Why did you go to Sea?

[June Manktelow]

I had been a good girl. Trained as a teacher, worked in Marks and Spencer. Hated being in the little woman box. Loved my Dad's sea stories from the war. Had a chance to work on the ferries as a summer job to pay my way through college. Loved it. Stayed on and embraced the rollercoaster!

[vic mcclymont]

Brought up in a shipbuilding area, there were always ships either being built, fitting out or going on trials, so from an early age I was interested ins ships.
It was further heightened when my father took me aboard the recently the launched Axina in 1958 (time flies).
I wanted to be an electrician and I wanted to go to sea, I wrote to various companies, received the standard reply, you must have experience before we will employ you and we don't train electricians.
Joined a marine electrical contracting company, designing ships electrical installations, had many job offers from owners of ships that we had designed the electrics, wanted my apprenticeship completed, before going to sea.
After my apprenticeship was completed decided to visit the shipowners in Glasgow, enquiring about jobs, again standard reply no experience no job.
Visited the Clan Line Office at the KGV in Glasgow, got an interview and joined B&C.
First ship SA VAAL, second ship Clan Ranald. Last ship Clan MacIntyre.
Some scary moments, some hilarious, on the whole the good times outweighed the bad.
Do I miss it? yes.
Took the wife cruising a few years ago, she loves the sea.
Regards
Vic

[Graham Payne]

Hi Vic
same as you, took the wife on a cruise to show her what it,s like, BAD move, she adored it, all the dressing up for dinner etc etc. Now done 12 of the bloody things, its not just the cost of the cruise,
( its all the extras )
Dresses, matching handbags and shoes, four formal nights on a two week cruise works out a lot of money .

[vic mcclymont]

Graham, thats the down side of cruising, new clothes and accessories every time we go cruising. She takes enough clothes for a trip to the moon and back (and doesn't wear them all).
Vic

[Dennis McGuckin]

Took the wife on a seven day cruise.
She tool seven pairs of shoes, plus all that goes with them.
My gear was left behind at departure. Didn't get it until three days later.
Good thing it wasn't the wife's. She would have made the old man turn the ship around.

[Captain Kong]

That is the same for me, Two suit cases of dresses, shoes etc etc. I just have a dolly bag. It is me who has to lift them and carry them and suffer from a bad back for it. We have been going on Long ones since 1995,six weeks to five months. so that is a long time for her gear, the ships laundry bill is bigger than my bar bill.
She now has a lot of sea time in. more than a lot of MN guys. and seen many more countries now.
She does not believe me when I say I went away on a long trip with just a brown paper carrier bag, one tooth brush, a tee shirt, one pair of dungarees, cut the legs off in warm weather and sew them back on in the cold. Schooner rigged in those days.
Cheers
Brian.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi June.
Nice to hear that you took the plunge and enjoyed the sea. My wife hated the little girl thing, had to look after her siblings as a youngster. So she has had the freedom to do what she wants for the last 60 years and she is still doing it, we go clubbing when ever she feels like it; eating out, I'm only to pleased when she turns around and tells me I'm wonderful.
Cheers Des.


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[happy daze john in oz]

What is it about the ladies and cruising? Enough clothes to fit out an army and about one third worn. Each week she will see something in the shop saying, 'this will be good for the next cruise'. She has a bloody wardrobe full of clothes good for the next cruise.

[Gerry O'Neill]

I grew up in Birkenhead watching the ships going up and down the river and always wanted to go to sea, there had to be more to the world than Birkenhead!
I had tried for the Royal Navy, but at 15 I was to short to pass the medical.
But fate was on my side. My mother used to walk our dog every day and meet a neighbour with his dog. She got to talking to him and told him of my wanting to go to sea and it turns out he was the catering super at the NZSCo Liverpool office, send him to see me he says.
So off I go and he gives me a letter to the doctor who does the medical. The medical goes fine until I stand next to wall scale, he looks at me standing tall next to the scales and then at the letter from the super and says stand on your toes son!
Next thing I know I have a job as a stewards boy sailing to NZ.
So the dog was responsible for getting me off to sea and opening the world to me.
Yes she was a great dog :-)

[Keith Tindell]

Ah yes John, but the female logic, they cannot wear this or that because they have already been seen in it !!!!, and woe betide it if another women has the same dress on, no wonder women think that men are simple souls, KT