Tramping Trips

[Peter Drake]

Ivan I reckon I was on the same charter as you but earlier.Joined 30th December 1960 and paid off in South Shields 2nd Feb 1962.Many of the same ports in China Aus Canada and Japan as you.I was due to get married in the June, Ropners said just the trip for you, four months.Then ,Key West for orders ! Oh dear what a shame but too late now.��.Fortunately my wife was waiting and we have been married 59 years

[Peter Drake]

Forgot to say we arrived in Barcelona to discharge grain only to find there was a rail strike on so we had to discharge into lorries and it took a month.We missed out drydock slot in Rotterdam so they sent us off to NewOrleons to load grain,we all had visions of another spell round China but it turned out to be Hamburg then Shields

[cappy]

forgot to say we arrived in barcelona to discharge grain only to find there was a rail strike on so we had to discharge into lorries and it took a month.we missed out drydock slot in rotterdam so they sent us off to neworleons to load grain,we all had visions of another spell round china but it turned out to be hamburg then shields

ah canny shields ...lol cappy

[Ivan Cloherty]

Forgot to say we arrived in Barcelona to discharge grain only to find there was a rail strike on so we had to discharge into lorries and it took a month.We missed out drydock slot in Rotterdam so they sent us off to NewOrleons to load grain,we all had visions of another spell round China but it turned out to be Hamburg then Shields

Ropner's had a bad name, but were always good to me, kept me on full pay if waiting for a ship, even told me I could take coasting jobs whilst for one of their vessels and they would keep me pay. Took a coasting job, but refused their pay whilst working for someone else, didn't seem right, not the way I was brought up.

Ropners as a company I never found stingy on stores or spares, it was Skippers and Ch Stewards that could ruin a company's reputation, trying to be blue eyed boys, but the miniscule amount saved made very little to the profit and loss of a voyage. I always found that if the vessel was well run and clean there were never any objections to overtime for anybody. Did four short trips on one vessel, three trips under the same Master were great, no crew changes, got a change of Master on the fourth trip and we all walked off, (with exception of Ch Engineer, who was due to retire the following year) in Burntisland. I was told by the Master I would never get another ship in the company, they gave me a new ship as my next ship........happy days

[j.sabourn]

#14. Know someone who I think is still alive living in Canada , originally lived in Tynemouth with an Aunt , and who served his time with Runcimans same time as me but on a different ship.His first voyage was 5 years . Ship was trading in the Far East and went through 2 sets of Articles and was on the 3rd set when he completed his time.So had to see the Articles out, the only consolation was he was a year on ABs money which came in useful , after 2nd mates he did one trip with Manchester liners , did one trip and fell out with the master . Emigrated to Canada and joined the RCN ,in later years he had the privilege of bringing his own destroyer into the Tyne on a courtesy visit and was entertained by all the city dignitaries , said it was a fitting end to a closing chapter in his seafaring days. When I last saw him in Canada was in 2009 and his son was a commodore in the RCN so imagine he is well up in flag rank now. There are stories galore of people like him if they wish to disclose. However a lot of people including seafarers have inhibitions on what they will reveal .Cheers JS.
PS if I can find his email address and if still alive will ask him if he would be interested in putting a brief on this site about his life in both services . Will not go further without his permission. JS

[j.sabourn]

Have tried his old email address without success. JS

[Alan Cook]

I met my wife and we'd had one child before I joined the MN. After 12 years service I got a shoreside job to be with the family. She couldn't cope with me being home all the time so threw me out so she could do her own thing!! Can't win.

[j.sabourn]

You weren’t originally from Sunderland Alan ? Served part of my time with someone of the same name. JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

I met my wife and we'd had one child before I joined the MN. After 12 years service I got a shoreside job to be with the family. She couldn't cope with me being home all the time so threw me out so she could do her own thing!! Can't win.

Sounds like our family, my father tried various shore jobs to 'please mother', but she knew when he'd had enough of shore and his Dis A was served with his breakfast. The only job he liked ashore was long distant coach driving.

[thomas michael]

hi alan cook #17
good morning, you where lucky, my elder sister had three kids to her husband, and he had to stay at sea all his working life, because she couldnt get used to him being at home more than his leave time. hes dead now but they where married for fifty years plus,
tom