Ra ?

[roger leck]

Greetings,
Just looking at my discharge book. In description of voyage it has "FGN" for foreign going, but also ha "RA" and for the life of me I can't figure out what it stands for, perhaps someone can tell me.

Cheers.

[Keith Tindell]

I think that means running agreement Roger, but thee are others with more knowledge than i, kt

[Keith Tindell]

Just to confirm Roger, i have just perused my old book, and i have several RAs, mainly on the likes of Baltic boats, where you signed off generally after 6 months back and forwards. Also many FGNs, and when i was on Union Castle it just states Cape Mail, kt

[Graham Shaw]

Is it not Restricted Articles?

[j.sabourn]

That’s correct is Running Agreement. Usually 6 months or was . Simply meant it was 6 months instead of 2 years.on return to uk the articles remained open if inside of 6 months, but if you wanted to leave you gave 72 hours notice and were paid off, you could also be sacked , if so your transport back to port of engagement had to be paid. If left of own accord you paid yourself. Most if not all the bisco chartered ore carriers were on the 6 months running agreement as they were in and out of uk ports like yo-Yo’s. JS

[j.sabourn]

#4. Never heard of Graham. ! JS A ships agreement can be anything you or the shipowner wants , most on here are used to the BSF agreements ,but even these can have certain clauses put in or deleted as necessary. But those signing on must be informed before signing. Most FF ships in my day were the old 2 year agreement , I always stipulated 12 months take it or leave it for myself only. Absent from wife for more than 2 years could get a poor mans divorce and never know it happened, was considered desertion like some say they had in their discharge book. Cheers JS

PS could also stand for Right Ascension or Royal Artillery could think of others not conducive to the post . JS

[Doc Vernon]

If Memory serves me correctly, both Running Agreement (Also known as Articles) and Restricted Articles ( also known as Agreements) were one and the same thing!
If you read what JS has posted , and work it out one can see that they in actual fact mean the same thing!
Terms of Employment a more common word used .
Cheers

[Ivan Cloherty]

In my years of signing on under RA 'Running Agreement' never heard of them referred to as 'Restricted Articles' either officially or unofficially and their time limit was always 6 months unless the vessel drydocked within Home Trade Limits during the 6 month period and they were terminated earlier. The 24 month articles we signed going foreign were simply titled 'Articles of Agreement' with notation of 'Foreign Going' for trading between the limits of 65 degrees North and 60 degrees South

[Doc Vernon]

Thanks Ivan
I may be incorrect here but recall from early days when my late Dad worked with the UCL in Cape Town, and just after i went to Sea , this particular thing came about in a Conversation, and when looked up in the Agreements of the UCL Files , it was noted there as two different Entries , with the same meaning, this is the only way that i would know anything much about this issue, except that i had to sign a Two Year Agreement when joining
But then it was many Years ago! The mind can play tricks!

Reminds me of the saying in an Episode of "Are you being Served" when Captain Peacock is caught out about being in the Army with a new Employee! LOL I laughed like Hell! .

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Surprising what you don't know about yourself after all the years. I just looked in my discharge book to see if I had RA and bless my soul I have. Joined the British Navigator, in Swansea 9\10\52 paid off, 6\11\52 and it says Fgn and RA. That was to Baton Rouge to load, then Antwerp to discharge, then paid off in Swansea.
Des