Women crew members and wives at sea.

[j.sabourn]

Without wanting not to be branded as a homophobic , my only experience with female crew members were stewardesses in 1967, and a female 2 mate in 1986.They were no doubt competent enough but nothing to write home about. As to wife’s on ships they could and did on occasions cause problems. I was recently at a party and this bloke I was talking to was on about cruising and pulled this photo out of his pocket and showed him and the female master of I think it was one of the queens, dressed up to the nines. There is a massive difference to passenger accomodation on purpose built ships and ordinary working cargo vessels. I think it was in 1965 I was approached by my employers and was told if I applied to the company to carry my wife and kids it would be looked on favourably. when on the odd occasion I had them down in port , I lived a nightmare keeping them away from the dangerous places a proper working ship could be. In 1965 for those from Hull I was told whilst there all
females had to be off the vessel by sunset, wife’s included. When females were accepted on ships as crew a lot of ships accomodation had to be modernised to fit in with their requirements , seamen had been clamouring for
years for better living conditions , and this is the only advantage as far as I am concerned that females brought
to Shipping . And as said am not homophobic which is going to be the cry , but I do prefer my women to be women and not contestants in the tattoo market. Females are most welcome on the correct type of vessels , but
it would take a definite type of woman to serve on some of the vessels I knew. Cheers JS,
PS see have hit the wrong buttons on title, should read crew members , in English . And not as printed in Chinese
JS

[Bill Morrison]

Women crew members. I never sailed on any ship where they were members of the crew. There were some stewards who dressed like women but not the real thing.
When reading accounts from the days of sail many masters had their wives and children with them on long voyages and most crews thought it lead to a good atmosphere
on the ship.
In a book I have is a photograph of a Mrs Gamble, well known skipper in sailing rig. It would be around the 1880's have tried researching her to no avail. It may be true or fiction!
If true she looks very capable.

[Denis O'Shea]

John like you did not like the idea of taking my wife to sea, it caused problems because there would nearly always be a so called shipmate wanting to try his luck, which actually happened on one ship I was on where the man and wife had to be transferred to another company ship that was there and the culprit was nearly float tested such was the feeling of the rest of us. He kept a very low profile for the rest of the trip as he was ignored by all. Den

[John Arton]

I have the diary of a 17 year old girl who went from Swansea to San Francisco in 1872 on her father's sailing ship. Must try and put it onto the site one day.
Sailed with a few female cadets,sparkles and one female 3rd mate. All good hands and no problems.
Also a number of times with wife's, mine did 3 6 months contracts with me before the children came along and in the main all the wife's were an asset. We had one chief engineer who the company insisted his wife sailed with him to keep his drinking in check. She was a hoot, when bronzying in the afternoon she would complain to hubby that the sun had moved and she was in the shade now.
Rgds
J.A.

[Denis O'Shea]

John I think that story is in Articles section I read something similar a long while ago. Den

[j.sabourn]

#2.. may be one of the few Bill. The post on my worse Xmas at sea, the poster mentions the electrician being shot dead. Everyone felt sorry for his wife who was sailing with him , until they. Found it was not his wife. Must have been a nightmare for the paperwork for the old man. The second mate. I sailed with was a very attractive young girl, but I was sent there as mate to break up the not. Plutonic relationship she was having with the mate. Only two incidents of women on ships. On carrying passengers on a cargo passenger ship they were more problems than the cattle on deck. The second mate incident was there only for her own personal wants, not a professional. One there for life , in fact she went ashore after my trip there and became a personel manager for Marks and Spencer’s. With Indian officers and their wife’s they all thought they were there on a cruise and that includes the officers. A ship was there for a purpose and not pleasure to the extent they expected. With the stewardesses one of them was pregnant unbeknown to me and thinking she was under nourished took her ashore in Quebec for a meal , on finding out dropped her like a hot brick, she finally got engaged to the 3 Mate a young lad from Vancouver. Women on ships some might appreciate but they can be a problem. Cheers JS.

[Doc Vernon]

Without wanting not to be branded as a homophobic

Cheers JS,
PS see have hit the wrong buttons on title, should read crew members , in English . And not as printed in Chinese
JS

Fixed Title JS

[j.sabourn]

I wonder if the old adage, why a ship is called a she ? and the answer. Because it always has a man for. a mate, If the ship was called a He whilst she was mate, if she ever was that is, as no doubt it was good publicity for the company that there was no sex discrimination , in their businesss , what a lot of codswallop. JS

[Doc Vernon]

If the He was a She,and the She was a He i wonder then what the next Ship will be ! LOL
cHEERS

[j.sabourn]

I’m mixed up with that one Vernon , you mean if both master and mate were she’s ? Just think if they brought the lash back . Would that be. Classed as punishment or pleasure. JS.