Sunset stirred my memory

[cappy]

Even as late as 1972 on some ships you were still having to pump the water up to a domestic header tank for to have a shower. ED's m/v Perang built about 1954.I did 4 trips on her and it was the last job you did before finishing your watch was to start the duplex steam pump to fill the tank, as soon as you showered the oncoming watch would stop it. Many a cold shower was had on her. She was a 4 cylinder Doxford and all her auxiliaries were steam, even down to the Donkin Steering gear. 3 Furnace Scotch Boiler. Hard working ship but always a great crowd on her. Winter in Liverpool in February you could not get into the engine room quick enough to get a heat, down in West Africa you could not get out of the engine room quick enough to get a cold beer and a breath of fresh air. Would I turn the clock back to do it again, most diffinately. Would I do the last 20 years I did at sea in the modern era I don't think I would.Attachment 26127Attachment 26128

###only difference lewis we had to pump the water up by hand........as for the heat side of things a coal burning galley up the gulf with no air con and only open facing aft was quite warm....am not trying to score points i am only making a statement........dont think anyone in this era would go back to signing on for two years iether ...but it was needs must if you wanted a seagoing career.......loved it then but looking back what a donkey for someone at 11 quid a month i must have been...now the second steward that was a bobbies job and a better rate of pay......such was life.......cappy

[j.sabourn]

Sometimes there was no water to pump up. The Glendalough I was on, the ex Irish Elm bought by one of the Hong Kong Taipehs for one of his sons, domestic water was in Fourty gallon Drums on deck. 5 days steaming and all the domestic water was gone in the boilers. And were making for the next port of refuge. Ports of refuge were Dakar, Capetown, Bombay, Singapore, Saigon, Hong Kong, Kao Shuing twice as weather and current too strong the first attempt and had to return.. Finally Japan and I decided any more and it wasn't going to finish very nicely, anyhow hadn't been paid for 4 months. A total of 11 months wasted of my life span. Those 40 gallon drums and a bucket were a lifesaver. This ship had 3 galleys as well. Deck crew, Engine Crew, and midships European and a mixture. Deck and Engine from different parts of China, ate different and spoke different dialects. We must have been insane flipping raving lunatics to have done some of the things and should have known better. But we are all mad and talk about the good old days. JWS

[robpage]

My first deepsea ship was the clan MacTavish the water was pumped up to tanks on the Monkey Island and The pumps were controlled by a float switch on the later clan boat they had a pneumatic system I think it was called new press the flash toilets and domestic water header tank in the engine room which had an air buffer on the 12 to 4 if you let the water go low and let air into the main then top the water backup you would find that the two cabins immediately Under the Bridge would have a big slug of air and when they went to flush the loo in the morning they would have an air flush which would pass the ball contents all over the operator

[cappy]

My first deepsea ship was the clan MacTavish the water was pumped up to tanks on the Monkey Island and The pumps were controlled by a float switch on the later clan boat they had a pneumatic system I think it was called new press the flash toilets and domestic water header tank in the engine room which had an air buffer on the 12 to 4 if you let the water go low and let air into the main then top the water backup you would find that the two cabins immediately Under the Bridge would have a big slug of air and when they went to flush the loo in the morning they would have an air flush which would pass the ball contents all over the operator

###only makes me wonder rob why anyone did more than one trip .....cappy

[j.sabourn]

Rob up the Great Lakes in the 60s unless you had a sewage tank you couldn’t use the toilets. We used to hire12 chemical toilets which worked off a 12 v car battery, and could use for about 80 goes in theory. That was 960 craps for about 6 weeks and 50 men, the arithmetic didn’t work out and had to be sent ashore at various times. On finally leaving the Lakes it was the topaz job to clean them, the poor old beggar was there the full 13 months I was there and I never found where his bunk was, don’t think he had one, just slept in the alleyways somewhere. JWS.

[vic mcclymont]

on the Ranald a Nuepress system, pressurised water to the flushing unit, never a shortage of water.
After a blackout, one had to be very careful, press the handle to flush,you got a blow black.
Arriving Durban,we had serious geennie problems blacked out.
After everything restored we went for smoking, passing the engineers toilet some dirty barsteward had done a dump during the blackout, we all ignored it.
As we were having smoko,there came an almighty roar, someone f'n and bliding.
Out of the changing room came the Superintendent in what was his nice Safari Suit,covered in brown stuff.
His last words as he disappeared,any of you folkers laugh and your sacked.
We did when he was out of range,never found out the culprit.
Vic

[Lewis McColl]

Vic you seem to remember the incident well , is that an admission of guilt ? lol

[vic mcclymont]

Not guilty m'lud, we were all down blow, restoring power.
It's the vision of the super I can remember, brown and blue don't mix.

[Keith Tindell]

Reminds me when we used London docks in the 50s, all ships toilets locked and had to use shore toilets, not nice, they were not that clean. Then when i joined the Mc Andrews PALACIO, she ws the first ship i sailed on with new sewerage system, using biological methods, could use the toilets anytime, also the company issued us with special dhoti powder, as otherwise you killed the microbes, suppose all ships now use that system, kt

[Lewis McColl]

Yeah the use a system called evac,vacuum collecting systems. Those who will have been cruising on modern tonnage will know what I mean. Do the business push the button and with a roar away it disappears to the treatment plant and macerator/separator and then to the holding tank which is then pumped overboard. They say that after treatment the water etc could be recycled and could be drank!!!!
Usually on a Sa (turd)ay morning the 4th Eng would make his way to the highest toilet onboard, usually the bridge toilet and flush a packet of something or other down the toilet.
Two problems with vacuum toilets, one being if you have a leak on the suction pipe work side. This is usually a diaphragm on a toilet unit split/not sealing, easy enough to as just go from cabin to cabin and you will hear it constantly sucking. The biggest pain is something in the macerator and if you have females on board it is because they have not disposed of there sanitary products correctly. They are supposed to bag them and place them in the incinerator room for disposal. Many a row broke out on a ship over this, if it is a female cadet you can forgive them once!!! but never twice. There is a well placed notice in the bathroom which clearly states how these products are to be disposed of.