# Favourite moment at sea



## Robert M Hughes

OK we've had the bars - great of course.
But at sea ? Many of course - Mine? - After last watch at night a balmy Indian ocean en route to Oz deckchair at rail feet up few beers and shipmate banter - hard to beat.

cheers,
Bob


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## R58484956

Signing off.


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## Ray Mac

Watching the sun rise in the tropics, with a mug of tea and a couple of tabs.

Ray(Thumb)(Smoke)


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## Troppo

R58484956 said:


> Signing off.



Ding! Ding! Ding!

We have A WINNAH!

(Jester)

(Thumb)


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## Troppo

Out on the bridge wing at night in the mid pacific.


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## Barrie Youde

Whenever somebody said, "Thank you."

In a world of rigorous discipline, where no error was excused and every error needed to be explained, any word of human kindness was greatly appreciated.


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## Moulder

Out on the bridge wing, after the last watch (2000 - 2200) in South Atlantic steering course 323 degs - homeward bound. Making a slight breeze in the south east trades, sipping a cup of 'anti wank' that had just been concocted by the dutiful 3rd mate. Putting the world to rights with a B&H hanging from my lips.

(Thumb)


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## GBXZ

UK coast, 6am listening to the start of BBC radio 2 on 200Kc/s, they always played a particular piece of music followed by the shipping forecast.


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## John Briggs

Many favourite moments, nothing like a long sea voyage to refresh your soul!

The favourites that come to mind though have to be mid Indian Ocean on a calm and clear night with a long lazy swell. Out on the bridge wing, hot cup of coffee/tea and a cigarette.


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## King Ratt

Hi GBXZ. Are you talking of the medley of UK tunes which is no longer played?
You can get it on Youtube but it was on Radio 4 if I recall.
73
Rab T


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## John Dryden

To quote Johns words ''Many favourite moments, nothing like a long sea voyage to refresh your soul!''
Probably the best times at sea.After loading,discharging long stand by,s all the energy expended going ashore getting into trouble in the cultured way we did I reckon once the dunnage was overboard we all appreciated those long voyages.


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## holland25

On a Bluey standing in front of the forrard contactor house with a cigarette and watching the sun going down in the Indian Ocean,somewhere off Ceylon.


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## Julian Calvin

As Second Mate on aft stand-by at 0500 hrs on a cold winter morning waiting to enter Liverpool locks eating an egg and bacon butty with mug of hot tea, thinking of Mate freezing up on foc'sle.


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## gwzm

Doing a trick on the wheel after the last radio watch of the day on a balmy, clear, star-lit night in the Indian Ocean while setting the world to rights with the "old-man" and the 3/O. 
Happy days.
GWZM


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## stevekelly10

When the Court line helicopter lands on the deck off Capetown, your relief gets off it and you get on it! (Thumb)


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## spongebob

There are lots of emotional moments associated with our times at sea but perhaps the most enjoyable light hearted one was coming off the freezer watch at 0400 hrs and being responsible for bringing up the ice cold cans of beer from the brine room and calling on the second baker to cadge a few crescent rolls and and tab nabs for the main engine room watch keepers and who ever wandered down from the bridge. 
It was always a good social hour before turning in,

Bob


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## Pat Kennedy

Passing Liverpool Bar light inward bound, and seeing the lights of my hometown twinkling away fine on the starboard bow.


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## Troppo

Hearing VIS on MF for the first time during daylight.....when we were bound for Number 5 White Bay...


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## gordy

John Briggs said:


> Many favourite moments, nothing like a long sea voyage to refresh your soul!
> 
> The favourites that come to mind though have to be mid Indian Ocean on a calm and clear night with a long lazy swell. Out on the bridge wing, hot cup of coffee/tea and a cigarette.


Similar, on the poop after end of watch steering gear checks, stopped to watch Albatross gliding at wave top height along side of ship to level with bridge wing, rising to same height, soaring off round well aft of us and doing it all again, hypnotic(Thumb)


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## frangio

Many - just being at sea out on the bridge wing.

At anchor in the Gulf. The Chinese crew were catching swimming crabs and popping them straight into boiling water then passing them round. Absolutely delicious!

On the bridge going through the Straights of Malacca at night with electrical storms lighting up the sky and seeing the silhouettes of the land all around. Magical!


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## Scotsnomad

The skipper allowing 'hands to bath' in the middle of the Indian ocean. Two armed sentries on the upper deck looking for sharks as the crew swam to their hearts content.....Never did get the git who shouted 'shark' on one occasion. Never seen so many sailors move as quick in my life lol...

Yes we had some enjoyment in the RN too lol


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## Pat Kennedy

Scotsnomad said:


> The skipper allowing 'hands to bath' in the middle of the Indian ocean. Two armed sentries on the upper deck looking for sharks as the crew swam to their hearts content.....Never did get the git who shouted 'shark' on one occasion. Never seen so many sailors move as quick in my life lol...
> 
> Yes we had some enjoyment in the RN too lol


Thats reminded me of the several times we all jumped in when anchored in the Bitter Lakes. I think there was hardly a soul left on board.
Pat(Jester)


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## Mad Landsman

GBXZ said:


> UK coast, 6am listening to the start of BBC radio 2 on 200Kc/s, they always played a particular piece of music followed by the shipping forecast.


Lillibullero (attributed to Henry Purcell) is the tune that I recall at that time of day.
It is the BBC World Service signature tune. 

Whatever you do, DO NOT sing the words in Ireland, best not to hum or whistle it there either.


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## TonyAllen

Pat Kennedy said:


> Thats reminded me of the several times we all jumped in when anchored in the Bitter Lakes. I think there was hardly a soul left on board.
> Pat(Jester)


Pat I think it was a right of passage on a bluey even old Bill johnson the chef had a go on the Elpenor and he was no spring chicken .
Tony Will pm you later


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## Barrie Youde

Moments which I would happily re-live are those as a Senior Apprentice in the pilot-cutter on station at Point Lynas, on a winter night, north-westerly gale, full moon, clear sky, spring tide and busy traffic, both inwards and outwards. To serve then as coxswain of the boarding-boat (usually whistling The Skye Boat-song when running with no pilot in the boat) gave an adrenalin rush as nothing I've known since: and then to collapse, exhausted, into my bunk at 0400 and sleep the sleep of the dead until breakfast-time. Work-eat-sleep, work-eat-sleep, a life of perfect and long-lost innocence.


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## sparks69

Sitting on the aft bits with a mug of hot sweet Indian crew tea and a cheesy beano with the smell of the galley and funnel fumes wafting by on a warm tropical morning after being up all night fixing a crappy AEI radar display that some moron had hosed down with a salt water hose.
(Washing the PCBs with distilled water actually worked !!!!)


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## trotterdotpom

Chris, have you ever thought of seeing someone about your obsession with Cheese Beanos? At least it's better than that unhygenic foreign muck churned by the Bhandari that a lot of folk here rave on about.

John T


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## stewart4866

Being informed you are being relieved and heading home on leave.


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## Scotsnomad

stewart4866 said:


> Being informed you are being relieved and heading home on leave.


Dont you mean being relieved and walking back to the ship with a smile on ones face lol(Smoke)(==D)


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## A.D.FROST

"Home ward bound"(==D)


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## mikeg

During a far east trip the bridge watchkeeper gave me a call early morning to observe Halleys comet. An amazing sight, the sky was very clear and it felt like you would reach out and touch the stars. I'll never forget that night.


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## trotterdotpom

mikeg said:


> During a far east trip the bridge watchkeeper gave me a call early morning to observe Halleys comet. An amazing sight, the sky was very clear and it felt like you would reach out and touch the stars. I'll never forget that night.


I'll vouch for that, Mike. Me too.

John T


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## Moulder

Another moment was homeward bound, just transitted Biscay - would always get the mate to give me a shout at about 0500 ish as we would be coming up on Ushant Lighthouse. Funny how most of the voyages I can remember it was in the early hours that we did this. I'd stand out on the bridge-wing and watch the loom of the light get brighter and brighter until, abeam, it would illuminate the side of the ship.

I considered that 'home waters' - although I'd been working GLD from the previous day.

(Thumb)


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## tom roberts

Sailing on the Torwood,no bathroom ,no hot water ,chain steering,a cow to steer,old stove in accomodation for heat,unusable in bad weather,spartan she was,, but a good skipper in Capt John , we had a laugh.


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## alan ward

Standing on the deck of the Adventurer on our way down to the Cape,beautiful sunny day with a calm sea and a blue sky.A pod of dolphins came alongside us racing past to play up at the bow Whilst I was watching them pass one came alongside and instead of overtaking kept pace with the ship and turning slightly to his right made eye contact with me staying there for a few seconds and the n accelerating away again at high speed to catch up with the others.I wonder what he made of it all.


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## david.hopcroft

Same place, same sort of moment......

Albie cruised up from astern, rode the updraft from the bridge wing dodgers, peeled off, circled and repeated the operation, all with barely a flap of his wings. Stayed for ages. 

David
+


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## doug rowland

1. Landfall in UK and speeding up a muddy English Chaneel after months away.
2. Entering Sydney Harbour on a calm summer dawn with the prospect of a week or more alongside.
3 4-8 watch in Southern Ocean after a good star sight, watching albatross hovering over the bridge wing for an hour or more


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## sparks69

trotterdotpom said:


> Chris, have you ever thought of seeing someone about your obsession with Cheese Beanos? At least it's better than that unhygenic foreign muck churned by the Bhandari that a lot of folk here rave on about.
> 
> John T


To be honest YES !! And ref "that foreign muck" I loved the food as well.


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## quintero

Crossing the dateline a Thursday and the day after is also a Thursday !
Regards
Don Erik


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## fisherman

Just being there! except for pitching roller coaster iron ore carriers, this thread has provoked more memories, sort of tactile, than any other thread. Fisherman.


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## Macphail

Glenorchy Singapore.. 1960

Having finished being part of the team changing a liner.
Tobys Paradise, Straits Caberiet, Anchor Bar and a nice cold Tiger.

Magic,

John


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## 5036

Watching a triple green flash in the northern North Sea. Awesome.


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## ccurtis1

A leg-over with very enthusiastic nurses/telephone operators/policewomen in South Africa/Australia and UK ports on party nights on board. Beats watching a triple green flash any day of the week


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## GBXZ

ccurtis1
I can see whole new thread starting with that post !


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## billyboy

I think if you were to elaborate a little more on these "Nursie" parties aboard you would attract a lot of readers


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## ccurtis1

billyboy said:


> I think if you were to elaborate a little more on these "Nursie" parties aboard you would attract a lot of readers


Good gracious, where do I start?
Avonmouth, with the nurses from Brislington House Nurses Home. We did everything correctly by seeing the Matron in charge of the Home, presenting her with flowers and escorting the nurses to the ship by well presented Cadets in full uniform. The Smoke Room was decked out and Lecky put up subdued and dimmed lighting in the Saloon/SmokeRoom and adjoining Alleyways. The toilets were segregated into "pointers" (for the lads) and "Setters" (for the girls). Naff I know looking back at it now but effective at the time. Everyone decked out in half blue uniform, the Saloon tables laden with goodies and the bar supplied with every sort of drink. And after that, you can use your imagination to envisage the shenanigans that went on.

South Shields, with the policewomen and Wireless ops from Northumbria Police, but perhaps that story is for a later date as will the parties with nurses from the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and Addlington General Hospital in Durban among others.


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## alan ward

#44 Wrens in Mauritius,got smuggled in HMSMauritius in Vacoas by a wren r/o whilst she was having I noticed a letter lying on the coffee table,my curiosity got the better I read`hope you`re still having a good time with the merchant crews`It didn`t bother me in the slightest,she was a lovely girl.Mt mate our Sparkie was seeing her mate whose father was a Bailiff on Rutland Water wish I


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## alan ward

#44 Wrens in Mauritius,got smuggled in HMSMauritius in Vacoas by a wren r/o whilst she was having a shower after work I noticed a letter lying on the coffee table,my curiosity got the better of me and I read`hope you`re still having a good time with the merchant crews`It didn`t bother me in the slightest,she was a lovely girl.My mate our Sparkie was seeing her mate whose father was a Bailiff on Rutland Water wish I`d kept in touch the fishing there is great.I kept in touch with this one for three trips until she was shipped home on our ship the`Vaal`bet she caused a ruckus on there as well.Great fun I remember snorkelling at their recreation place Le Chaland and sleeping on the beach,Christ it got cold.
I was sharing her with at least one other regular visitor from one of those boats whose names start `Al .......`something or other,Kuwait shipping?


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## JoeQ

ccurtis1 said:


> South Shields, with the policewomen and Wireless ops from Northumbria Police, but perhaps that story is for a later date as will the *parties with nurses from the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and Addlington General Hospital in Durban *among others.


Southern General in Glasgow, happy days on the phone and ask for Mary, worked every time. Some great girls and great parties!!


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## cajef

Cornerbrook Newfoundland, local population allegedly four women to one man, great parties on the Bowater ships the girls used to know when the ships were due in, they were looking for husbands (some occasionally succeeded) and liked to show how good a wife they would make in the bedroom department.


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## Tai Pan

Resigning from Marconi.


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## ccurtis1

JoeQ said:


> Southern General in Glasgow, happy days on the phone and ask for Mary, worked every time. Some great girls and great parties!!


You had better believe it. Oh those were the days. I feel sorry for the lads at sea nowadays, too short a time alongside to arrange parties.


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## Klaatu83

One of the most extraordinary sights I ever witnessed was a 360-degree full-color rainbow, at 3:00 AM, when a rain squall passed between the bridge of our ship and a particularly bright full moon, during an otherwise clear night. It only lasted for a minute or so but I never saw anything like that before, nor have I since, and I doubt if it could have occurred on land at all.


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## Graham P Powell

.... sailing from Buenos Aires to Durban in the company of a wonderful large Southern ocean albatross. I spent hours watching it. Never forgotten it.
rgds
Graham Powell


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## trotterdotpom

B.A. to Durban ... great trip with or without Albert Ross.

John T


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## Robert Hilton

Many experiences that yachties and cruise passengers pay thousands for, but especially nipping down the gangway for a run ashore and paying off to go home.


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## Flintite

*Favourite moment at sea.*

Being given the day off (unheard of an a Bluey) when anchored off Trincomalee, and all the available engineers went ashore to a fantastic beach. The sea was very shallow and warm and we stayed for about 4 hours then the beer ran out!


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## Moulder

Flintite said:


> Being given the day off (unheard of an a Bluey) when anchored off Trincomalee, and all the available engineers went ashore to a fantastic beach. The sea was very shallow and warm and we stayed for about 4 hours then the beer ran out!


Days off unheard of? You were in the wrong job........[=P] (*))

(Thumb)


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## Flintite

*Favourite moment at sea.*



Moulder said:


> Days off unheard of? You were in the wrong job........[=P] (*))
> 
> (Thumb)


It was A JOB in those days 12 hour days or nights in port. :sweat:


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## Tom(Tucker)Kirby

Pacific Ocean, on lookout on the foc'sle head 12am-4am watch on a ship doing about 6 or 7 knots. The sea like glass and pitch black moonless night, with a billion twinkling stars and many shooting stars. Down in the water at the stem of the bow shoals of fish glowing illuminated by phosphorescence, ghostly dolphins homing in on the ship from all angles just to leap in front of the bow. And warm gentle breeze on your face. Heaven!


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## Pat Kennedy

Flintite said:


> Being given the day off (unheard of an a Bluey) when anchored off Trincomalee, and all the available engineers went ashore to a fantastic beach. The sea was very shallow and warm and we stayed for about 4 hours then the beer ran out!


Never ever got a whole day off on a Bluey.
The best you could hope for was a job and finish that might get you ashore for three o clock in the afternoon on the Aussie coast.
Pat(Thumb)


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## TonyAllen

I always had a day off when we reached hong kong but it mean't full days until all had their day off same allround the east coast till back in honkers bill johnson gave me a fiver in hong for looking after his room and the same in birkenhead I have never forgotten him lovely man


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## les.edgecumbe

Getting home on leave, meeting the Mrs at the front door ~ and the second bang was the suitcase hitting the floor!!......(Jester)


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## Shipbuilder

I always enjoyed taking the parcel of radio accounts down to the purser at about 0600 on arrival day and knowing that was the end of the paperwork for that voyage!
Bob


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## andysk

Sitting down aft with the Mate and a beer, eating a plate of curried shark just caught by us and cooked by the deck bhandari.

Steaming from the gulf to Fremantle, rolling gently in the tropical twilight.

Crossing the western approaches outward bound listening to Ginny Wade winning the Women's singles at Wimbledon in 1977.


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## sparks69

Receiving the magic word L E F O !


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## Paul Braxton

*BI curries*

Definitely an experience to be savoured: the wonderful curries we used to have with the Indian crew out on deck. Help yourself job and sit around with the curry and a beer in the sun. Unbeatable... Where can you get a curry like that now? NOWHERE! It was the place and the time.....


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## Steven Lamb

Several "favourite moments" really ........
Coming off the Atlantic into the Western approach then Channel on a Boxboat to pick up the Brixham pilot who invariably had mail for us and listening to Stuart Henry on Radio One's Saturday morning slot - magic what a great DJ he was.

Cheers
Lamby


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## Paul Braxton

*Stuart Henry*

Now there was a cool DJ. Remember listening to him. He had a few good catch phrases. One of them was "Alright my friends". Seem to remember he died young.

It was great coming in from deep sea and picking up the first faint GLD and 'decent' radio stations. Always a real buzz about being back in the Channel and anticipation of a good period of leave to come.


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## Robert Hilton

[QUOTE Always a real buzz about being back in the Channel and anticipation of a good period of leave to come.[/QUOTE]

"The Channels." Almost embarrassing at times, but good.


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## TonyAllen

[
QUOTE=Paul Braxton;607324]Now there was a cool DJ. 
Did he not have to use a wheelchair in his later life and died young


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## andysk

TonyAllen said:


> [
> QUOTE=Paul Braxton;607324]Now there was a cool DJ.
> Did he not have to use a wheelchair in his later life and died young


From Wikipedia :

Stuart Henry (24 February 1942, Edinburgh - 24 November 1995, Luxembourg) was a disc jockey on pirate radio station Radio Scotland, then BBC Radio 1 from its start in 1967. He left the BBC in 1974 to join Radio Luxembourg.

He subsequently suffered for many years with multiple sclerosis and he worked through his illness until he became too ill to broadcast, being assisted on air during his later years by his wife Ollie, the illness accounting for his later distinctive rather halting speech delivery.

On 2 December 2004 he was posthumously inducted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame, honouring his outstanding contribution to UK radio.

See : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Henry_(DJ)


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## Tai Pan

Leaving Port Said, hooking the receiver to the main aerial and listening for GLD.


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## peterh76-86

*First Port*

First trip as 2/ro. Going on deck the next day after night time arrival and anchoring to see Sugar Loaf Mountain and the statue of JC. 
All the times I have woken up to find a half eaten pizza with every topping you could get on it and snacked on it for the next couple of days.


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## alan ward

Standing with friends on the monkey island as the Temple Bar entered Angra dos Reis in Brazil,6.00 am on a brilliantly sunny day as the crew of a schooner swam in the harbour as a wake-up.Clean starched uniforms on ready for port entry all drinking large gin and tonics with fresh limes and large chunks of ice.What a way to start your day.


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## Basil

Second trip; waking up and looking out to see palm trees and cockatoos just yards from my porthole. Rum & dusky 'maidens' to follow (Smoke)



> Whenever somebody said, "Thank you."
> In a world of rigorous discipline, where no error was excused and every error needed to be explained, any word of human kindness was greatly appreciated.


Yes, recollect mid Atlantic; turbo alt taking itself to bits and managing to get diesel running and on line without break in power supply. Not so much as a "Thanks, fouro." (K) To be honest, probably the first the Chief and Sec knew of it was when the Third indented for a new pump shaft.


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## Dickyboy

Out on the Port Bridge Wing on a calm warm moonlit night, keeping lookout. Wheelhouse doors closed, and nothing but a slight vibration and a vague sound of the engines. (It always seemed to be the Port bridge wing, was that un unwritten rule that the lookout was posted there?)


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## Peter Eccleson

Transiting the Panama Canal


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## ninabaker

As with many others in this thread - mid-ocean tropics, with the BBC world service playing on the bridge radio at night. And the bioluminescence doing its thing. Enough breeze from the ships motion to keep a pleasantly warm temperature.

Another favourite - but it only happened the once: in the middle of a long string of British ships of various companies all steaming south along the west coast of Africa. The atmospheric conditions allowed us all to chat on the VHF every night (I was 3/o so on the 2000-2400 watch) even though we must have been tens and hundreds of miles apart. Went on for nearly a week - better than being in a bar. Most nights a new voice would chip in amazed to hear a female 3/o - this was about 1976.


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## trotterdotpom

In Shimizu, Japan, after three days of industrial smog, I turned round and saw looming Mt Fuji emerge from the clearing murk. Breathtaking!

John T


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## Leratty

Channel nights were often something else, certainly after a long trip. Agree hearing the pirate radio stations for the first time always great. Wonder why did Radio Luxembourg always seem to fade in & out?


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## Basil

> And the bioluminescence doing its thing.


Slight drift. Sitting on the bottom on a night dive with torches extinguished and looking at bioluminescence engulfed waving hand. (and thinking that there's a nearby shark which knows exactly what we're doing.)

Yes, Panama transit - and also sitting watching 'Dr No' on mizzen screen with G&T in hand. (Later a little seabird flew through open port and landed on my chest - remember tarantula? - one did have a wee panic)


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## Leratty

Basil, not to top you however try sailing at twilight, around 7pm through the Gt Barrie Reef around the Gt Sandy Straits, maybe at 6-7knts, nice swell, good breeze as coral is spawning All this with GnT in hand as we sit in the cockpit, some choice cheeses, good conversation abounding & this with good-amusing 'oppos' after great wreck diving trip to Rabaul, sublime! Apparently the spawning is a rare occurrence for one to see. We still are mesmerised by it twenty five years later. I too recall watching Dr No but between Panama & Curacao on the Fed Steam ship Suffolk, No 4 hatch between derricks my first trip. Ah Urlsala Undress a young boys sensual nightmare  Again sublime! Ah so many wonderful memories & fortunately not too many bad ones just some of the food.... ): hey BSL. Not the Mendoza Star though. G'day Perry you old retire e now bee breading curmudgeon.


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## Jim Mclaughlin

Beaching the lifeboat on some Martinique beach to the bemusement of some wealthy tourists. What a day beer picnic and free cocunuts.


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## Gareth Jones

In Mid Atlantic after a 3 day bad storm where the ship (in ballast) went backwards by 70 miles, went to bed, ship bouncing all shapes. Finally managed to get some decent sleep and woke up next morning to find ship sailing along in more or less calm seas and a nice sunny day.


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## KernowJim

At sea off the coast of Florida in mid summer, the sea and the sky were exactly the same shade of blue and you could not tell where they met! A surreal sensation.


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## JoeQ

Basil said:


> (Later a little seabird flew through open port and landed on my chest - remember tarantula? - *one did have a wee panic)*


are you sure that wasn't a panic wee?


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## trotterdotpom

KernowJim said:


> At sea off the coast of Florida in mid summer, the sea and the sky were exactly the same shade of blue and you could not tell where they met! A surreal sensation.


You weren't in a submarine, were you?

John T


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## KernowJim

trotterdotpom said:


> You weren't in a submarine, were you?
> 
> John T


Yeah, quite sure, the Bow Wave and the wake gave it away


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## sherman

Jnr. Eng. on a tanker heading up the Gulf. Finished at 4 in the morning, sitting on a bollered on the after deck with 2 beers, very calm very quite. Started to overtake an arab dhow, only about 50 yards away. One man on the deck of the dhow, he waves to me and I wave to him and we both go our seperate ways. Wonder what happened to him.


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## JIMMY HAMILTON

My special moment at sea , was getting hauled out of the water after going overboard, and being a non swimmer, it was a close call .. but that was 24 years ago last week ..If Ronald Black sees this .. thanks a million, I wouldnt be writing this if it wasn't for your brave deed coming in to get me at the risk of your own life.........


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## hawkey01

Sailing down the Red Sea - due to the watch changes it meant an early start in the Radio Room. Beautiful early sun and fairly cool - sun on the coast and all at peace with the world. 
Before the sun got too high and the heat increased to cooking.

Gently rolling across the Indian Ocean with glorious weather heading out east.

The smell of the coast as you approached the Malacca straits. 
The smell of the tropics after rain.

So many.

Hawkey01


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## borderreiver

getting a star sight position on the chart before sunset.


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## trotterdotpom

JIMMY HAMILTON said:


> My special moment at sea , was getting hauled out of the water after going overboard, and being a non swimmer, it was a close call .. but that was 24 years ago last week ..If Ronald Black sees this .. thanks a million, I wouldnt be writing this if it wasn't for your brave deed coming in to get me at the risk of your own life.........


Hard to beat that one Jimmy, glad you made it! Did you learn to swim after that?

John T


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## sparks69

Persian Gulf, summer, blacked out ship, sailing through the brightest area of phosphorescence (?) one could imagine. Magic !


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## k9ljb

Sailing on a 56 foot ketch from the Canary Islands to Barbados. Helm duty at sunset after clearing 5 days of storms with Dvorak's New World Symphony playing on the stereo in the cockpit. 

Any clear night at sea out of sight of shore lights.


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## Leratty

k91jb, pure magic.


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## CrazySparks

*So many good times and great memories*

1. First night in a foreign country - the USSR - Murmansk in December. The authorities took us to the opera. At 19 years old, what an experience - I saw the Northern lights and the dog star flashing green and red/
2. Looking at the Venezuelan coast from the bridge at anchor and seeing the whole skyline lit by lightning. 
3. Sitting in the Pegasus bar in Longbeach California being served beer by gorgeous chicks in suspenders and stockings and little else.
4. Movie night on the Ibn Al Abbar - throwing beer cans at Lex Luther in Superman and generally behaving like juveniles in uniform. Videos and DVDs killed these events.
5. Taking a Japanese bath with some gorgeous kimono-clad chick in Yokohama whilst listening to Paul McCartney's 'Venus and Mars'.
6. Eating a bacon butty in bed with a very sexy chick in the King Hotel in Taiwan (Keelung?) and watching Starsky and Hutch on the TV. I believe there was hell to pay that day because almost none of the officers turned up for duty - we were almost all in that hotel!
7. Ordering a huge, greasy breakfast when the 4/E's wife appeared after 3 days of sea-sickness - she ran away at the first whiff!
8. Watching the 4th Eng put a cardboard box over the old man's head in the bar - he was being a pain in the butt and was too drunk to remember.

And so much more!!! What a party life was back then! There was simply no job to match it.


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## RMM

*Ashore on the Canadian*

Going ashore in San Francisco with the 3rd Engineer, Refrigeration Engineer and Chief Steward while on the Canadian Star in 1968.

Talking to the 3rd Mate on the bridge after your last watch.

The Panama Canal transit.

Getting on the train at King's Cross to go on leave.

Mail from home (and elsewhere).

So many others....


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## doric

*Terence Williams*

Being selected as 2nd Electrical Engineer on the Royal Yacht Gothic for the Royal Commonwealth Tour 1953/54.

Terence Williams R538301


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## grahamw

Hearing the wheels come up and the words"Welcome aboard our Singapore Airlines flight to London......


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## Vital Sparks

Being hauled back over the handrails after having spent half an hour in the South China Sea after a fall in which my shoulder was shattered while attempting to board a lifeboat from a pilot ladder.


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## Clive Kaine

My first trip as junior R/O. Getting up early ready to go on watch as we left Kingston, Jamaica at first light. I went out on deck in the cool morning as we glided past the old fort at Port Royal. The sea was mirror calm and coloured an astonishing pure gold by the rising sun's rays, disturbed only by our curving wake as we left the land behind. I took it all in and felt privileged to be there. This was why I had come to sea.


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## alan ward

Seeing the end of the evening service,not even bothering to eat myself rushing out of the pantry,getting changed and meeting George Whitten and Jack Jones to get into our hired mini moke and driving up the coast from Mombasa to either the Nyali or Mombasa Beach hotels to have a quick swim and then eat crayfish thermidor for about £4, into the moke and back to the Kilindini road for playtime.Sometimes as a gesture to culture we`d go to Fort Jesus and visit the dhow harbour first,but rarely.


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## Dickyboy

Standing on deck watching how quickly the last port disappeared over the horizon. I was always surprised how quickly that happened. It bought the shore into it's propper scale. An hour or so after sailing nothing but a mere dot, and an hour after that nothing but a short lived memory.


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## Varley

Aye, the booze does that to memory, unless you pick up a 'penicillin souvenir' at the same time, that is.


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## IAINT

Arriving at Sydney, Melbourne, Freemantle or Brisbane and waiting for the phone to ring from the local hospital with nurses to arrange the 'party'.

Iain T


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## Troppo

IAINT said:


> Arriving at Sydney, Melbourne, Freemantle or Brisbane and waiting for the phone to ring from the local hospital with nurses to arrange the 'party'.
> 
> Iain T


Auckland....just the same!

Amazing for a 20 yo!


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## Leratty

I thought it was us not them that made those calls? How would they have known the ships ph No still maybe they had a watch set on the headland?


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## Moulder

Leratty said:


> I thought it was us not them that made those calls? How would they have known the ships ph No still maybe they had a watch set on the headland?


Nooooo, the nurses tended to get in with the first call - infact I seem to remember it was the first call that came in immediately after the engineer had made his test call and was heading off down the gangway.

I would guess that ships arrivals were closely watched in the local press and the telephone numbers of the berths were well known.

Steve.

(Thumb)


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## Leratty

Oh those little minxes keeping a weather eye out & saying to the departing one, "I love you your the only one for me" whilst waving the next ship in  I never did the Kiwi coast & only once the Aus. There was a guy on one ship I served on the WCSM who used to, fair go, go to the mission for his female co. I reckon on reflection he may well have been smarter than us lot  Richard


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## Binnacle

I was at the wheel of the British Dragoon when there was a shout of sheer delight and happiness from the direction of the wireless cabin. Sparks had just received our orders - load Abadan for Grangemouth. We had been out nearly ten months. Strictly BOT feeding for the foc'sle , two pot ship, tin plates and mugs. Towards the latter part of the week, tea, sugar and tinned milk would run out, forcing us to drink black cocoa or coffee and chicory. Water chattis strung from the awning spars were our source of coldish water. Bread supplied to ratings was inedible. Even taking stores one time in Australia made no improvement in our feeding. All a perfect recipe for an unhappy ship in 46/47.


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## ben27

good day all.re;best moment for me was boarding the aquatania,(last of the four funnels)from halifax,canada.to liverpool.uk.for my demob.from the t124x,1946.have many more good memories.ben27


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## R58484956

Signing off and going home


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## Trevor Clements

My son called it "Ringbolting the New Zealand coast", does that ring any bells with anyone?

Some great memories in this thread. I remember a 'Lands End FWO' which cheered me up no end. But standing on the wing of the bridge with the 3/O explaining names of the stars to me, was also great, and remembering that my school friends were at home, some of them in dead end jobs.


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## jmcg

My favourite moment?

When the old man (Capt Ronnie Safe) on Jebsens Binsness ventured out to the wing of the bridge , shoved a brown envelope into my hand containing £100.00 for "helping him out" during pig iron discharge in Shanghai.

She was GP crewed with only two AB's and a bosun - the others were ex engine room or from the International Pool in Rotterdam. Wholly out of their depth on such a complicated geared bulker.

He was close to breaking point with all the deck problems /issues he had on her and I knew of many.

The gesture and gratitude will always be unique in my memory.


BW

J(Gleam)(Gleam)


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## calvin

finished work at 18.00hrs get a beer sit out on deck watching either dolphins flying fish or albertross


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## Bill Greig

"Ringbolting" - Yes, the young ladies were not strictly stowaways, more like an unofficial guest of the lads on board (well in the eyes of the shipping company). Most of them had more sea time in than I did as a young niave second sparkie. Happy days.
Bill


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## JIMMY HAMILTON

trotterdotpom said:


> Hard to beat that one Jimmy, glad you made it! Did you learn to swim after that?
> 
> John T


No John never learned to swim, but chucked the sea shortly afterwards, went on to work in the Construction Industry for my last 20 years before retirement, and realised it was 20 times more dangerous than being at sea, just glad I got them extra years.... cheers , now trying to stay on the right side of the grass......


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## trotterdotpom

You'll be right Jimmy - someone's looking after you. stay safe.

John T


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## Austinsparks

Waiting to enter Dar es Salaam one Christmas and most of the ship's co boating out to a small island - barbie and beers on the sandy beach, dodging the coral and lounging among the palm trees. A timeless day which felt like absolute perfection.


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## Austinsparks

King Ratt said:


> Hi GBXZ. Are you talking of the medley of UK tunes which is no longer played?
> You can get it on Youtube but it was on Radio 4 if I recall.
> 73
> Rab T


It is also available on iTunes - Radio 4 UK Theme.


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## RobertReid

So many great memories but the one that stands out would be sitting on the aft deck mid-Pacific, glassy calm sea, horizon to horizon blue sky, watching the wake spreading out into the never ending blue.....

Bob R.


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## jaydeeare

Sailing in the Med on the "Lord Trenchard" under full sail, healing gently over in a perfect wind. The sea not quite 'crashing' over the bow, but just sufficient to send the spray flying in the wind.

What a sight she would have made for any observer.


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## stein

Arriving, and leaving … and perhaps leaving was the greatest thrill: on the move again, completely unmoored, nothing binding you to the past… Now I’m truly stuck, and I ought to accept it, but I’d like to hear the words again: "let go all, fore and aft!" (Which was the order in Norwegian.)


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## barry catlin

*Gps*

Of the many fond memories, one of the ones that I relay to my work colleagues is of being on the bridge in the early 80's, a 17 year on his first trip, as the 2nd mate proudly explained how this large metal cabinet in front of us, about five foot high and two foot wide, would print out our position in the middle of the Pacific Ocean every two hours or so. Amazing! Called it a 'Global Positioning Satellite System or other' Was accurate to the nearest three miles! I walked away thinking 'The wonders of modern technology!'


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## Geoff Gower

Robert M Hughes said:


> OK we've had the bars - great of course.
> But at sea ? Many of course - Mine? - After last watch at night a balmy Indian ocean en route to Oz deckchair at rail feet up few beers and shipmate banter - hard to beat.
> 
> cheers,
> Bob


all my ships were "dry" so I hate you guys telling tales of beers and drinks!


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## stoker

Out on deck sailing down the Malaysian coast in the evening, the smell of wood smoke coming off the land, a quite beer before turning in, I'm on the twelve to four.
There is no point in thinking I can go on a cruise and experience it all again,not the run ashore in Singapore part anyway.


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## kevin morgan

I thought first trip boy-rating , Caribbean cruising on the QE2 was nice on my first time from England at Christmas


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## Basil

> nothing binding you to the past…


err, one hoped


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## Pat Kennedy

Getting off the ship at Gladstone dock and going home with a nice tan and a roll of pound notes that would choke a donkey had to be the best part of my seagoing career.
Pat(Pint)


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## John Rogers

Pat, I was going to say Paying off after a long trip,but your post says it all.


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