# Microwave ovens



## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

This might only apply to the older mature cooks.Can you remember when you first came across a microwave oven at sea what year was it what ship ,did you know how to use it ,and did you have to set up a complaints department ? regards rusty trawler,can you also tell me what type of ship it was ,thanks.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

September 1972. A few firsts for me.... container ship, gas turbines and microwaves! Never mind the cooks... it was used for heating black pudding. Lots and lots of the stuff. Midnight buffet. The stuff was covered over the bar


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Was Black pudding a red or yellow token job, Stephen?


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Stephen J. Card said:


> September 1972. A few firsts for me.... container ship, gas turbines and microwaves! Never mind the cooks... it was used for heating black pudding. Lots and lots of the stuff. Midnight buffet. The stuff was covered over the bar


Lucky your still alive i say


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

I think in Hull about 1974 microwaves were installed on the NORTHELLA H206,she was loaded up with frozen dinners from birds eye [hull] the hull trawlermen did not get on with microwaved dinners,and on return from newfoundland the ovens were removed.In april 82 NORTHELLA sailed to Rosyth for conversion,to a minesweeper and went down to the Falklands ,she was returned in Nov 82 to j Marr &son owners.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Death by black pudding - one of Agatha Christie's?


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Varley said:


> Death by black pudding - one of Agatha Christie's?
> [/QUOTE
> I think you could be star larker in the film,BLACK PUDDING.


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## jmcg (Apr 20, 2008)

I'm worried about you rustytrawler - please do take some medicament. You're not well.

J


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

I wonder if Roddy Mc remembers. Euroliner... migh thave been Emden or Hamburg Came back from a run ashore and the Bar was in full swing... not that bad, no one that jumped through the window and into the water... a different time. No, a huge plate of microwaved black pud. Not fried, just microwaved. It was GOOD! I swear, I've never enjoyed it so much. Must have been OK. I don't recall having to make a visit to the 'porcelain telephone'.


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

jmcg said:


> I'm worried about you rustytrawler - please do take some medicament. You're not well.
> 
> J





jmcg said:


> I'm worried about you rustytrawler - please do take some medicament. You're not well.
> 
> J


Do not worry yourself,keep calm i have it all in hand ....thanks for your concern,rusty


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## John Gowers (Jul 18, 2018)

The first Microwave I saw was on the Denholms box boats 1974, we used to make a cross between scrambled egg and an omlette. Mixed up an egg in a bowl stuck it in the mircrowave can't remeber how long for took it out stirred it up and put it back in to finnish it off, was great after a few pints of Skoal in the bar.
Another new thing I saw there was an ultrasonic cleaner it was great cleaning metal watch straps and jewlery. Oh and we did use it now and again to clean small fuel filters from the jet engines.


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

John Gowers said:


> The first Microwave I saw was on the Denholms box boats 1974, we used to make a cross between scrambled egg and an omlette. Mixed up an egg in a bowl stuck it in the mircrowave can't remeber how long for took it out stirred it up and put it back in to finnish it off, was great after a few pints of Skoal in the bar.
> Another new thing I saw there was an ultrasonic cleaner it was great cleaning metal watch straps and jewlery. Oh and we did use it now and again to clean small fuel filters from the jet engines.


Dangerous stuff that Skoal, Keep cooking regards rusty trawler


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## Jimmy Gordon (Feb 23, 2021)

Stephen J. Card said:


> September 1972. A few firsts for me.... container ship, gas turbines and microwaves! Never mind the cooks... it was used for heating black pudding. Lots and lots of the stuff. Midnight buffet. The stuff was covered over the bar


Was the ship the Euroliner ? Managed by J&J Denholms I was in it maiden voyage from Germany.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Bingo! EUROLINER. Maiden voyage was 1971. I was in the 72. What was you 'position' on board?


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## Jimmy Gordon (Feb 23, 2021)

Stephen J. Card said:


> September 1972. A few firsts for me.... container ship, gas turbines and microwaves! Never mind the cooks... it was used for heating black pudding. Lots and lots of the stuff. Midnight buffet. The stuff was covered over the bar


Hi I was on the Euroliner maiden voyage, I was a steward then, and remember the microwaves very well, operated with differenthe coloured strips of plastic.
Seat train containers good ship stayed on her for over a year, 3 trips on one off.


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## radiotelegram (Oct 11, 2015)

rustytrawler said:


> This might only apply to the older mature cooks.Can you remember when you first came across a microwave oven at sea what year was it what ship ,did you know how to use it ,and did you have to set up a complaints department ? regards rusty trawler,can you also tell me what type of ship it was ,thanks.


I remember a microwave on the almost brand new Asialiner in June 72. Most likely her ugly elder sisters had them the previous year.


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## John Gowers (Jul 18, 2018)

I was J/E on the Euroliner 1974 and did 2 on 1 off. Later I was 4/E and 3/E on the Eurofreighter and Asialiner, they all had microwaves in the duty mess.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Jimmy Gordon said:


> Hi I was on the Euroliner maiden voyage, I was a steward then, and remember the microwaves very well, operated with differenthe coloured strips of plastic.
> Seat train containers good ship stayed on her for over a year, 3 trips on one off.


I believe the intent was to have no stewards at all... just a cook and an assistant. All 'self service'. Some grumbling about it and the idea was dropped to a steward was added before the first voyage.

I was on for five weeks... apart for five days. Left Glasgow and rejoined in NY. I got home but I missed my Dad's funeral. I had to pay my own air fare.. Glasgow to Bermuda to NY. Apart those 5 days... Sept 1972 to Feb 1974 - 18 months. Looooong trip!


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

I know that most of the posts are very much before my time. However, in 1983, I went aboard Barber Toba in Yokohama. I was on Barber Priam, by then Panama Registry and around 31 crew. Toba had 18 crew and was PoR Oslo.

The "saloon" consisted of plastic covered tables and solidly fixed seats. The menu was frrm a "christmas tree" of trays with pre-course, main-course and dessert options. Drinks were in fridges and there was a hot drink dispenser.

Upon talking with my contemporary, it appeared that there were much mental health problems on the Norwegian vessels due to the lack of human contact!

We, of course, had Blue Funnel three course: three mains which were always "Moo", fly, swim and alternative preparations (for example, British or Chinese). A favourite were the Balti Curries on a Sunday lunchtime, literally served in galvanized buckets!

Rgds.
Dave


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

* Sorry, missed out that the trays were to be heated in a Microwave oven!


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## Jimmy Gordon (Feb 23, 2021)

Stephen J. Card said:


> I believe the intent was to have no stewards at all... just a cook and an assistant. All 'self service'. Some grumbling about it and the idea was dropped to a steward was added before the first voyage.
> 
> I was on for five weeks... apart for five days. Left Glasgow and rejoined in NY. I got home but I missed my Dad's funeral. I had to pay my own air fare.. Glasgow to Bermuda to NY. Apart those 5 days... Sept 1972 to Feb 1974 - 18 months. Looooong trip!


Yes, agreed; the intent was to have no saloon steward, there was 2 assist stewards, both dining rooms were to be self service. The crew side operated fine this way, but how ever the offices side lasted 3 days. !!!
The skipper was I.C. Graham (who dramatically dropped a torch into one of the turbine engines ! ) wouldn't stand in line to serve himself at meal times, hence the change where one of the stewards also became saloon steward.


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