[tunatownshipwreck]

I ate well on a number of British ships as a kid with the requisite bottomless stomach. I started visiting ships at my small town port at the age of thirteen. I remember well chowing down on steak and chips, meat pies and some great puddings in the late 1960s and early 1970s on ships like the Pacific Stronghold, Pacific Northwest, Loch Loyal, Loch Ryan, Loch Gowan, Harpalyce, Graiggwerdd, Prometheus, Amalric, among many other UK ships with crews and cuisines mainly from India and Hong Kong. I always loved the much superior chocolates and toffees of Britain.
One thing I remember is a wall poster of what every man on board was entitled to in nutrition and meal allotments, I think it even got down to the minimum entitlement in salt. There was some colloquial term for the poster that I have long since forgotten. I really wish I had been able to get one of these posters for my collection, just as I would have loved the Indian Government's own issue of this chart. The whole thing was as big as a wide door, covered in text.

 

[tunatownshipwreck]

looks like u where all hard done bye xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It looks like I am not well acquainted with all forms of English from the mother country. What the heck did you just say?

 

[tunatownshipwreck]

As George Bernard Shaw once said "England and America are two countries divided by a common language". (*))

Ray

I may need a Berlitz guide.

 

[tunatownshipwreck]

Can't say I ever starved when shipping out of the U.K, despite eating the results from Cooks of various nationalities.
Best feeder though would be "Djatiluhur", operated by Manners, Hong Kong for Djakarta Lloyd. Capt, three Mates, Sparks, C/E and 2/E supplied by Manners, balance of crew including 2 Cooks, Baker, Galley Boy and 4 Stewards from D.L. We (officers) wrote next days menu at dinner over our coffee and free liquers.
Three course breakfast, 4 course lunch, 5 course dinner (with wine) plus biscuits and cake for afternoon tea and supper. All silver service. Even as lowly Third Mate, a Steward would arrive on the Bridge with silver tray, coffee pot and hot toast at morning tea time.
Bit of a step up after one of Manners bulkies (Pacific Saga), when the 75 year old Chief Steward had to cook after the Chinese catering dept all jumped ship in the US. On the fourth day steaming back to Japan and and being presented with boiled rice and boiled chicken at dinner for the fourth day in a row, I as Senior Cadet, took my plate (still full) and cutlery, opened the dining saloon port and threw the lot 'over the wall'. Much to the skippers consternation, four other officers followed. After being summoned by the 'Old Man' and our protest (and hunger) noted, Second Electrician (Indonesian) and myself (Kiwi) cooked for the balance of the voyage.
ex Sailor

Would this be the same "Pacific Saga" built in Japan in 1971, Liberia flagged? I boarded this ship once in the Columbia River in December 1971. I recall a number of times that HK crews jumped ship, to the point that if any HK crew member had never been to the US before, the company had to post a guard at the gangway.

 

[tunatownshipwreck]

I remember US ships would set out a feast for the men on watch. There would always be sliced beef and ham, bread, mayonnaise, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, several types of pie, coffee, milk, chocolate milk, butter, as well as canned meals like beef stew.

 

[tunatownshipwreck]

Same ship arrived at the mouth of the Columbia river to load logs in Portland for Japan, just at the start of the salmon run. The C/S bought so much salmon that we were eating it for months. Still not keen on fresh salmon but OK with the "real thing" from a tin.

Yes, I feel your pain. That's why we set up a smoker. Yum.

 

[tunatownshipwreck]

Galloping Gourmet was also carried on US tv in 1970 and later. He toned down his humor as he got more religious and the show got dropped by most tv stations. He came back with a more sedate cooking show called "Take Kerr" around 1980. A few years ago he was doing something more like the old Galloping Gourmet.

 

[tunatownshipwreck]

For Breakfast one morning on the LT Cortesia we had scrambled egg with ravioli. I didn't think I'd enjoy it but I did!
I tried it myself on returning home but it didn't taste as good maybe it was the brand of ravioli!

I used to try cooking at home what I ate on the ships, but it usually tasted bad. Found out my oil had gone sour.