob, perhaps it was just a job to give the bridge boy something to do !!, apart from making tea, and running down to female passengers with hand written messages from the various officers, often thought of opening one, reading it, and tearing it up afterwards, randy sods, kt

[j.sabourn]

#20....Ditto Rob.. Kidde Riche Smoke Detector Unit. Same as your navigation light indicator it would also give a buzz if a lamp was out , you could then switch over to the emergency lamp, if that went to, it was a hike up the mast. The old carbon pile on a DC ship for the gyro was the the one though used to shriek like a banshee. And had to use a screwdriver to adjust. As regards communications you couldn’t beat the old speaking tube, nothing to go wrong there only if you lost the pea out of the whistle, also acted as a good fire guard , if saw smoke coming out of the old mans voice pipe the old beggar was smoking in bed again.either that or he was playing gin rummy with the devil. The less you had on a ship that could go wrong the better. Wonder if they still bother to keep the vents on or off the wind as required used to be a full time job sometimes for the stand by man, although is rare to see the old cowl vents on a ship these days. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

#21... Keith what did you sign on as when it you were delegated to. Be bridge boy. Shows how the other half lived. On an ordinary cargo ship , one of the stewards brought up the bridge box containing. Cheese sarnies or whatever wrapped in grease proof paper together with 3 mugs, the tea kettle. Was a permanent fixture on the bridge. If you didn’t eat the sandwiches it was advisable to feed them to the fish , otherwise got them back the next night. Especially if Cappy was there being the good company man he was. I think those bridge people who knew nothing but passenger ships would have had a few Eye openers if had served on other vessels. I sailed with an AB off the Queen Mary once and don’t think he ever wanted to see another passenger ship again. Said the accomodation for crew was lousy and the discipline like being in a guards regiment. Think he said his main job was putting and sorting passenger deck chairs out. Thought they may have had a special rating for that Deck Chair Attendant. Cheers JS

[Chris Allman]

AH the bridge box - mock crab sandwiches - fried egg sandwiches - Fried eggs left over from breakfast for both with a little tomato sauce - the best ever a liver and bacon sandwich, I kid you not, a liver and bacon sandwich with the gravy scraped off. I pity the fish that got that one. The curly bread put me off straight away, slightly toasty with hardened butter - memories re-lived after being long forgotten - I actually really loved my time at sea despite the bridge box.

[j.sabourn]

After some long forgotten chippy had gone to such lengths to make such a useful and appropriate box for carrying such culinary delights seemed a shame for it to be so abused by being made to carry such unwholesome delicacy’s as it did for only them up there. JS.....

[Keith Tindell]

John23, this was on a Castle liner and i was signed on as deck boy, did 3 trips on that ship. last one i got my JOS, and was off, served all my time thereafter on cargo ships, mostly on trampers, go away, stay away, jobs, loved it, kt

[robpage]

Clan Line sandwiches Engine Room and Bridge was Heinz Sandwich spread every night on one thirteen month trip , but on the 4 - 8 for a small baksheesh was a 6 AM Stuffed poratha

[cappy]

AH the bridge box - mock crab sandwiches - fried egg sandwiches - Fried eggs left over from breakfast for both with a little tomato sauce - the best ever a liver and bacon sandwich, I kid you not, a liver and bacon sandwich with the gravy scraped off. I pity the fish that got that one. The curly bread put me off straight away, slightly toasty with hardened butter - memories re-lived after being long forgotten - I actually really loved my time at sea despite the bridge box.

####ah the bridge box ....eggs left from breakfast not in runcimans .....hains ....BTC.....shell....as second steward in the iron ore carriers ...the sarnies were like M and S a plethora of goodies....but the worst was pilchards on a hains boat they were in tommy sauce and when opening the can the stink was incredible .....they were always black in colour and being made about the end of the 12 to 4 watch were rancid in the tropics an hour later .....sadly they were also laid out down aft from the galley on a strip of lettuce 3 days out which turned from green into slimy looking thing ......i have seen them night after night.......each morning bring them down and sling them .....i did see a comment on the site saying the cooks left out a fry up in the galley for the night watches ......but again never ever saw that .....the galley was closed at night ....the cook was king in that area .....only saw the galley open on a coal burner galley range to keep the fire up....but nothing ever to cook left about to cook ....suppose on the big ships as we called the passenger boats .there was the black pan.....but never saw that ever .....but the ore carriers fresh food aboad regularly.......cheese and tom ......any left overs were minced ie lamb pork beef etc .....used to eat them regulaly .....those iron ore cariers were a different breed for grub .....must admit to what can only be described as theft on one ore carrier ........where before sailing the captains wife called me up to his cabin gave me a case of lobster tails and a large round cheese as this was two of his favourites......the lobster tails were delicious and as i took a can i shoved atin of fruit to fill up the missing space .....the old manwould regularly have his lobster and prime chees ....cappy and co always joined him ..in our great accom on the ore carriers.....after a few trips we arrived in shields so i decided to have a while at home ......the new second steward arived a jock i showed him the case of of lobster tails which by now was all tins of fruit .....and off i trotted......if your reading this jock sorry ...but as the old saying goes one hand for the company and one for yourself......regards cappy

[j.sabourn]

#28 Those ore carriers were probably on Bisco charter , most were on 15 year terms with top charter rates and a host of goodies in the charter party small print. As was a government dept. you were probably receiving all the gratuities which were subsidised by your own income tax payments. However that’s what money is supposed to do go around so everyone benefits. So people can moan about nationalisation but in this case seamen did get some of the benefits. PS are you speaking French yet. JS...

[Keith Tindell]

Must have been a good hearted cook on the Haines boat i was on Cappy, on the 12-4 watch always left us out the making of a full English breakfast, in return we kept the galley stove in for him, and the galley left spotless after we had eaten. How come in those days would turn in after that bloody great breakfast, and no indigestion ??, if i did that now would haunt me all night, ah happy days on the old Treworlas, kt