Knowing what I know now would I still go to sea

[happy daze john in oz]

In and out of port sometimes in a few hours, no time ashore and with the reduced crew levels still working full time in port.
Cruise ship crew do at times get some shore time, but if the ship has to use tenders to go ashore few will use it as time constraints make it difficult.

[James Curry]

Would I do it all again? First 10 years yes. Stayed to long, but ended up with a decent living and a conmfortable life style.
I did enjoy several years working for myself contractingesels as a service engineer travelling the globe overhauling medium speed diesels.
Old joke.
It is knowing which part to hit with the hammer, that is why the invoice is high

[happy daze john in oz]

In general the 60'0 were a good time so we enjoyed some of the very best the world then had to offer.
Times have changed big time, a very different world now and in many instances not so enjoyable.
So look back and remember fondly the good times.

[Phil Hughes]

I speak to many lads on Skype and this question has come up with us with the same reply - Yes I would IF the job was as it was then. Times have changed too much now I fear. So many happy days at sea.
Phil Hughes. R698842.

[Alan Briggs]

Nice post Rodney, just about sums it up for a lot of us I ended up in Australia and never looked back.

[Alan Briggs]

Remember those days on the Kiwi coast with pleasure, some great parties.

[Johnny Kieran]

The Kiwi coast was probably the best thing to happen to any young man, me in particular

[j.sabourn]

#17 Johnny I was 17 on my first trip to NZ . Bluff was one of the ports and in those days it was known as the ass***e of the Antipodeas due to the quietness of the port. However I managed to get entangled with a female who used to wait at the bottom of the gangway every night at 1700 hrs . And we used to walk around the town hand in hand like Romeo and Juliet , she told me she was sixteen and a half and looked at least 18. I was a gentleman and never misbehaved fortuanetley , as found out her next birthday she would have been 13 , she was Jailbait with a capital J. Anyhow the junior sparks off a Federal boat that was in port with us at the same time had been casting longing eyes at her and I managed to pass her on to him without telling him how old she was, I only hope he was as honourable as me when he found out. I felt like a pimp at the time , but at least no harm was done by me. And didn’t end up in gaol. It’s easy to see how so many young girls fall by the wayside the way they make up themselves to look older, and it’s usually the bloke who carries the can . My mother always told me to respect ladies thank God , so have no police record in that way. JS

[Jeff Randles]

I left school at 16 after being encouraged to stay on for a year by my headmaster in order to 'catch up' due to my learning difficulties. I'm dyslexic and ADHD so school was 'difficult' as those conditions were not recognised in the 60's.
I was turned down by the the gas, electricity and chemical industries for apprenticeships so found myself unemployed at 16!
My maternal grandfather was a MN second engineer and a cousin was an AB, so I decided that the salty sea life might be the right choice.
I went to the PWSTS sea school in Dover, it was 4 months of absolute hell; my overriding memory is of always being hungry due to the meagre 'rations' and don't forget, we paid good British ££s for the 'training.' We were forced to march, stand to attention, clean the 'ship' wave semaphore flags (god knows why) learn morse code, which we never had to use. I excelled at rope work which I found easy, and splicing too, but everything else was a waste of time. I got into trouble many times and on the day I left I was the only trainee with zero badges on my arm!
I took to life at sea quite easily, I was mildly sea-sick only once, never again. There were 4 of us deck boys and we took turns to fetch meals from the galley, mop the decks, wash up etc, the rest of the time we spent on deck duties.
I was JOS before you could say Bung-Up-and- Bilge-Free and EDH by the time I was 18. I had a weakness for going ashore to the nearest bar, so the sights and experiences of so many towns and cities around the world went unexplored. I do so regret that now.
Yes, if I could turn back the clock I would go to sea again, BUT, I would NOT make the same mistakes again.
On reflection, I think those days at sea were something quite special, the memories I have, most of which are good, are a treasure, unlike anything else I have experienced. There is hardly a day that goes by when I don't think of, and remember, those days. If only eh?

[Jeff Randles]

Wellington, Auckland, Napier, Picton and some other small ports in NZ is where I learnt to drink and party. When I came back to my home town I carried on as though I was still in NZ, my old school friends and neighbours must have though I was some sort of Alien Space Invader!