first day and last day

[John Arton]

I joined the Canadian Pacific as a deck cadet, straight from school. Interviewed and accepted 15th September 1967, joined my first ship 17th September, a tanker, in Tranmere. After struggling up the gangway, got shown to my cabin, given a boiler suit and told to report to the chief officer in the cargo control room, eventually found the place and for the next 6 hours spent charging up and down the deck and pump room, swinging valves. 6 off and then on again for another 6 hours swinging valves again. Sailed 24 hours after joining and next day started scrubbing out the wheelhouse and polishing brass work, tank cleaning, chipping and painting and learning about watch keeping. 41 years later I was master on my ship in Antwerp I suffered a mild stroke that resulted in loss of peripheral vision. Tried lecturing at marine school for a while as well as doing a spell on a hunkering vessel, eventually retiring at 65. Would do it all again if I could go back, never change a thing. Loved every minute of my time at sea.
Rgds
J.A

[Keith Tindell]

I left school at 15, and parents advice was to get a trade, so started work as am apprentice in a shoe repair shop. One of the customers that would come in every so often was a Polish Merchant seaman, he told me many tales, told me where he had been over the years etc, and i then thought, sod this, stood here in the village shop for the next 30 years, so applied for the MN, on his advice. So at 16 , gravesend sea school for 12 weeks , then joined the Treworlas, a well known tramping company as a deck boy, and then same as Des, sent to the messroom as *peggy*, not what i had envisaged , but plodded on and then enjoyed 7 years travelling the world, and enjoyed every minute of it, pretty much everyone here on this site say the same thing. kt

[Ivan Cloherty]

When you became a Jungle sailor , I assume you weren’t referring to the Northumberland arms ,North Shields then Ivan as May have tripped over Cappy sprawled in the doorway. Cheers JS.

Was only in the Numberlan jungle once, that was enough! also sallied into the Northfolk and Suffolkin Ipswich (if I remember rightly) known locally as the 'two f*cks' didn't bother sampling that part!

[Austin Carl Largan]

Great post. Did you ever do anything ‘under the table’, rum running or suchlike? Your post seems to indicate you may have sailed close hauled at one time or another 😬

[happy daze john in oz]

My mothers cousin was married to a guy who had been a Bosun in the MN and for many years in a similar role on the Woolwich ferry.
When he heard I was po go to the Vindi he asked me to meet him at the London docks.
He showed me around and explained a few things.
Then he hit me with a statement which at the time had very little meaning to me.

'You will meet some men who think they are women and at times may dress like them"

On joining UCL I soon realised what he meant.

[j.sabourn]

What size bra was the chief Steward wearing ? Or didn’t you get that far ? JS