swan song

[leratty]

It is interesting for me to read these posts. I fully understand Capt.Kong, John S etc staying at sea as it was in the short period I was there a great life although even for me a young whipper snapper I could see that the business was changing for the worse, certainly (British Merchant Navy) as to cargo ships anyway. I did try a tanker, bloody awful to me, well it was actually a chemical tanker then bulk carries same, same.
I am forever grateful for the experience along with friends I made, similarly mentors I was fortunate enough to have cross my tracks. Some of the former I am still friendly with & see in UK along with elsewhere when I am there after all this time. A couple like me have done quite well after the sea we meet in some odd spots around the world every so often for a few laughs & reminisces, a couple are on their third wives ..... A number in UK have sadly done bugger all with their lives after the sea just living on their memories, quite depressing to see don't see that lot often. When I paid off for the last time I had no regrets I went on to university which I always intended to do, gained two degrees then a third in US five years later. Had a fantastic life in the mining-gas-oil industry all around the world, earned serious money from the start over four times what I was being paid at sea per month per week when I started in Peru & still had those insane WCSA times too!
Have been self employed now for more than fifteen years & love every moment of my biz but always will look back with great fondness to my sea time. Richard

[j.sabourn]

Richard, going through some of the old posts and found at least one I must have missed, you mention the Warkworth being arrested in Montreal and writ stuck on wheelhouse door. This must have been before or after my time as cannot remember it ever being mentioned during my time with Dalgliesh. I was on one ship however where the same was done in Singapore (the ship I walked off in Japan) The master ignored and we just sailed. The Lifeboats had been condemned some time previously many months previous and ship was not granted clearance. Our next port was Hong Kong where the Articles of Agreement had to be changed (H.K. Articles) The shipping master in H.K. called me into the office and strongly advised against resigning the agreement, however having no money to get home had no option but to resign. Apart from the Lifeboats there were a lot of things wrong the Lifeboats being very minor in comparison. However sorry just seen your thread about Warkworth and also I believe the Hazelmoor. Regards John Sabourn

[Tony Wilding]

I had a really bad time settling back into Shoreside Life, just could not believe the backstabbing , and the willingness to drop you in it, after all these years ashore am still more comfortable with ex seaman, i cant get on the wavelength of landlubbers, most seem to have led very shallow lives, hard to converse with them.

[Dennis McGuckin]

Think most of us went through that Tony .
Maybe that is why this site is so succesful.
We can feel that old companionship that we never found ashore.
Den.

[happy daze john in oz]

Never wanted to leave the sea, but through circumstances met my wife who now has been married for 44 years so she must be doing something right. But my longing for the sea has never deminished and at every opportunity I am either in it by it on on it. You can take the man out of the sea, but nothing will take the sea out of the man.

[leratty]

Hi John,
I don't have my discharge book accessible for specific dates unfortunately all that is in storage, but the Warkworth & its arrest must have been 1964-5ísh. It was not in Montréal, rather Sorell or Three Rivers down river as we anchored off in the St Lawrence for some weeks, when all sorted we loaded grain I believe? I have to say she was to me anyway a good looking ship, accommodation was well above std as was I think the food (always remember dud feeders) I do not recall where we paid off suggest it was Blighty? I do recall the Capt. asking me to stay on saying "you have a good future at sea." Of course never knew if that was as he needed the crew so just being nice to curry favour? Anyway I appreciated that, the former but did not bother to explain my plans.
Hazelmoor I did two trips on, I liked her even if she was old & slow etc. The crews were good, food good, of course Cuba et al seriously good hence two trips. Got my love for 'quality cigars'there. I mentioned in previous post the Purser, you say Chief steward (: topped himself by hanging himself off the cabin door hook with his tie as we were in channel, God how slow would that have been let alone how desperate was he? Apparently it was said he was caught on the fiddle & summoned by radio-telegram prior to getting home to HO hence... My next trip the cook from Hazelmoor joined as junior cook, he was a great cook looked after us who like 12-4 watch, always allowed us to have a cook up when coming off watch on basis we cleaned up. Anyway the head cook jumped ship or was fired I think in B.A. can't remember so he took over so she too was a good feeder. I still recall his sweets hmm real boarding school ones He wound up in Aus though now a serious curmudgeon living in the boon docks of Qld.
There is a BSL reunion next year in NZ which I/we have been invited to & am toying with attending. Just not too sure if I can take three days.....long reunion huh? Also not one for mass yadda yadda & is as we are now in Paris a bloody long flight though could do some biz en route home I guess? Richard

[j.sabourn]

Richard was on the Warkworth from 1/3/65 to 26/7/65 we did during that time top off in Trois Rivierres with grain. capt. Jewel was the master. Cheers John Sabourn

[leratty]

Hi John don't think it was that early in the year as I recall no cold weather gear needed for being on deck. As I hated cold weather at sea I would remember that. I feel it would have been more like their summer time around June--July? Could it have been the trip after yours I muse? Also we used get ashore, again not sure how, i.e. via our boat or shore boat then to take a bus to somewhere we were able to get Pizza. This was my first experiences of same & I loved it, must have caught that bus many times just to have one. We did not drink like we did on previous or future ships, why I do not know could have been lack of good bars- pubs, available girls there as do not remember any dalliances’ with Quebec's finest?
Don't really recall the Capt. but do his comment at end of trip yet don't know where we paid off either, strange. From my memory the crew were a good one, happy, only unhappy ship I was on was Cienfuegos PSNC with the loony Capt. who was removed in Panama.(Did he go off in a straight jacket I wonder? She, Warkworth was a good ship & recall we had single berth cabins too which was a rarity at that time? She as I found out on the net had a sad end, shelled somewhere, maybe Cyprus & written off? I think she even made it to Aus too? Richard

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, After many years ashore its allways good to meet someone who was at sea it brings it all back ,after a few words its like we never left the sea , I have come across many old shipmates and some new friends over the years all who were at sea some at the same time as me, some years before, all with great tales to tell !!! but dont come across any who are at sea today.