Nutters

[j.sabourn]

#17... Why are people so shocked when a shark is killed. Why then so complacent when eating their salmon and chips. Or any other type of fish. As for the human variety all life came from the sea and at one time we would of had gills. Maybe that form of evolution is on the way again and the poor old shark is finding himself blocked by someone on a plank. Probably where the saying came from Cappy drinks like a fish, wont mention the rabbits, which are also killed. A Budhist would agree with the philosophy that all life is sacred. Which out of all the religions is probably the most conducive to a long healthy life apart from having to live on Weetabix. However we all know the story about Adam and Eve and how they multiplied to what we have today. Strange that so many look unalike. JWS

[Ivan Cloherty]

#He There was a master and second mate arrested in China in the 60"s for making notes of their passage up the Yangste, one got 6 years and the other 4 I believe and that's only the ones that one heard about. The general public only hear what they are supposed to hear, Cheers JWS

Whilst on the China run twixt OZ, Canada and China for nearly two years we were asked every trip by Canadian, USA and Australian authorities to bring back as much information as possible, everything was from memory, as even before entering the pilotage area in China troops boarded and all pencils, papers, cameras etc were 'taken' not 'requested' from peoples cabins and sealed in a locked room, armed guards were on the bridge with the pilot to ensure charts were not used, radar and echo sounder could not be used nor could radio equipment. Chinese troops patrolled inside the accomm, on deck and on shore day and night, we were not allowed to lock our cabins at any time, troops had the right to enter your cabin at anytime they wished, and this is the regime that they wanted you to spy on. We gleaned as much information as we could, mainly for our own satisfaction and safety in navigation and always kept an eye on passing vessels draughts by eye, as binoculars were locked away by the Chinese. We were escorted by armed guards every time we went for a draught reading and had to show our Chinese issued I.D.card to an armed guard at the bottom of the gangway before alighting and before getting back on board even though we had the guard with us............Happy Days!!

[j.sabourn]

Ivan, did you have to suffer the indignity of a short arm inspection lined up on deck. All right for the show offs I suppose. Cheers JWS

[John Arton]

John S and Ivan
re: yr#22.
Was that ship arrested in china a Blue Flu job?
I recall sailing with a young A.B. who was ex. Blue Flu (I think) and he had been on a ship arrested in communist China. He told me that every day the whole crew were forced to stand on the quay under guard whilst the locals harangued them, spitting and shouting at them. Every day one crew man was to stand forward and make a speech saying that communism was great and capitalism was bad or some such nonsense. Each crew member was given a copy of MAO's little Red Book and to pass the time many of them would study his sayings and then engage their guards (some of whom spoke English) in discussions on Mao's thoughts, often causing great consternation amongst the guards when they managed to trip them up with their ideology using Mao's oen words.
rgds
JA

[j.sabourn]

#24... I had a copy of Maos little Red Book but must have left it in England when left. I was there at the tail end of the Red Guard so wasn't so bad. However someone in the crowd said they were working too hard and I got taken ashore and reprimanded in a nice sort of way and told I must be kind to the crew, then taken to a commune where all the little kids came out with their flags shouting what I assume was grandad, then taken to an opera show, one of the crowd admitted complaining to one of the guards as a prank, I didn't mind as it got me a day off ashore. Free entertainment free booze, no girls supplied though think sex was barred for everyone in those days. Cheers JWS

[Ivan Cloherty]

Ivan, did you have to suffer the indignity of a short arm inspection lined up on deck. All right for the show offs I suppose. Cheers JWS

John with some of the weather experienced in those northern ports it would have been a 'short' arm inspection for everyone. No we never got that but we were often aroused from our beds any time day or night to stand on deck in temps way below zero (C) whilst they carried out stowaway inspections and for head counts, and always stood on deck after entering and before leaving whilst the ship was searched, sometimes for hours, depended upon the mood of the military commander.

On one occasion we dropped a derrick across a power line causing a blackout in most of the dock area, all hell was let loose, military vehicles and scores of troops emerging as if by magic, we were not flavour of the month, the port was Chingwantao and barbed wire was stretched along the quay adjacent to the vessel. We were treated quite roughly if I recall correctly, but what I do remember is being in the Old Mans cabin(I was OOW at the time of the derrick dropping) when he demanded to see the British Consul (which I believe was the Norwegian Consulate in that area) and I'll never forget the Chinese commander's words 'Ah Captain, you can see Blitish Consul, but first you have to get to him' not much hope of that with the barbed wire and scores of troops..............landlubbers wouldn't believe you.

[John Blaney]

Oh my , Cod Varnon, Ewe ar a teezer. Jonn must bee ewe-zing Wandows 01 (Doslexik Keedoarb Odition) I thonk !

Bost Robarbs fram Gollaber !Attachment 20547

That's sounds exactly like me when half pished

[gray_marian]

#26, 'landlubbers wouldn't believe you.'

Not every landlubber has an unreceptive mind Ivan. My father's three sisters all married sailors, we enjoyed listening and learning abbreviated versions of their travels, second hand Or maybe because we had/have a few nutters in the family already nothing much suprises me

[John Blaney]

#21, J.S., I heard that the Big Guy in the sky told Adam to enter yonder cave, where he would find Eve, so go forth ( no, not fourth, he was first)
and multiply to which the Lord had to explain the meaning of "multiply", so Adam entered yonder cave and a minute later came out with a
puzzled look on his face.
The Big Guy...."what's up Adam?"
Adam........."what's a headache?

cheers John B.

[Ivan Cloherty]

#26, 'landlubbers wouldn't believe you.'

Not every landlubber has an unreceptive mind Ivan. nothing much suprises me

Ha Marian my dear, I was generalising, I know that anyone involved with this site has an open and receptive mind, which they/we surely need