Steering ticket

[Michael Black]

As a lowly J.O.S on a first watchkeeping trip on board the good ship Canopic we had just left the Aussie coast homeward bound when the iron mike decided to pack up.
We were only about 2 days out and I suppose someone thought they could fix it. So back to 3 man watches, 2 hours hand steering each watch all the way home. Being young and still learning I never thought about my steering ticket, it was just part of the routine of a seamens lot.
Next trip same ship, same master, same chief mate I asked about getting my ticket.
"You will have to do 10 hours on the wheel"
"What about last trip, I must have done about a 100 hours on the wheel coming home."
" That was last trip, you will have to do your 10 hours. "
And so I did and had to do it in my own time as we were only 1 watchkeeper deep sea and I couldn't steer and keep a lookout at the same time!
Lesson learnt.
Regards Michael

[Tony Taylor]

I got my steering ticket on a run from Panama to Aus.
As 12/4 watchkeeper, I would take the log books up to the C/E and would have a beer and a chat with him, he would drink neat rum from his favourite Heineken glass, more than half full. He would keep me there for ages and it was a last minute dash to get showered up before chow.
I tried sneaking up and leaving the logs books outside his cabin but as soon as he heard my shower go next door he would be in and settled on my daybed with his rum, pipe and slippers before I got out of the shower, and keep me tied up for even longer, often chasing the saloon steward when he came to enquire if I was coming down for dinner.
Eventually, I would sneak the books up to his cabin door and do a runner up midships and get showered in the 2nd mates cabin then up to bridge to do some wheel time.
He was a nice guy but I would have ended up a plonky as well if I hadn't done my steering ticket.

[j.sabourn]

#1 That must have been after 1966 Michael. Previous to the Seaman’s strike there were always at least 2 on a watch with an automatic steering system . The template for future manning must have been written out during the strike by government and shipowner alike. The first hours when the official back to work came into being, we were the second ship out of the locks sailing Port Talbot, and had already been told the new working hours , so had to inform the forward gang the facts of life on the forecastle head,a Maltese said it all when he said “ The bSkets have done it to us again “. The union must have known all about it beforehand but certainly left it in my case to explain it. To the seamen. It was a little clause inserted into the legislation that if a ship which had automatic steering , and a bell from the bridge to the messroom then that vessel could proceed with 1 man on a watch. Nothing about lookouts, standbys , or the safe practice of seamen. It was the unofficial start of demanning of ships in 1966. The after effects and days of the future were there JS

[Les Woodard]

That is one of the main reasons for me jumping ship from the Southland Star. It was the worst ship that I had signed on excluding the Esso Chelsea. Bloody phone in the cabin for watch keeping and blisters on my fingertips from topping sticks and cranes. No atmosphere at all and to top it of just before leaving London the Bosun purchased a pink fluffy carpet for his cabin. Only lasted until Melb and got legless and left her and all my gear to start a new life with a hangover and no gear to my name but survived all the same. Thanks largely to all those other jumped seamen who where getting larger as modernisation took hold I am sure. Remember the golden rule. They would buy you drinks but never any food. Simple rule that if you where fed then you would not look for work and become a liability.

[Michael Black]

Yes John, 1970, some masters would wait a couple of days before engaging the automatic steering, Some almost as soon as the pilot was off.
Was that just his preference or experience of that area.?
We would do an hour lookout on the monkey island, 10 minute smoko then back on lookout.
Regards Michael

[Keith Tindell]

I was only on the old system , the joy of being *farmer * every third night, and on a ship with no overtime, 12-4 watch, would knock up a full english breakfast , and then crash out. Come to think of it, if i was to turn in on a full breakfast , would suffer with indigestion big time now. kt

[John Arton]

I got my steering ticket on my first trip to sea and as the crew were Spanish the captain decided he wanted an Englishman on the wheel when under pilotage, so for for most ports I was helmsmen.
Always remembering having an argument with a Liverpool pilot when we were going fully laden up to Tranmere, I was using a prominent point ashore to steady the ships head on but the pilot was getting annoyed that the gyro heading was different to what he had requested and he got huffed when I pointed out to him that when he said "steady as she goes" I was lining the foremast up with a prominent mark ashore and using that to steer on as it would indicate the start of a swing faster than if I was constantly having to look down at the gyro repeater.
Rgds
J.A.

[j.sabourn]

A steering ticket as far as I recollect had no real authority as such , it only said that the bearer of such had completed 10 hours of steering the ship. The only official thing on it was the ships stamp and someone’s signature. I may not be right as I never had one , but for anyone above deck boy it would be automatically assumed everyone had put in the hours. Can never recollect any remarks out of 10 for capability’s. Which would be 5 watches say 3 days without farmers . Not much on a 6 week passage. Steering today can be of various types , some ships have no rudders so have to steer the same as an outboard engine , usually two outboard engines , and the only time in hand is when manouvering the ship which is a totally different aspect of than the old wheel and telemotor system. Most modern ships of today you won’t see a ships wheel , in fact it may look on the bridge more like the star ship Enterprise. JS

[Keith Tindell]

Bit like my car John, still don't know what all the gizmos do, kt

[Tony Taylor]

I got my steering ticket on my first trip to sea and as the crew were Spanish the captain decided he wanted an Englishman on the wheel when under pilotage, so for for most ports I was helmsmen.
Always remembering having an argument with a Liverpool pilot when we were going fully laden up to Tranmere, I was using a prominent point ashore to steady the ships head on but the pilot was getting annoyed that the gyro heading was different to what he had requested and he got huffed when I pointed out to him that when he said "steady as she goes" I was lining the foremast up with a prominent mark ashore and using that to steer on as it would indicate the start of a swing faster than if I was constantly having to look down at the gyro repeater.
Rgds
J.A.

Nice on John