The world was a much smaller place sixty years ago, probably by about 4.5 billion people, Great Britain, Europe and the rest of the world was, with the exception of the USA, emerging from the unprosperous years of fighting a world war; I say, “with the exception of the USA” because that was the only country that became richer because of the war.
The world was rebuilding and commerce was thriving, the movement of goods around the world knew no bounds and cargo ships visited every continent on a regular basis, the shipping industry thrived and Britain had the largest Merchant fleet the world had ever seen and for many a young man and woman the world really was their oyster.
The old five hatch job was the ship of choice and fortunately for us they were labour intensive because, apart from DOT & Classification Society docking, all maintenance was done by the crew and their wages were low, so it was a profitable business to be in for ship-owners.

By the end of the 50’s trade was falling off and the social engineers were looking to a Global Society; the European Common Market came into being and British trade patterns changed, they had to honour their commitment to Europe and that resulted in breaking off strong trade ties with the rest of the British Commonwealth. It was also a tough time for Antipodes, no longer was Britain the main destination for Australian & New Zealand Dairy Products, or their Beef and Lamb and Argentina trade also suffered because of Britain’s European ties. Ship-owners were facing hard times so they also had to rationalize and many companies did this by joining consortiums and amalgamations; the changes were to take Britain from a sea-power to a country of landlubbers, the British Merchant Navy became a non entity compared with the halcyon days.

Modes of sea transport changed along with the world; VLCC’s and Container ships became the preferred vehicles for moving the goods of the world, container ship/box-boats were convenient, they employed smaller crews and there was minimal cargo handling, they shifted tons of cargo off the ship straight onto the back of prime mover type, mammoths of the roads.

The ship-owners who survived were making money and greed ruled the roost, promoted and led by the excess and greed of the US of A.
Containerization was secure and convenient, or was it? An estimate 10,000 containers go missing at sea each year, not only that they become a hazard to navigation and that in itself becomes an additional cost to ship-owners, Insurance Companies and those injured and killed because collisions with containers. Like Icebergs containers drift along with just 1/8 visible above the surface of the sea.

Man needs only regular meals, a roof over his head, good health care and regular rest & recreation; bring back the general cargo ship and that hardy, good natured bunch of reprobates who sailed the ships, we don’t need bigger and better, soon enough the social engineers will be complaining and looking for ways to reduce the world population; only so much air can be put into a balloon before it bursts and it is going to happen on planet earth sooner rather than later.

All of what you say is true Tony, I think we were very privelaged to being part of what I think were the best years to have been at sea, with the hard times having passed and the pc brigade yet to appear we seemed to rule the roost in a happy go lucky sort of way without a care in the world and our thoughts only on the next port of call and the delights that would bring, and yes looking back we were reprobates happy in our work and world, and now left with some fantastic memories which probably are unique to our generation. stan

Q. What do you do for a living? A. I'm a traveller in oil.

Yeah! Sure you are, you're an Assistant Steward on a Shell tanker.
Was there ever such a job, we signed the Articles of Agreement and joined our new home; not only a home but also a place of our employment, we became Merchant Seamen and travelled the world seeing things and doing things our contemporaries, back home in Britain, could only dream about.
We indulged the carnal delights of the world and sometimes suffered the indignity of having to visit the pox doctor as a result of our indiscretion and all of this when some were only sixteen years old.

Home from a trip we would sport the recognizable tan of a world traveller and we were travellers bouncing from one continent to another; not just world travellers we were, with our meagre pay-off, public bar philanthropists throwing our money about as though we had no pockets or purse to keep it in; “puck the expense, feed the cat the goldfish!” We would live for the day knowing tomorrow we could sign-on again and in return for a few turns on the wheel with time as the look-out man, Skippers Tiger, Assistant Steward or 2nd Cook & Tabnab Maker we could replenish the shekels that gave us “our devil may care attitude” and the means to continue on our philanthropic way.
Jeez! It was a bloody good life in the Merch!

could,nt of said it better my self,double amen to that tony.

i remember the question from friends parents, 'what made you decide to go to sea and not just get a job'.
and of course the greeting, aye aye tom! when did you get home? immediately followed by, when do you go back? was i that bad a boy

yous lads have got great memories

A life I would"nt change I followed my dads footsteps and enjoyed every minute the good with the bad, my old headmaster at school said I would not make it but I wiped his eye and did the full wack. A full career much better than his god rest him.

the reason why i chose to go to sea was because i was in with a bad crowd. if i had not had the sense to realise where i was going at 16yo, i most certainly been heading for SS hmp.