Channel night

My last memory of the Channel before moving here was a home run after a charter had finished. I was under pressure to sail from Blyth as the contract was over but the charters paid until we were at our home port of Southampton. It'd been blowing 11/12 for a couple of days so I'd refused, finally the forcast for dropping so we sailed on the midday tide. Seas were still huge and we chatted with a car carrier off Newcastle about passing arrangements as she was steaming circles as too rough to board her pilot. I have a picture somwhere of my engineer smoking his roll up on the aft deck looking up at the wave about 20 ft above him :)

When we turned the corner at Dover it only got worse despite the weather having eased, but now on our head.

Dover coastguard asked our assistance looking for a missing yacht. I don't remember how many hours I'd been up by this point. We were still taking 8-10 ft seas on a 60 ft boat. My mate was a Welshman by the name of Simon. I recall at one point I was talking to Dover when we took a bigger wave. As I keyed the radio to talk to Dover he used the F word about how big the wave was. I let go of the microphone as quick as could but it was clear from the giggles they'd heard his comment.

Anyway it turned out the missing yacht was safe but they'd not called anyone to say so.

SDG

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Originally Posted by j.sabourn

Remember those suits Tony.. My friends suit was also pale blue, never heard anyone call him bluey. Cheers JS

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Ha Ha if you want to see women in pajamas, come to Stanley Co. Durham, they are out in all weathers! No dressing gowns tho. I am up there (known locally as the windy city) almost every day all year round and I often wonder about the mentality, even little kids can be seen out in blizzards or heavy rain and freezin cold without decent clothes on playing football.

Come on lads please stay on thread - its Channel Night in case anyone has forgotten - thanks

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Originally Posted by Chris Allman

Come on lads please stay on thread - its Channel Night in case anyone has forgotten - thanks

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Apologies Chris.

Best experience ever, if you were courting or just married
a magical time, I was at sea for the first 4 years of my marriage
still recall the excitement (the second thing you did was put
your case down), still remember now married 61 years never
still treasure the memories.

I can remember one “Channel Night on the Orontes on her last trip from Oz, we had been damaged in the stern entering Marseille, and got a big hole in her stern. All the passengers were shipped overland to the U.K. and a third of the crew stayed on, I was one, we were one big U Gang, packing up everything.
As we were heading for the channel, we were called to when it became dark, our job was to dump dozens of meat carcasses over the stern, as the meat was Australian bought duty free it would not be allowed to be landed, and the company fined, we emptied the freezers of all meat, worth a fortune, coming from a working class background, I was incensed at the waste.

remember it well after 12 months on the british judge, could have got off after six months if i signed a contract but after doing the bandamashah to karg island to aden trip for six months i never wanted to see a tanker again

Chanel night, all the excitement of going home to see family and friends.
Down to the station for the train back to London, have a few beers with mates making the same journey.
Get home, maybe a little over refreshed, and there is mum.

'Hello son home again, when you going back'
Such warm welcomes make the heart grow fonder????????????

Channel Night for me on first Trip was not Hello Son etc etc,it was a most glorious entry into a new World for me,in another Country,and as a young Man at that time with not much World Experience.
The Sight of those Wonderfull White Cliffs at early rise and the entry into the great Port of London's KG5 awoke an inner feeling for me that has satyed with me to this very day!
The Night before going down to the Pig and Whistle,and having made quite a few new Friends on the trip,was also an experience that i will never forget!
Invited to one of the Lads home in Putney was a real treat,and the fist ride in the Black Cab from KG5 to Putney ,that was something i too will never forget!
From then on i learned the ways of Life,and went about enjoying it to the full,taking both the good and the bad along the ride,learning to take care of myself,it was a bit hard at first but i got there and all by myself!
No Regrets what so ever.
Cheers

Well summed up, those white cliffs were a wonderful
sight but a bit frustrating when I was on the Scythia Oct- Dec
1956 trooping Canadian troops from Quebec to Rotterdam, Engish
pilot on board, even English papers then out again for more troops
But we paid off in Liverpool December 21 signed on straight away
re joined Jan 10 (good old Cunard}