Late 60s and all the 70s was the best time for me - all that time in port in those general cargo days - fewer rules and regs than now - not so much paperwork (although having to produce 17 copies of a cargo plan that basically said "bulk sugar" tested my patience a bit!) - time to do proper maintenance instead of the rushed stuff it became in the 80s. From a work (in its broadest sense)point of view the Fish class were good.

Air conditioning was fine but not as good a clapped-out old fan cranking away as one lay sweating on the bunk (joke)!

 

Waighty/Alan, I only had experience of the 80's. I remember my first time in New Orleans when we had a to pull a piston. We were just turning the engine on the turning gear and the bridge rang down to ask if we were ready to move..... a full 12 hours after coming along side. Didn't get off the ship!

 

Like Alan I have to say that my favourite time was the 50s(1952-til the early 60s,was life hard/I never noticed,
jim

 

Only sailed in the '50s but I'm sure you could'nt top the experience.Round the world trips,far east cruises,tropical islands(exaggerating a bit here,do Ocean Island and Nauru count)Sometimes weeks in port,never mind days or hours.And all this as an apprentice without a care in the world.
Wouldn't have missed it for all the tea in China,or was it Ceylon.

 

Best Decade.....

I started to respond to this message yesterday but my computer went down and my contribution to this topic was never transmitted. Looking back, I had paid too much attention to air conditioning as a factor in the de-socialization of officers. Instead of impromptu cabin parties, door were closed and any socializing was held in the smoke room where eventually there was a bar.

Those of us who sailed in ships without formal bars, had the pleasure of building our own. It was so much better and appreciated over a 'formal' bar. Think of the famous "Lackanuki " bar on the Weirbank, if my memory serves me correctly.

The 'best decade' is surely related to the best social atmosphere on shipboard and that relates to the Master and the Chief Engineer who set the atmosphere.

Great ships had great senior staff. I would names names except it would be improper but a great voyage was a reflection on everything that happened during the trip. Good ports, reliable engine, money to spend, great cameraderie, and fair and light-handed management - all these things contributed.

Air conditioning wasn't an issue if the foregoing elements were present so I'm glad my message of yesterday didn't go out!

Best decade?

The 60s. By that time the ships were good. Not to say that the old ships were not good but I think we were more united in the common misery of sailing on an older ship without any of the creature comforts which made voyaging on these ships seem wonderful in retrospect.

For example: looking back on the "Ettrickbank", we had no running water except if the Apprentices broke into a gallop, no air conditioning except a noisy fan in the porthole, no smokeroom, crazy lattice derricks, but at least of 4-cylinder Doxford that ran like a sewing machine. It was only the evening get-together on the Number 4 hatch that made the atmosphere and that depended on the individuals. Did I say that even today, I can sing "Sarrie Marais" in Afrikaans?

 

I remember those evenings on no 4 hatch on the Maple,Etive and Clydebank as an app,and yes sailing with Bok engineers I still remember the words to Sarie Marais,
jim

 

I only experienced the mid to late 60's, but think that the ships we sailed on were the best of all the general cargo ships built for the purpose of deep sea tramping. The advent of containerisation in the 70's and its virtual monopoly since then seems to have killed the variety and adventure we all experienced.
Great seaworthy Bank boats, wonderful experiences, for me the 60's.

 

Best decade

Ah...the importance of No 4 hatch = sort of open air smoke room, sometimes complete with guitar. It's easy to overlook the part this played in day to day life at sea.

In the 60's I had the torture of watching the stream of gleaming new Bank Boats coming out of Harlands and down Belfast Lough, and thinking what might have been from my station on the Heysham/belfast ferries.. The only slight consolation was the extra curricula activities available to a young bachelor either end of this overnight run.

 

I only did it for a few years in the 70s but I sailed on both the older non aircon ships and the then newer tonnage.My best memories are from the older ships.Better cameraderie and a slower pace of life.Im sure the 60s was the same,only more so,but Im not as old as some of you lot!

 

Times Past

I suppose there is a natural tendency to favour one’s earliest sea-going years. For me the 50’s was a time of pride in being part of the great commercial enterprise that was the British Merchant Navy. In those days, the Red Duster was omnipresent; it was a pleasure to call at ports such as Aden or Colombo and see all the various types of homeland shipping pass through. If I had to describe main impressions of shipboard life in that era, comradeship and general good humour would first come to mind.

Keith

 

My 3 trips with Bank Line were in the late '70's. Sailed on older non a/c ships; as I had done on many occasions in other companies and did the maiden voyage on Laganbank in '78. I loved (almost) every minute.

 

The 50's but that was the only decade I sailed in

 

I can only echo Donald McGhee's #9. The period before containerisation was the best time, and that means the 1960s or earlier.