# Cape Sable Lyle Shipping Coy.



## Scotch Boiler (Sep 18, 2011)

I have the crew list for the SS Cape Sable from 1963. I was a junior engineer. I notice that the Radio Officer's pay is listed as 12 pounds/month. That is below the pay for any one else on the ship. Did Marconi have their own pay scales?
I could not get the file to display the right way up but with Windows 10 if you right click that gets the option to turn the page clockwise, then repeat that twice and you will see the R/O's name 5th from the top of the page.
On another topic, I remember him for his lovely Irish tenor voice. A good man at a party.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Hello Gordon, welcome to SN.

Back in those days, Lyles had Marconi Co. ROs on their ships. Because they were not company employees, they didn't have their pay paid on board the ship, they just nominated an amount that they wanted to draw on board and that was re-paid to the shipping company by Marconi. The options were GBP24, GBP12 per month or, on some ships, you could opt for a shilling a month. The shilling a month was just to bind you to the articles, they had to be paying you something. 

A few years after that, Lyles became part of Scottish Ship Management and they employed their own ROs and they were paid the same as everyone else. Most officers were on company contract and had their salary paid into a bank account. Any money they owed on the ship .. bar bills, subs, etc. was paid by cheque each month.

Did you stay until the SSM days? I was with them for a couple of years and thought they were a pretty good company.

John T


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

It used to be 8 pounds a month in the 1950s. Mind you the starting pay was only 24 pounds a month.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

In 1960 when I went to sea as a Marconi radio officer I was paid £36 monthly by Marconi and when signing articles could opt to draw either £4, £8 or £12 per month aboard ship. That provided me access to cash on board to cover expenditure incurred during my time on the ship, such as postage, bar account, cash advances. Without that arrangement I would have had to carry cash with me to cover such costs.

At the end of the voyage any money not drawn was paid to me in cash at the pay-off, just like my shipmates.


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## Bob M (Jul 14, 2019)

*Marconi pay*

In 1958 to 1960, marconi had you select either 8, 12 or 16 pounds per month available on the ship.
Starting off in 1958 as a 16 year old, I was over the moon with 8 quid a month from my starting salary of 32 (not a boozer then) which increased a few months later. When I signed on my last Marconi ship I upped my drawings to 12 a month, (yes, I had fallen for the evil drink) then on arriving on the Canadian coast for the Summer coal run, Sydney NS to Montreal, received an additional allowance for North America of a further 12 per month. I had an exceptionally good pay off
Cheers Bob


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## Andy Duncan (Feb 11, 2008)

I was with SSM for a few years ,they good to sail with (except for the medium speed ships !!!) some interesting characters which made runs ashore a lot of fun.
Andy


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## Scotch Boiler (Sep 18, 2011)

Hi Andy, it was still the Lyle Shipping Coy in 1963/64 when I was there. I eventually picked up the Port Wyndham in 1965 for a trip to NZ, then decided to get a job with the Union Steamship Coy of NZ. and picked up the Wahine for it's maiden voyage from Glasgow to Wellington. Stayed with them until 1969, got married, came ashore, and after a few years got a job on the tugs with the Auckland Harbour Board. Retired in 2000 to Christchurch. Happy days.


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## Andy Duncan (Feb 11, 2008)

Gorden, I was based in Auckland for a number of years and shipped out with various companies one being Union Co. We probably have ship mates in common.
Andy


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

#4 . "At the end of the voyage any money not drawn was paid to me in cash at the pay-off, just like my shipmates."

I never had any money left at pay off time, I was usually in debt to the 3rd Mate or someone. I was always borrowing money and if we went to a port where there was a Marconi office, I'd go there and get a sub to pay my debts.

I was on a collier where I was on the shilling a month gimmick. When the Old Man was going round dishing out pay slips or something, I asked for my shillings. He told me to F*** Off - I was shattered.

John T

PS When there were wives on board, they were signed on at a shilling a month too, often with humorous designated employment.


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## Scotch Boiler (Sep 18, 2011)

Andy Duncan said:


> Gorden, I was based in Auckland for a number of years and shipped out with various companies one being Union Co. We probably have ship mates in common.
> Andy


Hi Andy, I went to a USSCo reunion at the Devonport Yacht Club a couple of years ago and saw a few familiar faces. Sadly most of them had aged considerably. I suppose that they thought that of my face. Although I started this thread on the Radio page I was an engineer. 
When I went to the Auckland tugs there were lots of Union coy guys among the tug crews and pilots. Where are you living these days?


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

Ah , the Devonport Yacht Club and the Masonic Pub across the road . I spent a lot of time in both in my youth.

Bob


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## Scotch Boiler (Sep 18, 2011)

spongebob said:


> Ah , the Devonport Yacht Club and the Masonic Pub across the road . I spent a lot of time in both in my youth.
> 
> Bob


Sadly the Masonic is no more. It has been converted to flashy apartments.


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## Andy Duncan (Feb 11, 2008)

Scotch Boiler said:


> Hi Andy, I went to a USSCo reunion at the Devonport Yacht Club a couple of years ago and saw a few familiar faces. Sadly most of them had aged considerably. I suppose that they thought that of my face. Although I started this thread on the Radio page I was an engineer.
> When I went to the Auckland tugs there were lots of Union coy guys among the tug crews and pilots. Where are you living these days?


I missed the Union Co reunion unfortunately,I left Auckland 20 yrs ago and now live in Waipu Cove


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## Scotch Boiler (Sep 18, 2011)

Waipu Cove, Andy, too far to go to meet for a beer. I did go to the pub at Waipu when I did a spell on the Athelviscount. Jock Sutherland was the Old Man, George Boffey was the Chief.


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