Evenin' all

[Alexander Booth]

Came across this site surfing around Google looking for ships from 'the good old days' when there was a decent British merchant fleet & when general cargo ships looked like ships and had character, not like the floating shoe boxes of today with agency officers & crew etc etc...

I did my time with Ellermans from back in 68 came ashore in 76 after seeing the writing on the wall and a probable 8 or so year wait to get my own ship. Been messing about with ships, from shore side, ever since - from the Mid East to Nth & Sth America & pretty much everywhere in between.
Now mainly chasing ships & cargoes around the Caribs & Sth America, based in the Dom Rep and trying to hang on to my break bulk roots in a diminishing market - Containers !! bah humbug

My sea time was primarily with CCL out of Canada & the Great Lakes > Sth & East Africa, Indian Sub Continent etc. Did my tickets @ Warsash & Greenhithe.

Probably the best thing was to come ashore when I did... but, never-the-less, even after so many years, I still miss it, and a part of me always feels sad when I finish a ship and she sails off....'into the sunset', pulling at me to sail with her

Cheers all

Alex

[Keith Tindell]

HI Alexander,
Welcome to the site, sounds an interesting life you are leading there, lets here more !, sure you will meet up on here with old shipmates at some point, regards KT

[John Arton]

Alexander
I was in Santo Domingo on a charter to KNSM in 72 and found it a very interesting place.
We had discharged in a number of ports prior too Santo Domingo (St. Croix, Kingston, Port au Prince) and it was nice to be in a safe port for a change. No one was allowed off the ship (even to read the arrival draft) without showing their I.D. card and all the stevedores had to leave their possessions in wicker baskets at the bottom of the gangway. They were all searched coming off the ship at the end of their shift and there was absolutely no cargo theft and no pissing or crapping in the holds. At the end of the days work after all the stevedores left then men dressed in army gear and carrying rifles would appear from the tops of warehouses and any other vantage point overlooking the ship. We were told they were there to enforce security and were under orders to shoot anyone seen thieving or doing anything wrong.
On going ashore as we approached the dock gate there was a tank situated each side of the entrance and its machine gun would track you as you approached. After showing your i.d. to the guard (who never demanded a back hander) we were out into the town where there were some fantastic bars and restaurants with lots of smart looking senoritas.
rgds
JA

[Ron B Manderson]

Alexander
WElcome to this great site.
A good bunch of nutters here. BUt only the best kind.
ron the batcave
l

[Les Woodard]

Ditto to all the others Alex and in a way very envious of you still being associated with the sea and at the same time can fully understand the down side of not sailing on them as they leave port. Would it be akin to an alcoholic being in charge of dispatch at the brewery mate. Think that many of us swallowed the anchor around that time. For me it was similar after sailing on the Southland Star and finding it was all push button and formica cabins. Real clean and easy ship but not a scrap of character about it or atmosphere like the old sticks and bits with the least two berth cabins LOL.

[j.sabourn]

#5... Les what do you mean nutters, some of us are fully fledged imbeciles, and have the papers to prove it. JWS

[j.sabourn]

Should have said #4.... Ron JWS

[Evan Lewis]

Hi! Alex.
Loaded Bagged sugar in the Bay at Barahona ,about '52' Chapman Boat.

Finished our work, at Noon. Very Hot there,'
My Fault ! Said to Phil. (First trip Deck-boy)"Lets go for a Dip." We put the Pilot Ladder over ,and away we went.
Halfway across ,towards a small Naval Vessel . .Phil was just ahead of me.When "Shark! Shark ".rang -out. Can't explain the feeling. Stopped, Shouted to Phil. "Let's go back"
Full of trepidation ,neared the pilot ladder . as I'm ascending .could see the R.O. looking down. My thought then , was anger . Nothing had happened'"I'll kill that Bst'd when I get aboard .
As we approached the Deck, Could recognise clearly ,the fear ,on the Sparks face. so Knew .it was for real.
Gaining the Deck. ,and joined by the Old local Watchman. They pointed it out to us .Threshing ,Back and Fro. Sparky ,said ,"from where He 'd been standing, it
appeared to have passed right under me.
" I said that earlier that day ,Crew,from the Navy vessel, had been swimming ." The old Watchman, then told us ,that they'd had a Safety net ,attached to the Ship. One of the nine lives was used up that Day! for sure!
One more little event ,Barahona,
Had Been to the Dentist's. . some misunderstanding He hopped on his Bike ,and slowly followed me down to the Launch, As He wanted payment. The Capt. was angry. As He reckoned ,"I hadn't gone to the one, nominated by the Agent "Not my Fault!"

Didn't see anything of Phil.,after that voyage. Till the 66 Strike. He ,being the Bristol Channel, Delegate.
Was one of Twelve, invited by Harold Wilson to .To Bring some conclusion to the Strike. Just A Glimpse ,of them entering ,No.Ten.

We escaped the Shark. But not the Chapman Boat's ,Crabs.

[cappy]

Hi! Alex.
Loaded Bagged sugar in the Bay at Barahona ,about '52' Chapman Boat.

Finished our work, at Noon. Very Hot there,'
My Fault ! Said to Phil. (First trip Deck-boy)"Lets go for a Dip." We put the Pilot Ladder over ,and away we went.
Halfway across ,towards a small Naval Vessel . .Phil was just ahead of me.When "Shark! Shark ".rang -out. Can't explain the feeling. Stopped, Shouted to Phil. "Let's go back"
Full of trepidation ,neared the pilot ladder . as I'm ascending .could see the R.O. looking down. My thought then , was anger . Nothing had happened'"I'll kill that Bst'd when I get aboard .
As we approached the Deck, Could recognise clearly ,the fear ,on the Sparks face. so Knew .it was for real.
Gaining the Deck. ,and joined by the Old local Watchman. They pointed it out to us .Threshing ,Back and Fro. Sparky ,said ,"from where He 'd been standing, it
appeared to have passed right under me.
" I said that earlier that day ,Crew,from the Navy vessel, had been swimming ." The old Watchman, then told us ,that they'd had a Safety net ,attached to the Ship. One of the nine lives was used up that Day! for sure!
One more little event ,Barahona,
Had Been to the Dentist's. . some misunderstanding He hopped on his Bike ,and slowly followed me down to the Launch, As He wanted payment. The The Capt. was angry. As He reckoned ,"I hadn't gone to the one, nominated by the Agent "Not my Fault!"

Didn't see anything of Phil.,after that voyage. Till the 66 Strike. He ,being the Bristol Channel, Delegate.
Was one of Twelve, invited by Harold Wilson to .To Bring some conclusion to the Strike. Just A Glimpse ,of them entering ,No.Ten.

We escaped the Shark. But not the Chapman Boat's ,Crabs.

##proper seaman ...them were the days evan they were the men......regards cappy

[Red Lead Ted]

I have posted this before, But its only after reading the post by Alex, I say again there are ports we got to that we only remember when we read them, Ports such as (St. Croix, Kingston, Port au Prince, The post led me to further look at the map of the Carabbean, I can remember getting to most of these ports on this map, I can always remember taking a look at the destination on the deck cargo, And thinking yea been there before even remember the little island of Grenada, Terry.