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The best definitely the 50s and 60s not because I was was there, but living in NZ near Auckland saw the decline in ship PROPER arrivals during the 70s.
As for the 20 minute afternoon nap, I introduced my wife to it, her in the lounge me in my cabin.
Des
As a R/O with P&O in the 1960's, the Company allowed officers to take 6-months unpaid leave without loss of seniority to allow them to work ashore to see if they could settle ashore. I took the option and found work quite quickly. After 6 month I realised that working ashore was not it was made up to be and was ready to return to sea. But then I met the girl of my dreams, or so I thought, and sent off my resignation letter. Big mistake, but by then it was too late! I still consider my period of life at sea to be the most enjoyable part of my career.
Remember sitting on a bench at Ellsmere Port waiting fo a taxi having just paid off my last ship and going home to get married. The Old Man had asked me if I wanted to stay some weeks before.As the marriage did not last,I later realised that I had made a huge mistake but made the best of shore life an the MN was going down hill.
I must confess that it was not the demise of the MN, i loved the life, and had a very happy, by and large, 7 years, but like many met a young lady who stole that part of my life. I am one of the very lucky ones that young lady is somewhat older now, and the most important part of my life, after 60 years together, 57 of them married kt
I wanted to go to sea when I left school @ 15 (Stonebridge Lane) Liverpool, but my Dad said NO you get a trade behind you first, so after nearly 6 yrs I was a Engineering Fitter, then went to sea November 64, but after various deep sea trips it was not for me as I had a new family, so my dream had to end, but still in my blood thankfully with the internet I can keep up with shipping & Liverpool FC
A deep sense of loss and an almost overwhelming inability to settle at anything.
Well i guess although i did love the Sea life and would have stayed a lot longer though for lifes circumstances, in a way i am lucky in that i have had so many other jobs in life , possibly that being the factor that did not make it as hard for me as many others here who spent many Years at Sea, to break away and not feel so out of place so to speak!
So i in a way can understand where all you Guys taht spent so long at Sea must have felt coming ashore after !
But thats life i guess all good things must come to an end as the say!
Cheers
The sea was the only adult profession. I ever knew. It gave job satisfaction was the thing to me. There were numerous dissatisfactions as well , the long periods away from home and family , the dissatisfaction at times at the poor remuneration at various times . I signed an agreement with myself I would see it out to retirement age , and I was extremely lucky that I managed to do. Today if one is honest and youngsters want the same sort of life , they should be told the truth , and the main truth is you will not be guaranteed a full lifetime of work at sea , and you will never be rich, if you have targets of a wife and family , unless you choose very carefully you stand more than the average risk of loosing them. Don’t be taken in that it is a glamour world it is not . It is a world of hard work and doubly so if you want to advance yourself. You can’t resign in the middle of the Ocean , and discipline is as hard and in some cases harder than the armed forces . In fact to get a better mixture of land and sea you would be better off joining the RN. Cheers JS
Robert Young who posts on this site trying to follow his fathers path through his seagoing career would have to understand a long serving Mariners view on life. It was also a means of escapism from the land and its own problems , and escape to sea where a lot of his problems could be absolved in shipboard life. He could mix with like minded persons , had somewhere to sleep and be fed , it would be like a mother’s womb to a baby to some. The ship was their haven and their home . You used to see these old mariners in their retirement with nothing to show for years at sea with nothing to show for it but their memories. standing outside various Missions to Seamen , the only place they could afford to live, otherwise it was the streets. Just like Bombay !!. JS
I only did 5 years but loved just about every minute of it. Came ashore kicking and screaming and for many years thereafter, was tempted to go back many times but had to consider family and that dreadful word responsibility.
I also considered going back, then I met my wife, end of story.