Port Line

[j.sabourn]

That’s about the price of one ciggie today Cappy. Would have given you one next time see, but they are bad for your health, so am being kind to you , not like port line trying to get you addicted. Anyhow Pat said not to encourage you in any manner or form. Hope she is well and keeping you in the shed still .cheers js

[Rodney Mills]

My first trip. Port Jackson, 30-11-53 to 15-1-54 Catering boy. Fresh as new peas from Gravesend prison for boys

Second ship. Port Townsville, 9-2-54 to 6-6-54, Catering boy. Veteran, crossed the line already.

Cheers, Rodney

[Doc Vernon]

still owe me one shilling and twopence

Is that all the interest you get after all this time cappy! How rude! LOL

But i recall getting 200 Senior Service or Players for 10 Bob in 58
Cheers

[j.sabourn]

Reckon in 58 that should have rung the till at 100% profit. Most masters claimed when asked if it was their bond about the prices, the answer was that they had to fork out for the insurance and paying the Chief Steward for distributing the selling of same. If it was a company bond they couldn’t care less. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Cheapest smokes any where in the world was in Las Palmas.

For a silver coffee pot with love from UCl would buy you at least 400 smokes.

Chesterfield from USA full of god knows what as they would sometimes burst into fire.

Regularly got 800 per voyage.

[Doc Vernon]

On other Islands as well with UCL John, like Madeira, St Helena, but yes Las Palmas was the best trading place for Silverware! More than Smokes as well, lots of other nice goodies!
Cheers

[Louis the fly]

When I was confined at someone's pleasure in Mt. Eden we were given a small plastic bag of tobacco known as a fig, don't know why.
Because roll ups go out if you don't keep puffing I had to learn the trick of splitting one match into four.

[j.sabourn]

#15 Not as cheap as Louis “s fig John , his was free. JS
Louis maybe fig was short for fig leaf and it wasn’t for smoking JS

[Frank Carson]

Hi Frank thanks for the contact it is good to hear from you. It was a long, long time ago!! But looking at my discharge book (I know very sad.. kept them all) it looks as though the Capt. was G Clarke (or similar); Chief Officer was R.Riley, its very difficult to make the names out. Did you sail on any other Port boats? What was an a/s? I'm thinking assistant steward?
We did have some fun in those days and nights in the rec,room bar) and the crews were always up for a laugh, well most of them anyway, always the odd one. I remember getting our beer ration from 2nd steward and saving it up for the weekend. Fags were 5 shillings (25p in today's petty cash) for 200. Movies on the aft passenger deck.

hello John
glad to hear from you yes its a long time gone now, yes i was a/steward, on they 3 trips launceston was a good ship good crew as you say about the fags and the beer i was lucky now and again when i was enginners steward the. enginners through in a case of beer , sometimes there bar was a right mess so gave me and the other steward the case between us happy days never told chief steward that he would have thrown a wobbler that chief steward was alfie plummer what a dog he was would have taken it of us no problem anway john catch you later take care of yourself happy days eh john happy days

[Frank Carson]

Hello trying to remember dates but port ships i was on were the phillip, launceston , brisbane, townsville, alfred, nelson, the nick,, chalmers, act2, victor, think thats it
all the best JOHN
Frank