Month trips

[mike osborne]

hi all,as i recall we all signed on for the duration of the voyage ( could be up to 2 years in the event of war) or until we returned to the UK which ever came first , as per the articles/ crew agreement .

Hope this helps cheers mike .

[James Domleo]

Once sailed with a mate who had also been through the war and was reduced to drinking surgical spirit laced with
Cola.He was confined to his cabin for a few days and then continued as if nothing had happened.The Old Man was most understanding.
Jim Domleo
R610327

[Robert George Young]

Jim,

Thanks for post.
Interesting what people can resort to

[Graham Shaw]

Once sailed with a mate who had also been through the war and was reduced to drinking surgical spirit laced with
Cola......
R610327

And don't forget the after shave and the bit of well diluted ethyl alcohol in the magnetic compass....

Á propos the aftershave. On flying out to join a ship I bought some duty free aftershave in Heathrow-I think it was Eau Sauvage-that was very me or so I reckoned in my young third mate days. On board I put it in my over sink cabinet and never used it until Japan when I got a rare chance to go ashore,no cargo work, and get myself both entertained and bankrupted down the Motomachi in Kobe. Well,I could not find that Eau Sauvage anywhere in my cabin and resorted to splashing some of the 4th Engineer's Brut (and he was !).It didn't do wonders for my esteem that night down the Motomachi and on the train downtown I found the locals moving away from me when I entered the carriage,with me paranoidally imagining them thinking. "Banzai (whatever that means ) -ah so,stinky gaijin,so desuka !" !Upon entering the first ladies lounge bar I headed post haste for the toilets to wash it off. Have you any idea how long Brut lingers ? I must have splashed some down my shirt front and other places-you know how it was on the tele advert-Henry Cooper-telling us " 'Ere go on,mate-splash it all over!".Well it haunted me all night and I even thought I could smell it next morning after my shower and well into my forenoon cargo watch. I didn't get lucky in the Motomachi as expected.I thought the girls probably thought I had wee'd myself.
Anyway to get back to my disappearing Eau Sauvage,I happened to mention it to the Chief Steward later on ,and he told me that certain items had been stolen over the voyage and that one of our HK Chinese stewards,an alcoholic had been suspected of petty theft ,and I remembered that this Chin,Chang or Wong was reputed to have an alcohol problem and was paid off in Hong Kong.I can only speculate whether he stole to finance his habit-or drank the damned stuff !
I never again bought aftershave at the airport,and certainly not Brut and I fancy,after nearly 50 years I can I can still smell it.....

But seriously alcoholism is a terrible sickness,not only for the victim,but especially for his family,and I know how hard it can be for them.
The sad thing alcoholism and seafaring do not mix,yet for many it did,and most got away with it......

[Doc Vernon]

Always used Old Spice, think it is still the best just love the Aroma!
Cheers

[Graham Shaw]

Oh thanks Marian-what an advert-not seen that one ever!
In actual fact many a camp young sailor tossed a bottle of Old Spice up to my bedroom window,when on their way to join their ships .Ha Ha !Big ROFL (3).jpg

Another popular one in the early70's was Hai Karate-now that really was stinky poo's ! "Be Careful how you use it !" CLICK

[Doc Vernon]

And a bit off track Graham, i used to use the lovely Amphora Pipe Tabacco in my days ! Loved that smell, it had its very own!
Sorry a wee bit offtrack Lads!

[Keith Tindell]

Working on the coasters, 4 on 4off for weeks, not a lot of time fro showers, maybe while short time discharging, so splash it all over , must have smelt like a Bombay brothel in the 2 berth cabins, .

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I have always used Old Spice, still do but getting harder to find, especially the deodorant. Drinking now down to one middy of beer a day not that I was ever a hard spirit drinker, a bottle of wine hardly gets touched at home, these days.
Des

[j.sabourn]

As long as you don’t get too forgetful Des and drink the Old Spice in error. I’m down to two pints at Happy hour, any more and I start to spill it . Beer that is not the Old Spice. Cheers JS