Day worker

[Roger Millard]

Reading the posts today reminds me of the hours a Deckie on day work would perform, correct me if its wrong. This would be deep sea not coasting or rig tendering, we would start at 0700 then breakfast from 0800-0900 Smoko from 1000-1030, Dinner 1200 -1300 smoko 1430-1500 finish a little before 1700 for tea at the end of a days work. Memories are made of this. (R)

[Ivan Cloherty]

Sounds about right for sea duties Roger, alas as an OOW never got the luxury of daywork, except in port when it was 0700 - 1900 or 1900 - 0700, but that's what we signed on for, but it always seemed that you'd finished your nightshift at 0700 after 12 hours and then sailed at 0800 and started sea watches immediately, but no matter what, no matter how good the port was, it was always good to sail, wash down the vessel and settle into a routine and wonder if you'd save enough dosh to enjoy the favours of the next port, unless you were on a mainland China run and there were no favours to be had in those ports, only officialdom, intransigence and grief, also what could be considered bullying by the military.

At sea the hours you described were norm if you had a bosun that reported to the bridge at 0645 hours you turned-to at 0700, if the bos'n reported on the bridge at 0700 then you didn't really get on deck till 0715 and the next 45 mins were spent getting the day's gear ready for an 0800 start, then you knocked off for breakfast at 0800 ready for a start with was it going to be the windy-hammer, the paint brushes, or something seamanlike such as overhauling all the cargo gear and rigging, or the hated job of cleaning holds and bilges, no time to get bored anyway.

[Roger Millard]

Thanks Ivan, My favourite job was the overhauling of the cargo gear rigging mooring ropes and MacGregor Maintenance. Sadly later on it was replaced by ready made from the chandlers. And there was me thinking the OOW had to much time off not realising until later in life someone needed to be doing paperwork for loading and offloading voyage preparation chart updates and much more not forgetting being an ambassador for the shipping company. Regards R

[Ivan Cloherty]

Yes Roger, paperwork, there was an awful lot of it, even more today than when I and most others were at sea, if loading general cargoes for discharge in 14 to 18 ports cargo plans for every hold, lower and upper tween decks, forepeaks, strong rooms, etc, making sure that cargo was not overstowed for the sequence of itenary, not always easy when loading in 5 or 6 ports. Bills of Lading, valuable cargo lists, special lists for explosives and detonators. Then you would be loading at the same time as discharging ensuring you didn't overstow cargo still to be discharged at subsequent ports. Then when trading to OZ, paperwork for every shackle, shackle pin, blocks, wires, runners, guys, preventers etc for every derrick including the jumbo, then the LSA paperwork, etc it seemed never ending and there is even more these days, but then again they don't have 12 -20 derricks.

My favourite work on deck was being involved in overhauling and rigging the jumbo, setting up the steam guys (different on every ship) even when 3/m and 2/m would ask the bosun if he could use an extra pair of hands when off watch, always accepted gratefully, as he didn't have a full complement when some were watchkeepers and no auto pilot, as 1/m it was your duty to be there. Mind you as a cadet I used to enjoy using the windy hammer outside and over the ch stewards cabin if he didn't let us have beers on passage, most did and Master and Mate knew it, but turned a blind eye, even though our indentures forbade it, lets face it towards the end of your time you were 18/19 years old and you couldn't get pizzed as being a cadet you were on call 24 hours a day and they didn't have to pay you overtime. That was all deep sea.

On the coast you mucked in on deck regardless of rank with some vessels having an endless need to have those huge domino hatchboards being flung on and off the hatches at very frequent intervals, then there were the canvas tarpaulins, three or four per hatch. The Colliers with their MacGregor hatch covers were pure luxury

[happy daze john in oz]

Tourist class winger in the tourist gallop.
0545 turn to, 0600 to 0730 assorted jobs such as accommodation deck scrub, laundry carry, etc 0730 to07450 get changed .
0800 to 1000 server breakfast, 1000 to 1030 own breakfast 1030 to 1100 set up for lunch 1100 to 1145 time off 1145 to 1400 serve lunch 1400 to 1430 own lunch 1430 to 1500 set up for dinner 1500to 1700 time off 1700 to 2200 set up assorted tasks and serve dinner. 2200 to 2230 own dinner 2300 to 2400 in the pig.

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Tourist class winger in the tourist gallop.
0545 turn to, 0600 to 0730 assorted jobs such as accommodation deck scrub, laundry carry, etc 0730 to07450 get changed .
0800 to 1000 server breakfast, 1000 to 1030 own breakfast 1030 to 1100 set up for lunch 1100 to 1145 time off 1145 to 1400 serve lunch 1400 to 1430 own lunch 1430 to 1500 set up for dinner 1500to 1800 time off 1800 to 2200 set up assorted tasks and serve dinner. 2200 to 2230 own dinner 2300 to 2400 in the pig.

[Bill Morrison]

Plum job. 5th Eng. Genny man 8 to 5 Monday to Friday. Half day Saturday knocked off at noon and Sunday off. You spent the voyage overhauling the Gennys, turned to for breakdowns and standbys. Broke my heart when made up to 4th Eng. did so under duress as a favour to personnel manager.
Bill

[Fouro]

If anything needed repairing on deck etc, we did what were called 'field days' which meant we had to the repairing during our time off between watches. Such repairs were usually carried out during daylight.

Fouro.

[Bill Cameron]

#5 John you forgot Afternoon teas usually 1500, and Kids teas usually 1700, these dipped into our off time a lot 👍
Bill

[Tony Taylor]

If anything needed repairing on deck etc, we did what were called 'field days' which meant we had to the repairing during our time off between watches. Such repairs were usually carried out during daylight.

Fouro.

unless you worked for a company that didnt carry leckies. Electrical work done by 3/e in my outfit so any galley jobs were done after finishing 12-4 inn morning as galley had to be up and running by 07.00.

[vic mcclymont]

Leckie Clan Line, 08:00 to 10:00 work, 100:00 10:30 smoko. 10:30-12:00 work. 12:00 to 14:00 lunch, 15:00 to 15:30 smokp, 15:30: 5017:00 work, Monday to Friday.
Sat morning, BOT sports, finish 12:00.
Sunday finish 12:00.
It was a hard life.
Standby entering and leaving port or night callouts not included.
Vic.