Most of the seamanship methods, splices, bends and hitches that we used in the 40’s 50’s and 60’s were developed in the days of sail over hundreds of years. The method of rigging a bosun’s chair, a paint stage, unshipping hatch boards, tarping up a hatch, riding the stays, topping and positioning derricks for cargo work they were all tried and tested methods of working a deck and they endured for all of those years but now most of them have gone along with many of the seamen who used them.
It really is a sad state of affairs, most of that which still exists is in our memories. During our era we had the benefit of Sea Training Schools plus what we learnt from chatting on #5 hatch or in the messroom, but prior to that seamen learnt from each other and I suppose that carried over to our generation. I recall we all took pride in what we knew and what we could do and we weren’t remiss in talking about it and that’s how many gained experience.

There are still seamen going to sea but it’s different, even navigation has modernized with GPS, Digital Electronic Chart Tables that show landmass, buoyed channels showing an LED representation of the ship and other ships. I know that in some European Maritime Colleges they only briefly touch on celestial navigation and knowledge of the principles of navigation; with a weeklong training course many of our wives could navigate to the West Coast of Africa, ship handling is another subject but with thrusters and azimuth propulsion pods even that is becoming a doddle.
They have sail training ships, why don’t they start 20th century oil powered training ships with hatches and derricks, at least then we would have something to volunteer for, all we would need is three square meals a day and a single berth cabin? (Many seniors snore and that would be more than I could bear.)

Tony as a kid in school I did"nt have much interest, but as soon as I went down the Mersey my education really kicked I learnt more in twelve months than all my school days and like most on this site hold a lot of knowledge in my head and no one to pass it onto. Tony if that cargo ship comes into being, I only snore with a few cans in me, .

i got my expereience hands on. no sea school for me, to old by a few months

That is how they did it in the days of sail. And a lot of them hardly saw any school ashore, either.

On his last voyage, Captain Cook had an able seaman aboard who rose to the rank of admiral, and
commanded a line-of-battle ship at the Battle of Trafalgar. Not an easy accomplishment in 18th/19th
Century RN.

“There’s heaps of fun when the Jolly Rogers run and the wind is on the lee;” the words from a Gilbert & Sullivan song and it makes me smile whenever I hear it and that is frequently as it’s in my eclectic music portfolio, along with Hank Williams and Dicky Valentine. Those words could just as easily be applied to the lads of the merch from back in those halcyon days when we ploughed the oceans. British ships went to every corner of the globe; it was the biggest merchant fleet the world had ever seen; now I wouldn’t be surprised to discover many of the ports we called at are no longer ports due to the lack of ships calling there.

Last night I watched a programme about the Royal Navy, it was called, “Ships of The Line” it was on satellite TV. The show was extremely interesting and they spoke highly of the RN and its tradition from way back in the 16th century to the 20th century.
Apparently the demise of the RN started with the First World War and the emergence of the US as a world power, to the Second World War when Britain was bankrupt. Today the RN ranks fifth in the world’s most powerful navies just behind the French and one step above the Chinese and I find that bloody disgusting; not because of the loss of power and prestige but because that Island nation hasn’t even got a Merchant navy; it makes me cringe to think about it.

The Red Duster was seen around the world 40 years ago. In the 60’s I used to go down to Fremantle to see what ships were in and there was always a least five; probably a Star boat, Port Line, Ben boat, Blue flu and Shaw Saville, the pubs did a roaring trade; now it’s all box-boats, here today and gone tomorrow.

I can’t help thinking there is still a place for 8 to 10 thousand tonne cargo ships that could get into smaller ports, 23-24 knot ships would be ideal and they could carry a few passengers.
Globalization is the darkie in the wood-pile; perhaps with the rise of Europe things will change, the pundits a forecasting a great future for the new Europe; undoubtedly it will be a power in the world, so maybe that will make a difference?
The world needs to get away from the US$ as the worlds reserve currency, this is the second time American greed and excess has thrown the world into financial turmoil, we need to get back to old world values, or am I just a grumpy old bastard who can’t get over the loss of all that he held close to his heart.

Flatten her out, let go forward, let go aft, hang the Red Duster and get this rust bucket to sea!

A point I meant to make in my last post is this fact: the largest employer of Merchant seamen in Britain is the Royal Navy; these seamen work ships of the Royal Fleet Auxillary a mob Tom knows all about, times have changed.

I inherited a load of books over 20 years ago.They have been sitting on the book shelf in the spare room and, because I have oceans of time on my hands ,I decided to have a gander at them yesterday. They are pure gold dust, published for children between the wars (and up to 1940) they were printed by George Newnes &Co. and are called ,Pictorial Knowledge. This is one plate from volume 5,you can see what it is about. Clear and concise it gave a child a wonderful insight to the world about him. I will publish some more,lots more, if you would like me to,
BrianD

That is a very early Iron Mike connected directly to the gyro-repeater, I sailed on one ship with one of them and every so often you had to pump the hydrolics up with that little handle on the side of the gyro. Hang on to those books they're collectors publications.