"Funny" People At Sea.

[Jim Brady]

We all remember years ago when guys were away on Tankers around the Gulf for about two years,some of them suffered "Abadan Blues" or" Tankeritis".You know where they went a bit "Funny" and started drawing ducks on deck and throwing bread to them.
Thats a bit extreme although it did happen,but some of us must've come across crew members or passengers that went a bit "Loopy"I know I met a few in my time.I remember one time on the "Empress of Britain" we were mid Atlantic and this Bedroom Steward came walking past me in the working alleyway.He was dressed in his underpants and vest shoes and socks and carrying his case.I said "Our you getting of her then" bloody right he replied"I've had enough of this one". I did'nt find out until the next day that he walked right through the 1st class passenger accommodation upto the Captains cabin and demanded to be signed off,I think they put him in the Brig.
Lets hear a few Funny stories.
Reagards.
Jim.B.

[Les Woodard]

Jim remember sailing with an ex tanker bloke. He used to paint his toe nails and finger nails with red lead. That and a few others where the reason that I never went on Tankers. Had a few that suffered with the DT's and used to report bus loads of ***** on the horizon as well as seagulls with seaboots on. Oh yes there where a few that where a little bit loopy but that was part and parcel of being at sea. As they say if you do not meet someone a bit crazy on the ship then you should look in the mirror.

[happy daze john in oz]

Docking morning in Southampton, breakfast after a hard night of the chanels. Tourist winger by the name of Jimmy Quirke had somehow lost his shoes the night before, only black pair he owned I think. Painted his feet black with Cherry Blosom, would have got away with it if he had not slipped on the galley floor and gone a over t.

[Jim Brady]

Hi John in Oz,that was a "Cracker" was this Jimmy Quirke an Irish guy ?.Why did'nt he wear his brown shoe's or whatever shoes he had. He had definitely lost the plot!!!
Regards.
Jim.B.

[robpage]

I did tanker swith Gulf Oil for two years , Never met so many certifiable people in one place before ! One Irish Proffesional Third Engineer was totally GaGa , used to spend a whole voyage without one sociable copnversation . He used to fill the boiler Chemical bottles with Whiskey , so he could have a quick nip on watch without der=tection , I dont think he ever knew that it wasnt all whiskey , but topped up with a secondary yellow fluid .

[Les Woodard]

I think that you could have started something big here Jim as I am sure that we will recall a lot of those that lost the plot while at sea. More so than those others that we sailed with. As anyone will recall it is always the worst ship or holiday that we remember the most and have a bloody good laugh about.

[happy daze john in oz]

Hi Jim, yes he was an Irishman in more ways than one. But we had a K>P> who joined in Southampton and all he had apart from what he was wearing was a comb and tooh brush in his top jacket pocket. Started to smell a bit by the end of the voyage.

[alf corbyn]

IRISH LOGIC?

we had an irish winger on the Mataroa who used to cut the heels and toes out of all his new socks.

his reasoning was they would wear out anyway.
we had afemale passenger on a castle mail boat who used to bring a jar of seaweed to the dining table and would not anyone sit in the chair next to her. she insisted that it was for her mermaid friend miranda and used to feed her the seaweed. we had some very weird passengers on UCL..alf

[Jim Brady]

Hi Alf,talking about the woman with the seaweed.We had a passenger joined the Emp.of Britain in Montreal,he was on the passenger list as John Jesus.He came aboard dressed in what looked like to me a dirty white fridge coat(remember those coats we used to wear when were defrosting the meat room) and a pair of sandals,long hair and a beard,looking like J.C. himself.He was given a deuce table tourist class.The table had to be laid for two people, him and Jesus.What ever he ordered for himself he would also order for Jesus.as he finished what ever coarse he was on,the winger used to ask him had Jesus finished as well.
He said he had a calling from god that he had to make it to Jerusalem.They would'nt let him land in Liverpool he was kept aboard and returned to Montreal.The local paper reported it and I could'nt believe it when they said " He walks down the alleyways in these long flowing white robes" not the scruffy coat he wore.
Regards .
J.m.B.

[David Williams]

Hi Les.

I spent most of my time at sea on tankers,
and Im alright(as long as I keep taking the
pills).

Dave Williams(R583900)