New member

[Roger Blair]

Hi there,
I joined the group a while ago but have not been active for a while, so I thought I would start again. My first post was as “ deck boy “ aboard the Trinity House vessel Winston Churchill in the early 70s based in East Cowes, although I spent most of my time polishing brass and being an errand boy, we sailed mostly around the south coast and the Channel Islands it gave me a taste of life at sea. Unfortunately my time with Trinity House was not to be a long one, after 4 months I needed to wear glasses and was not permitted to work on deck. I then progressed on to sand dredgers working on some tubs ( the Friargate built in 1935 ! ) Echo ( a converted barge ) working from Cowes, I then had a short spell with A R C Marine on the dredgers before a spell on the Stone Marshall ( another sand dredger ) with a fantastic crew as we were all poached from ARC Marine ! After a spell working from Lowestoft London and Gillingham we were laid off. Then the best of all, about 5 and a bit years with Fyffes line on the M class banana boats mostly working from Central America to the East coast of America up to Halifax and all ports Europe / Mediterranean / and hot gulf ports. Had the best of times on ships like Mazatec, Matina, Manistee all named after South American rivers, even managed to progress to PO Opps ( ships Chippy ). Loved my time at sea as a single man, but eventually met a lovely girl at home and left the life to get married and spend the next 30 years as a postie !
No regrets, just great memories, defiantly life at sea is special that’s why I joined this group

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Roger
Welcome can i say Back! I ask as i have looked and cannot find any other Posts from you, this is the only one i see.?
Anyway nice to have you with us and i hope now that you will continue to Post and read all that we have on offer.
Enjoy and thanks for returning
Cheers

[Ron B Manderson]

Welcome back Sir
Ron The batcave

[John E Powell]

Hi Roger!
I searched the name Stone Marshall and it led me to you. I went aboard her as a DHU in about 1973 and was in her, off and on, until she was sold to a company in Terneuzen in 1977. My uncle, Les Sharman, was Second mate for a while and his uncle Bob was agent. Nepotism!!. She was owned by J.J. Riley at first and later bought by Volker. I left her in Dordrecht and never went to sea again other than in small craft. John Thompson was skipper during my time - a crusty Scot but I got on with him very well.
Did we coincide?
John Powell