Women crew members and wives at sea.

[j.sabourn]

Myself think it will refer to his status as a merchant seaman. Think if remember they ask you when registering for a marriage certificate what you do for a living, on mine it says 2nd. mate in the merchant service. This was in 1962 however, Think if he had been RN it would probably have said for vocation , member of HM armed forces. In 1963 if asked the same question would have said 1st mate in the Merchant service. Today if have to fill in any forms requiring past history , just put in retd. Master Mariner or even just Mariner. Please also bear in mind the term captain is a military title only legally, When you call a ships master captain it is a complimentary term, or at least used to be. The proper term for being in command of a merchant ship is Master. Just think of the Genii coming out of the magic lamp and given you 3 wishes. Cheers JS

[Brian Rattray]

Sailed on a few ships with officers wives on board & in general they were very good & appreciated the catering crew , however on my first ship from Buries Markes the 3rd officers wife was horrendous & thought she could bully & boss the stewards about , she eventually learned the rights of her wrongs. 😂😂😂😂

[Michael Black]

I was on a F.P.S.O. in the North sea for a while which used to have a coup!e of stewardess on board, 2 on each crew change. 4 were really good and worth their position on board, the other 2 used to get off the chopper every trip and take to their cabin for 3 days claiming seasickness, then it would be the wrong time, couldn't manage the stairs carrying anything.
I couldn't think how they managed to keep their job, I reckon if it was a guy they wouldn't get a second trip.
Regards Michael

[j.sabourn]

We come from a segment of the world who are. Inclined to put their women on a pedestal , which I am all in favour of as know it is the normal nature of man to chase , it is in most cases it is the other way round however ,and the word is allure by the female of any species , apart from some animal groups where the female eats the male.However in other parts of the world the opposite is in effect and they are treated despicably and looked on as inferior beings . The in between answer that most women groups shout for is also I believe unattainable , as a man and a woman are both different by size, general thinking, general habits, bodily functions and most things in general. However a man and woman both compliment each other , and both need each other for survival of the species . Why anyone wants to change natural habits I fail to understand. Cheers JS...

[j.sabourn]

As to women working on ships I view as similar to women working elsewhere , but on ships more so as can be a dangerous occupation. My views are on married women. I was brought up in an era where It was considered that a man would only ask a woman to marry him if he thought he could support her and any family they produced. I speak for myself only that I would feel less than a man if I couldn’t do this , I know of many elderly single men if you ask them why they never married will also give a similar reply , that they couldn’t afford it. The last war brought women into the work force and married ones as well, and things never went back to normal. Most families where both partners are in the workforce may today be through force of necessity but in some cases is just pure greed. Women today are not like yesteryear either, if you find one who is you should court her as fast as possible even more so if she is untarnished by tattoos , which I find repulsive on most women. I am pleased I have been able to live up to my own sense of morals which does not suit today’s menagerie of type cast persons. Cheers JS

[Keith Tindell]

The same thing happened in the Fire Service just before i retired, the Fire Service on the front line is mainly a physical job, requiring strength to pull horses from ditches, heavy fire hoses, wearing breathing apparatus, and when i joined there were test to determine your strength, including picking a man up, and running i think it was 50 yrds in a given time. The do gooders took up the call that we did not have women in the job, after that the physical tests were deemed not necessary , and also minimum height test measurements and chest (probably the only one some women would have passed), etc etc, and so the women were introduced to the job.t, i would ask how they think they could drag a pregnant cow from the bottom of a ditch ?, this was sheer hard work that required bloody great big brawny blokes, and of course with just a male crew the language as used at sea when hauling equipment could be used, all banned with female crews, kt

[Tony Taylor]

The same thing happened in the Fire Service just before i retired, the Fire Service on the front line is mainly a physical job, requiring strength to pull horses from ditches, heavy fire hoses, wearing breathing apparatus, and when i joined there were test to determine your strength, including picking a man up, and running i think it was 50 yrds in a given time. The do gooders took up the call that we did not have women in the job, after that the physical tests were deemed not necessary , and also minimum height test measurements and chest (probably the only one some women would have passed), etc etc, and so the women were introduced to the job.t, i would ask how they think they could drag a pregnant cow from the bottom of a ditch ?, this was sheer hard work that required bloody great big brawny blokes, and of course with just a male crew the language as used at sea when hauling equipment could be used, all banned with female crews, kt

I wonder if they are required to observe Health and Safety Guidelines, the recommended max lifting weight for men is 25kgs and 18kgs for women (or thereabouts), surely contravenes equality of sexes, there's going to lots of cows left in ditches if they stick to that.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Women also played important roles during World War II and more, both at home and in uniform. Not only did they give their sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers to the war effort, they gave their time, energy, and some even gave their lives.

K.

[j.sabourn]

#56... Stewardesses , Michael in a previous post sometime ago , referred to a close shave I nearly had. It is nearly 55 years ago now so shouldn’t cause anyone distress. I was on a general cargo ship running around the West Indies and running back and forwards to Montreal , and carrying a dozen passengers or so. We carried 2 stewardesses for the mostly elderly passengers. We received a new one in Trinidad who was from the old British Guyana just across from Trinidad, a beautiful looking young girl whose sister was Miss Guyana that year and she was a replica of her. However from Trinidad the next port was Halifax before going back up the St. Lawrence. So it was like going from hell into the freezer weather wise. The girl was sick nearly as soon as we sailed ,wasn’t eating and being continuously sick. To cut it short for the second or third time I took her ashore in Quebec up to the Chateaux de Frantenac for a meal, fortuanetley we couldn’t get a seat , and was pleased when I saw the prices. However her sickness persisted and the sparks unofficially put me in the picture. The girl was pregnant and she was getting rid of it, the father was an American in Guyana who was keeping in touch with her. This was all plutonic on by behalf , whatever Cappy might say, but I dropped it like a hot brick , she then attached herself to the3 mate and they got engaged , he was none the wiser, but hope if he did marry her it all turned out ok.
It is now 8 hours and 40 minutes before next year and I am going to have my first beer of the day, regardless of what the wife says. So this may be the last time this year I am coherent , so to you and everyone else cheers and may all your future problems be little ones. You may be in Scotland afore us , but we”ll be into 2021 first . JS.

[cappy]

#56... Stewardesses , Michael in a previous post sometime ago , referred to a close shave I nearly had. It is nearly 55 years ago now so shouldn’t cause anyone distress. I was on a general cargo ship running around the West Indies and running back and forwards to Montreal , and carrying a dozen passengers or so. We carried 2 stewardesses for the mostly elderly passengers. We received a new one in Trinidad who was from the old British Guyana just across from Trinidad, a beautiful looking young girl whose sister was Miss Guyana that year and she was a replica of her. However from Trinidad the next port was Halifax before going back up the St. Lawrence. So it was like going from hell into the freezer weather wise. The girl was sick nearly as soon as we sailed ,wasn’t eating and being continuously sick. To cut it short for the second or third time I took her ashore in Quebec up to the Chateaux de Frantenac for a meal, fortuanetley we couldn’t get a seat , and was pleased when I saw the prices. However her sickness persisted and the sparks unofficially put me in the picture. The girl was pregnant and she was getting rid of it, the father was an American in Guyana who was keeping in touch with her. This was all plutonic on by behalf , whatever Cappy might say, but I dropped it like a hot brick , she then attached herself to the3 mate and they got engaged , he was none the wiser, but hope if he did marry her it all turned out ok.
It is now 8 hours and 40 minutes before next year and I am going to have my first beer of the day, regardless of what the wife says. So this may be the last time this year I am coherent , so to you and everyone else cheers and may all your future problems be little ones. You may be in Scotland afore us , but we”ll be into 2021 first . JS.

good post john.....the cappys wish you all the best in your new home and all the good luck and health for 2021 ...