Schooner Rigged.

[Gulliver]

Good Luck to Them.If they're prepared to save money,work hard,and stay on board for two years,why not?.

But who here would wish to exchange their homeland for a Thirld World Country?........

It is also not a new phenomenon.In the 50's and 60's it was not uncommon for Indians,then later in the 70's the Filipinos to work aboard the same ship for two to three years,save money or send it home,then pay to have a house built at home.Then during their comparatively short leaves they would do another job near their homes before signing on with their shipping agency for another 2 years,and so on.

No wonder the British shipowner preferred them,as it was in the crews own interests to behave themselves(they were rarely any trouble),to work hard and make that money.
Unfortunately British crews wanted it all--high wages,time off,as little hard graft as possible,extra money just for scratching their backsides,striking if they didn't get it,and all this at a time when seamen didn't want to go to sea anyway-more job satisfaction ashore(debatable),nagging wives(not debatable).

..So who then ,as a British shipowner would you truthfully employ.....

[Neil Morton]

Now then lads I hate to be a bore but I want to go back to this 'piss jacket' thing.I missed your earlier secondary note Taff as I was carting my sister (visiting from the Mother Country) all around Victoria.Like all tourists she was late leaving due to that volcano thing.
Please allow me to describe this garment. Made from heavy cotton of blue and white stripes, it had long sleeves and fastened at the wrist and waist.At the Vindi we in the catering dept wore them with our dungarees and tee shirts at all times except at church parade when we wore the rest of the silly garb. Oh yes and walking for miles on Saturday arvo going to the flicks in some remote village we had to put on the blues. Now do you get my drift or am I going senile? Could be too much good Ausie wine of course.
I also note a line or two of umbridge regarding those of us that left the " OLD DART" for a multitude of reasons and those that stayed for their own excellent reasons.I believe this was well covered a short while ago; I'm blowed if I recall the thread but it's in there somewhere.
So fair seas,blue skies and happy days lads and lasses all.Mort.

[Jim Brady]

How Bad and how Sad is this.I was on the King Henry and we were in Hamburg.For those of you that have been to Hamburg you know the gangway goes into the dock and a launch comes around the ship to take you ashore stopping at other ships on the way.The same on the way back.It was winter and we were all down below on this launch,there was a wood burning stove on the go you could hardly breathe down there.
A German guy must've been joining a ship he was sitting down with his grip between his legs,he fell asleep.
We arrived at our ship and as we were all getting off we had this "Mad Dutchman"DHU on our ship he took the grip from under the German Lad who was still asleep.An AB on our ship said put that back Dutchy,with that the Dutchman pulled a knife so nobody could stop him.I often think about that poor German lad wakeing up and find his gear missing.Schooner Rigged because of some robbing B*****d.I dont think that I have ever sailed with any British Seaman that would do such a dispicable thing.
The Dutchman was leading a right bad bunch,the shortest trip this ship had done was 14 months.I thought what are we in for here.
We went back to London before going deep sea,Dutchy and his crowd were on the way back to the ship one night and decided to break into some railway wagons and rob a load of sweets.I suppose this would've been overlooked just as a theft,but the Dutchman went to far.Remember the big cranes that travelled up and down thw quay,there was a big wheel on them which let an electric cable out and also brought it back in.That cable must've been about 4 inches thick,the "Mad Dutchman" took out his knife and Cut right through it.(Its a pity it was'nt on)The cost of replacing it must've been a lot of money for the police toget involved.The police searched our ship found the sweets,blamed them for cutting the cable and off Dutchy and his followers went.We got a good gang of lads in their place.
Regards.
Jim.B.