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29th September 2018, 11:52 AM
#21
Re: Brescia
Brescia is one of my old ships 1965.
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29th September 2018, 05:21 PM
#22
Re: Brescia
Was your book ever published, Gordon? If so, what's the title?
Ian
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31st October 2020, 03:14 PM
#23
Re: Excerpt from my Book
Excellent reading Mr Whittaker. thanks.
R808042
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31st May 2021, 10:24 PM
#24
Re: Excerpt from my Book
These are the sort of Stories that we need more of! Some of the old Stories are terrific from a few Members here, one in particular besides this one is of course the Stories posted along the Years of Capt Kong! But there are others as well, so come on you hearty Writers lets have More!!!!! What say you other Seadogs! LOL
Senior Site Moderator-Member and Friend of this Website
R697530
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1st June 2021, 01:41 AM
#25
Re: Excerpt from my Book
#24 Vernon if you expect seamen to write about their life in truth with all the gory details with a total belief of being true. And you dont wear a halo around your head, I would say they would of had to have lead an exemplary life. Otherwise they would leave themselves open to many charges, to name but a few, Aggravated assaults on persons named, misuse of companys property and funds, claims from HM inspector of taxes, fornication where it shouldnt have happened, Adultery, Claims for Child support, Claims for unpaid bills, the list is endless. When people write a book about themselves they only tend to write what they want others to see, so you are never going to get a full insight to a persons life. Thats the way I look at it. We all make mistakes in life and make the wrong decisions sometimes , but I think they are few and far between those who will admit to it. Can you imagine a politician writing their life in politics which a lot do. I wouldnt waste my money on it. A seafarer writing about his experiences OK , his private life he must be either a brave or a silly man. Cheers JS
R575129
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1st June 2021, 04:41 AM
#26
Re: Excerpt from my Book
Now you know why i dont write my Book JS! Too many a truth would come forward and very few woud believe it! And thats now Honest!
Cheers
My Kids know most of it already, and thats enough for me !
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1st June 2021, 06:28 AM
#27
Re: Excerpt from my Book
John #26, I have written a record of my time at sea.
Could it be published, maybe but the only people who would believe it are others who went to sea.
I did show part of it to a good friend here, she laughed and said I was a good writer and should continue with fiction.
But there was at that time a guy who had sailed with P&O, now gone to Fiddlers Green, and he confirmed what I had written, she was still not totally convnced.
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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1st June 2021, 09:48 AM
#28
Re: Excerpt from my Book
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1st June 2021, 10:32 AM
#29
Re: Excerpt from my Book
: Sorry to hear about Gordon Whittaker..-Thanks Marian.-heck that's nine years ago now......
#26 JS ..the trouble with seafarers' autobiographies is it's a niche market and likely only to be bought and read by ex-seafarers and others interested in life at sea.
In the main I have found even some of the classic earlier biographies as dry as dust with monotonous passages as long as a trans-Pacific crossing in a rowing boat....Boring! You have to have a certain flair for words, and a sense of occasion ,thrusting yourself back into the incident you have lived ,and write it with a degree of humour,even if it was no laughing matter at the time..At sea we could always find humour in a situation,if not at the time,then certainly afterwards.You all know what 'pissed ourselves laughing should mean'.Biographies should have a good deal of humour in to maintain the readers interest and even admiration. For the narrator that will inevitably mean stretching the truth on occasions,not too much!) because we all do it-stand-up comedians do it all the time and know far to go with it.
As regards a seafaring readership we will love it,because we can relate to it ourselves,or know somebody who has!
For many of us a good autobiography will not work so at least we could write down our memories and thoughts about our past lives in a logbook,just for our families,so nothing is lost when that last 'stitch through the nose' is performed on the makeshift catafalque constructed by the chippy on the poopdeck .(He also constructed the thunderbox on the bow up the Niger River) You see,you have to have a way with words!
Hopefully,sites like this will keep your posts in perpetuity, but make sure you leave instructions for the kinsfolk where to read your memoir posts and how to access the site and don't forget to give them your own username and password !Reading.jpg
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1st June 2021, 11:04 AM
#30
Re: Excerpt from my Book
Thats what I have always said about this site Graham. Even so my wife if she saw some of the things I have come out with would be hearing them for the first time. My Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren if ever get to read might be a bit more broad minded as the world is an ever changing place as regards morality and would think nothing of it. Comedy in retrospect was always there at sea whether we saw it as such immediately or after the event . One of the funniest things later , but not at the time, was waking up in a big house in Puerto Rico , with and old hag lying on the bed beside me, the last recollection I had was hitting someone in a bar and all the bar stools going down in slow motion. Had started out the night with the Lecky, Ch. Stwd., and 2nd. mate. who all finished up in various dire straits themselves. Anyhow I shinned down the drainpipe so to speak and found myself in private grounds of a big house on opening a huge iron gate was a highway with traffic streaming past it was about 0800 hrs. I am sure I was doped , I staggered out and started jogging towards the harbour pretending in my own tiny mind I was a fitness fanatic as I was wearing a pair of boxer shorts , trying to thumb every taxi that went past , it seemed like years until one stopped . When I finally got back I had to get onboard to get money to pay the driver, after putting on a pair of trousers and a shirt. The gangway watchman just put his head in his hands and pretended he hadnt seen me. The passengers must have been having breakfast so thought I had got away with it. However leaving port later that morning on the bridge this old Capt. Dewar a Scotsman who had lived in Canada most of his life , came out with Och ! I heard you came back this morning with no trousers on Mr. Mate. The other 3 miscreants all had different tales to tell of what happened to them but too long to put on here. I also lost 600 dollars of U.S. Travellers cheques. Wasnt funny at the time . Cheers JS
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