Merchant women seafarers

[cappy]

I suppose this Boat/Ship thing is a bit like Car/Motor innit. Posh, upity people, would call them cars in those days, like "Hello John, have you got a new car?" Whereas, I would say "Hello John, got a new motor?"
If we were all ashore and finished our beer, some of us would say "I'm going back to the boat". Others of course would say "I'm going back to the ship". Now , I wouldn't be surprised if we all ended up at the same place. Unless of course, we were from different "vessels".

Cant agree with the statement ...in the old days about motors .......in the old days in shields nobody had a bleedin car ......lol R683532

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Cappy.
One was more apt to say "Hi John, New Bike,"? and he'd say, no heap of Sh^e from the tip lad.
Des

[Glyn Jones]

Reminds me of a story a few years ago, my sea time was in the late 50s mid 60s, but in the early 80s I took on a pub in a lovely Cornish fishing village which was popular with the fishing community & tourists alike, but was also frequented by several ex and serving MN lads, who lived locally.
One of these was an AB on BP Tankers who used to frequent the pub when on leave, one day he came in for his usual drink or two and in the course of conversation announced he was marrying the 3rd Mate, well, I dropped the glass of beer I was serving and said to him have you changed sides or has all that heat down the gulf fried your brain!
After explaining that the 3rd Mate was a girl, and showing me a photo my fears where allayed, I had never encountered female crew on any of the ships I served on in the early days, but do recall seeing a couple of Russian timber boats up the Manchester Ship Canal in the mid 60s with women deckhands.

[James Curry]

I sailed on two ships were a 2nd eng & the 2nd mate got together been married a few years now and have a family they live in Canberra.
Also another couple 2nd Mate & female 4th Eng tied the knot and been married for a number of years now and have a lovely daughter.

[Sue Redmond]

We were on a P&O cruise, and the captain was a woman. Can't remember which boat it was though.

I started as a deck cadet with BP in 1979.
16 years old and one of a few female personnel in the fleet.
On the whole it was a very positive experience and my fellow seafarers were welcoming and not patronising or sexist etc - we all just got with the job.
The only real problem person I encountered was an old man I sailed with who was predatory and had to be kept at arms length - difficult situation with the power dynamics at play. .

I lost my job with the big fleet cuts/crossover to foreign flag in the 80s and then went on to seafaring on yachts etc.
I miss the sea very much and the people you met.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Welcome aboard and it's nice to have someone young aboard I feel sure that you're broadminded enough to give some of us old male codgers some leeway in our remarks

[George Adams]

In the 1950's, Buries Markes employed female Radio Officers on most of their ships.

[Valerie Pratt]

Dear Mo, in my seagoing days being a nurse and on call 24/7 , I enjoyed the work but at times it was a lonely life I was often not invited to late night parties and as a non drinker, I was once told “you are no fun you don’t drink” . For all that it was a very interesting life met many fine people and made lasting friendships,

[Ivan Cloherty]

“you are no fun you don’t drink” . ,

Definitely not true Valerie. my late wife was a non drinker, the most fun to be with and the funniest person I ever knew and always the centre of attention at any function I always knew where she was by her own and others laughter. My first wife, who sadly died young was also a non drinker and a funny lady, both were beautiful as well, I was a lucky man. Then again guess they had to be funny being married to me!

[Valerie Pratt]

Thanks, I have a great sense of humour, but I just don’t drink alcohol when at sea, the job was more important ,never knew when an emergency would occur. my biggest critics were the Junior officers,