Oh the things we did to amuse ourselves on long voyages

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, Things to past the time at sea? on one ship we had a writer {Cowboy storys} Aussie? paper backs story books he never went ashore ? in any port , tax probelm or on the run ? did not say much to anyone real odd bod he allways drunk 4 cans a night never any more? or less!!! cant remember what name he used to write under ? I remember a maltease deckhand who made things out of gash wood knife handles/ walking canes and other things some were very good,and he also made hats out of old rags and canvas there were loads more who made and did things to past the time away but it was years ago before the days of easy entertainment.

[John Albert Evans]

I just read books.

John Albert Evabs

[Nils Dahl]

I too signed up for a course with the college of the sea which at the time was based in Milton Keynes.
Subjects were english and mathematics.
I stuck with it quite a long time but never got to the exam stage.
Can't remember why I chucked it

[Kevin Fields]

We'd have impromtu silly hat parties. Someone would suggest it and then you'd have a hour to get back in the bar wearing the silliest hat you could make. Always good fun and often led to our liveliest parties.

[John Arton]

Quizes were always popular. Pears encylopedia was a great source for questions and the News of the Worlds football book published annually was also another great source.
We had one or two quizmasters who could set absolutley fiendish questions and also we used to always have a music section where you played the first few bars of a song to identify (tape recorded). By the end of the night we were all Brahms and Liszt.
rgds
JA

[robpage]

Cockroach racing was one of the silliest , each cockroach with a different coloured gloss paint droplet on its back in a central upturned glass , outer circle , lift glass , first to cross the line wins , All contestants finished the evening by suicidally getting trampled . Were we really THAT bored ?

[Red Lead Ted]

Bill whilst agreeing it could have been a "Fid" it was more than likely a wooden "Fitch" an instrument we used on trawlers for net mending, you cannot thread twine or rope around a fid to pass it through the in and outs of the vertical/horizontal strands carpet/rug backing, whereas the fitch was designed to take long lengths of material to thread through the up and down strands of the net (or carpet). On board ship a fid would have no doubt have been used as substitute for a carpet makers block to hammer the strands together for the pattern.

Just an observation

I am with the good captain on this one most merchant ships carried a fid, For as Bill says multiplait splicing. I took up the hobby of putting ship,s in bottles, I got that good i even put one in a light bulb. Regards lads Terry.

[Tony Morcom]

Before anyone else comes up with the obvious Terry I hope you switch them off first

[Ivan Cloherty]

I am with the good captain on this one most merchant ships carried a fid, For as Bill says multiplait splicing. I took up the hobby of putting ship,s in bottles, I got that good i even put one in a light bulb. Regards lads Terry.

FID IVAN Posts 13, 14 16

Eh Terry, I'm with the Captain on most seamanship things also, but Jim said he had seen a shipmate making rugs with a FLITCH and Cap'n BIll said it was a FID, but as I said to Cap'n Bill it was probably a FITCH, because I also know the difference between a FID and FITCH, having used both many times, one for splicing ropes and the other for mending nets whilst on trawlers. Whilst agreeing that a fid may have been used for the carpet making it is highly improbable and Jim was probably right although he had remembered the word not quite right. And as another shipmate had seen other crew members making nets/carpets with a FITCH (sorry I don't have a photo, but I'm sure one of our computer whizzes could find one for you so that you will know the difference) I am assuming Jim was correct. You cannot thread a FID with twine to interweave, but the sole purpose of a FITCH is to thread it with twine (and heavier cordage for net mending) enabling you to interweave.

But as always Terry everyone is entitled to their opinion, and if you think it was a FID used for carpet making, so be it

[Red Lead Ted]

Dont drop a stitch knit one pearl one m8 if i read the post wrong okies? One thing i will agree with is we are all entitled to our opinion. And i do have a blue peter badge. So EH Ivan, calm down m8 Re Terry.