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Thread: Close Shaves .

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    Default Close Shaves .

    I have never grown a beard for over 6 months mainly because my better half would never condone such . However have had various close shaves. Some of these close shaves one envisages ones own mortality , which to my experience has never envisaged a past life , and dying in film like circumstances . One of quite a few was in 1962 when In collision with the Dutch passenger vessel the Rhuys in the River Plate . Standing on the forecastle head with 2 others and letting an anchor go seconds before hand, does nothing for the digestive system , also you will find out just how good your bowels are. Also if you are as good as Roger Bannister. The main thing though is ones mental system before during and if there is an after. I have been in other similar dangerous situations but honestly believe that when death is inevitable one accepts it as the normal sequence of events and goes quietly so to speak. I have had 4 associates died in the past 3-4 weeks , not with the present virus but with the common in law diseases of our era. Every one has gone quietly speaking quite lucidly and well controlled . What upset me more than anything else was that some of them were much younger than me , and appeared to be a great waste to the community as a whole. Death comes to us all , the later the better, but is pointless of being afraid of. JS
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    Default Re: Close Shaves .

    I can agree with that JS although we all know we have our time to go, it is something that one must accept as part of life's Circle. I know that when i was due to go under the Knife when i had my Op , i was as calm as could be, my Relatives commented on this after i recovered. I was at peace to tell the truth and ready for whatever was going to happen.

    I too have had some very narrow escapes in life and most of them i was calm and took things as they happened.

    Like you though i too get so angry when many that i know or should i say knew have since passed on, at times i ask myself Why!! And yes why am i still here !
    Cheers

    Way to go !
    Last edited by Doc Vernon; 20th January 2021 at 06:15 AM.
    Senior Site Moderator-Member and Friend of this Website

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    Default Re: Close Shaves .

    My neighbour died on the 6th January, he had prostate cancer and he knew it was terminal, had a fantastic positive attitude to it, here in UK at age 70 you have to renew your driving licence, he was 70 on the 18th Dec, and yes, he renewed his driving licence, kt
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    Default Re: Close Shaves .

    It's being so cheerful that keeps us going.

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    Default Re: Close Shaves .

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Cloherty View Post
    It's being so cheerful that keeps us going.
    Life is like being given a task, you just have to get on with it.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Close Shaves .

    Close shaves!!! had a few at sea. Three during the Iran Iraq war. We were up in Basra and had been there about 5 weeks. We had had a major main switch board failure caused by a welding rod having been left somewhere and it caused massive arc across the bus bars. We had shore side contractors assisting with rebuilding the board. The ships agent came onboard and advised the Captain that we needed to get away from Basra asap. Thankfully we were far enough on with repairs that we could go back on to ships power and get two gennies on load. The port area was really quiet. We let go ourselves and sailed just as it was getting dark. That was a UASC ship the Al Jabirah Russian built. If memory serves the Shat al Arab was only to be navigated in daylight hours. There were two other UASC ships in Basra at the same time. They said they would leave at first light. We made it out they did not and became war casualties and were there for the duration. The war lasted 8 years. I was to be involved in two more incidents on tankers during the war. The Al Safinia was hit by two rockets as we transited the Straits of Hormuz during daylight hours against all advice from the them Armilla Patrol. The result was 3 dead Captain Legget who had been onboard 24 hours the pump man & a steward. It took about 4 hours to get the fires out. We limped to Dubai and sat there for a week before anyone came near us. We were treated like sh-t by shore side authorities. Then a few years later got hit again by gun fire while sailing down the gulf by Iranians. Thankfully that time the only casualty was my underpants.

    My recent close shave was the past few weeks with a heart attack, then blacking out due to a reaction to a drug I was having receiving via a drip. I am not sure when that happened, but while I was out of it I am sure I experienced an out of body experience. It was as if I was looking down at myself and thinking, they are going to need a bigger box. Anyway I am doing well now , doing dry January and dying of hunger, but the weight is starting to reduce. If I was to cross the bar before my due time my greatest regret would be to miss my beautiful grand daughters grow up. I never knew I would be a soft touch for my Grand daughters.

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    Default Re: Close Shaves .

    My closest shave was as ch.mate on paper / lumber ship with a full deck load of packaged timber about 9000 tonnes worth. Transiting the Pandemonium Canal , main engine
    suddenly stopped. had just come off watch and was having a well earned beer when the alarm bells went off. Just entering Gatun lake where the canal is very narrow . Had to
    run all the way forrard over the built walkway on top of the deck cargo only to find the Chinese bosun had beat me too it. Ship had a good bit of way still on her and we were
    rapidly approaching the shore between some islands. Let go starboard anchor which promptly fouled a power cable to one of the islands , so let go the port anchor . At some
    point I knew the 11th.shackle had gone out and there was me with one foot on the brake lever and legs spread over the spurling pipe . Wife would not have been pleased.
    We did manage to stop her with not too much cable in locker. Woke up next morning and the front part of my hair in a semi-circle had gone white .
    That was 43 years ago and was the beginning of my white hair.
    We had serious engine problems all the way back to the UK including a week stop in Kingston Jamaica , but that's another story.

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    Default Re: Close Shaves .

    Close shave 1981 on the River Seine...... when it's just not your time. French newspaper report on collision with the MV Finnforest and the damage an icebreaker bow can do.
    In the newspaper photo where the mess-room storm door is missing, I was sat directly behind waiting to go on the midnight to four watch when it was ripped off. Bottom left what was left of my cabin. Bottom right photo me sat on the twisted bulwark next to the open mess-room port showing how close the grim reaper came to ending my career at sea just, a few weeks after my 18th Birthday.

    Last edited by Doc Vernon; 20th January 2021 at 07:54 PM. Reason: Enlarge Pic
    "Across the seas where the great waves grow, there are no fields for the poppies to grow, but its a place where Seamen sleep, died for their country, for you and for peace" (Billy McGee 2011)

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    Default Re: Close Shaves .

    I think in our times at sea we most likely had more close to death experiences than most.
    Between fire at sea, ships collision, cargo moving, falling from aloft etc.
    Then in foreign ports where some of the locals were less than friendly.

    But we took it all in our stride, just part of life's rich tapestry, so we get on with it.

    It may help if they could put use by dates on birth certificates, all mine has is a best by date on it.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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    Default Re: Close Shaves .

    Forgot to add one that i really will never forget.

    Glen Harmony Gold Mines 1965 .our team at Number 17 Level , which was approx 16500 foot Below Ground, had just come up in the Cages, and there waiting for us all was the Press with Cameras and the works. This being so as we had just completed our 1000.000 Fatality Free Shifts as a Team, Wow! how proud we were. Much celebrations that Night with most probably too many Drinks , but that was us Miners then Hard Workers, and Hard Drinkers.

    Now to the chase!

    On the third day thereafter, we went down as normal in the Cages to our respective Work Places called (Stopes) only about a Max of 2 Feet High, this is where we had to work 8 hrs a day, on hands and Knees, with ( Madolas Knee pads) . Very Hot indeed at some 46 degrees so you can imagine the loss of Weight on most.
    Anyway that day was the worst in my Life, as at about 3.20pm that Afternoon, i had in my Stope what is called a Bump! This is the Entire Length of the Stope caving in, it comes down in very thick and large Sections of heavy Rock Sheets.
    There is mostly no way that anyone under such a Bump could come out alive, and sadly this was the case that day. I lost 12 of the best Workers (Non Whites) that i had known, they were all to the Man the best . As i was so lucky in being at the end of that Stope, i managed to not cop the full brunt,and came out with a lot of cuts and very sore Limbs. I had also Broken a Leg.
    I was put on a Stretcher and taken to the Cage which whipped me up to surface, straight to Hospital.

    That then was it, all those Million Shifts that we had worked so hard obtain, gone with one Bump. but of course no one to blame, as it was an Act of God!

    That day will live with me forever, remember when they came to rescue as many as they could, i saw so many limbs from under large Sections of Rock, knowing full well that they had perished.
    Yes a sad day indeed, but something that we lived with every day on the Mines and we knew it!

    There have been many such accidents over the Years and it will continue, nothing one can do about it.
    Cheers
    Senior Site Moderator-Member and Friend of this Website

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