researching my Dads career

[Ivan Cloherty]

Ivan/Keith
Thank you both for your advice, I'm finding it mind boggling the amount of info on this site, threads on so many topics, I just posted on the first few threads that seemed applicable. So many people and so much knowledge. This is an epic adventure for me.
Thanks for your help!

Enjoy the site Rachel, but remember it is an ex seamens site and our comments are not always for delicate ears, so when we refer to various escapades throughtout our sometimes tough career, we are not referring to the gentle sex in any disparaging way, but mostly from fond memories, whether they be ladies from the Bars or ladies from society, so forgive us our sins before we commit them, and enjoy the (sometimes bawdy) banter and sometimes remember we now see some things through rose coloured spectacles.

[Rachel Owen]

Hi Ivan, it would take a lot to offend me, I'm a Psychiatric Nurse so have seen and heard a lot in my career! But thank you for the warning, very chivalrous of you.
Regards
R

[j.sabourn]

Rachel I bet the one about the Emu would have you puzzled. Regards JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

Rachel I bet the one about the Emu would have you puzzled. Regards JS

Rachel, be warned don't ask!

[John Gill]

#12 Oh dear, careful what you post lads- some of us may be in danger of being sectioned.

[j.sabourn]

What do you mean Maybe. JS

[Rachel Owen]

I think all sailors, by definition of their career, are at risk of being sectioned. I do of course mean that tounge in cheek. Having watched some footage recently of weather conditions at sea, with waves battering the ship's I think you're all certifiable.......and immensely brave!

[Ivan Cloherty]

I think all sailors, by definition of their career, are at risk of being sectioned. I do of course mean that tounge in cheek. Having watched some footage recently of weather conditions at sea, with waves battering the ship's I think you're all certifiable.......and immensely brave!

We're all definitely certifiable Rachel, some of us found that weather enjoyable in a macabre way, it was a challenge and when you came through, you said 'well done gal' Not so enjoyable when you are on a ship on its maiden voyage as you don't know how she's going to react, but that's what we got paid for, in years of fore, it was a vocation and money in a sense took second place, some ships would roll on wet paper, others could taken anything thrown at them. Mind those who sailed as Mate (Ch Officer) did not like bad weather especially having spent a fortune on overtime getting the ship spick and span, as seawater takes no prisoners and will find the weakest spots to start a rust run despite your best efforts at chipping and scaling and paints were crap in the 40's, 50's and 60's. But we'd all do it again if the circumstances were the same, with the same unexplored ports and runs that you'd never visited before.

[Brian Cusack]

Rachel, I was on the Picardy about that time. Memorable run from uk out through Panama and did every port on SA west coast. You say "what kinds of ships were these"? . Well , i found this website looking for a picture of the Picardy and if you want I can also describe what it was like on board what we carried and ports visited....if you want.

[Brian Cusack]

I sailed on the Picardy and she was owned by Royal Mail Lines but this is confusing as also PSNC ( Pacific Steam Navigation Company ) . Cargo but could carry 12 passengers or "supernumary's". Main runs were out through caribeann and then through Panama Canal to provide a service for most ports all the way down the pacific coast of south america. Ship was a tramp in the proper sense being equipped to load and discharge just about anywhere. Offloaded old london double deckers in Jamaica and returned with a cargo of copper ingots from Peru/Chile which being so heavy took up little space so we filled the remaing area with thousands of boxes of onions.Small crews but everyone highly skilled and good atmosphere on board. Happy memories of Valparaiso in Chile. At the time pre Pinochet Chileans loved the british and it was mutual. Not unusual for seamen to get hitched ,jump ship and live in Chile.Somehow the south american west coast was popular as it was incredible scenery ,welcoming people from Colombia ,Peru to Chile