The Aldis Lamp

[happy daze john in oz]

An Aldis lamp washed up on the beach on the sub continent.
One of the local permanent tanned guys picked it up and gave it a rub to clean it.
Out popped a Genie, guess you all know the rest of that story, goes bit like Brians only on land.

[james robertson]

I had to give up the sea due to the Aldis lamp in the late 60's. After many attempts I had to accept the fact I could not read the lamp, It was no problem sending or listening to Morse being tapped out, but the flashing light just did not register. After many years of blaming my self for not putting enough effort in to it, I found out about "eye memory" which is what makes films appear to move smoothly. Every one has a different eye memory, I have a long eye memory so my brain joins all the short flashes together. So At the age of 70 I still regret having to give up on my tickets, but can now feel better as it was not down to lack of effort.

[JerryRose]

I used to enjoy a chat on the Aldis lamp, occasionally a ship would ignore it, then dismiss it with the reply ‘4 q 2’ - polite chap! Happy days and great memories; I’d do it all again if I could.
Retired a long time now and I have an Aldis lamp in my garage which I keep meaning to restore, but it does work - makes a good searchlight!

[Kenneth Crawford]

My second trip to sea, 1967. Out in the Caribbean, on midnight to 4 watch with second mate who was in chartroom, I’m out on the starboard wing on lookout. Someone calls us up, flashing really fast, far too fast for any second tripper to understand, so I went into the chartroom and called the second mate (a bearded grumpy Scot) out to the bridge wing. I set up the Aldis, and asked him what they were wanting. A normal response from him, ‘No effin idea, give me that’ and he took the Aldis.

He sent 'FOIB'. The response was delayed in coming. ‘They want clarification’ he said in his Glasgow accent, then slowly spoke his reply as he sent them across. ‘F*ck….Off….Im…….Busy’. This didn’t go down well with the small (? something like a cutter) Yank boat who drew alongside and tannoyed us to stop. Which was when the Captain was called. We ended up slowing right down, allowing four guys to come aboard. All the time the second mate telling the Captain that this was a routine check – it had been broadcast over the radio. Once the Yanks had satisfied themselves that we were indeed a British cargo boat with no ill intentions they left. The Captain was old school, meaning he didn’t concern himself with much apart from having the glasses ready for the 11 am morning meeting with the Chief Engineer, so all was quickly forgotten. By all apart from me. 😊 Ahhhh interesting days indeed......

[j.sabourn]

#24 You werent on a Harrison ship were you? That same year we were in Port of Spain a regular port of call , and myself and the 2 engineer and the lecky on going ashore picked up this apprentice off a Harrison ship on the the same jetty gong ashore and took him with us. We all remembered our hard up times and he probably saw sights he had never seen , due to his shortage of cash. JS.