Originally Posted by
Chris Thompson
Joined the Mv Silverfjord in LA(1972), How lucky can I have been, was allowed through US immigration on my discharge book with no visa either, when you are 21 you don't realise you know nowt, to this day looking back I don't know how I got through. Realised after a few days I was there like it or not, it wasn't till the 3week crossing from Japan to Panama that I realised this was for me. A 4 month trip that took in the delights of Nagoya in Japan back to Europe via the Mexican gulf. I think I bored my mates when I got home with recounts of where I had been. Smashing ship that I rejoined 6months later and it lasted through till around 2010, there are pics of it on shipspotting.com
I joined with hair on my shoulders, as was the fashion and was extremely worried about crossing the line with stories of "hot cross buns and hair shaving" floating around, the 2nd decided to bend the line and I ended up one side long one side short, to be fair it must have been funny, didn't stop trips up the road in New Orleans and the other gulf ports though.