Different lines

Good companies,bad companies,many trips spoiled by alcohol fellas

Should we take that as a criticism. I can think of nothing more boring than a ship full of non drinking wowsers. Thank god for 2 c ns a man. and mind the bar.

For most of us the best company was the one you were the most happy with.
That may be good for some but not others.
Style of the crew, conditions on board such as food and accommodation varied so much, what suited one may not suit another.'
Countries visited o the voyage, all were of importance to each of us in our own way.

Think most will agree the 50/s and 60/s were the best years and Oz was indeed one of the easiest to jump ship in and find work, so many did and are still here.
work.

where we going to was my ist question ....an old AB said something like LA.......my old man said ...ITS IN FRANCE THEM FROGS IS ALWAYS SHOUTING ALAY FRANCE ...my second thought was whats to eat ....jeez eggs bacon burgoo and two dinners after that ...i would have sailed for nothing .....jeez i got ciggies by the carton.....a good suntan ...curacao ....panama canal .....L Angeles .....frisco..new westminster... chermainus... vancouver....sydney .....melbourne ....adelaide....durban...capetown.....port elizabeth...capetown.....freetown ...liverpool.....came of a proper tramp ship with a walk like john wayne.....the world was my oyster ....wrangler jeans and jacket .....60 quid in cash ....a suntan...... a tip for myself..... and a bleedin hard on .......i had it all ...i would have took on joe louis ......memories ive got a bucketful .....youth what a time in life cant take that away ever .....R683532

No filters on the ciggies then Cappy they were for the few women that smoked then. JS

Hi David, Yes, I am back !
Am surprised to read your mention of T&J HARRISON ships as not being good …. they must have gone downhill in a big way during the late 1960’s as despite having half a dozen Liberty ship wartime loss replacements and a couple of WW2 survivors one had to join a queue to get a Mate’s job on any of their ships. Agree they were hard ships earlier on but in late 1950’s they became known as a Married Man’s Company … great feeders, actually relieved entering the first set of locks arriving first UK port and not return until signing on day. Decent pay too. I took 3rd Mate with 1st Mate Ticket just for those reasons. Had enough Mates on hand to dismiss you immediately if not perform well or mess with the Head Office. Thinking about it as i type this … I also wanted to sail on a Liberty
before they disappeared. Best bunk i ever had at sea and finally got to experience steam winches and learned a lot of basic stuff as well as help in engine room with major at sea repair on rare occasion. Stood by discharge and loading on “Colonial”, transferred to the “Scholar” ex “Samidway”. Did routine discharge and reload and actually sailed three trips on her as 3rd Mate … am still chuffed about that. Helped me do well on the “Jeremiah O’Brien” up in San Francisco for a few years. Mostly as AB but did three “Cruises”, Sacramento, Redwood City and return trip from San Diego as Bosun. I joined her after her trip to D Day +25 yrs famous voyage.
Wish I had been retired and able to make that one ! Anyway,at one time at least Harrison’s was a great company to work for.