Duties of Deck boy /JOS

[John Arton]

Nothing to do with the duties of a deck boy/J.O.S but regarding the steering certificate. This was in the front of the B.O.T deck officers watch keeping log book that was used in calculating sea time before going up for 2nd/mates certificates as against your discharge book that only recorded times on articles. Your watch keeping log book, signed by the master, recorded the number of days and hours in those days that a person had been in full charge of the watch or had been assisting in the keeping of the watch. It recorded the name of the vessel, whether it was foreign going or coastal and the masters comments on how you well you had performed your duties. Still have my log book.
I got my steering ticket on my first trip and once I had completed the required number of hours steering at sea and under pilotage I was always on the wheel under pilotage, which was nice at times when berthing in col wet weather being inside a nice warm wheelhouse or when up the gulf and being inside the air-conditioned wheelhouse. When steering under pilotage whenever possible you ignored the compass heading and steered on a fixed prominent shore object.
I ended up in an argument with a poncy Mersey pilot one time as a cadet. We were fully laden bound for Tranmere and once we got close enough to be able to spot a prominent shore object, once steadied on the compass course requested by the pilot, I found a prominent building dead ahead and instead of watching the compass heading kept the ships head pointing directly at my land object. Soon the pilot started berating me for steering a few degrees off the compass heading he had given me and it was only when the captain stepped in and pointed out that maintaining the ship pointing at that distant object was I actually keeping the ship following the required track over the ground as opposed to track through the water by keeping to the compass course given by the pilot, which would have meant that due to the tidal stream, we would have been pushed towards the edge of the safe channel, did the pilot recognise his error, no apology given though.
As an afterthought the difference between track over the ground as against track through the water is something that I found that many of the junior officers I had with me when I was master, failed to understand.
This was particularly important when crossing traffic separation zones where regulations say you cross at right angles to the general flow of traffic, which means that if crossing an East/west heading zone you head on a north/south heading which you maintain without making any compass heading (i.e. course steered) to counteract any effect that tidal currents may have on track over the ground.
Rgds
J.A.

[Stan Carter]

I too do not remember getting a steering ticket, or even hearing about one. As stated in #27, I still have my lifeboat and EDH tickets in my discharge book

regards, stan

[j.sabourn]

Stan such legislation was never in force in our time. If you had gone up for a cert. of competency as a watchkeeper all you would of had to produce was your seatime as an AB or EDH. A steering ticket was as much use as a cash receipt from a cash book. As an apprentice who had no discharges in ones book our seatime was on the back of our indentures. What the BOTdid ask to see was your lifeboat ticket. Those who didn’t have some said they lost it and were believed . I was more honest and said I didn’t have one, so was examined in the orals on the lifeboat. If remember correctly you had to produce a valid St Johns ambulance cert. also in first aid. What J.A is talking about as regards his personal. Log was a watchkeeping book of certs. Signed by the master of every trip confirming what was in your Dis. Book and giving ref. To your sobriety..This may well have been different than his copy. I never even used . The discharge book was good enough for the following certs. and if wanting collaboration there was always the BSF or the owners you had been with. The more paperwork you get entangled in the less meanng it has. Cheers JS..

[kenneth goode]

alright mr cappy here you are discharge book number R861626,retired two years ago after 49 years at sea and not a tooth left.

[Peter Ashworth]

Hi Ken.
I never heard of it until I think Terry mentioned it a few years ago, I assumed I got my steering ticket while at the Vindicatrix on the launch in 49
Cheers des

- - - Updated - - -

Hi Peter.
Do you know if your dad went to a sea school? He may have gone the the most prolific one the Vindicatrix in Sharpness.
Des

Yes he went to Vindicatrix Feb -May 47 found his group photo in my mums photo collection .

[j.sabourn]

#44. If you retired 2 years ago in 2017 would be interesting to see what ships you were on , must have been a good age when retired ? Just on mental arithmetic it puts you down as going to sea in 1968. That is of course not bringing your dis. No. Into the equation. Reckon on them figures you are 67. Would be easier to just put on your dossier. That is the main reason most come on site. To find old shipmates. I’m one up on you regarding teeth, I have one left. Your place of abode Fort William used to know the place reasonably well as there used to have a de- saturation tank there belonging to the naval people stationed there , for the use of de-compression of deep sea divers, is it still in operation.? Cheers JS.

[Doc Vernon]

That would be about correct JS as the Number shown corresponds with dates shown
Cheers

1959-72R 710000- R 910000


16000 Issued

[Evan Lewis]

Regarding K.t's comment ,31

Lascars generally were firemen on Coal Burners,in my time. Mostly crewed by what we considered Arab. and Yes ,of course they were considered or Deemed higher in the pay scale than Deck Boy As Lascar is a general term,for Indian , Arab ,Asian etc. I liked the Term used in Cardiff -Shields ,similar as being applied to Somalis uniquely .Probably ,one in ten ,originating from there. Somaliland
They were different as Chalk and Cheese from the Main. Wonderfully impressive physiques .Very innocent in their ways, all round ,Great Guys. As opposed to the others,mentioned . Who knew every devious Trick in the trade. they always had a Wife Fatima in Aden.or similar.Leaving a "large"allotment,to same.

My first Ship. ,joined Sharpness, went round to Barry ,to load Coal. was allocated job on the Dock , to hand up the Stores , to the awaiting ,firemen. One of the recipients being a Somali lascar. Never Forget!. Picking up the last item . As i handed it up to him, there was some hurried comment, ,Just as He grabbed it, In alarm ,with a Scream. He let it go , luckily it landed back on the wharf
Mine and his first Lesson. It being a Side of Bacon
ThIs Somali, Lascar ,looked ,just like the Cardiff Lascar. . As I said they all looked very similar, and had the same disposition. Unfortunately ,one of them , Was Hanged in Cardiff prison ,for the Lily Volpert Murder.Then Subsequently, proved to be innocent .Family received a monetary compensation

Lot of good that Did For His Wife and Children .
May the Culprit Rot..

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John A.
A little off thread, when I was mud pilot on the colliers on the NZ coast I always did the same thing, like; once in site of some object in Auckland or which ever port we entered that corresponded with the compass bearing, I used that, the first skipper I sailed with on the colliers told me always to adhere to it.
Cheers Des

[cappy]

alright mr cappy here you are discharge book number R861626,retired two years ago after 49 years at sea and not a tooth left.

#####well there you are mr GOOD....thats a good time at sea ....personally nothing like that for me.couldnt live away once married ..got soaked in life and kids and to be honest in my view unless you were up top... the money wouldnt keep a family to much of a standard......so found other methods of supporting my tribe.....suppose like louis and others who were ratings they had hard times even shipmasters suffered in some cases.....but that is the way of life who knows what dice are rolled for us.....regards cappy R683532....lifeboat ticket 171435. 1960........sorry about your teeth ....still got most of mine at 79 this year.....lol cappy