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Sailing Day Procedure

25K views 88 replies 42 participants last post by  Barrie Youde 
#1 ·
Sailing Day Procedure

In order that Seamen joining Company's vessels at Birkenhead should be usefully employed, the following timetable has been drawn up so that Chief Officers can use it as a guide to stimulate interest and usefulness prior to vessel's departure from Birkenhead on her foreign voyage without conflicting with work already being carried out by shore organization.

It is emphasized that the following items are suggestions and should not hinder priorities as they arise. The common aim of ship and shore personnel is to prepare the vessel for sea in all aspects in a safe and expedient way.

Midnight or 0800 Join vessel with deep sea gear and report to Bosun
0830 Bosun reports to Chief Officer whether all crew members are accounted for.
0830 Crew members receive stores and linen from Catering Officer and settle in, change into working gear.
0930 Voyage Inspection by Management.
0930 to 1030 Crew members (Sailors and Bosun) should be in their rooms in order that the Bosun can introduce them to -the Management.
1030 Boat Drill, Fire Drill, Boat swung out, relevant hoses run out.
1100 Sailors stow and check deck stores, re-stowing stores from containers into lockers and fo'castle store.
1200 to 1300 Meal Break
1300 Flags checked in wheelhouse, all fire hoses run out and checked. Continuation of stowing stores as required. Surplus mooring ropes to be stowed away, that is one from each end. Surplus mooring wires to be reeled away and covered, top poop to be cleared of debris, domestic rubbish to be run ashore, hazardous cargo gear, i.e. protective clothing, to be opened up and tried out. All defects to be reported immediately to Chief Officer by way of the Bosun.
1700 Tea
Time as required. Derricks and wireless aerial ready for sea. Ship squared away. Singled up. Tugs fast fore and aft, vessel sails.
 
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#2 ·
What year was that Sow-Sow-La?

9.30 - 10.30 Crew members (Sailors and Bosun) should be in their rooms in order that the Bosun can introduce them to -the Management.
Am I missing something here? Like.........who are 'Management'? Shoreside wallahs? or, No! it can't be..........Not the captain and officers? They are Management???

What Company was this?

The only thing I remember about sailing days is that the bosun , if sober himself, would be lucky to find enough guys sober enough to get ANYTHING done, let alone wait patiently in their cabins to be introduced to 'Management'.

It's not you I'm laughing at Sow-Sow-La, it's that direction from the office you quote. Have I really left the sea that long ago that they are doing idiotic stuff like this that I don't know about?

Introduce the sailors to the Management indeed! Shiver me timbers. Where's that Peggy?. Is it Smoko yet? What the *#%+'s going on aboard ships these days?
 
#3 ·
Sailing Day procedure

Old Bosun, He is talking "Blue Funnel" as it was run. No funny business there, that was the way things were. If you didn't agree with or like it then you knew where the gangway was. Anyone joinng a Blue Funnel ship or one of the associated companies would not have gone up the gangway in the first place without being in full possession of the knowledge of their style of management. Damned fine company. For the likes of you and me - and many others- things were just a tad different-Eh!!
 
#4 · (Edited)
I don't know if any ex Palm Line members remember that they also had a sailing day proceedure.
There was also a large CYA form that was to be signed by department heads to say that you were satisfied that all the equipment and parts required to carry out the voyage were in order.
Chief engineer for E/R
Sparks for radio equipment etc
Thrid mate life saving appliances
2nd mate navigational stuff
Chief steward catering supplies
Purser (they were seperate identities then) whatever he looked after.
Electrician winches etc
Chief officer the stowage, cargo equipment etc

On one occassion I did not sign as the radar (we only had one with a lock!!!!) was not operating up to standard. I was summoned to see the captain and told in no uncertain manner to sign. Wrong approach. I refused and eventually they had the Decca man down and fixed it.
I was not popular with that captain but there again the feeling was mutual and all the crew likewise!
 
#5 ·
Many thanks for the enlightenment duquesa. Like I say, I wasn't laughing at Sow-Sow-La, it's just that the whole thing seemed so unreal from anything I was used to.

Blue Flue eh? Hmmm.........Matter of fact, I was in the Blue Funnel shore gang for a few months one time. The KGV London shore gang that is. This was at the time when they were re-engining some of their Glenboats in London. Captain Marwood was the shore super in those days and the Engineer in charge was an Australian who's name escapes me. (Mid fifties I think it was)

We (Deck crowd) would take a ship over from arrival to sailing. They all had Chinese crews if memory serves me right and I think there was a difference between the Hong Kong Chinese and the Shanghai Chinese. Hong Kongers were good at smuggling watches and gold bars but daren't try and get them out , so they would get some of our lads (No names, no pack drill!) to take stuff out and meet them ashore in Chinatown around the West India docks.
More money than wages were made in those days.
I remember I did have a good steady job there, we were well paid too. I made much more than my relations who worked in the Ford factory in Dagenham.
Funny enough though, seeing the ships coming and going got to me, and as good as I had it, I dropped it all and went back to sea. Just like that.
I joined Royal Mail's "Essequibo". All this much to my wife's chagrin. She thought I was ashore forever. But I had about another more than 20 years to go yet.
 
#16 ·
Old Bosun. I expect there were a few companies around with their own little quirks. Anyhow, I'm sure you may get some postings from ex.Blue Funnel chaps on this forum, and there are many. I'm not one of them. Bye
I sailed in 4 blueys Agapenor ,Antilochus ,Pyrrhus ,Perseus , during the 60,s each one put the lifeboats down in the Indian ocean during lifeboat drill the ship steamed off ,then came back and picked us up great shipping company i was a pool man out of London but i have very fond memories of my time with the Blue Funnel line
 
#7 ·
Old Bosun,
I don't think we should get hung up on Sow-Sow-La's use of the 'management ' word.
My memories of the China boats on sailing day, early/mid 60s, was a very relaxed affair.
Yes, we joined at about 0800 on sailing day but there was not a lot to do as the shore gang did everything for you from ' battening down' to 'flattening her out'.
Lunch time depended on where you were berthed. Cathcart Street - The Dolphin, Vittoria Dock maybe the The Duke or Park, Gladstone Dk - The Caradoc.
Afternoon was spend sharing 'a case' ( Tennants 'Thistle' if lucky, Barclays if not). More often than not you were assisted by shore gang in the transit between between berth and lock (depended on 'Big Sid Bainbridge' on the day). It was not uncommon whilst in the Birkenhead locks for 'the crowd' to be allowed up the 'The Stump' near the Four Bridges for a final pint.
All in all, we in the 'China Boats' were spoiled. From the moment we locked into the Gladstone Locks from foreign going the 'Shore gang' ( memories of Jock Flett, Johnny Rowan and Co.) took over. The ships were deserted within an hour of 'All Fast'.
Brgds
Hague
 
#8 ·
Capt Hague , you make it sound like a holiday.As for going to the 'Blazing Stump' for a pint while the ship was in the lock well it never happened on the vessels I sailed on. In fact shore leave was granted at 'The Masters Discretion' in the 60's and on the Automedon the master stopped shore leave in Singapore at 1700 while the ship wasnt sailing until 0400 the following morning 'In case the crew came back intoxicated'True enough Blueys were better than most regarding food etc but the upstairs downstairs mentality was rife and as a peggy I still remember going to the 2nd steward on sunday morning for the deck crew's issue of soap, linen & 'crew brand' tea
 
#10 ·
I was with blue flue in early seventies, if this procedure was still used I must have missed it due to some mental problem induced by alcohol. In fact Im sure some hands probably couldn't remember crossing the Bay of Biscay never mind the Mersey bar
 
#11 ·
I was with Blueys- I note the emphasis on safety. This was probably after the Pyrrhus burnt out (61?). Was this the work of Dennis N? It was great fun to attend his fire fighting course at Aulis - "Fiiiiightttt Fiiiiiire!". As to "Management", this probably referred to the department superintendents assigned to the vessel in the offices (putting a face to a name). Unfortunately, as I have mentioned before, I never sailed into Birkenhead or Liverpool, and in the latter years, such the contact was lost with the particular superintendent. I remember one story where the super was required to go out to a ship in HK or somewhere. It perfectly demonstrates the loss of intimacy with the vessels towards the end of BF when he complained that the ER was "too hot" and could the skylight be opened! (This was a positive pressure engine room!)

Regards,

Dave
 
#12 ·
Makko,

Trying to remember Dennis N's name, he was an ex-Chief Engineer who had been landed ashore for some reason or another. His fire fighting courses were ledgendary amongst the Middies, on one of them (as the story goes) he was wearing these new firemans wellies and red fireproof suit. He was standing in a fire, thus proving their worth, however (and rather sadly for him) he had to be extinguished by the Middies!!!!!!!!! I think his pride and beard were both singed that day!

Think characters like that couldn't survive in this Health and Safety concious society we live in.

I can also remember sailing day with both Elders Dempster and Ocean, watching my Father and the shore supers conducting an inspection prior to sailing. The main players in this theatre were the Master and the Ships Husband......who in my formative years was usually my Godfather, Julian Holt (Yes one of Alfreds family!) This would end just prior to lunch, when the supers would adjourn to the Masters cabin and I would take on the duties of drinks waiter! I was famous for the excessive amount of gin I could get into a G&T! Hope I never caused any drink driving offences! Lunch would then be taken and the supers would then hand the ship over as passed for sea.

As a Middy I can remember the excitement of sailing day, tinged with a bit of sadness.......but as all Middies all I could think of was getting the show on the road and getting that first can of beer open! No romance in the half-deck!

Thanks for starting this thread and reminding me of a simpler and happy time

Regards

Allan
 
#13 ·
Allan,

Naylor is the name! Definitely a larger than life figure! I doubt that he is still around. Apparently deported from Japan after knocking out most of the Tokyo police force and wrecking a Black Maria with his bare hands! Anyway, that is the legend that I remember. There were still a few "legends" at sea in my time and in the offices. You being deck will not remember the mega legendary Daggy. I remember him with only fondness, as I have mentioned in other threads.

On one fire course at Aulis, there was a broken water main, thus there was just a trickle of water out of the hose. Dennis told us to imagine "Solidddd RRRods of RRRushing water and Cooooooling Waaater Waaaalls! - Fiighttt Fiiire!". On the same course, the foam machine couldn't even generate more than "shower dregs"! Great times!

There was definitely a HSE mentality on Blue Funnel after the Pyrrhus, something that was transmitted to me by my father who was BF in the 50s & 60s. BoT sports were always treated with the greatest seriousness and the simulations made to be as real as possible. However, I will probably never forgive my shipmates for making me fake a broken leg on the ER bottom plates and then stretchering me out of the stair well on the B. Priam. I have a fear of heights, and I did not appreciate being passed inmobile, at times face down, from stairway to stairway, across the well!!!!

Regards,

Dave
 
#14 ·
Dennis NAylor....thats him! At the conclusion of Phase Three training and elevated to the dizzy rank of a Cadet Officer, we were reintroduced to proper ships by him. This involved being taken to the docks at Liverpool on a ship visit and we had to tour the ship finding H&S faults. My collegues and I visited the Egori in Huskisson Dock finding a number of problems. Back at Aulis we created a report to Dennis and he apparently took this back to India Buildings. This apparently resulted in the Mate being given an almighty bollocking. Felt guilty about this later when I sailed with the Mate, who was a really good bloke and didn't deserve the problem we created!

Kept my head down when I realised who the Mate was!!!!! You may call me a coward, but it made for a more comfortable trip than it could've been if he had found out I was one of the troublemakers!

Regards

Allan
 
#15 ·
cant realy remember joining days, usually glad to be back but missing the ones left ashore, finding your cabin signing on, finding out when sailing, is there time for a run ashore, leaving and stowing every thing, any one aboard you know and every one just a bit quiet, soon get into the run of things, whats the bosun like whats the captain and mates like and most important who is the cook? probably lucky i missed the bluey's
 
#17 ·
I have just spoken with my father.It was his birthday on the 14th March - 71 years old! He confirmed the Pyrrhus line. O'neil, Stephenson, Naylor, Dagleish and Dalgleish, all remembered. BF was a great and very professional company! I am proud to have served!

Regards,

Dave
 
#18 ·
You guys will be glad to know that Dennis Naylor is still with us, although no longer fighting fires! Up until a couple of years ago he was secretary of the Blue Funnel Pensioners Association, 'The Nestorians.'
John Dalgliesh (Engineers Personnel) sadly died about two years ago.

Talking about what went into the Middies logs and what was censored by the Old Man, I am friendly with ED's ex freight manager who used to chair the Master's inward meetings. He swears that a ship is the best self defence mechanism ever and that he found out more about the voyage over lunch with the Master than ever came out at the meeting.

Derek
 
#19 ·
Lakercapt
Yes I remember signing those forms as 3rd and 2nd mate prior to Palm boats departing for the coast. I remember on one occasion delaying the sailing of the Ikeja Palm from Rotterdam due to a gyro problem.
 
#20 ·
Bibby Line had the same sailing day routine and since it was privately owned
the actual owners showed up and everything had to be ready for a walk around inspection ... probably thought we weren't going to make it back as their ships were so tender ... complete stability calculations made and logged every 4 hrs
during loading and/or discharge.Snowy
 
#21 ·
Dalgleish

There were two Dalgleish's to engineer cadets-engineer officers. The Eng. cadet Supt. was Hamish (Daggy) dalgleish.... ex 2nd and a complete one off.
I remember in the 60's the sailing day march of the unemployed...the Bowler Hat brigade and as cadets more often than not been told that we needed a haircut.
Naylors breathing apparatus drills were always amusing...especially those carried out behind Oddy works in a tent...the smoke bombs were usually orange and dyed boilersuits and underwear the same colour.
How many companies in the 70's allowed Chinese or european bosuns, Nº 1 firemen and Nº 1 steward to take their wives on a foreign voyage?
On the Tokyo Bay Class it was common.
 
#22 ·
There were two Dalgleish's to engineer cadets-engineer officers. The Eng. cadet Supt. was Hamish (Daggy) dalgleish.... ex 2nd and a complete one off.
I remember in the 60's the sailing day march of the unemployed...the Bowler Hat brigade and as cadets more often than not been told that we needed a haircut.
Naylors breathing apparatus drills were always amusing...especially those carried out behind Oddy works in a tent...the smoke bombs were usually orange and dyed boilersuits and underwear the same colour.
How many companies in the 70's allowed Chinese or european bosuns, Nº 1 firemen and Nº 1 steward to take their wives on a foreign voyage?
On the Tokyo Bay Class it was common.
My memories of Dalgleish is of him always wearing a Brown suit and matching trilby. Can picture him now walking home from Odyssey Works, across the Duke Street Bridge in the Liscard direction. Never recall seeing him in any other coloured suit. Used to think he may have been a quaker or similar.
Brgds
Hague
 
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#25 ·
I belive that lifeboat down at sea was suspended after a couple of incidents where the boat was lost! The boat would be swung out but not lowered during BoT sports. However, during Lloyds Surveys, typically in Panama, the boat was lowered and run around the dock. Lifeboat engines were started every week however, fuel checked etc. The Barber Priams lifeboat fuel tanks were very susceptible to moisture ingress, something that I never could solve. Hence we added draining of water to the weekly routine. I envied the Old Days, when you could take the lifeboat to the nearest island for a barbeque!!

Regards,

Dave
 
#35 ·
Every company has "Employee Directives" some more bombastic than others.
Mostly written by some office person with the best of intention and not always reflecting reality. I don't think Blue Funnel would be alone in that.
My current employer has a little blurb on the paychecks that sounds like a mix between a Mao verse and an advert for Greenpeace....
Needless to say it is not quite how we run the business (there wouldnt be enough cash for paychecks if we did...)

And so it goes :)
 
#36 ·
I remember the kit list we were given when we were to go deep sea for the first time, it was probably drafted when the company started and never changed! (No socks, only stockings!) I will have to have a rummage and see if I can find any BF memos (although I doubt it).

Rgds.

Dave
 
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