Ready to take the wheel?

[Wagga]

When I was a deck boy on my first ship Canberra Star, in 1969, I began my steering certificate. I had the middle watch one night and on entering the bridge I was asked if I was "ready to take the wheel?" to which I replied "ready to take the wheel". I was literally handed the wheel which had been unbolted!
Everyone laughed as I tried to bolt the wheel back on while the ship made the most of its new found freedom.

Again on the middle watch. Previously in the bar - everyone decided it would be a good idea to get me drunk before going on watch. A long line of Stella adorned the table and I was "ordered" to drink it all! When I finally got to the bridge, the only thing holding me up was the large wooden wheel. How I got through that watch I will never know but the truth is, I can't remember. How things have changed.

[Nigel Smith]

I seem to recall taking tea and tabnabs up to the bridge for 'Iron Mike', the mate said he would ensure 'Iron Mike' received the refreshments

Nigel.

[John Pruden]

Nigel one smart a..e asked me to get a bucket of steam i told him if you fill it i will carry itjp

[Chris Allman]

I seem to remember being sent to Chippy for a long weight / wait

Chris

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, what about the tins of elbow grease, The stripe paint tin or plimsole line paint cant remember anymore of them there were loads of strange things at sea????

[John Albert Evans]

As a galley boy, on my first deep sea trip at 16 years of age i was sent by the Cook to get the key for the organ from the bosun so as the Captain could conduct the sunday service. As you can imagine I was sent everywhere,

John Albert Evans.

PS I never did get the key

[Tony Wilding]

When i was a member of the RNXS we used to go out on HMS Thakeham, an ex 112 foot inshore minesweeper, all took a turn at steering after having boats all my life i thought that would be easy for me, what a shock, ! i could not keep her steady, seemed to have a mind of her own, the steering seemed lifeless , no feel to it, i must have steered the perfect zig zag course, .

[Tony Geeves]

As a boy I was sent for balls of Whitworth Thread, bottles of sparks for the welder, and a long stand from the chippie. I'm afraid that I havn't got much savvier as the years roll by!

[John Arton]

My mistake as a first tripper eventually led to my been christened with a knicknamw that I carried throughout all my time in the Canadian Pacific (and NO i am not going to tell you what it was)
I was doing my engine room time on my first ship ( a 12 month old, Japanese built crude oil tanker) that had quite advanced machinery gear with bridge control, data logging in the engine control room etc. Dispite this the company demanded a fully written engine room log book that in reality basically mirrored the information that the data logger spewed out every 4 hours anyway.
On the control panel in the engine room control room there was an indicator light that was always lit and underneath it the label read.
LO10K OK
[Being then (as now) slightly on the ignorant side, I could never figure out what this indicator light was signifying and should I have being recording it in the E/R log (one of my jobs in addition to fixing steam leaks and cutting gaskets for purifier/clarifiers etc,).
Eventually I gathered up enough courage to ask the third eng. (who I was on watch with, a big fellow from Manchester who at one time had been a pro. wrestler) what this label meant. After he had finished rolling round the deck in laughter at my ignorance he told me what it was whilst at the same time giving me the knickname that stuck with me throughout the 20 yrs I spent in the Canadian Pacific.
For the curious amongst you I will not tell you what the indicator was for, just try reading it out as I have typed it and then figure out what it is refering to.
Answers on a post card to the "idiot" in Shields.
rgds
JA

[Stan Carter]

recall on first trip as a peggy,just prior to paying off, being sent to get a bosuns discharge.......
stan