Female radio officers at sea mid 70's on tankers before sex disc Act

[Captain Kong]

With Lucy`s mention of chlamydia, I still do not know what that is,
When I did the Ship Captains Medical Course, we were only taught about the other two Syph and Gons. It appears that this must be a relatively new disease.
Just looked on the NHS site on google, it looks as though it has similar symptons to the Gons.
Enough to make you turn into a Trapist Monk.
Brian.

[Lucy Knight]

Actually chlamydia has been around for a long time. They didn't used to automatically test for it unfortunately. Quite often in men there are no symptoms. They give it to the woman and that is different after a period of time it can lead to agonising pelvic pain and doctors not taking them seriously as the infection can spread along the Fallopean tubes. This can cause scarring and lead to infertility. So it may not show itself until it has taken hold quite a long time afterwards. The pain can be agonising and because doctor's don't necessarity take woman seriously they can suffer for a long time before being given a week antibiotics to clear it up. I talk from my own personnal experience and the pain I went through for a long time and hence why I view rape so abhorrently and men pushing themselves on woman at sea. There were consequences. CP Ships has a lot to answere for. Getting taken seriously by a doctor was another long compicated story and being told i was imagining all the pain. m

A few yrs ago I read of a survey that had taken place amongst Royal Navy recruits and they aren't that old. I seem to remember the article stated 40% were found to be carrying it. So you can see how rife it is.

Another STD I first heard of when I was watching the television alongside in Vancover on the Fort Kamloops in 1980 was Herpes. There was a very in depth documentary on the box but none of the men were watching it. They were up at the bar. It was heart wrenching. Beautiful woman describing how their lives were over. How the pain when an attack re-occured felt as if someone was rubbing a serated knife along their nether regions and how sometimes it hospitalised them. How they advertised for fellow sufferers to go out with. I had never heard of it apart from the different type of herpes sores that some get on their faces (not the same type). I never heard of it until several yrs later in the UK and then never the horror stories spelt out as they were on this Canadian Documentary.

If people could speak more openly without shame about these diseases as seafarers did, perhaps the situation wouldn't be getting worse and worse in this country. It might not be a pleasant subject area, but it is reality.

[Captain Kong]

To be honest, in all my years in ESSO I never heard of any member having to see a Doctor for any kind of VD.
It seemed to be a family friendly company, Everyone knew each other, everyone stayed with the Company right up to retirement, No one hassled any one. There was no intimidation or any threats to any of the female staff or wives.
It seems Lucy, you sailed with a bunch of animals in the wrong Company.
Cheers
Brian

[Ivan Cloherty]

With Lucy`s mention of chlamydia, I still do not know what that is,

Brian.

Thought it was one of Blue Flues along with their other mythical names

[robpage]

Well after reading what Lucy has been through , I am quite shocked , disgusted , appalled . When I saw the post , having spent many years on passenger ships / ferries where female staff was employed and time in industry where females were employed , and all were treated equally , I am fairly sure stewardess / Assistant Steward rates were the same , I thought this is another Race / Gender / religious minority card player , Well I was wrong .

I just find it impossible to believe that would have happened on the roughest of ships that I was on ., I am not saying there would not have been attempts to cajole or seduce any attractive young lady into bed , normally by the oldest , baldest , and lecherous , but , amongst the men I sailed with I don't think even the most lecherous would have attacked a woman like Lucy experienced . I am glad I never sailed with such people . Even the roughest tramp steamers and motor ships , we looked after our own . You might have been left in a salubrious bar holding the wallets whilst the old rakes proved their youth to a lady of the easiest virtue . You might have learned some new words , and realised that engineers need beer to function , and on on bawdy nights play dam busters arms outstretched running around the bar shouting de da da de da da da dum , light their own exhaust gas with a Ronson lighter . but attacked , never The Equality Act doe not come into this the Criminal Law does . There are at least five ex Ships Masters contribute here regularly , I honesty believe that all of them ( you know who you are ) would have reported the attack to local or UK authorities . Many of us here have daughters , and I would not tolerate anything like that happening to them , let alone her being ignored .

[Lucy Knight]

Please do not insult our four legged friends. I care a lot for them.

[j.sabourn]

I dont know what the UKs laws are regards immigrants, but in 1967 I went out to work for a Canadian Company based in Montreal and had to go through medicals to gain admission to the country the same as an immigrant. This included blood tests and clearance for VD. TB , and a general health assessment by an ordinary GP. In 1991 I emigrated to Australia, and had to again be checked for these plus checked for Aids. An ordinary person emigrating has to go through these checks. What about the UK. Also what about all the illegal immigrants are these checked for same, also especially TB which was at one time supposed to have been expunged, but now is starting to reappear in some unlikely places. JS

[j.sabourn]

#51... Brian ref. your enquiry, am no expert as used to get all my knowledge out of the book which if you read too much would imagine you had every disease under the sun. However think I asked the same queation once and think the answer was it was something you could pick up with the likes of going with a pregnant woman. Was some sort of irritation and hard to get rid of. Maybe totally wrong of course. JS

[Lucy Knight]

The CP ships were Bermudan reg at that time not British. Zulu callsigns.

Well after reading what Lucy has been through===and I would not tolerate anything like that happening to them , let alone her being ignored .

[j.sabourn]

Ref. Robs post, of course would never be allowed to happen. However most if they knew would be surprised at the confidential information passed to the master by upset seafarers, at times would be embarrassing to listen to such confidential secrets. As these were confidential and given on trust and most seafarers knew the master would not divulge, they are to myself still and always will be confidential. I suppose a priest listening to some confessions must hear some right horror stories also, he however is in a position to grant absolution. I learned more about certain peoples maritial problems than the average Joe Bloggs, not because I wanted to, but that it was expected of me. As mate on a ship in 1968, one of the stewardesses who joined in Trinidad was constantly being seasick on passage back to Halifax. She had no heavy gear so gave her my heavy duffel coat, as she hadnt eaten for the best part of a week took her ashore in Halifax to the Captains Cabin, some may know. Again in Quebec took her up to the Chateaux de Frantenac, fortuanetly the main restaurant was full as when saw the prices nearly had a heart attack so finished up in a snack bar in the Hotel. She continued to hang around me when ever I went ashore, there was no evil intent in my mind, if there had of been it was all laid out. I then found out from someone who was sworn to secrecy in the communications world, that the same was pregnant by her American boyfriend in B.G. and she was in the process of taking certain drugs to get rid off, hence the sickness. I gave her a wide berth when heard this. Think the Canadian 3rd, mate from Vancouver finished up marrying her. JS