Those Trips Ashore

[John F Collier]

Cristobal, only went there once as we normally went straight through the canal, we wandered from
bar to bar and ended up in the back streets half cut and lost, it was very hot and humid and as we
staggered through this dark narrow roads one of the lads said "It aint no life for a white man" and
a very deep voice from the shadows boomed out "Taint no life for de black man either", we legged it.

[John Arton]

Any, Panama canal transit, the first 3 times I did it as a cadet I was so hung over I can scarcely remember it. On the forest product ships in c.p. we would load phosphate in Jacksonville for discharge in new Westminster. In order to get the max lift we would be on minimum bunkers departing Jacksonville in order to take bunkers in Cristobal (different load line zone). Whatever time we departed Jacksonville we always seemed to arrive in Cristobal in the evening in order to tie up and bunker overnight. Due to the shape of the ships hull and the 3 gantry cranes on deck we were daylight transit only so a run ashore to the delights of Cristobal's bars was always on the clock and boy did we cadets make sure their bars got a major part of our salary. Remember been literally thrown down the gangway of an American ship berthed astern of us after staggering up it in order to attempt to not only to apologize for our behaviour in the American service club but also to cement the bon homie between us Brits and our American cousins, that did not go too well.
After transit would have sobered enough for another run ashore in Panama where we always berthed to take on fresh water.
Rgds
J.A.

[Tony Taylor]

On another occasion, I was in bar that had a sign outside saying off limits to American military. Shore patrol comes in and grabs me, slams me up the wall repeatedly while berating me for being off limits, I managed to get my British Seamans card out of my pocket and wave it in front of them.
They just dropped me and walked off without a word; probably because I had a very short haircut.
Despite that, it was a great job as we were carrying bunker fuel for banana boats so we visited lots of small banana ports on both coasts of Central America.

[Captain Kong]

I was on Cunard`s `PARTHIA` in Boston, now Dont do this in the States,
We tied up outside the city in a place called Maverick. Not a lot there just a couple of bars, we took a subway to Boston City centre but it was very quiet, not a bit like New York. We came back to Maverick and had a few drinks there.
Six of us were staggering back to the ship through the dock area. It was quite a way so we stopped for a relief against the wall of a cargo warehouse. The six of us were stood in a line with it all hanging out when searchlights lit us all up, and a loud haler shouted `FREEZE, DON`T MOVE OR WE SHOOT, POLICE. HANDS ON THE WALL AND SPREAD `EM`.
We froze, Kinnell, with hands on the wall all with our nudgers still hanging out. I think the whole of the Boston Police Department were there behind us.
The cops came over to us and frisked us for weapons and tuned us around, we were blinded by the search lights. `And put those away` the Cop said pointing his night stick at our nudgers. We zipped up quick.
We are Limies, we kept saying ,but didn`t make any difference.
One at a time they took us to a Patrol car, `Hands on the hood and spread `em`. Geof went first, a big black Cop towered over him, `Where ya from``, Geof said `The Isle of Wight`, the Cop hit him over the head with his club, "AARRWWGGHH", said Geof, as a large lump appeared on his head. The big black Cop said `Ya trying to be funny wise guy.`. `No` said Geof, `I am from the Isle of W-I-G-H-T not W-H-I-T-E. its in England`.
They went through all our pockets and found our US Immigration Passes.
A bunch of Limies off the Parthia, eh. So we got a Police escort back to the ship to make sure we got on board. The cops who were taking us back told us they had a stake out on that Warehouse as they had a tip off that it was going to be raided and we had ruined it. They were not amused.
We sailed the following day bound for Liverpool

[Captain Kong]

I always enjoyed wearing Khakis, until I went ashore in Jacksonville Florida, I was schooner rigged and called into JC Pennys Store,
They had US Army uniforms, Khaki shirt and trousers, complete with badges of the Regiment on,
I said Why the hadges the man said he had a lot of Vet customers who bought shirts of their old Regiment. So I bought a shirt and a pair of Keks. I went in town and into the Flamingo Bar, a beautiful Puerto Rican Barmaid, she poured real good Rum and Cokes, after a few hours I was drunk as a skunk, I fell out of the Bar and almost into arms of a Military Patrol. They chased me round the intersection , jumping over cars then I fell over and they both battered me with their night sticks. I`m a Limie I kept shouting, to no avail, `Yeah we heard that before Mac.` then another bang on the head, I was covered in blood, then a jeep turns up and I am thrown in and taken to a military base and thrown into a tank with another dozen fellows in a similar state. After an hour or so I am taken out for questioning and searched. `Goddamn this guy really is a Limie`, they found my pass off the Manchester Merchant.
So they cleaned me up sponging my shirt as well, and took me to a hospital for stitches in my head. They put me in the jeep and took me back to the Flaminigo Bar, the barmaid was still there, `Give this guy anything he wants. `me `I want to go back to the ship my head is hurting, I just want to lie down.` `We are off duty in half an hour we will be back `.
`What for?, to beat me up again`? The Barmaid treated me to a large Rum and so I spent a pleasant half hour chatting to her.
They came back, paid for my drinks, picked me up and took me to a Restaurant and a big steak, All I wanted was to go to bed , my head was hurting,
.
Eventually they took me back to the ship.
I never wear Khaki Gear since then