I bet you all miss taking all the houses that were built around the winches on sailing day.In Singapore and many other far east ports,amounts of dunnage and straw mats one would think they were built for a lifetime,certainly needed a very sharp knife to cut them down.:sweat:
So true Wully,these guys could have walked on to any house builders site.If memory serves me the winch man seemed to have a hatred of coming in contact with any grease about the winch,and I clearly remember,there was plenty of that.
Cheers....... Roddy.
Although I was in catering for a good number of years in Ben Line.I remember the winch houses well, along with the thunder boxes.I doubt if there are much Ben Line sailors left that will remember them.Wonder where they have all gone. On the same subject,can anyone produce photos of Banana Kate or the Ferret in Bangkok.I am sure there must be some around of Mable and Mary in Hong kong also. Mind you cameras were scarce in those days
Mable Ma, aye she was not a bad stick,she did sell me a dud watch right enough,that was the chance you had to take!!,she must have made a small fortune out of the Ben-Line revvies!!!!
I remember the Ferret well. We had an Aberdonian Bosun in the 'lomond that knew her a site better than most of us! Mabel and Mary were always welcome visitors, what was the name of Mabels mute niece?
I remember the winch cabs and the Koh Si Chang sh.t houses and would rather dismantle the former.
Another "delight' was finding the occasional mocking bird that had been dumped in a mooring line. On stowing the line, I've had a few of these slide through my hands. Not too good after a week of Singha and Mekong at the Mossie Bar.
Must have been some amount of wreckage in the Mallaca Straights if every ship that left Singa homeward bound timbered(cut away) the thunder boxes(Smoke) (==D) (EEK) POLLUTION!!!!!!!!!
When I was on the Benattow the Bosun Len Kase was allways getting the ferret to get one of the girls to go up the road to get bottles of Monkey
Eric Cardno
that's the one, the first time I saw her, was on the Benattow, I was away to have a fine cold pint of lager at smoko and I was away to sit down on the seats there was a load of cloth,s lying on the seat I was away to move them when a small head with no teeth looked up at me. I got a big fright so I had to have a couple of extra pints to calm my self down
Eric Cardno
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