Your first job at sea

[John Arton]

John A.
I always thought that Sharpness could only take coasters, I must have been mistaken, what tonnage was the Beaver Pond?
Des

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Hi John
I thought you were an inquisitive person and I was right.
Des

Des
Bloody auto correction strikes again!
It was the Beaverpine not beaver pond.
Here is her particulars.
Rgds
J.A.
Google

[Keith Adams]

I eventually did get to sail on a white Empress, not the England but the Canada.
This happened in 1971 when I was 3rd mate on the Beaverpine.
I had joined the Beaver pond in Bremen where we loaded general cargo, mostly cases of German beer, then more general in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Let Havre all for discharge in Haiti, Dominica, Puerto Rico, Nassau then up to Baltimore to load grain for sharpness and Belfast, after which she was laid up in Liverpool. I was transferred to the Empress of Canada sailing as 5th mate.
So from correcting List of Lights, standing cargo watches in port attempting to prevent Haitian stevedores helping themselves to cargo brand goods, drawing up cargo plans etc. I went to doing night rounds at 0200 with the master at arms, preventing rape of a female passenger by a fellow passenger, settling disputes in the crew pig and whistle when they refused to allow the engineers waiter to wear his pink dress there, escorting passengers, both first and tourist, on bridge tours and sneaking my purserette girlfriend into my cabin.
All very different, paid off that ship actually knackered.
Rgds
J.A.

Hello John. Wow, a fellow 5th Mate on an Empress ! I had gained the dizzy heights as 4th Mate by the time I boarded the E of FRANCE. Did you forget the reams of weather number codes that Sparkie would have to receive and you turn them into pretty weather, or ice charts in your off duty time. Or the daily off duty chore of inspecting every fire/safety equipment to ensure they were up to code or tagged for replacement while at sea ? Given that we were not allowed to fraternize with passengers and didn’t head a table in the Tourist Class saloon, it was hard to meet up with the opposite sex. Checking safety equipment in “Fluff Alley” (Starboard aft) did allow some inconspicuous access to certain crew members. Keith

[j.sabourn]

#12. Keith you will be more conversant of today’s US Coastguard Regulations, are today’s rulings still the same as 25 years ago that all American flagged merchant vessels have to have a certain percentage of American citizens in their crewing requirements ? . Similar to what British ships used to have, but discarded years ago , so long back it’s hard to remember when British Shipping packed its hand in. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

Who would ever have thought in 1952 and previous that British Shipping which had been the lifeblood of the nation for two world wars , and the backbone and origin maker of the British Empire , would within 30 years be a nonentity in the Shipping world . It was a future for life and your own kids if they ever wanted . All cast aside like a sweaty sock for better words ? JS

[Doc Vernon]

Well blow me down and call me Shorty!
Honest John i was just about to post similar no Bull mate!
Forst Job for me too, as 1st Class Asst Stwd, yes you read correctly!
Bloody Bucket of Warm Water , Scrubbing Brush and Large Cloth.

Just joned the Dunottar Castle in Cape Town.

Now get down to the First Class Dining Saloon Lad, the Steps Leading down to the Saloon need a real nice Scrub!
And that was that!

What an Introduction to the great days ,Months and Years ahead!
But loved it all, and would do it all over again for sure!

Yes Sireee! The British Merchant Navy was for me!
Bugger the Land, all i wanted was to see the Sea!

[Keith Tindell]

My first job as first trip Deck Boy, was *peggy*, joined the old Treworlas, messroom aft, steam geyser in the pantry etc, this was not what i thought i would be doing, scrubbing the toilets and floors , stairs etc, but did stick it out, and better times came. As green as grass, went to make the tea one morning, no water !!, bit of a panic as thought i would be in trouble, so scooted along to the galley mid ship, tried a tap outside, water was ok, great !!, shoot back and make the tea, yes, you've guessed, it was sea water!!!, big learning curve. Also my job to bring the food from midship galley to aft messroom, plates with those metal rings separating the plates, and in bad weather flying around would lose the occasional dinner, mine of course. 16 years old, and grew up in leaps and bounds, what days, .

[cappy]

well john iguess the saying.... nothing lasts forever ......is very true in this case ..like the old sailing ship skipper quite puce in the face while becalmed as a steamer flys by ....grunting to himself and his mate they will run out of coal .....then what......cappy

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it made us what we are and proud of it keith ....regards cappy

[cappy]

My first job as first trip Deck Boy, was *peggy*, joined the old Treworlas, messroom aft, steam geyser in the pantry etc, this was not what i thought i would be doing, scrubbing the toilets and floors , stairs etc, but did stick it out, and better times came. As green as grass, went to make the tea one morning, no water !!, bit of a panic as thought i would be in trouble, so scooted along to the galley mid ship, tried a tap outside, water was ok, great !!, shoot back and make the tea, yes, you've guessed, it was sea water!!!, big learning curve. Also my job to bring the food from midship galley to aft messroom, plates with those metal rings separating the plates, and in bad weather flying around would lose the occasional dinner, mine of course. 16 years old, and grew up in leaps and bounds, what days, .

well keith can remember watching peggies carrying meals aft in heavy weather ....with safety lines ....and one or two kits going adrift .....and telling them there is eff all left lol ...but we always managed something or other ....accom aft was a pain for peggies .....but then all accom aft was a peice of cake....what a learning curve we had as boys ......happy days ...R683532.....ps one bloke tried to sell me an emu in oz ......appearing out the shadows....with a touch of north shields accent and asking would i like a go on a long legged bird called emmie ....i waited about but he came back breathless saying he couldnt catch her.....

[j.sabourn]

#17 True Cappy , we can all accept progress for what it is. But it doesn’t all come with one go with one set standard. My life at sea suited me on any type of vessel , working vessel that is, but you always had to accept responsibility for that ship with or without thrusters and all the modern aids soon to become compulsory when the shipowner got round to it. There was no vhf on the ships I was on , radar was a luxury and only went on at special cases. These aids are no longer aids but essentials. I have seen ships refuse to sail because the radar wasn’t working , ships where the trade was essential to have at least a bow thruster for close in work , out of order but still had to do the job without. Most seamen could do the job , but today is slightly different into people’s thinking.JS

[John Arton]

Re#12
My time on the Canada was a real eye opener for someone who up till that time had spent his time on tankers and general cargo and forest product ships.
We are in the 1st class dining saloon but from a different menu to the passengers.
Night rounds at 02:00 with the master at arms armed with a heavy duty flash light needed to defend yourself against drunken crew members who would refuse to allow the pig and whistle to be closed, the pig and whistle was not in the working alleyway but after the disputes in new York a new pig had been built in one of the unused tween decks in the forward hold.
I was on the 12-4 with the 2nd mate and had to update the chart in the shopping area with the noon position and the daily run and woe betide me if it was not accurate.
Doing bridge tours allowed me the opportunity to meet some very interesting passengers including one of the queen's ladies in waiting, the daughter of the Dean of Westminster, who took a shine to me.
Off duty most of us frequented the engineers bar which had an access off one of the public areas which made it easier to get passengers into it without being spotted by the master at arms or senior staff.
Gangway duty in Liverpool and Montreal from O6:00 til sailing and then on watch meant no rest whilst in port especially so as we kept sea watches whilst on the landing stage at Liverpool.
Rgds
J.A.