Ringbolting

When on the Port Huon (Manz) ,we used to have the normal telephone by the gangway on the coast ,we would answer it and nine times out of ten it was an officers girlfriend ,Hello could I speak to the 2nd officer please ,just a minute I will get him for you, give it a minute ,then say sorry he cant come at the minute he's in bed with his girlfriend .the phone usually went dead all the deck crew used to play this game , another thing does anyone remember the urns of milk left on the gangway early in the morning in NZ ,great relief to get a drink to make your hangover a bit better .

Hi Bob.
When I was on the NZ coast we always had the fresh milk churn at the gangway every morning. On the gangway phone may a time it rang and a girl would say I'm coming into town for the weekend is there anybody on board who's free, I often wondered where they got the number from.
Des

Yes Des the milk urns were really a life saver to sooth your throat after turning in at about 3 am most nights on the coast ,you had to be early though to beat the cook or the 2nd cook and faker .On the phone I think the officers had built up a system where they got in touch with nurses quarters Hospitals and places like that to keep it all officer like .I never saw the likes of Shirley the shore bosun (Sydney)or Sea Boots (Melbourne) or The Major her mate Lucky (Auckland) frequenting the officers bar .correct me If I'm wrong.

Hi Bob,
Was your '2nd cook and faker' a typo or a reflection of the standard of baking on that ship?
In my story I do not mention the Officers accommodation, I do not think their cabins were searched.
Cheers, Paul.

Hope this is not off topic.
When the Iberia was in Sydney, I used to phone the nurses quarters.Told them we were having a dance on board, and could a dozen or so nurses come down. I would meet them on the gangway.That way I got first pick.Happy times.

Den you are now talking about the number 1 topic at sea , JS

#25 Ah! Dennis, you only thought you had the first pick, those hungry for men nurses from mid-Oz made sure that they got the ones they wanted, a lot of them were looking for husbands, instead of someone who said, 'hey Sheila bring me bloody cold one from the box' whilst sat there in his sweaty singlet and boxers

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Originally Posted by Paul Johnson

Hi Bob,
Was your '2nd cook and faker' a typo or a reflection of the standard of baking on that ship?
In my story I do not mention the Officers accommodation, I do not think their cabins were searched.
Cheers, Paul.

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Hi Paul no it wasn't a typo we referred to 2nd cook and faker on a lot of ships on the Aussie & Kiwi coasts ,even if the 2nd cook was the best Baker ever .Just a phrase we used I guess ,about the searches I remember on one ship we would follow the search squad around with the girls in tow they searched an area and the girls moved into that area it did work on that ship .

Hi Bob,
I suppose most bakers would wish to be regarded as good bakers; bread, tab nabs, desserts, pastry, but one cook said to me that as long as you can bake decent bread they will forgive you almost anything. I was a good baker of bread.
As regards following the search team, I have heard of this; like a ringbolting Conga!
Cheers, Paul.

Believe it or not but Dunedin had the best nurses home and the best looking nurses.
des