Schooner Rigged.

[Jim Brady]

The sites gone a bit flat so lets see if I can create a bit of interest and input with this one.Being "Schooner Rigged" meant you had no gear.Remember your first trip most of us had nothing!!!
I remember joining the Empress of France straight from Gravesend as "Bellboy".My" Blues" or in other words trousers were the uniform issue from Gravesend,the other "Bellboys" took the piss out me goodstyle and called them "Woollie Dullies".Every night I was so embarrassed I used to lay them out flat on the table in the cabin and scrape them with a razor blade to take off the fluff to try and make them look like
the real thing.My shoes were the Gravesend black cloghoppers,my white jackets had'nt been starched,good god I must've looked a real show.Never mind I knew what was required and after three trips with the tips I made each trip (17 day trips)I had a proper Bellboys uniform (£13.OO) good shoes and plenty of American
gear.
When my son went away as a Cadet I made sure he did'nt go away "Schooner Rigged"I made sure he had the best he would never be embarrassed like I was.
Do any of you remember your first trip,what gear you had,were you properly kitted out for the job in hand ?Times may have seemed hard but I'm sure this did us more good than harm and enabled us to face up to many problems as we got older.

Regards.
Jim B.

[Captain Kong]

Well Jim Lad.
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The sites gone a bit flat so lets see if I can create a bit of interest and input with this one

I had a load of yarns but you killed it by telling people that they were telling `porkies`.
Outside of the plate house we had a lot of adventures.
I joined the France with nothing, just the gear I was stood up in, no tooth brush , no skiddies Crabs Nada after the 1960 strike. Pier head jump as I had been thrown off the Pool.
It was in my tale of the Empress of France. so being accused and disheartened I dont tell yarns anymore.
I just read other mens yarns now.
All the Best.
Cheers.
Brian.

[Jim Brady]

Captain Kong,Have you lost the plot? I can't make much sense of your reply!!!I said I hoped it would
create a bit of interest and it certainly has upto now,keep it going.
Regards.
Jim B.

[Doc Vernon]

Well i recall me joining my first Ship from Cape Town the Dunnottar Castle as 1st Class Asst Stwd! (Lucky me) all i had was a very small Suitcase with hardly anything at all in it!

Luckily i had a pair of Trousers from the South African Railways (where i had previously worked as a Train Steward) a pair of Black Shoes,2 Shirts and Socks! No Jacket and a few Toiletries!

On getting the job,they gave me a Stewards Jacket,you know the one with the Buttons right up to your neck! so i was then ready for action haha!
Yes those first few days at Sea were a wee bit hard to say the least,but soon got myself sorted out and didnt take too long to get myself properly kitted out!

Cant recall how much it costs to get all the gear but do remember that the first two trips,after they took the ammounts owing from my wages there wasnt too much left!
Thank goodness for the Bloods tips!
After that however things just went from strength to strength!
Cheers

Hi Capt!
Please do resume your tales,as i for one as you know really enjoyed them,as i know did many others here!

Let the past be forgotten,and lets all get on with the issue at hand,and that is to talk freely,and tell of all our past and interesting experiences!

Thanks also to you Jim for the post,its nice to have something new all the time!
Cheers Lads one and ALL!

[Bob Cheeseman]

After a couple weeks ashore and broke, sold the gear except what i was standing up in,it was always a mad rush to the drying room on joining to see what was left behind by the last crowd,was often surprised who you met in there.Even my last trip out of the UK befor i flew to NZ i sold all i could to make the fare ,arrived here( NZ) with 12 dollars and a grip, still schooner rigged to this day my wife bleats i wear the same old thing all the time
regards Bobc

[happy daze john in oz]

Having spent four weeks at the UCL training center in Woolwich I had some idea of what I would need to take on my first voyage. But made the mistake of taking most of the Vidi issue thinking it would be of use. What a plonker I was, apart form the blue trousers there was little else of use. Got back at the end of that voyage, dumped all the Vindi gear and kitted myself up with some 'respectable' gear.

[Captain Kong]

Its OK Jim, just winding you up.
Here is when I was realy Schooner rigged on the Empress of France.

I was on the Seamen’s Strike in July 1960, and when the strike finished in August I had to go in front of a Committee at the Pool and I was suspended, no jobs. I was broke, not a penny to my name, sleeping in the Church doorway on Park Lane, and begging for `sixpence for a cup of tea mate.` `eff off.`
Then I was getting desperate, Charlie Rep and Mr Griffiths in the Pool didn’t want to know. I went down to the landing Stage one day, 1st of October 1960, I saw the Empress of France alongside the Stage getting ready for a voyage to Montreal.
I went to have a look to see if there was anyone I knew. I knew my younger brother, John was on it, he was 16 and a Deck Boy. I thought maybe he has got a sub so he could give me a few pounds. but I never saw him, must have been working.
I saw a fella stood on the Stage and he had the coloured signing on papers from the Pool in his hand.
I went to him, `Are you the stand by man` he answered `Yes`. `Have you been on it before? ` I asked, `No` said he.
`I have been on it a few times and she is no good, bad news, the Bosun is a a maniac, goes round battering everyone every day, Martin Quinn, have you heard of him?` the lad said `Yes`. So I said `If I was you I would go and tell the Pool tomorrow they didnt want anyone, you will still get your days pay for it. ` `Good idea, ` he said, `didnt want to sail tonight anyway`. So the lad cleared off. Ten minutes later, Martin’s head appeared at the top of the Gangway, `Any stand By men there`?, he shouted. `Yes me ` `Come aboard, ` he recognised me. `Get down to the Pursers Office and sign on`, I went down there gave the Purser my Discharge Book, `Where are your Pool Papers`, I felt around my pockets, `Dunno ` I grunted. Must have lost them, ` `Never mind just sign the Articles and get ready for sailing`. I signed on and went forard. found a cabin with a spare bunk, six men to a cabin on that one. I had no gear at all just what I stood up in. not even a change of Skiddies or a tooth brush, Big Martin was shouting , `Fore and Aft. Stations. At last I had got a jobn.
I found an old jacket in the oil skin locker, put it on and then turned to letting go.
By the time I got to Montreal I was manky.I got a big sub and went up St Lawrence Boulivarde and bought a new set of gear, big thick Canadian lumberjack shirts, dungarees, a new set of skids, the others were falling off me, and all the toiletries I needed and stil had a few dollars left for a bevie in the House of Scouse.

Six weeks later the France was finished and then went to the scrapyard. end of a good ship.

On my first trip on a London Greek, Commodore Grant in 1952, my Vindi unifiorm was given to the Bum Boat Man in exchange for two music boxes.

[alf corbyn]

hi lads. left gravesend sea school jan 1948 and signed on P&O while waiting for a ship on half pay got a job at a fish shop. joined first ship (stratheden0 in march thought sea school gear was the proper thing for sea. soon found out i was wrong but so were the other sixteen lads.was invited by an old hand he must have been at least 18, to go ashore with him to a dance in tilbury. when he saw my gear he rolled up and when he recovered gave me some togs jacket shirt and trousers and away we went.
all sixteen of we new bellboys were sent to gardeners of aldgate to be rigged out no arguments and came back with 3 white jackets 2 pairs black 2 pairs white trousers two pairs shoes 1 pair white one pair black and a peaked cap and a white cover. all to be taken out of our wages. during the trip i had about a fiver in subs and paid off with £3.10.0 thanks to the bloods for their tips. alf

[Stuart Henderson]

Only time I recall being really low on gear was after "missing" the Dominion Monarch in Capetown. Of course just had what I stood up in and after given myself up to authorities was put in illegal immigrant camp for about two weeks . Then given chance to sign on Braemar Castle as crew pantryman so luckily didnt need uniforms or such and my shipmates were good and donated odd gear to me which I was very thankful for.Was told Pool would take any payoff due so subbed at every occasion and ended up with load of foreign currency E>African /Egyptian pounds,French francs etc. Luckily the Pool gave me second chance to resign on Braemar Castle and clear my bo ok.I did get my original kit back from the DM after many months. Must say though it wasnt a very pleasant experience and I still pass on any unneeded gear to charity Stuart

[Dennis McGuckin]

I had a similar experienced Stuart.
Missed the Argentina Star in Santos.
Talk about schooner rigged. Used to go aboard any ship I could to scrounge some grub and gear.. Spent about four weeks 'on the beach' until they put me on a homeward bounder.
Somewhat manky by that time to say the least..
Got my gear back a little after arriving in KG5.
For a while [in December] was walking around in the gear I had on in Santos. Jeans and sport shirt. Tad on the chilly side to say the least..
Went into the Roundhouse, and some old mates had a tarpaulin muster for me to get home to Coventry.
Ended up putting the money on the bar and we drank it all.
Wild days for sure, but wouldn't change any of them.
Den.