Standby Man.

[Jim Brady]

Did anyone on here ever do a standby ? I did two standby's two Saturdays on the run both around 5pm and both a long walk when you cant' afford the taxi fare,as usual short of cash after being home quite a few weeks.I wouldn't take the chance that I would not be needed so took all my gear and what a walk carrying a case a grip wearing an overcoat in the summer (only way to carry it)and the ship on the west wall of the Alex.Not required so the same walk all the way home.
The question is did we get paid for doing these standby's or was this one of the penalties of being an Established Seaman,I was always Established until I got a DR then I was knocked back to UnEstablished.If we did get paid we would've received payment back at the pool but what would've happened had we sailed.I always thought it was a no brainer not being established,the fact your were getting paid some money by the pool whilst signing on meant you would get a job before the unestablished man as they would want rid of you.The extra couple of bob was handy plus your dole office was in the pool so you got your dole money and established money together without having to report to a shoreside dole office.Also besides Sundays at sea an established seaman got an extra day a month whilst away.Downside was if you refused a job you would get a committee,lose your money and possibly kicked off being established.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Jim, when I was doing the accounts everyone on board got a Sunday at Sea, whether established or not, and was always shown on your Pay-Off slip, even lowly cadets who were on Indentures were entitled to a S@S. Mind you sailed with a couple of skippers who always ensured that FWE was rung at 1158 hours that way you only got half a S@S, or if rung at 0758 then no S@S and that was quite a saving on the passenger ships with their 300/400 crews.......happy days!

[Jim Brady]

Ivan of course all hands got a Sunday at Sea but if you were Established you also got a day a month besides the S.A.S.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Keith Tindell]

That's how I recall the leave system Jim, one day per month on voyage, plus s@s, but for the life of me I can't remember if I was established or not, I don't recall being paid anything while waiting for a ship, kt

[Rodney Mills]

I did two standbys. The first was the Port Jackson, my first ship. I just nipped home directly from Gravesend Sea Training School, packed a bag, dumped the uniform and cap and reported aboard in KGV. I too had no money so I was stuck aboard. I remember I didn't mind as I had never seen so much good food, most of it being dumped. I gorged like a starving pig on ice cream. It being winter, I tied a carton with string and dangled it outside the porthole (string let me close it) and it lasted semi-frozen through the evening. Next night it was half a tray of rice pudding, can't remember the other nights.

Second was the Good Hope Castle had a few pounds in my pocket by then so it was ashore of an evening.

As far as I remember I was paid just before signing on, can't remember the rate though, anyway I was a catering boy then so wasn't much.

[Doc Vernon]

I did many a standby on the UCL Ships ,as at times I got bored with spending my hard earned cash,and extra always came in handy.
As said too the Food was always so good! On standby there was also to me always a sort of peace , as all seemed a lot quieter !
I called it easy Money ten! LOL

[John F Collier]

Hi Jim, scuse my ignorance but how did you know if you were established in the MN, to be honest with you this is the
first I've eard of it, as far as I can recall, on leaving the Vindi I had to report to the Shipping Federation office at the KGV
dock to go through some formalities they gave me my first ship and I stayed with that for a couple of years I got all my
other ships from the same office with very little waiting time, so I don't seem to have had the aggro that some of you had,
I did come very close to missing a ship once when three of us overstayed at a pub we got bacck as the gangway had just
been raised anthey lowered it again for us, had to see the old man in the morning but he just gave us a good ear bashing.
The job I had where you became established was at BT, you had to prove your worth and once established you could be
considered to be eligible for promotion but you had it in writing but that was in the days of the GPO when it was part of the
civil service, is this similar to how it worked in the MN?. Cheers John F

[Doc Vernon]

JFC I too am not sure as to that, (Established) however possibly it was if one was under a Contract Basis like me with UCL signed a 2 Year Contract ??? But as said not sure!
Cheers

[Jim Brady]

I think the meaning of being a standby man is being miss understood.What you do as a standby is report to a ship before she sails,say you are an asst/stwd and asst/stwd fails to join the ship on sailing you are on standby to take his place and sail on that ship.You would normally wait on the quay and as soon as the gangway go's up you get the man from the pool to sign your pool forms and off you go home.I don't recall anybody failing to turn up on sailing day after having signed on so being on standby you think you could guarantee that you will not be required to sail but could you take that chance and not take your gear.
In Liverpool you would know if you were Established or Unestablished as there were separate doors to enter the pool if you got "sent through" you ended up in the same place Established or otherwise.As I said the dole office was in the Established side of the pool that is were you signed on and picked up your dole money plus your Establishment money,unestablished signed on and picked up dole money at shoreside dole.I think it may have been about £6.00 pw £2.50 dole and £3.50 Established money, I may be wrong over the Established money but I'm sure it was at least double what you got on the dole so it was worth being Established.
Keith I am sure that the day a month was only if you were an Established Seaman.If you were Established the pool had more control over you,I remember when things were slack,not many jobs about,about 15 of us were sent on a refresher course upstairs in the pool.A class room upstairs with all the gear,silver crockery and plastic food.What a laugh first job when turned to was to turn to the racing page in your paper and study the horses.
Reards.
Jim.B.

John F if I remember rightly whilst attending the pool for a job I was asked in the pool would I like to become an Established Seaman.

[John F Collier]

I wasn't on any separate contract Doc other than signing ships articles but I believe that in it's self was a two year contract
if the need be, somebody will put me right here I'm sure . Cheers JFC