The 10,000 ton tramp and crew manning.

[Ken Norton]

Remember the domino hatchboards, the steel beams and three tarpaulins per hatch, the "Booty free" being rolled up in the first tarp, they never did find it. lol

[j.sabourn]

As this post is mainly for things at the fringes of our memory banks. Can anyone supply that is if there is one the correct name for the redesigned bosuns chair one used up the seaway for landing men on the approach walls to the locks to handle the ropes. It consisted of the piece of wood with one hole drilled in. The centre to which the rope went . The seat was just placed between the legs and you just stepped away from it on touching down on the Quay. Did it have its own name.? Or just the usual bosuns chair. ? JS. Something just tells me it was. Referred to as the seaway Chair. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
For the most part of what I remember there were 9 ABs, three on day work; two to a watch plus a SOS and a JOS, plus a two deck boys as alternate Peggy's. I suppose different companies different manning. On the NZ coast I don't remember carrying any deck boys, all ships had a mess man, there was no JOS or SOS, just what was called a Bucko which was the equivalent of a SOS, I have often wondered how the Kiwis started at sea as I don't think they had a sea school as such, the majority there were former Poms.
Cheers Des

[j.sabourn]

#11... we used to call them tin lids ken. The king and queen beams , were marked by holes in them for them going back in right position , even then mistakes were sometimes made Whose fault it was that couldn’t count correctly usually developed into a slanging match , especially if it was job and finish before going ashore. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

#13.. it’s ok it’s not Friday with ref to #13. My time out here was all on the new categories of deck manning so can’t go back to your time here Des. I was on offshore agreements also mainly. However new entrants to the profession , like the old deck boy, went on to 50 percent of what a general service seaman got. Which in the 1990s was about 60,000 $ a year , so a new entrant was on 30,000 $ for 12 months probationary period. This was for a 1 on 1 off system. Not bad earnings out here for that period. Since I officially retired in 2002 , I am lead to believe by a person I know who still goes back from time to time, conditions haven’t kept up with the times and cheaper labour has crept in which was unheard of in my time working here. Any discussion will probably bring back Union policy’s or lack of today and will pull politics back into the argument and people’s views on unions. Myself I would give preference to the way things were , before I retired , what salary’s are today I wouldnt have a clue, but do know my source of information is not too happy with the state of affairs in shipping in general. Cheers JS...

[Ken Norton]

#14 Yes John I know we used to have fun and games with the beams at times, also remember fun and games starting the Lister/ Petter engines up on the derricks. I used to get the job of swinging these over and starting up, (PERHAPS GREEN) but a young and fit deck boy. It became "My job" on the M.V. Foxfield, one early cold morning I managed to start them all after various attempts by the rest of the crew. The Irish mate used to say, "Get out the way boys Big Lofty will start 'em", after that it became engraved in stone.lol

[Louis the fly]

As this post is mainly for things at the fringes of our memory banks. Can anyone supply that is if there is one the correct name for the redesigned bosuns chair one used up the seaway for landing men on the approach walls to the locks to handle the ropes. It consisted of the piece of wood with one hole drilled in. The centre to which the rope went . The seat was just placed between the legs and you just stepped away from it on touching down on the Quay. Did it have its own name.? Or just the usual bosuns chair. ? JS. Something just tells me it was. Referred to as the seaway Chair. JS

Hi John one's I have used are different than you describe . They were known as T bars , the person being swung ashore stood on the cross end of the T and held onto the upright section.