Pets on ships.

[happy daze john in oz]

Des many of us had some lovely pets in port.
But on the Pretoria there was a pet who worked the switch board, very popular until she gave one of the wingers a present.

[Laurie Ridyard]

Here's some stories about pets on ships.

We had a cat on one ship, which used to jump onto the hatch covers to go round the sailors at coffee time.

One day, in port , it did that; but the covers were off and it it squelched on the hatch floor.

When I was an app.,up the creeks at anchor in Sapele, I walked past the mooring ropes and there was a very tiny baby monkey tied there. I went to have a closer look and it jumped onto my arm and would not let go. He was so small, he fitted into my cupped hands with just his head and tail sticking out. Well , I gave the bloke 200 cigs. for it; thinking it might be a pet for my then GF.

I got past the dock gates with it tucked inside my coat. My mother took to him and kept him for 6 years before packing him off to a zoo.

Then there was Sid , a donkey greaser on MV " Trecarne ". Down the West Coast of Africa , he bought a pet African Grey parrot. On the way back , we stopped off for bunkers in Las Palmas, and despite the " No shore leave " notice the gangway.Sid went ashore. When sailing time came, there was no sign of Sid, so off we went. As we got to the end of the breakwater, a taxi rolled up and Sid jumped out.

" Captain ! Captain! " He shouts " Look after my parrot !!!"

I got to looking after his parrot.

Well as we left a Union Castle Liner came in.

A day or two, later the Castle boat comes belting up our stern There was a large crowd on the deck and in the middle was Sid !!!

" Captain ! Captain! " He shouts " Look after my parrot !!! See you in Avonmouth."

All the passengers started cheering .

Well, anyways, we got Avonmouth and there was Sid standing on the quay waiting for us. He successfully pleaded with the C/E and Ol' man and did the next trip.

We went to Tampa to load phosphates, and Central American ports for coffee and general cargo for Japan.

We set off across the Pacific and about 24 hours later in the morning I was on watch steering the ship. Suddenly, there is a lot of yelling from down aft. I heard --

"???? overboard ! ???? overboard ! "

It was Sid. Rushing onto the Bridge, he shouts " Captain ! Captain ! Parrot overboard ! Turn the ship around ! My parrot has flown off ! "

I sneaked a look out the back and there was the parrot silhouetted against the rising sun, flying towards Central America !

Well, the Ol' Man would not turn the ship about and Sid was very miserable and downcast at the loss of his pet.

We got to Japan, and finished discharging the phosphates at Onahama where a new fertiliser factory had been built. Just before we were about to leave , a typhoon blew up. By the time it cleared, the ship's side looked like big sheets of corrugated iron ! Went to the Ishikawa Jima Yard in Tokyo for repairs.

Having completed the repairs, we started ballasting, filling up the deep tanks. The Mate, Charlie Abbott, gave me the task of watching to stop the main ballast pump. I saw something swimming round in circles and realised it was a mouse !

I found a piece of string and dangled it in front of the mouse. It climbed up and sat on my shoulder drying itself off !!!

I went up to report to Charlie with the mouse still on my shoulder. He said I'd best get rid of it ashore. So off I goes towards the gangway and here comes Sid, a look of astonishment on his face.

I explained how I found it and was taking it ashore.

" Oh ! You know I lost my parrot. I haven't got a pet now ! " Says Sid. " Can I keep it ? "

" OK ! " Says I, and off he goes.

A bit later , at smoko ; I was sitting on the hatch outside our cabin with mug of tea, when I heard shouting and yelling coming from the the Donkey Greasers' mess. I went to see what was going on and found Sid and another donkey greaser having a punch.

I stopped them and Sid started crying !

" He killed my mouse ! " He said.

The other one said " He's a nutcase " I was sat down having a cup of tea, when I heard a scuffling sound I looked under the bench and saw a box . I opened the box and a mouse jumped out, so I trod on it and killed it ! Sid came in and saw the empty box and started shouting at me< When I told him what happened, he went wild ! "

Poor Sid !

ATB

Laurie.