Dear life

[joseph connor]

The comment at the end of my last post prompted this post , all of my adult life when the occasion has arose to shake someone by the hand more often than not I get , " that's a good grip you have got "or something similar, it has never been a conscious thing and never give it much thought ,
Until a few years ago ,watching "Time Team" they were investigating a group of human remains one in particular they said he had been a seaman , when asked why , they said because of the muscle attachments to the bone were larger than usual , common in the remains of known seamen ,I thought , is that the answer to my " good grip" years of hauling ropes and wires and hanging on for dear life , so most of you must have had similar comments ?? ,joe .

[j.sabourn]

Know whenever have shaken hands with a butch woman usually finishes up gripping as tight as possible as she tries to emulate a mans grip and usually finishes up as a test of who has the strongest grip. In most cases their partners are timid little things so often wonder were they seduced by the male of the couple, or who seduced who. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

It is said that the strength of a hand shake is a measure of the persons charectar.
Weak handshake weak person.

[Ivan Cloherty]

, so most of you must have had similar comments ?? ,joe .

The short answer is yes, and still get them, our legs were/are also strong working all those muscles against rolling, pitching, pounding, yawing etc, yawing is the one that caught you unawares in that following sea, when the stern would be pushed suddenly 15/20 degrees to port or starboard, of course felt more when you were on the aft deck and of course hard work for the QM, or the Iron Mike clicking away like a demented cricket

[gray_marian]

#2, I was taught always to strive for a decent handshake John even though I now have arthritis at the base of my thumb. Nothing worse than a floppy hand in return

P.S.And I don't class myself as butch

[thomas michael]

reply ivan cloherty

I watched a program recently about naval architects and the discussion between them was how further can the fatigue of the seaman be reduced, by obvious roll and pitch of the ship, as for twenty four hours a day the seaman or passengers are constantly crunching or contracting muscles in attempt to counteract the ships movement. obviously it was ballast they where discussing and how to dampen it down.
and I always thought the third mate was surplus to requirements
tom

[Ivan Cloherty]

reply ivan cloherty


and I always thought the third mate was surplus to requirements
tom

I'd rather go to sleep with a young keen third mate on watch, then some 2/m who had been drinking from 2000 - 2345 and then comes on watch at 2400 or in most cases 0100 and the 3/m's have to start somewhere

[cappy]

part of an apprentice ship i would say due to them after the hard time of the average apprentice ...cappy

[Dennis McGuckin]

Hate a floppy hand shake.
Feel like afterwards, I need to wash my hand.

[Doc Vernon]

Will agree with the initial Post on Handshakes,however one must not only include Seaman here as there are many many other People who have had a tough life (work related that is) with various kind of Jobs that require Muscle Strength in both Hands and all other parts of the Body!
I know from past that the Non Whites that worked under my Supervision on the Gold Mines with all that heavy Drilling Equipment and other things had the strongest of Handshakes that I have yet come to experience!
There are other jobs as one knows that will make a Man have a good firm grip!
Myself I obtained mine from al the various hard Yakka I did during my Life!
Cheers