Originally Posted by
j.sabourn
Only time I can remember wearing a cap on a ship was one trip I was second mate where the master insisted we wear when on watch. I still had my old apprentices cap hardly ever worn which was listed as part of your necessary wardrobe to young green boys. The third mate didn’t have a cap , so was a ritual passing over this Cap on handing over the watch. Another company master was just the opposite Cappy knew him very well his tropical uniform consisted of taking off his. Trousers and jacket and meeting the pilot in Cairns FNQ in his long johns and wooly vest , but for decorum reasons used to keep on his trilby. Loading sugar there in those days was as you described bleeding the sacks down the hold with the usual 2 weeks loading , 3 weeks in the rainy season. Today they load in so many hours . Cheers JS...
