Why did you go to Sea?

When I was almost 14, back in 1953, my grandfather worked for Canadian Pacific in Liverpool Office and seemed to have a fairly high position as he invited my parents, along with my sister, brother and I, for a Sunday lunch aboard the Empress of Canada in Gladstone Dock. I'd never imagined such food, or luxury, existed and the passenger dining room and waiter service was like being on a different planet. I truly didnt believe those waiters really got paid for living such a life, and even getting tips for doing it ! And from then on thats what I wanted to do. At first my grandfather told he would get me a job 'anytime' I wanted but later changed his mind, so with my fathers help I wrote letters to 20 different shipping companies. I got good replies from most, but it was the New Zealand Shipping Co.Ltd that guaranteed me a job once I had completed a catering course at a National Sea Training School, and was a member of the Seaman's Union. So off I went to the Union office in Salford (Manchester), and had an entrance exam and then a medical. I passed them both but was told that I was half inch too short. . . and to go back when I was 5' 4" ! ! Which I did 6 months later, and then I went to the sea school at Gravesend. The very same day I finished the course I was told to report to the NZSCo.Ltd at Royal Albert Dock, and then to the RMS RANGITANE. . .my first ship. It was June 1954. I have always remembered one of the questions I was asked during the Union exam ; "If a ship's Captain pays fifteen shillings for a pair of sea boots, how much would they cost a one-legged First Officer ?" TRUE ! Such was the fun of being alive in those days and I had 10 great years of it. Thanks for reading. . keep well and take care. John

I have never sailed with a one legged First Mate , a deaf Chief Engineer , a couple of engineers with a glass eye each , several engineers with fingers missing , but never a one-legged mate . Still i expect knowing this site someone has !!! !

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Originally Posted by robpage

I have never sailed with a one legged First Mate , a deaf Chief Engineer , a couple of engineers with a glass eye each , several engineers with fingers missing , but never a one-legged mate . Still i expect knowing this site someone has !!! !

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Once sailed with a Mate who was the biggest barrel chested man you'd ever met and tall with it but had a sqeeky (never could spell that) little voice. He was reputed to have lost his testicles when a spring wire broke resulting in the voice change. But I never met anyone who had the courage or termerity to ask him if it was true

I have never sailed with a one legged First Mate , a deaf Chief Engineer , a couple of engineers with a glass eye each , several engineers with fingers missing , but never a one-legged mate . Still i expect knowing this site someone has !!!

. I have sailed with a few who were totally Mental.
Brian

I sailed with a three legged carpenter at least that was what it looked like when he was naked

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Originally Posted by robpage

I have never sailed with a one legged First Mate , a deaf Chief Engineer , a couple of engineers with a glass eye each , several engineers with fingers missing , but never a one-legged mate . Still i expect knowing this site someone has !!! !

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And a one eyed captain by the name of Lloyd??

Since about 10 years old I had always wanted to be an engineer, like my father, who had been a RAF officer.
Dad arranged an interview for me with the RAF when I was 16. After 4 days of practical, written and physical tests I displayed no aptitude at all for flying, air traffic control or engineering, but I was told, if I passed my "A" levels, that they would consider me for a commission with the RAF Regiment. :eek: Stuff that!

At the age of 17 and a bit my father (accompanied by my mother) were abroad in Saudi Arabia. In the "Boys Own Newspaper" (cost 1/- I still have some of them) there were adverts for the MN and various seafaring schools. One copy had an advert for MN Engineers, so I sent off for the form, filled it in and ended up having an interview with Shell Tankers as an Eng Cdt.
They accepted me, Dad came home on leave, I handed him my indentures from Shell and said "sign here". He did, gave me £50, dropped me off at Queen Victoria's Mission to Seamen in Poplar and disappeared back to Saudi. The rest, as they say, is history.
I had a great time at sea and it gave me an excellent practical and theoretical training. My desire was to stay on at sea 'for ever' but the 1st wife could not put up with it. Sigh......
Never saw a 1 legged Mate though!

certainly wasn't for the money.jp

certainly wasn't for the money.jp
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How about the big Pay Offs, Millionaire for a few days then back on the roll ups. looking for another job.
Brian

Did not have much choice really. Spent my childhood on a ship called the Petertown that Dad was skipper of.Family home was on Anglesey where at that time you had really three choices; go to sea, go farming or the clergy . I chose the former and at 16 went to sea as deckboy. That did not last very long as I lost the sight of one eye so back to school to do A levels then engineer cadet with Harrisons. Short period when newly married with PAS at Portsmouth then Everards Baltic Ships followed by Deep sea salvage tugs then Coe Metcalfe Shipping A little bit of share fishing a spell as dockmaster for Shell then my swansong last year as mate/engineer of a sailing schooner., All in all has not been a bad life at all