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Thread: My life at sea on the New Zealand coast.

  1. #1
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    Default My life at sea on the New Zealand coast.

    I first became interested in a life at sea when I met a young friend of mine who was the deckboy on the NZ coaster Konanda in early 1959 and after speaking with him I was determined to go and hopefully make a life for me.
    I made a big mistake of putting my name down with a shipping company and was given the wrong information. The took all my particulars and said they would let me know but after 3 years through my mum speaking with a lady up our street whose husband was at sea was told that to go to sea I had to first join the Seamans Union. I came from the country and where I lived there was no such thing as Unions. By that time I was too old and when I finally got to Wellington to join I was told I was too old to get a position as a deckboy.
    My dreams of working my way up to one day be a skipper were shattered.
    I was left with two choices and one was to join the Cooks & Stewards Union but I wasn't interested in that choice so it was the Engine-room or nothing.
    My first ship was the Mamaku owned by the Anchor Company of Nelson and I was sea-sick all the way to Onehunga and back to Nelson. I did manage to work during my time at the wharf. I signed off when we arrived back at Nelson and shortly after joined the smaller coaster the Matipo which sailed nightly between Nelson and Wellington. I did get caught out a few times when we went to sea during the day but I finally got over being sick and stayed in that ship for 18 months.
    I later went back and joined the Mamaku where I spent the next 3 years until one night at Onehunga I got into a argument with the Deckboy who was my cabin mate.
    We were in the Mess and I was on one side of the table and he on the other side and I went to grab him by his shoulders but he grabbed me round the back of my head and slammed it onto the table. There was a crack and blood streamed out all over the place. I was taken to the doctor and the deckboy, Duncan had to clean up the mess. When I arrived back at Nelson I had no choice but to sign off and spent the next 6 weeks at home getting the swelling down. I never went back to the Anchor Company but did manage to get jobs on ships owned by the Union Steamship Company. I finally decided that after 9 years and also because all the old ships which I liked working on were being sold off. a shore job was my next choice.
    I made some wonderful friends and one of my bosses the Chief Engineer on the Mamaku, George Guy was the best boss I ever had. He died in 1981.
    My only regret was that I did not stay longer because it was a great life.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: My life at sea on the New Zealand coast.

    Hi James.
    I was on deck on the NZ coast from 57 to 66 mainly Union CO though i did a couple on the Canterbury Steamship Calm, great times, sadly never to return.
    Look up the shipping companies on the forum the USS is there you may know some of the blokes.
    Cheers Des

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  4. #3
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    Default Re: My life at sea on the New Zealand coast.

    I did two stints on the same ship the TYRONE on the NZ coast with the USA in between.1958/59.
    I remember the good times with the NZ girls.
    The parties were unbelievable.some good times were had.
    My further trips never took me back which was a shame.
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