What was yours?

[Richard Quartermaine]

I say with the utmost respect, Brian. Admirable admiral. That is 'to be admired' and, believe it or not, from your neighbour's lingo, amir al bahr, 'commander of the sea'.
Cheers,
Richard

[John Albert Evans]

Thank you John,what a nice thread to read.
I'm sure that if we thought about it we could fill a page or two, icebergs in the North Atlantic, hurricanes of the East Coast of the USA, whales breaching in the Mid Atlantic, sailing in lovely blue water hundreds mile off the coast of Brazil then it turns to a dirty greenish brown colour which is actually fresh water from the Amazon, both the Panama and Suez Canals, an albatross staring you in the face as it glides along the side of your ship, followed by dozens of mother caries chickens, locusts covering the ship in the Persian Gulf,a shark breaking surface in the Indian ocean, smoke rising out of Krakatau, loads of ships anchored off in Singapore Roads, water spouts off Japan, manned boats comming out from Pitcairn Island to trade. Many others as well. I havent even mentioned any ports of call and im sure that I will have forgotton some that Ive been to. Where on earth could a lad from the age of 16 to 23 years have experienced such pleasures, and get paid for it, certainly not nowadays.
Worst memory is my first trip to sea on an Everades coastal tanker out of Liverpool and being seasick for three days, yuck, off the Welsh coast where we we adrift for 2 days after we broke down, before being towed into Brixham.
Happy times.

John Albert Evans.

[Captain Kong]

All that and more John Albert, the list is endless, The world was and still is Magic.
We, are the last of the Seafarers, the world will not see our likes again,
we have seen many things that can never happen again, the world is changing so fast and not for the better. We were so lucky.
Many times we saw many beautiful and marvelous things and never gave them a thought as they were always there.
Now they are gone and just a memory remains, this thread is bringing it all back.
Thanks John and everyone.
Cheers
Brian.

[Keith Tindell]

As Brian says, an ever changing world, i came ashore at 23 years of age, and people still dont believe you when you say how much travel round the world we did. It really wasnt until the early 70`s that the package holidays allowed joe public to see the sights that we took for granted, and paid for doing it. My very first trip to sea was to Botwood new foundland, and would love to go back and see it all again, but nowadays mainly the armchair and dreams, KT

[happy daze john in oz]

We saw it, we did it and were the better for it. The society of today have no concept of what we did or where we went. Today it is all organised package holidays, very little adventure, very little chance of meeting all the accomodating ladies, or experiencing the gifts they sometimes gave out. Life now for many is so sterile it makes me wonder how much longer man will survive, no stamina, no sence of adventure, never to understand the feeling of sailing out or the chanels on the way home. A life we all enjoyed and would given the chance do all over again, most likely with the same mistakes because that is where much of our learning came from.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
I have enjoyed this thread. Jim, what sort of jump was it parachute or bungi ??
Worst thing was on my second trip a drunk AB from Malta going berserk in Freemantle and trying to stab the Bosun, he put him away with an uppercut Joe Louis would have been proud of. I was helping, looking from down from the funnel where I'd fled. Then watching as a South African seaman's body was flushed out by the propeller of his ship in Wyalla we'd all been drinking at the lacal the night before and talking about rugby.
But also many good ships, sights, shipmates, nights out. 16 years I would never ever forget or regret.
Cheers Des

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[Captain Kong]

Each post on this thread brings back memories still forgotten.
The Vigilantes in the California Bar, Montevideo, killing two Swedes, during a fight caused by a Swede who took offence because I could not speak Swedish.
Shanghaied on a Top sail schooner, one of the market boats, in Curacao and a six week trip before I got back to Curacao and the ship, AURIS , still alongside.
Being shot at by a gaucho for making love to his senorita in Patagonia and then `borrowing` their horses to get back to the ship.
These are things that Movies are made out of.
Ugly Hard Case Rosita in Barcelona`s La Jungla Bar, who forced me to have sex with her, and no one else in the whole of Barcelona, every Bar, "No, No, usted Rositas Hombre".
no chance, back to Rosita.
Mugged and battered by ten Skollies in Cape Town.
Skinned out in New Zealand for the love af a lovely young lady, and returned to the ship by the Police within 48 hours and no one even knew I had skinned out.
Sitting next to Grace Kelly in the Market Diner in New York and feeling the warmth of the seat after she had left.
Breaking out of gaol in Bowen Qld,
Trying to keep out of the arms of Tombo Mary in Apapa Side.
Going to bed with Lucy in Woodstock and waking up with big Julie in the morning, Hi, Where have you come from?
On a VLCC, in Gulf of Aden, 8 to 12 watch on a clear night, the sea like a sheet of glass, then a long streak of light on the horizon, a mist rising, the light getting stronger, and suddenly the ship is floating in a luminous misty space, no sign of the sea, just an incedible glow all around, the ship was in a silent void, floating. Then it faded away and we became part of the sea again, An incredible experience of the effectof phosferous mixed with the mist from the sea.
The AB and I could not believe it happened.
In Hospital in Al Khobar, Saudi where the Surgeon wanted to amputate my left leg, `No Problem `, I got out Fast using a brush as a crutch.
Sailing down Sydney Harbour bound for the war in Malaya, all the bands playing Waltzin Matilda, hundreds of girls screaming from the ferries, I held an Australian soldier in my arms as he wept on my shoulder. `I did Korea but I am not coming back from this one ` he wept. My shirt was wet with his tears. an unusual experience.
The list is endless.
Cheers
Brian.

[John Albert Evans]

Brian,

All I can say is WRITE A BOOK mate.
It will sell well.

John Albert Evans

[Richard Quartermaine]

That's right John. Brian, as it is something so many are "gunna" do but don't because they get bogged down thinking about the whole story. What about taking one step at a time by writing a series of separate short snapshots of your most interesting and, may I say, vigorous life. I'm still chuckling about Rosita. I'm told that one shipmate arrived back in the morning looking like he'd seen a ghost. The grog had worn off somewhat when he rolled over and saw this ancient foreign woman snoring next to him. "Ahhh!!" he exclaimed, waking her up, pointing to himself and the her. "jiggajig"? "Yes Johnnie, you Good! Vewy Good!" she put up her hand showing four scrawny fingers and a thumb. "Five times Johnny, five times".

Do it Brian, I want the chance to read some of them.
Cheers,
Richard

[Captain Kong]

Thank you for all that Gentlemen,
I have written a few stories in the Seafaring Stories thread in Swinging The Lamp.
The BIG problem is time. She, your playing on that thing again. get some jobs done. that ceiling wants painting. clean up the garage, etc etc.
.
I want to go back to Sea.
Cheers
Brian.