hello there

[James blake]

I'll lay my cards on the table from the outset. I am currently writing a novel, loosely based on some of my family members who were at sea in the 50's and 60's. Those gents are now passed on, and the old pubs and clubs where I could get information are also gone.
The sort of stuff, I am looking for is info about ships agents, how one would get a berth, the tonnage and cargo of ships, the favoured routes, the less 'good' ones. Pay and conditions on board.
I am interested in all parts, The Pacific - San Pedro near LA, Kowloon, Yokohama, Australia.
I am being a bit vague just now, I have got a load of questions though.
I know that my uncles and grandfather wrote to each other, one would copy a letter and send then on.
If you think I am being too nosey and forward you can tell me to bolt. I am looking at various other websites and getting rather dry info. I would like to know about storms, and did your face really go out of shape if you slept on deck during the full moon.
Best wishes one and all.

[Doc Vernon]

Hello James
More than Welcome to ask questions here about any sorts of things,)as long as they are clean LOL)
I am sure with a bit of time you will be getting replies with some info on what you seek!

Hope that the site can also offer you other interests
so just relax,ask away !!

Welcome and thanks for joining!

Don't be put off by any off topic remarks here.we are just a bunch of good hearted Guys!

[Ivan Cloherty]

I'l, and did your face really go out of shape if you slept on deck during the full moon.
Best wishes one and all.

Only if you slept with someone elses bird James!

On a more serious note you may find answers to most of your questions if you trawl through 'seafaring stories' on this site

[Red Lead Ted]

Hi, Jimbo, I suggest you visit the archives, I posted a thread if you search for it called {EVERY MEMBER SHOULD READ THIS } Its a very heart rendering tale of a young lad who had big ambitions at the age of 16 yrs only to have them shattered by war. And i think it deserves to be archived in many books, Because as each and everyone of us meet up in that big ship in the sky, And Merchant Seaman of our era are no more, Many tales that could disapeare into cyber space should go on for generations to come. Regards Terry.

[Doc Vernon]

http://www.merchant-navy.net/forum/t...3785-read.html

[Red Lead Ted]

Jim, On a more serious note, I sailed from Glasgow back in 1971 it should have been a 5 month voyage aboard the Glasgow registered M.V.Eucadia, Anchor Donaldson Line Glasgow. It turned into a 12 month nightmare after getting caught up in the Indian/ Pakistan war, I was with mostly Scottish crew great lads when we paid off there was a rail strike and i went home with a fellow jock by the name of Andy Gardiner after a good drink in a pub called the dry dock in the yoker area of Glasgow. We went to his place for the night a little lad about 18 months old hid in the corner of the room, He never remembered his father with that big Andy threw his book in the bit bin turned to me with a tear in his eye and said that,s the end of that my kids don,t know me. A day in the life of a Merchant Seaman Regards Terry.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Jim.
My sea time was in the 40 to 60s, as Terry said in his post you joined a tramp and though the initial journey might be Cars to Australia you never knew from then where you might end up. Storms, if you read the book about the lose of the Andria Gail [made into a movie} you will have some idea of one trip I did on an old rust bucket to Canada for a load of logs, we hit a storm that recorded 100 foot waves,winds of God knows what speed but enough to cover the whole sky in spin thrift. The sparks got a message about a ship sinking about 12 miles away from us, we couldn't help as we were struggling to keep the ships head into the waves to prevent us turning over.she went down with the loss of all hands, On the way back with a full deck cargo of logs loaded up to the wheelhouse windows we hit another storm that shifted the cargo, with a heavy list we got to Garston and couldn't get off her quick enough, only to join another rust bucket doing the same trip, and so it went on and I miss it.
Cheers Des


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[j.sabourn]

There are numerous people on site who were at sea in the 50s and 60s, all with different storys to tell. You don't specify if you are after shipping in general or just British Shipping. You should just specify the questions you have and you will get answers I am sure, some you may not like for as one gets older one can also speak their mind without holding back the bad points and there were many. What kept most seafarers at sea was love of the great oceans of the world and not their working conditions which varied ship to ship trade to trade company to company. Flag to Flag. Regards JS

[j.sabourn]

As regards pubs, name a port and you will get numerous pubs names, the likes of Belfast and I would say Ma Carrols. Probably long gone by now. North Shields the Jungle or Uncle Toms cabin among many others. Cheers JS

[James blake]

There are numerous people on site who were at sea in the 50s and 60s, all with different storys to tell. You don't specify if you are after shipping in general or just British Shipping. You should just specify the questions you have and you will get answers I am sure, some you may not like for as one gets older one can also speak their mind without holding back the bad points and there were many. What kept most seafarers at sea was love of the great oceans of the world and not their working conditions which varied ship to ship trade to trade company to company. Flag to Flag. Regards JS

You know, I think I might like the bad points as well as good.
My grampa and his brothers went to sea after WWII. I think they got the wander lust after being away, and never really settled.
They moved around a lot, one met an early death in San Pedro - he was working as a stevedore, and there was always a bit of a hush round it - I have since learned that the Longshoreman's Union was in the frame, some kind of power struggle between them and who knows.
If anyone has info on that period late 50's early 60's, and what actually was going on then, I'd be glad to hear.
I think they did try to settle, but working in the steelworks in a dreich Scottish winter did not appeal.
I was wondering about how you actually got your ticket. What routes you could take - would you go from Glasgow to Hamburg, for example, would you be on shore here then get another berth...
Really simple things, my lack of knowledge is pathetic.
Would a ship load and unload then go to other destinations, or was it a return trip.
How would a young man make his way in the world?
Would a British sailor only be able to sail on a british registered ship.
Could you sail to Argentina or New Zealand, say, and then get another ship from there?

Are there any books that anyone could recomend?