[John David Mair]

Anyone sail with one Captain Alexander Mair? He was my Uncle

[Fred Field]

I did, on the Clan Ranald, Oct '69 to Mar '70. What a trip.
We went out 'general cargo', Maderia, Oporto, Ascension, St. Helena, Durban (Got in Christmas eve), East London, P.E. Durban (got in New years eve), up the E. African coast to I think L.M, over to Mauritius, back to Durban where we dry-docked and then spent almost a month waiting for the start of the fruit season. Back along the S.A. coast then to Europe for discharge.
One of the best trips I ever had, J/2/E and 3/E It did not make any difference the pay was the same.
I am not sure if he was 'Old Man' for the next trip Mar/-May '70 or not but that was more of a routine 'fruit run'. Nothing to memorable except I did not get on the best with the Chief 'Must have it Nicolls?'. My next ship was the Rustybucket, I wonder why?

[alan ward]

`Must have it`Nicholls that brings a lot to mind,he was a bugger for women.I`ve spoken to you before John about your uncle,but that Chief was an unforgettable character,the S/2/E was Barend Ackerman a yarpie,J/2/E Dave Cadenhead.3/E Andy Milner(?)4/E was Dave`Bovver`Brown from Bermondsey and the Purser was as gay as old Paree,Peter Mitchell.What a crowd Mike Guy was mate,Martin Brown 2/mate and Brian(?)3 mate,an elderly welsh misanthrope was the sparks who never went ashore or bought a drink and sat in the corner moaning about everything in the world until a visiting scouser called John DeHaan visited and after listening for a w hile told him to`F**k off back to the welsh hills and have a w**k`great times I did two trips on the Ranald and enjoyed every minute of it.

[Fred Field]

Alan Ward
When were you on the Ranald if you do not mind me asking?
That trip sounds like the one after my last.
As I remember it we had a junior purser both of my trips, was that you on one of them?

[alan ward]

Originally Posted by Fred Field

Alan Ward
When were you on the Ranald if you do not mind me asking?
That trip sounds like the one after my last.
As I remember it we had a junior purser both of my trips, was that you on one of them?

It was after you,I joined in Birkenhead about late may/june.I know I celebrated my 21st in that July whilst we were in Port Louis,I went ashore with all the boys and we got properly arsed I fell in the harbour off the launch going back to anchorage and Martin Baker grabbed me so only one leg of my lovely fawn mohair suit was ruined!

You`re right I was the Assistant Purser and took the brunt of all the homophobic ranting that went on,I don`t what anyone thought I could do about it,he was gay and that was that.Why some of the more provincial lads took it so personally I don`t know,maybe they fancied him.Having worked on the Empress boats and drunk in the Liverpool city centre pubs and clubs perhaps I was a little more understanding.Some of those boys really were from the back of beyond,Fife,Banff and Walvis Bay hardly Vegas is it?

I loved the Ranald and had some of the best times of the 10 I went away.Meeting those lovely WRNS and the fun and games that resulted,snorkelling at Le Chaland,being smuggled into their accomodation at Vacoas,the pewter chalice you all bought me for my 21st(still on my bookcase,still etched with the acid red wine the chandler gave me) and the present from the Chief,Rosie.Happy birthday AP she`s on me.

Strangely enough,my next Clan boat was the Sutherland and the PCO there was George Clark who had also been an APCO with Pete Mitchell on the Ranald,now that was one crazy yarpie,obsessed with sex and the effect that of tropical heat on his gonads`Aaaah when it gets`ot man mah balls drop and I need a woman`he once said to me`You don`t talk about women much`I never got the chance!He only had one eye,how the f**k he passed the medical is beyond me.He had a big d**k though,he must have,he told me often enough.