Posted on 03/05/2006 9:56:24 AM PST by TheLion
I loved my time on ships and have thought of writing a book....who knows.
I almost c/p the last half of that paragraph in my post. ;o)
The Merchant Marines must have been very interesting.
What did you do?
Yes.
I rarely listen to MSM but Fox I do turn on ocassionally. Haven't heard it yet.
That's just it. You need to watch FOX more frequently.
Well, I sailed on various merchant ships, initially as a Third Mate and worked up to Second Mate, who is responsible for navigation.
Sailed out of New York and was a member of Master Mates and Pilots Local 88. It was near the Battery.
Great experiences and I have a boatload of stories....no pun intended.
So Fox covered it....great!
BTW, I remember an earlier post on this thread where someone asked you to e-mail this to Rush. Did he mention this connection?
"...I have a boatload of stories....no pun intended."
LOL!
That was still very punny. ;o)
Maybe you should start penning your memoirs.
Good idea. I will give you one story.
If you are sailing through a union, you stop by the hall after a job and register....you get a number. People after you get a higher number. The earlier and lower number bid, gets a job.
I hang out in New York for a couple of months, playing pool and having lots of fun.
Eventually, I stop by the hall, and my number is very good by now....bid on a job to Bombay, India.
Get the job and fly first class, via TWA to Bombay. It was about a 24 hour flight and I never slept....too much fun.
Didn't require a passport or visa, because you are issued a seamans card....valid while your ship is in port....anywhere.
I get to India and the ship has been delayed....I am now illegal and they don't know what to do with me. I felt like Tom Hanks, in the "Terminal".
It was late Sunday night and they said I could wait in the terminal until they could get the Ship's Agent in Bombay on Monday.
I hung out on a bench, protecting my luggage and eventually fell asleep.
Monday, was given a room in the Taj Mahal hotel, where I stayed three days.
It was during monsoon and everything was so humid, your money was even wet. The air conditioning was blowing air over running water, which felt good but didn't help at all.
The food at the hotel ultimately gave me dysentery, which lasted about two weeks. I think it was from Mangos and Ice Cream. You don't want to get that.
After my ship came in and I became Third Mate, I found out why I had been needed.
Another Third Mate had died on the voyage and I was his replacement. He was put on ice.
When we got back to the states they did an autopsy, it was found that he died of freezing....scary.
Wow!
What a story!
"Another Third Mate had died on the voyage and I was his replacement. He was put on ice.
When we got back to the states they did an autopsy, it was found that he died of freezing....scary."
Yikes!
Scarey is right!
Never did hear what happened in that case.
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