Yellow Jack.

[j.sabourn]

thought K was you should stop your vessel instantly. and L you should stop I have something important to communicate, and M was I have a doctor on Board. Doesnt really matter anymore , in an emergency and being called back which is never going to happen , would take all of 5 minutes to look at a book and remember. Just had word of another friend departed today only in his early 60s , a figurehead in the community , So expect to see it in the Press Orbituarys tomorrow. Some of us must live a charmed life. Certainly wasnt a particular healthy one either in my case. Cheers JS

[Keith at Tregenna]

Possibly of interest:

Inside the abandoned plague island where sick sailors were left to die at the gateway to Venice - home of world's first quarantines.

The island of Poveglia in the Venetian lagoon has been abandoned and closed off to visitors for decades
Grisly past covers thousands of plague victims thought to have died there as well as rumoured lobotomies
The word 'quarantine' comes from Italian 'quaranta' meaning the 40 days for which ships had to isolate.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...arantines.html

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes customs in Oz were renowned for their arogance and carry on.
We docked in Port Melbourne with nothing on board, holds all empty waiting for the cargo we were to take.
Those custom men spent the day going over the ship, skipper Cpt. North was not a happy bunny but could do nothing to stop them.

AS to paying off in Southampton, only stopped once and that was before I reached the gate, they found nothing onme that time.

Ben Gunn was sous chef on the Windsor which this voyage had docked in time for Christmas.
He took not one but two Turkeys from the cold room, but sadly got done at the gate.
UCL gave him the DCM for his troubles.
He ended up as a lecturer in a London UnI.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Found this of interest:

Quarantine flag: https://www.maritimeprofessional.com...ine-flag-13441

[Ivan Cloherty]

Found this of interest:

Quarantine flag: https://www.maritimeprofessional.com...ine-flag-13441

Only one thing I disagree with in that description, is 'the Q flag may be struck and then the ensign of the country visited may be hoisted.

In practice at sea when the Q flag was flown, normally from the triatic stay, the 'National' flag (not the ensign) of the country was flown from the starboard yard arm at the same time and was not dependent upon whether or not the Q flag was flown. The courtesy (National) flag was hoisted when approaching the port limits and this could be 3 miles (the then territorial waters) of the port being visited. A lot of foreign ships visiting the UK fly the Red Ensign (to which I have no objection) as a courtesy flag but the correct flag should be the Union flag. Just an observation.

[j.sabourn]

I have no doubt Ivan , if you were to return to sea today you would shudder at the present day flag etiquette that is displayed by some or I should say nearly all vessels. No one seems to be bothered anymore, that was the impression I got in 2002. Whether it was lack of knowledge or just couldnt care less I dont know. Probably the same attitude that goes as norm in most jobs today. I must say I got job satisfaction during my sea career , but it was fastly disappearing towards the end. JS

[Red Lead Ted]

Seems to have slipped my memory, or maybe the ICS has changed ? cant remember what L stood for Something like " The way is off my vessel, you may feel your way past me" however could be wrong on that one, but not for the Q flag which was "My vessel is healthy and I request free Pratique". and stayed there until it was granted.
Think this Plague flag came up once before with a possible explanation, must be getting decrepit as cant remember. JS.

John, I have just dug out a little seaman's observation book which i obtained in 1970 published the same year, This is from the book................ L, You should stop i have something important to communicate. Q, My vessel is healthy i request a free pratique {A ship arriving in British waters must declare whether she is healthy or suspect Pratique is permission to hold intercourse with the port if there is a case of infectious disease on board the signal Q,Q, is hoisted signifying my ship is suspect. T, Do not pass ahead of me. Terry.

[j.sabourn]

One never stops learning. The QQ one I never knew of if ever did had forgotten about. Thanks. JS

[Keith at Tregenna]

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[Des Taff Jenkins]

HI John.
The fiasco that was the Ruby Princess which was the main cause of all the Virus problems in Aus, only goes to show that no one seems to be responsible for the shipping arriving in Aus ports these days, that ship would in our days have been refused entry into the Harbour let alone allowed to dock alongside. The fact that Border Force, Port Authorities , and the State Health Authorities were all arguing as to who was responsible doesn't bod well for ships arriving with a health problem.
Des