helmsman

[Keith Tindell]

As usual wallowing in nostalgia, and a couple of cans of beer, and thoughts went back to the trick at the wheel. Joined my first ship the Treworlas as a deck boy, and the first thing was told to do was to get my 10 hrs steering ticket. The Treworlas was an oldie, not sure if she even had an iron mike, but in my own time in the evenings (i was Peggy) i would go to the bridge and with an AB alongside, do an hour at a time. I then got to wondering when was the first time i got to take the helm to go alongside, and after doing that for the first time i think i was a SOS, i was 10ft tall, small things really, but all part of the seaman ship learning. after that , of course, spent many lonely hours staring at a giro compass. In my experience very little conversation was spent with the OOW, let alone the skipper ,kt

[j.sabourn]

Could be many reasons for that Keith , If was on the third mates watch , which was really the old mans , he may of had Thought you might have asked him some intelligent question he couldn’t answer , and maybe the old man was listening up the voice pipe , if on the second mates watch he was probably deep in thought of how he could talk the 3 mate into doing some of his way back chart corrections . If on the chief mates watch he was probably trying to keep out of your way in case you were going to get on at him about the broken meal hour that wasn’t on this months overtime sheet. And if of course it was the old man himself he was probably still suffering with a bad head from his last session with the chief and his whiskey bottle. There are numerous reasons for silence. Cheers JS...

[Keith Tindell]

Ah, that explains it John, i always though it was because of my smell, its given me a phobia ever since, really made me
into a hermit, kt

[j.sabourn]

Not halitosis is it , Rums a good answer , drink enough of it and that’s all anyone can smell. I have done quiet a few medical courses and they never seem to give that as an obvious cure .JS

[Bill Morrison]

As usual wallowing in nostalgia In my experience very little conversation was spent with the OOW, let alone the skipper ,kt

I'm a bit late with this Keith. It hangs on the wall behind the computer screen. It's a copper plate etching not to easy to photograph but thought you might like it.
Bill.

[Keith Tindell]

Thats me Bill, hard work getting a steering ticket, not even time to shave after a day as a peggy,

[John Pruden]

keith a few months ago i had my wallet pinched from a shop by me of all the things in it my steering ticket was the most thing i was sick about looking at my printer the other day low and behold there it was i had made a copy by accident just testing new ink i forgot all about doing it the ticket has got me a few good jobs over the years sorry to say one was demolishing the landing stage at liverpool i used the safety boat on the mersey best xmas prezy i could get?? jp

[j.sabourn]

#5 Is that you Cappy getting your 12 hours in for your steering ticket. ? Sorry Keith just got out of bed never saw your post , it’s you then ? Thought with the S ‘ wester and probably sea boots which can’t see was Cappy. JS

[John Arton]

To get your steering ticket you had to do 10 hours on the wheel in open waters and 4 hours on the wheel under pilotage if I remember correctly. When under pilotage, whenever it was possible, instead of steering by a compass heading, once the pilot said " steady as she goes" you lined up a prominent mark on the shore with the foremast and steered on that.
First voyage as we had Spanish crew, the captain decided that to avoid any language problem that I as cadet, would do all the steering when we were under pilotage, so that meant I got to see any harbour entrance from the bridge view....nice and inside as well not being frozen or soaked on stations fore or aft. Only thing was that I had to be in uniform whilst on the bridge and once the first ropes were out and "finished with the wheel" given, had to dash down and change into working gear to assist with tying up after, connecting up hoses and straight onto cargo watch, taking ullages, cargo temperature etc.
Going up to Tranmere fully laden from the gulf myself and the captain got into an argument with the pilot. I had steaded her up and was steering on a white building ashore on the Liverpool side when the pilot saw the gyro heading was some degrees off what he expected to be and started berating me for my steering skills, I explained that I was steering on a land mark and the captain backed me up as he too had seen I was steering on a land mark. Ended up with an slightly embarrassed pilot having to apologise, don't think he got his usual bottle as well.
Rgds
J.A.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Don't remember ever getting a steering ticket, but loved steering. On one tanker did all the steering when cleaning tanks, eight hours a day for a week just relieved for meals, then my two at night. Was mud pilot on a Collier on the west coast run in NZ.
As for talking to the Mates, I think most were wary of the Old Man appearing. or being asked awkward questions. Such as how did you go on picking the Ace.
Des