hello there

[j.sabourn]

There was always that whiff of the unknown Jim. Every ship was a challenge. I spent nearly all my deepsea time on trampships. When we used to pass Passenger Liners at night, they were just a blaze of light, usually my first thought was how they made a mockery of the Rule of the road as it was almost impossible to pick our their sidelights most times. I also thought of all those passengers not understanding there were other ships out there going about their gainful employment, was very rare to feel envious, only if one was on a lousy ship, and this was the luck of the draw. A seamans life will never be the same as a person who spends his time ashore. It has as said its good points and also its bad points, however what I have seen once a seaman always a seaman, and is probably the only company ashore I feel comfortable with, even though it may be 40 or 50 years since they were last at sea. And it isn't hard to pick them out. They nearly all have quaint mannerisms, and I don't mean picking their nose. We had a fine man on here who sadly passed away last year, and I made arrangements to see him in Dunedin. Never seen him before in my life but spotted him as soon as he walked into the hotel, had the habit of hitching his trousers up with his elbows, an old sailormans habit of keeping his hands free. Old Lou as many will remember was of the old school and reckon most on here would recognize him as a seaman straight away under the same circumstances. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

Ivan see one of the other things that Jim asked for was how to gain advancement in the MN. Have you still got a copy of the Self Examiner for Masters and Mates. The only book I have kept is Nories Nautical Tables. In it will be the examination subjects for same. I remember English was a failing subject for second mate, obviously it cant be now, so things have changed. I know there was a navigation paper for every grade going from plane sailing/Mercator to stellar navigation for different grades of cert. Shipmasters business was for masters only. I can remember most subjects Meteorology, Stability, Ship construction, cargo work, Principles of Navigation, Chartwork, Signals, Electricity and magnetism, There were a few more in the time era he is looking at, perhaps your memory if you don't have the book, is better than mine. If he is writing a novel based on his Uncles time at sea he should have a broad idea what was entailed. Cheers JS

[John Albert Evans]

His mother called him that the taxi had arive it was 2.00pm. He had never been in a taxi before. they both climbed in, him with a suitcae. The driver was told the destination which was about 25 miles away. When they arrived they were allowed through the gate by a Police fficer and drove on. The lad looked ahead and saw a huge ship towering about a shed, it had a black hull and white superstructure. The boy though oh my goodness thats huge, the taxi turned the corner and the name could be seen clearly on the front of the ship it was the Tema Palm and not the one named on his piece of paper. He got out of the taxi and looked around but couldnt see any other ship anywhere. What he did see was what appeared to be two small poles at the end of the quay, the driver drove there and the boy got out and there she was FT Everades Coastal Tanker 'Acuity'....FTE Acuity.jpg He said goodbye to his mother who was trying to hold back her tears. He went down the gangway and onto the well deck, someone told him to go and see the Mate to sign on. This was all new and alien to him but he found the mate in a cabin amidships, the was another man with him who turned out to be the NUS rep who demanded that he paid 4 shillings in overdue union fees before he could sail. He paid the man the four shillings out of the ten shilling note that his mother had given to him. Six oclock the ship left the dock and entered the Mersey en route to London. It was raining lightly and he stood on the afterdeck above the well deck and watched the water spilling onto the deck. The man who stood next to him and said not to worry we were not going to sink It was starting to go dark and the lights from Liverpool on one side and Birkenhead on the other were a sight to behold. We sailed on and out into Liverpool Bay to London but everything didnt quite go to plan.(THats anoth story) That was a brief description of my first trip at sea in was on Tuesday 26th March 1957 and that is exactly 59 years ago to this day. I remember is so well . I went on to spend the next seven years of my life at sea. What a wonderful time I had. Its just a shame that the youngsters of today dont have the same opportunities that we had. I was 16 years old then and now I am 75 years old but often think about that day. It was the day that changed my life forever.

John Albert Evans.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Ivan see one of the other things that Jim asked for was how to gain advancement in the MN. Have you still got a copy of the Self Examiner for Masters and Mates. The only book I have kept is Nories Nautical Tables. In it will be the examination subjects for same. I remember English was a failing subject for second mate, obviously it cant be now, so things have changed. I know there was a navigation paper for every grade going from plane sailing/Mercator to stellar navigation for different grades of cert. Shipmasters business was for masters only. I can remember most subjects Meteorology, Stability, Ship construction, cargo work, Principles of Navigation, Chartwork, Signals, Electricity and magnetism, There were a few more in the time era he is looking at, perhaps your memory if you don't have the book, is better than mine. If he is writing a novel based on his Uncles time at sea he should have a broad idea what was entailed. Cheers JS

John, at this stage James doesn't say in what aspect he is writing a book, so until we know in what capacity the main character is portrayed we may be overloading James with information which is not relevant to the theme of his novel. Is the main character a young lad, deck boy progressing to AB, or is he a young man (deck boy, EDH, [cadet]) hoping to have command of his own vessel, then yourself and Kong are the persons to guide James through the initial stages to fruition of the dream, both of you having long terms on the briny through thick and thin.

Perhaps James could give us an inkling of his thoughts, we are not asking for a synopsis that he would submit to a publisher, but I think he is, from his posts, basing it somewhat on his uncle(s) experiences, but at this stage we do not know (unless I've missed it[more than possible]) in what capacity his uncle(s) served, if we knew that then we could guide him with information necessary for him to make it as realistic as possible without introducing too much technicality.

So James if you are reading this, then over to you.

[j.sabourn]

Just in post 10 Ivan he says how would a young man make his way in the world. Assumed he meant how did he advance himself. Cheers JS

[Stan Carter]

Post #43,
"I was 16 years old then and now I am 75 years old but often think of that day,".........Don't we all, John Albert, don't we all.
A wonderful experience and education.

[j.sabourn]

Still 16 Stan, but the body says will soon be an octopus like Brian, octoparian or something like that the proper word. Just think with eight arms could handle 8 women with ease if had the corresponding bits. Cheers JS

[James blake]

John, at this stage James doesn't say in what aspect he is writing a book, so until we know in what capacity the main character is portrayed we may be overloading James with information which is not relevant to the theme of his novel. Is the main character a young lad, deck boy progressing to AB, or is he a young man (deck boy, EDH, [cadet]) hoping to have command of his own vessel, then yourself and Kong are the persons to guide James through the initial stages to fruition of the dream, both of you having long terms on the briny through thick and thin.

Perhaps James could give us an inkling of his thoughts, we are not asking for a synopsis that he would submit to a publisher, but I think he is, from his posts, basing it somewhat on his uncle(s) experiences, but at this stage we do not know (unless I've missed it[more than possible]) in what capacity his uncle(s) served, if we knew that then we could guide him with information necessary for him to make it as realistic as possible without introducing too much technicality.

So James if you are reading this, then over to you.

I composed a good reply either, then lost the thing,
Anyway to recap - The main ideas is about the choices we make in life good or bad, and the consequences of these.The story involves 3 brothers, two of them are able bodied seaman, travelling here and there, respectable guys looking at the world. The third brother, the youngest likes a bit of skullduggery, would rather earn a dishonest shilling over an honest one anyday - even if the dishonest one involves more work. Eventually he has to leave Glasgow in a big hurry, (exit left pursued by bear), he just pushed his luck.
|His brothers step in to help. He starts out on his sea life, but has still got that crooked bit in him. It attracts like a moth to a flame.

I'd like to find out about things like mail - was it regular , how did you even collect it it - I remember the Poste Restante system from my travelling days, and how exciting it would be going to collect mail, or how disappointed you were. A lot of the action revolves round letters.
Would it be possible - or feasible to arrange to meet, all three of them, in say Hong Kong for example.
The timescale is going to deal with just a couple of years 59/61 that kind of era.
There is going to be a backdrop of leaving the post war austerity, emigration of the skilled working class from Britain to Aus and NZ.
The characters will not be looking for promotion or anything, they are looking for something though , and the ships provide the perfect solution.
The book can look at a changing world, how it effected people in different parts.
I just do not want to write some howlers, I know that I'll never be totally authentic, however there has to be details in the book to make it intriguing. It is such a different way of life to almost anything nowadays, so I want to make it real and do it justice.
Already my head is buzzing with ideas - for example a poster casually mentions hiding under sugar sacks to get some shore time in Cuba- how did that work???
Where there favoured ports? I know my uncles always had really cool suits and handmade shirts, quite cocky with it.
Has anyone experience of Kowloon? It is possible to look things up.
Would it be possible to ply your trade up and down the coast of Aus, going out further to places like Nauro (?) for fertilizer / nitrates.
I remember one auld fella from the Isle of Coll who had been at sea all his days telling us young boys about South Sea Islands where you were forbidden to make contact with the locals so not to infect them with common colds etc. Does that ring a bell?
How about cabins what were they like - the best and the worst.... more and more questions follow every question I think of.

If anyone is willing to respond thanks kindly in advance.
I'm working on other sections of the story at the moment.
Durban is going to feature in it as well.I think there was some 8th Army connection ....
Anyway, thanks so much already.

[Captain Kong]

As I have posted before, read the posts in `SEAFARING STORIES` THREAD. in the `SWINGING THE LEAD FORUM.`
There are many seafaring stories in there from those day or years you mention.
Cheers
Brian

[Keith Tindell]

Sounds like a very interesting story James. MIl was always a big lift when you reached port, your family would send it to the shipping company, especially on tramp ships, and they would usually forward in on to the shipping agents wherever you docked. It was a big downer if you did not get mail. In my early days on deck the old Haines tramper was 6 in a cabin, and as the deck boy it was my job to call some of the guys in the morning, so you had to remember which bunk they were in, call the wrong guy you had big bollockings. Later on the ships became more 4 berth, and double berth, and by the middle sixties, most of the ships I was on we're single berth, air conditioned etc, but there were still a lot of rust buckets about, hope that helps, kt