SA Oranje

[j.sabourn]

Des when I was a compulsive smoker I used to go on a four hour watch with a packet of 20 in my shirt pocket , when I came off watch would be lucky if there were 4 left in the packet. I used to smoke between 60 and 80 a day.
When I worked offshore there was no bond in cigarettes unless you went over to Rotterdam or somewhere similar and bought there. Which I used to do. The ships usually that carried a bond it was put there by the owners and was at shore prices , so was a further incentive to stop . Today I couldn’t afford to smoke , the pension wouldn’t be big enough . I stopped finally in my 40s after many attempts to do so. When I gave 2 Cartons (400) cigarettes to survivors in 1988 I had to reimburse the company at shore prices for my pity in giving away cigarettes to those who needed them. So much for your shipowner ! JS

[j.sabourn]

Des I stopped smoking when in my 40s . I used to go on a 4 hour watch previous to this with a 20 packet in my shirt pocket , would be lucky if there were 4 in the packet coming off. Took me many try’s to stop. I was a compulsive smoker on 60 to 80 a day. However in the offshore unless you went to Rotterdam or similar a bond wasn’t possible. However the company sometimes put on a bond at shore prices. The old age pension today would not even cover my bad habit of smoking. During my good intentions of passing out 2 cartons (400) cigarettes to survivors in need of solace , I had to reimburse the owners for these at shore prices , and also to enquire and get back owing money owing to the crew for items of apparel they had passed to those needy of such. They had held on to this money and said they were waiting for them to apply for, it was only coppers as well. However the 400 cigarettes were not , and together with a gap of no wages for a short period of time , I had one more thing impressed on my mind , “ Charity Begins At Home “. Shipowners !!!??? JS. Have tried deleting the excessive repetition of this post on my iPad without success , if any of the moderators can do would be obliged . JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Smoking at sea was so common, up to 60 a day with American ones was not uncommon.

But the elec system was always AC, so many carried a converter with them if they had a record player, very common, or a tape reorder.

But they were heavy things and taking them back and forth from ship to home was no joke.

[Doc Vernon]

With the price of Fags then at 200 for 10 Bob , mate i smoked like a Chimney! Players and Senior Service were the Tops then. Wild Woodbines good for the Nick! LOL

I got up to three packets a day and at times more, but cut back once i left the Sea, then stopped just in a Flash one day after a hectic Party! Honestly woke up, turned as usual to get a Fag, lit it up, and then immediately Heaved up like never before, sick as a Dog! Well that did the trick, i squashed the packet, threw it away and from then on never touched another!

Honest Truth! So help me!!

And with the Booze, after my large Operation just never looked at the stuff again! Easy as! Mmmm!! Or was it!

[j.sabourn]

#13 I doubt if a gyroscope would of worked off such John think it was the Browns that spun at 600 rpm and the Sperrys better known as the tank that ran at 2000 rpm or the other way round ? Any wandering from the electrical power to the spinning wheel would cause the same to wander. With the inverter and carbon pile it was only possible to run the Browns B type compass which you couldn’t run repeaters from , there was just the one compass which the helmsman steered from observing a section of the card through a periscope sticking out of its binnacle. When stripping down the Browns any shaking Hands the bits and pieces were that fine that you were likely to make a mess of it. The Sperrys were bunch bigger and robust hence its name the tank. JS
PS Thanks Vernon if it was you that got rid of the 2 other extra posts which I was unable to do. JS

[vic mcclymont]

JS, surprised on old salt like yourself got your A.C. mixed up LOl.
As the original posting was about air movement my posting was about the luxurious air conditioning (A.C), yes the Vaal and Ranald were both AC in electrical power and air conditioning.
Vic

[j.sabourn]

My mind went off on a different tack Vic started thinking about Leckies on ships , apologies must get a new pair of specs . Air conditioned ships came to me late in life. Such luxury on some of the survey ships I was on was reserved for the likes of computer rooms to keep the air temperature constant. Crews comforts came second and they were put into the category of a cardboard box stuck out of the port to catch the wind caused by the ships speed through the water and direct it into the cabin. Too bad if the ship was stopped and no catchee windee Which has already been discussed . However ships out here have to have air conditioning one of the results achieved by the maritime union. Cheers JS

[vic mcclymont]

No need to apologise John, simple mistake.
Vic

[Des Taff Jenkins]

John S
I only started to smoke when I went to sea. When I was 35 my wife had a coughing fit, she had only started smoking a few years before.
She said give me a smoke, I said no, took the packet ripped it up and threw it in the rubbish, neither of us has smoked since.
Des

[j.sabourn]

#19 In 1978 when first went offshore and no duty frees , the prices were not so bad then. But even so too expensive. I spent my time going round the ash trays breaking them up,and rolling my own. When the ashtrays were empty I tried tea leaves. Finally had about 3 goes to stop , lasted various periods of time 2 months, 3 months and finally succeeded . The biggest deterrent was what to do with your hands , so finally put them in my pocket and counted up the money I had saved. Cappy is now going to say what did you do with the 3/9d. Good job he wasn’t there or he’d have charged for the tea leaves. Cheers JS