# Who Did Dhobi ?



## Ian Beattie

Do any of you out there remember as a very junior person on board a ship having to do your own dhobi ? I was very lucky and only had to do my own keks and gear for 6 months and even then I had a very motherly Captn missus who helped me out - until a 3/O took umbrage to her using our laundry and did unspeakable things to her underwear - pretty sure he was lucky not to get DR'd.
Cheers Ian
(A)(Jester)


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## ninabaker

You have to be kidding, right? All cadets did all their own dhobi when I was with BP.


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## Farmer John

Who else would do it? Mummy was not on board.


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## Alex Salmond

Jeez nae wonder us crew always thought the officers were a bunch of girlsblouses bad enough having skivvies to make your bunks and spoon feed you but now your telling us you couldn't even do your own dhobi!!(EEK) that's just pitiful though to be fair the tanglematics the shipping companies gave us were lethal to your go ashore gear but even so !! that's just sad(Sad)


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## ninabaker

Alex Salmond said:


> Jeez nae wonder us crew always thought the officers were a bunch of girlsblouses (Sad)


I object, on behalf of all girls blouses everywhere (Jester)

Yes it was very nice once I became a 3/O having my bunk made and dhobi done but even then I seem to recall that officers still did their own dirty dhobi, boilies etc. 

I think that even then, only Indian crew would do this, not European crew. Also you had to pay the steward if you did want your dhobi done, which is fair enough considering the pittance that Indian crew were paid.

I did sail on a few ships which carried wives and I would think that any wife doing another officer's dhobi was in some considerable risk of being thought to be indulging in other activities too.


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## Ian Beattie

How dare !! you as a junior r/o and jist awae frae ma mamie it was of great concern to her that I had a clean pair of skidies every day - an I had to write and tell her so at every opportunity and I was at sea in the 60's - So I was almost on a sailing ship according to me Ma and if I didn't behave she thought I may have been flogged (Shell tanker) very unlikely. _ love tanglematics - just the proper beez kneez.
Cheers Ian_


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## jaydeeare

Aaahhhh!!!! The memories of "Dhobi Days". Apart from my first posting to a non- training Station, all washing was done by hand in a large sink. We soon grew strong wrist muscles wringing out soaking wet shirts etc. Then taking them to a drying room to dry out. The clothes then had to be retieved as soon as possible before it got nicked!

At my first posting we had twin tub in the "Dhobi Room". That was great fun watching it bounce around the bare concrete floor when the spinner was being used. If it wasn't watched, the drain pipe would come away from the sink and the machine would empty the excess water from the spinner over the floor as the machine went 'walkies'!

Oh happy memories!


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## trotterdotpom

Alex Salmond said:


> Jeez nae wonder us crew always thought the officers were a bunch of girlsblouses bad enough having skivvies to make your bunks and spoon feed you but now your telling us you couldn't even do your own dhobi!!(EEK) that's just pitiful though to be fair the tanglematics the shipping companies gave us were lethal to your go ashore gear but even so !! that's just sad(Sad)


Pity Alex seems to look down on "skivvies" doing an honest day's work.

I remember a few people who were too tight to pay the Indian stewards to do their dhobi, much to the annoyance of their stewards. Personally, I thought it was money well spent .... They did tend to overdo the starch though.

John T


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## John Dryden

Honestly I can,t remember an iron on the ships I sailed on,though there must have been one for about 5 minutes before whites fell out of fashion.
However I do remember taking a scrubbing brush to the Levis and the cabin carpet and the Calcutta crease less shirts.


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## spongebob

I the Union Co it was a only a small electric clothes boiler in the engineer's bathroom that we had as assistance thereafter by each his own.
Clothes lines strung across the top of the engine room tops made for quick drying but ironing was another personal chore with your own iron.
Overalls were done in the lathe actuated washer barrel the engine room during the watch .
I was a far cry from the full laundry service available on passenger ship Rangitane.

Bob


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## Alex Salmond

trotterdotpom said:


> Pity Alex seems to look down on "skivvies" doing an honest day's work.
> 
> I remember a few people who were too tight to pay the Indian stewards to do their dhobi, much to the annoyance of their stewards. Personally, I thought it was money well spent .... They did tend to overdo the starch though.
> 
> John T


Ohh pardon me John ,but no im not looking down on skivvies doing an honest dayswork on the contrary im mocking the guys who thought this should be the way things were and took it as part of their due for being officers all part of the way things were in the "good old days "eh! tchh to much starch eh you cant trust them dhobi wallahs to get anything right can you ...after all that largesse too (Whaaa) maybe ill leave this thread to you fellahs who hanker after these days before i get myself in strife


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## John Dryden

I never went ashore in my working gear..well maybe once or twice or more!


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## tsell

Always did my own Dhobi and never forgot my first bosun's words, "Remember son, your mummy doesn't work aboard this ship!"
Used to hang the wet gear on a line with a loop of whipping twine and never lost so much as a sock over the wall.
Officer's clothes pegs were a source of amusement.

Taff


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## Stephen J. Card

From Cadet to Ch Off I never had anyone do my dhobi. My first trip master I asked my Egyptian steward, Mr Bosrah, if he was interested in earning a bit extra cash. From then on I could get into the shower and when I came out a fresh white uniform would by lying on the bed, epaulettes attached, socks shorts etc. In the afternoon I wwould take a break on the small deck outside my cabin. At precisely 3.30 Bosrah would come put, set of small table with fresh brewed pot of tea and a few biscuits. He also changed my cat's litter box once a day and brought small plates of ground cooked meat from the gallery to feed the animal. The 'extra cash' I gave him each month was equal to aabout 50% of his salary. He was worth every penny!

Stephen


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## trotterdotpom

Alex Salmond said:


> Ohh pardon me John ,but no im not looking down on skivvies doing an honest dayswork on the contrary im mocking the guys who thought this should be the way things were and took it as part of their due for being officers all part of the way things were in the "good old days "eh! tchh to much starch eh you cant trust them dhobi wallahs to get anything right can you ...after all that largesse too (Whaaa) maybe ill leave this thread to you fellahs who hanker after these days before i get myself in strife


Mock away, Alex, it was a perk - don't you get perks for being a foreman?

Also officers didn't have work time allocated for cleaning their cabins like the seamen did.

There was no thought of largesse in paying the steward for doing the dhobi, they had a set rate and if you didn't pay it you wouldn't get it done, as far as I know. However, you are correct that those lascars could be a bit over the top with the starch.

John T


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## kauvaka

Sounds like some of you jokers were on your daddies' yachts. Some ships we were issued with a galvanised dhobi bucket and a bar of hard (apparently known as "pussers" in the RN) soap others it was a communal bucket and Bi-prox or similar. Used bassel (sp?) once and I'm still looking for those jeans. Does anyone want a set of genuine Wrangler fly studs?


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## Alex Salmond

trotterdotpom said:


> Mock away, Alex, it was a perk - don't you get perks for being a foreman?
> 
> Also officers didn't have work time allocated for cleaning their cabins like the seamen did.
> 
> There was no thought of largesse in paying the steward for doing the dhobi, they had a set rate and if you didn't pay it you wouldn't get it done, as far as I know. However, you are correct that those lascars could be a bit over the top with the starch.
> 
> John T


John 
I ll rest my case by asking you to read the post above yours ,you can almost hear the sound of grapes being peeled and fans swishing and by saying I don't know what ships you were on but I never got time to do my cabin it was done in your own time and woe betide you if the Skipper who was aboard at the times particular kink wasn't satisfied ,dust on the doorframe ,porthole brass not gleaming like gold etc..


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## Bob Murdoch

Some of you guys had it easy. I had to do my dhobi in my handbasin in every British ship I was on except the Golfito, a passenger ship where laundry was done ashore in Kingston but had to be paid for. This was 1958 - 60.
When I joined the Union Co in 1960, every ship I sailed on had a washing machine for the officers in the bathroom. Also most had a drying room. Not so the Kauri.
I joined my first ship at age 16 so aye, I did miss my mammie doing it for me. Didn't you
Cheers Bob


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## John Briggs

As cadets we did all our own dhobi. Working gear and whites.
Really filthy working gear (caked in grease, oil, etc.) was threaded on a rope and lowered over the stern on the port quarter opposite to the log.
Had to watch it carefully as it was possible to have it ripped to pieces at 15 knots. Bloody good result though!

When I went third mate I paid the Indian crew to do the dhobi and saw no problem with this.
I won't mention how I lived on board when I was Master as Alex may have an apoplexy!


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## TOM ALEXANDER

kauvaka said:


> Sounds like some of you jokers were on your daddies' yachts. Some ships we were issued with a galvanised dhobi bucket and a bar of hard (apparently known as "pussers" in the RN) soap others it was a communal bucket and Bi-prox or similar. Used bassel (sp?) once and I'm still looking for those jeans. Does anyone want a set of genuine Wrangler fly studs?


My sentiments entirely -- just before turning in one night I had a perfectly good pair of Wranglers soaking in a bucket of bo'sun strength soogie concoction -- in the morning there were some vestiges of rags, some buttons and the leather patch.


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## Julian Calvin

Fully agree about the really dirty stuff being dangled over the side on a heaving line. Worked wonders. Better at 10 knots though rather than over twenty.
Is that how all the boutiques nowadays get all those 'weathered' new jeans


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## Chris Isaac

Just left mine in a pile on my day bed with a completed laundry slip. Came back mid afternoon all ironed and pressed. Very easy really. I did think of getting a cadet to do the list but then I thought that a bit of work would do me no harm at all.


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## LouisB

Most of the larger/front line RFA's had a proper laundry built in and manned by HK Chinese who signed on as laundrymen. I well remember on one of the old 'Tide' class oilers (terrible things) that the laundrymen would teach me a new obscene word in Cantonese every morning. When passing the laundry the next day I would repeat one of the words I had learnt. This caused them to laugh hysterically, which in turn brightened up my own day. I'm afraid on that class of vessel I needed my day brightening - just thinking about those ships makes me want to reach for the bottle and have a stiffener.

LouisB. (Scribe)


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## sparkie2182

Nice one Chris.

I have to say,in the Cunard things were about the same.
Other company men used to say we had it easy, but far from it!!!

I recall one day having to send a bottle of champagne back to the cellar........

It was barely chilled. !!!!!!!!!!


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## King Ratt

My first ship was RFA Cherryleaf ( Ex Laurelwood). My Chinese steward, who was also the Captain's tiger, was most offended because he found me cleaning my own shoes. He did all my dhobi and I paid him for it. My next ship was an old Tide Class (Tidereach) as correctly described by LouisB and the Chinese Laundrymen as " lap sap". I think that was how the word sounded.


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## Troppo

Yes, my first ship was a 10 pax jobbie with Chinese crew.

Wonderful.

My uniforms were laid out for me...complete with the shoulder boards in.

Halcyon days.


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## Alex Salmond

John Briggs said:


> As cadets we did all our own dhobi. Working gear and whites.
> Really filthy working gear (caked in grease, oil, etc.) was threaded on a rope and lowered over the stern on the port quarter opposite to the log.
> Had to watch it carefully as it was possible to have it ripped to pieces at 15 knots. Bloody good result though!
> 
> When I went third mate I paid the Indian crew to do the dhobi and saw no problem with this.
> I won't mention how I lived on board when I was Master as Alex may have an apoplexy!


Nah no worries JB only winding you guys up a tad,i always knew you guys up top were fond of oppressing the poor workers the Blue Star officers hated sailing with us after being on the Indian or Chinese crewed ships it would have been a brave officer indeed who asked a hairy ars$# AB off the Broomielaw pool to do his dhobi for him (EEK)(LOL)
I can imagine how you lived as Master too though the only time I ever got invited to the skippers cabin was to get logged ! just for going adrift for a measly few days too nae sense of humour eh!
Just hope you weren't like that old bug%$# Dan Dare who was Skipper on the old Brasil Star ,he used to sit on the cludgie groaning and farting away with the door open while his poor old tiger was cleaning his cabin ,he had this sorry ars%$ excuse of being scared of being locked in his khazi if the ship sunk (?HUH) we reckoned he was just and auld perv(*))

Just another wee aside though how on earth did you folk manage when you came ashore?? it must have been quite a shock not having someone running after your ars$#


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## Pat Kennedy

I was never on a ship where the ratings were allowed to clean their cabins in work time. You did it in your own time, usually smoko.
As for dhobi, we always washed our own gear, often scrubbing oily jeans out on deck with a deck scrubber.
Some tried trailing them over the stern attached to a heaving line, but I saw too many lost that way to try it.
Some ships had top loading washing machines, some didnt. Once a machine had been used to wash oily jeans, it was unusable for anything white thereafter. So mostly it was hand washing in a big stainless steel sink, or soak your gear in a bucket with some Teepol or sugi powder solution.
Pat


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## chadburn

Always did my own, from the early days of the steam drain and bucket through to those fitted with washing machines and drying rooms.


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## LouisB

King Ratt said:


> My first ship was RFA Cherryleaf ( Ex Laurelwood). My Chinese steward, who was also the Captain's tiger, was most offended because he found me cleaning my own shoes. He did all my dhobi and I paid him for it. My next ship was an old Tide Class (Tidereach) as correctly described by LouisB and the Chinese Laundrymen as " lap sap". I think that was how the word sounded.


Hi Rab,

Yes, the vessel I was referring to was indeed Tidereach (ugh). One of the phrases I learnt was (phonetically) cho-san lapsap supkow which roughly (very) translates into "good morning you no good self abuser" A phrase I could safely use to the C/O (the Moff') as he wrestled with his over starched whites - he didn't have a clue what I had said.

This also usually brought on uncontrollable laughter and knee slapping from the laundyrmen.



Regards,

Dave C


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## Chris Isaac

Sparkie
Don't get me started on how tough things were, we will have the cargo boys weeping with sympathy.
At least the company paid us a bit extra for all the hardships.
The worst part was that once every voyage you had to eat one meal in Tourist Class, and I do mean EVERY voyage.


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## Dickyboy

Always did my own Dhobi. Was taught how to dhobi at the Vindi. Wash and scrub if needed, and rinse at least three times to avoid dhobi rash. Never saw a washing machine until I joined the tankers. Never expected or wished anyone else to do it for me.
I did wonder who did the Skippers' Dhobi on European crewed tankers, if his wife wasn't aboard though.
Looking after myself at sea, dhobi, sewing, ironing etc has stood me in good stead over the years, even now many years later I can still do it all myself. (And do)
I still think of those days as I load my the fully automatic washing machine which does hours of work in minutes.


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## Dickyboy

Anyone remember the Steam Queens. Female laundry workers who worked on some passenger ships? I remember them well, and found them a rather scary bunch. 
They used to keep themselves to themselves quite a bit. Often big and brash, and always willing to make us young lads blush a bit with their comments.
They always seemed happy and were hard workers. I didn't envy them their job.
I don't think I've seen them mentioned in any threads on this site. They did seem to be a lot of fun, in their own way.
I met a retired one a few years ago in Sydney while meeting friends. She used to work for P&O I think, and retired in Oz.


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## King Ratt

For LouisB.

" A phrase I could safely use to the C/O (the Moff') as he wrestled with his over starched whites - he didn't have a clue what I had said
This also usually brought on uncontrollable laughter and knee slapping from the laundyrmen."

Was C/O Moff by any chance the one we knew as Mo-fat, the Scottish Chinaman? 



Regards,

Dave C


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## Jim Mclaughlin

There was a chief steward who went by the nickname of (Tuesday) 
He/She offered to do my Dhobi for nothing But I respectfully declined the offer.


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## LouisB

King Ratt said:


> For LouisB.
> 
> " A phrase I could safely use to the C/O (the Moff') as he wrestled with his over starched whites - he didn't have a clue what I had said
> This also usually brought on uncontrollable laughter and knee slapping from the laundyrmen."
> 
> Was C/O Moff by any chance the one we knew as Mo-fat, the Scottish Chinaman?
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Dave C




Yes Rab - you are 100% correct a (in) famous person. But of course this is an open blog. 

LouisB. (Scribe)


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## forthbridge

Most of the Ben Boats that I sailed on in the sixties had a proper laundry with a Chinese laundryman in charge. It was pretty cheap and kept clothes in pretty good condition.Working clothes were usually washed by a Chines fireman or painter.


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## Alistair Macnab

*Dhobi wallah......*

As Apprentices, we were supposed to do our own dhobi but after seeing that the engineers paid their Topaz to do their boiler suits, we did the same with the deck topaz. This was fine until the old man found out and stopped our scheme.

So, we were back to dhobying our own clothes. Next brilliant idea was to take in engineers' personal dhobi and to charge for doing it. This we did and during a long stay in Buenos Aires, our customers began to run out of clean clothes because we were falling behind with our services. This was due to the fact that it seemed to be a better use of time to have a night ashore rather than to keep up with our side job!

Outcome was that engineers demanded clean underwear and shirts for the upcoming weekend and cancelled our shore leave under threat of bodily harm if we did not comply! Well! A night of intensive dhobying and ironing brought us up-to-date. (Thank God for Bri-Nylon - remember?) But for future services we demanded payment in advance to help pay for evenings spent on Cinco de Maio. This took us to the end of our BA stay and we eventually sailed with a backlog of other peoples' dirty clothes to work on during our next trip.

But we were now sick and tired of the laundry business and closed shop! Gave us pocket money for trips ashore, though!


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## ART6

Dear God, how you suffered! 
On my first trip as a lowly junior, with a Pakistani crew, two of us shared a cabin and we had our own steward. We called him "Rosie" because we couldn't pronounce his actual name. He cleaned our cabin and did our dhobi, and his fee for that was two cans of Tennants every time we ordered a case from the bond.

Then on to British crewed ships, and no longer one's own steward. Only the Old Man and the Chief had them. Even so the stewards cleaned the cabins and made the bunks, but one had to do one's own dhobi and become proficient with an iron. This was not necessarily a bad thing, since when I finally came ashore and married, I had to teach my wife how to hold an iron, how a washing machine worked, and the importance of not putting mixed colours into it.

It took quite a long time, that training, but eventually she grasped it. I never had that problem with Pakistani stewards. This causes me to wonder if, perhaps, Pakistani stewards have higher levels of intelligence than women? 

***OK, I'm going. I'm going!***


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## Ken Wood

My first trip, I got a shilling a month dhobi allowance. After a few months I got a pay rise of 7/6. You've guessed it, they stopped my dhobi allowance. Said it was "consolidated".


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## Ian Beattie

Oh my gawd see what I started with dhobi - we are on to champagne now - ah how the other half lived. LOL
Cheers Ian


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## Geoff Gower

Gosh what a lot of woozies !!Simple Dhobi= 1 x 2 gallon bucket of hot (well as warm as you could get) plus 1/4 packet tide. Immerse clothes and leave for long enough for a skin (can be with mould on top),rinse x2 and hang on line on boat deck with twine loops till dry. Do not leave to long as in some windy conditions you can return to find the clothes in shreds. Really dirty jeans can be fastened by belt loops to a heaving line and dropped over the side until clean - but again do not leave too long or you will heave on board the remains of a waist band.....


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## Dickyboy

Had to be careful with an overboard wash that the wash didn't rotate in an anti clockwise direction when being towed, or it would open up the lay of the rope/heaving line and destroy it.


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## janmike

A long time ago as 2nd year apprentice I was asked to join one of the Abadan Tugs (Tavana) There I found a crew of thirty plus Indians, heaven knows where they all slept.! Anyway as the only expat living onboard I had a butler chief cook and 2 servants to look after all my needs!!!

Plus a couple of girl friends ashore. Talk about dad's yacht!!


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## China hand

It was hell having to balti munkta when the bloody sekunny had whistled the only decent one off the bridge.


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## Pat Kennedy

Dickyboy said:


> Anyone remember the Steam Queens. Female laundry workers who worked on some passenger ships? I remember them well, and found them a rather scary bunch.
> They used to keep themselves to themselves quite a bit. Often big and brash, and always willing to make us young lads blush a bit with their comments.
> They always seemed happy and were hard workers. I didn't envy them their job.
> I don't think I've seen them mentioned in any threads on this site. They did seem to be a lot of fun, in their own way.
> I met a retired one a few years ago in Sydney while meeting friends. She used to work for P&O I think, and retired in Oz.


You have'nt been paying attention Dickyboy.
Try this;
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=24419&highlight=empress+steam+queens

Post #22

Regards, 
Pat


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## Dickyboy

Ah! I missed that mention. I must admit I was scared of them, and rarely came into contact unless I was running messages around the ship, including the laundry. I always knew I'd leave the laundry with a red face


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## ninabaker

Although cadets in BP cleaned their own cabins and made their own bunks by the time I left the sea I had had 4 years as an officer being waited on hand and foot and when I left to marry an army guy it was all a nasty shock: no employment for wives in Cyprus, housework to do and wives as my main source of company, whose entire topics of conversation were their awful sprogs and the prices in the NAAFI.


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## Pat Kennedy

Dickyboy said:


> Ah! I missed that mention. I must admit I was scared of them, and rarely came into contact unless I was running messages around the ship, including the laundry. I always knew I'd leave the laundry with a red face


On the Empress of Britain, (A candidate for the worst ship I was ever in) the steam queens lived on the other side of the bulkhead from the cabin I shared with five other ABs.
The bulkheads were unlined steel plate, and every word could be heard clearly.
Those 'steamies' partied every night from sundown until sun up, a few hours of peace while they were working, then relentless *****ing and backbiting until the party kicked off again!
"Watch below" meant F*** all to them.
Pat(Pint)


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## Dickyboy

Pat Kennedy said:


> On the Empress of Britain, (A candidate for the worst ship I was ever in) the steam queens lived on the other side of the bulkhead from the cabin I shared with five other ABs.
> The bulkheads were unlined steel plate, and every word could be heard clearly.
> Those 'steamies' partied every night from sundown until sun up, a few hours of peace while they were working, then relentless *****ing and backbiting until the party kicked off again!
> "Watch below" meant F*** all to them.
> Pat(Pint)


Similar on the Reina Del Mar. Our accommodation was down aft and the laundrymen were Chinese. Gibbering away all night, and the constant banging of ma jong tiles. The stench of their food was pretty bad as well. Don't know what they ate, but it didn't smell like any takeaway I ever smelt. No understanding of watch below either.
I don't think it was an option for them to do our dhobi, and our pay was pretty poor anyway.


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## Derek Roger

In Brocklebanks it was simple . The steward did the Dhobi . It as part of his perks for the trip . If one did all ones own washing he would be left with no little extra at the end of the voyage ( much frowned upon )
We did our own smalls; ball bags and socks etc, 
The Steward was very proud of how his officer looked to the rest of the crew. I had one occasion when I had spilled something on my whites when the steward became agitated and that required me going back to my cabin and putting on a nice set of new whites. He was well pleased .
For boiler suits that was the job ( and perk ) of the Cassab .
Normally he would put them in a 50 gallon drum with soap and water and put in a steam line and let them cook before rinsing .
n my first trip to sea the Cassab had seen us acid cleaning the evaporator coils in a tank built specially for the job .
He thought the boiler suits would be best cleaned the same way .
Result ; just a load of brass buttons . We were short of boiler suits until we got to Calcutta and bought some more .
Perhaps the Cassab had a tailor in Calcutta as a relative .


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## Pat Kennedy

Dickyboy said:


> Similar on the Reina Del Mar. Our accommodation was down aft and the laundrymen were Chinese. Gibbering away all night, and the constant banging of ma jong tiles. The stench of their food was pretty bad as well. Don't know what they ate, but it didn't smell like any takeaway I ever smelt. No understanding of watch below either.
> I don't think it was an option for them to do our dhobi, and our pay was pretty poor anyway.


A couple of the larger Blueys I was on had a Chinese laundryman who could be prevailed upon to wash and press a white shirt for going ashore, at a price of course. Apart from that, nobody ever done my washing until I came ashore.
The wife thinks I'm obsessive about clean clothes, but I'm sure you remember that personal hygiene was the number one priority for all hands on a ship.
Ive seen the crowd strip and scrub a deckboy who was a little lax in that department on more than one occasion, and woe betide anyone who sported less than pristine underwear.
Pat
(Pint)


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## Binnacle

Ian Beattie said:


> Do any of you out there remember as a very junior person on board a ship having to do your own dhobi ?Cheers Ian
> (A)(Jester)


Forsooth Ian, some of us who served in the fo'c'sle did indeed do our own dhobi, galvanised bucket, galley pump, soda soap, and we also ironed our gear with a flat iron which was charged up on the galley stove top. The working gear was scrubbed on top of the hatch tarpaulin. Before you reached the Channel scrubbed seabags strung up above the for'd hatch signalled to the "old man" what you thought of his ship. That was the days before seamen came ashore smelling of peach blossom conditioner. (Flowers)


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## Dickyboy

Pat Kennedy said:


> A couple of the larger Blueys I was on had a Chinese laundryman who could be prevailed upon to wash and press a white shirt for going ashore, at a price of course. Apart from that, nobody ever done my washing until I came ashore.
> The wife thinks I'm obsessive about clean clothes, but I'm sure you remember that personal hygiene was the number one priority for all hands on a ship.
> Ive seen the crowd strip and scrub a deckboy who was a little lax in that department on more than one occasion, and woe betide anyone who sported less than pristine underwear.
> Pat
> (Pint)


Yeah it was a lot easier to comply with others on the cleanliness stakes, something I always did. As a boy rating everyone seemed to be on our backs. From Captains Inspections to Bosuns to your own peers who you shared a cabin with. There just wasn't room for smelly people or clothes.
Much easier on tankers where the usual garb was a pair of hacked off jeans, skiddies and sandals. clothes were always stiff with salt and sweat at the end of the day in hot climates, but easy to wash out.


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## Robert Hilton

When a Home Trade vessel's washing machine breaks down (as they often do due to heavy strain on the bearings when spin drying coincides with heavy rolling), or before washing machines reached us, I would soak my dhobi overnight in a bucket of water & washing powder. Then I'd trample on it whilst in the shower until washing & most of the rinsing was done. After that a final rinse to remove all washing powder and the usual ingenuity for drying.

Walking on a Sussex beach once I came upon the two halves of a yellow plastic bucket. Written on it in indelible felt pen was, "Jim's overall bucket." Anybody know Jim?


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## John Briggs

Alex Salmond said:


> Just another wee aside though how on earth did you folk manage when you came ashore?? it must have been quite a shock not having someone running after your ars$#


Oh dear Alex. As an officer and a gentleman I had, at all times, a lovely lady to attend my every need.


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## trotterdotpom

".... and woe betide anyone who sported less than pristine underwear."

Dare I ask how you knew it was less than pristine?

John T


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## Pat Kennedy

trotterdotpom said:


> ".... and woe betide anyone who sported less than pristine underwear."
> 
> Dare I ask how you knew it was less than pristine?
> 
> John T


Of course you guys up top didn't share a cabin did you?


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## Alex Salmond

John Briggs;691157 said:


> Oh dear Alex. As an officer and a gentleman I had, at all times, a lovely lady to attend my every need.


John ,
Is that there one of them oxymoron thingies ?? just asking like(Wave)


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## Boatman25

Bucket of hot water, scrubbing brush and long bar of square yellow soap, that was me and my mates, still got it clean and we thought we looked good when it was dry


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## trotterdotpom

Pat Kennedy said:


> Of course you guys up top didn't share a cabin did you?


No. Neither did anybody else for most of my 25 years at sea.

John T


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## Pat Kennedy

trotterdotpom said:


> No. Neither did anybody else for most of my 25 years at sea.
> 
> John T


Well I was only in one ship with single berth accommodation for the ratings, the rest were double, three, or even six berth.
You couldn't help but see your room mates in their underwear.
I hope this helps.


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## Alex Salmond

Last ship I sailed double berth was the Fremantle Star in 1978, made for interesting times on the Kiwi coast when the double berth became a four berth with our ummm extra passengers ,after 78 it was single berth cabins for all hands


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## trotterdotpom

Pat Kennedy said:


> Well I was only in one ship with single berth accommodation for the ratings, the rest were double, three, or even six berth.
> You couldn't help but see your room mates in their underwear.
> I hope this helps.


Relax Pat, you just came around too early that's all, it got better.

John T


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## spongebob

The cheapest passenger cabins on Rangitane in the 50's were no better, six berth on E-deck with the port hole ordered shut in the slightest sea or swell.
That is why we allowed the girls to bring their Lilos up onto the aft deck astern of the engineers smoke room to enjoy the open air breeze in the tropics.

Bob


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## trotterdotpom

Very generous of you Spongebob ... different times. However, I think I'll retire from this class struggle.

John T


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## Stephen J. Card

Sitting in the small duty mess for smoko on NAESS PIONEER as a first trip cadet the Chief Steward Joe Thompson, stopped and in front everyone started to berate me for being idle, dirty, useless... you name it. "You can't even wash your skiddies properly!" Every one wanted to see what this was all about so my cabin, right next to the duty mess, was opened and there on the line stretched from one corner to the other.... were about a half dozen pairs of skiddes.... just washed and hung that morning..... and on the crotch of each pair was the ugliest brown 'stain' imagineable. Disgusting as he had described. It was HP SAUCE!!!!!


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## LouisB

Stephen J. Card said:


> Sitting in the small duty mess for smoko on NAESS PIONEER as a first trip cadet the Chief Steward Joe Thompson, stopped and in front everyone started to berate me for being idle, dirty, useless... you name it. "You can't even wash your skiddies properly!" Every one wanted to see what this was all about so my cabin, right next to the duty mess, was opened and there on the line stretched from one corner to the other.... were about a half dozen pairs of skiddes.... just washed and hung that morning..... and on the crotch of each pair was the ugliest brown 'stain' imagineable. Disgusting as he had described. It was HP SAUCE!!!!!


After that, I shall never put it on my chips again.

LouisB. (Scribe)


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## Pat McCardle

Still do my own dhobi & ironing at home after 28 years of marriage...Then I always know it's done properly!


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## ART6

Stephen J. Card said:


> Sitting in the small duty mess for smoko on NAESS PIONEER as a first trip cadet the Chief Steward Joe Thompson, stopped and in front everyone started to berate me for being idle, dirty, useless... you name it. "You can't even wash your skiddies properly!" Every one wanted to see what this was all about so my cabin, right next to the duty mess, was opened and there on the line stretched from one corner to the other.... were about a half dozen pairs of skiddes.... just washed and hung that morning..... and on the crotch of each pair was the ugliest brown 'stain' imagineable. Disgusting as he had described. It was HP SAUCE!!!!!


There are a number of issues here that should be applied to the education of cadets, who are a lower form of life and need to be civilised by discipline and regular chastisement in order that they might join the human race:

1. The application of HP Sauce to one's underwear is not a defence against insect infections encountered in South American ports.

2. Vinegar doesn't work either. It just creates soreness and is more often used to pickle walnuts (go figure!).

3. Male underwear is designed with two primary areas. In the front is an escape hatch where liquids from the previous night in port can be discharged. In the rear there is a containment section that might also contain residues from the previous night in port, particularly in middle and far eastern ports where curries predominate.

4. I follows that the front section needs little attention as it acts solely as a conduit, but the rear section needs careful attention and dedicated scrubbing with carbolic soap. However, the soap residues must be thoroughly flushed in order to avoid a medical condition known as the "Red Ring Syndrome." That condition is considered incurable even by chief stewards since Board of Trade Number Nines have no discernible effect other than to occasionally worsen it.

5. Cadets should be aware that tropical whites, particularly shorts, have remarkable properties of absorbancy. Underwear stains, even if they have been washed several times by a casual dipping in lukewarm water, can easily migrate to the seats of the shorts where they become as visible as quite large lighthouses, and from at least to the farthest corners of the officers saloon. Sitting on them is not a solution because one has to get up sooner or later and face the ridicule of one's peers. Even worse, when out on deck the cadet might find the crew referring to him as "Mr. Brown" when his name is actually Corruthers, and that is not conducive to self esteem.

6. Occasionally the cadet might find that the ships catering, having loaded supplies in foreign places, is not conducive to his digestive system that his mother caused it to expect. This can cause a temporary affliction known in the trade as "the trots", and it can result in unexpected discharges at the most inconvenient times. These discharges are usually preceded by noises similar to those of the ships whistle but are always followed by substantial evacuations of the more solid matter. In all such cases the chief steward will insist that the affliction was incurred at the last port of call, even it that was two weeks ago. If the cadet suspects that such an event is likely he should make a point of wearing boiler suits for the duration of the affliction and only eating in the dirty mess. Boiler suits are less absorbent and are loose-fitting, and can channel undesirable matter into shoes and socks, from where it is more easily recovered without damage to ones uniform. In the case of deck shoes they can be thrown overboard, while in the case of engine room shoes the added materials would not be apparent. The dirty mess will normally only be occupied by engineers, all of whom will smell of oil and none of whom will notice any other odours.

7. At this point it is necessary to distinguish between deck and engine room cadets. The former are expected to evolve into chief officers or even masters, when nature decrees that they will no longer need to s**t. They will have acquired to power to pass on any evacuation to lower ranks, and to penalise any inadequate performance. Engine room cadets, meanwhile, should gravitate up through the ranks wearing nothing other than boiler suits, and those should be so stained by lubricating and heavy fuel oils (all of which are conveniently brown) so that personal hygiene is not immediately apparent.

8. And finally, it should be noted that in distant days there were such things as tropical dress uniform and tropical battledress uniform. The latter was khaki and it could hide a multitude of sins, at least until the Old Man's Sunday inspection.


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## LouisB

ART6 said:


> There are a number of issues here that should be applied to the education of cadets, who are a lower form of life and need to be civilised by discipline and regular chastisement in order that they might join the human race:
> 
> 1. The application of HP Sauce to one's underwear is not a defence against insect infections encountered in South American ports.
> 
> 2. Vinegar doesn't work either. It just creates soreness and is more often used to pickle walnuts (go figure!).
> 
> 3. Male underwear is designed with two primary areas. In the front is an escape hatch where liquids from the previous night in port can be discharged. In the rear there is a containment section that might also contain residues from the previous night in port, particularly in middle and far eastern ports where curries predominate.
> 
> 4. I follows that the front section needs little attention as it acts solely as a conduit, but the rear section needs careful attention and dedicated scrubbing with carbolic soap. However, the soap residues must be thoroughly flushed in order to avoid a medical condition known as the "Red Ring Syndrome." That condition is considered incurable even by chief stewards since Board of Trade Number Nines have no discernible effect other than to occasionally worsen it.
> 
> 5. Cadets should be aware that tropical whites, particularly shorts, have remarkable properties of absorbancy. Underwear stains, even if they have been washed several times by a casual dipping in lukewarm water, can easily migrate to the seats of the shorts where they become as visible as quite large lighthouses, and from at least to the farthest corners of the officers saloon. Sitting on them is not a solution because one has to get up sooner or later and face the ridicule of one's peers. Even worse, when out on deck the cadet might find the crew referring to him as "Mr. Brown" when his name is actually Corruthers, and that is not conducive to self esteem.
> 
> 6. Occasionally the cadet might find that the ships catering, having loaded supplies in foreign places, is not conducive to his digestive system that his mother caused it to expect. This can cause a temporary affliction known in the trade as "the trots", and it can result in unexpected discharges at the most inconvenient times. These discharges are usually preceded by noises similar to those of the ships whistle but are always followed by substantial evacuations of the more solid matter. In all such cases the chief steward will insist that the affliction was incurred at the last port of call, even it that was two weeks ago. If the cadet suspects that such an event is likely he should make a point of wearing boiler suits for the duration of the affliction and only eating in the dirty mess. Boiler suits are less absorbent and are loose-fitting, and can channel undesirable matter into shoes and socks, from where it is more easily recovered without damage to ones uniform. In the case of deck shoes they can be thrown overboard, while in the case of engine room shoes the added materials would not be apparent. The dirty mess will normally only be occupied by engineers, all of whom will smell of oil and none of whom will notice any other odours.
> 
> 7. At this point it is necessary to distinguish between deck and engine room cadets. The former are expected to evolve into chief officers or even masters, when nature decrees that they will no longer need to s**t. They will have acquired to power to pass on any evacuation to lower ranks, and to penalise any inadequate performance. Engine room cadets, meanwhile, should gravitate up through the ranks wearing nothing other than boiler suits, and those should be so stained by lubricating and heavy fuel oils (all of which are conveniently brown) so that personal hygiene is not immediately apparent.
> 
> 8. And finally, it should be noted that in distant days there were such things as tropical dress uniform and tropical battledress uniform. The latter was khaki and it could hide a multitude of sins, at least until the Old Man's Sunday inspection.


Brilliant Art6 - well observed (and remembered) especially part 8. Oh how I well remember those far off days.

Nice composition - still grinning.


LouisB. (Scribe)


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## John Briggs

ART6 said:


> There are a number of issues here that should be applied to the education of cadets, who are a lower form of life and need to be civilised by discipline and regular chastisement in order that they might join the human race:
> 
> 1. The application of HP Sauce to one's underwear is not a defence against insect infections encountered in South American ports.
> 
> 2. Vinegar doesn't work either. It just creates soreness and is more often used to pickle walnuts (go figure!).
> 
> 3. Male underwear is designed with two primary areas. In the front is an escape hatch where liquids from the previous night in port can be discharged. In the rear there is a containment section that might also contain residues from the previous night in port, particularly in middle and far eastern ports where curries predominate.
> 
> 4. I follows that the front section needs little attention as it acts solely as a conduit, but the rear section needs careful attention and dedicated scrubbing with carbolic soap. However, the soap residues must be thoroughly flushed in order to avoid a medical condition known as the "Red Ring Syndrome." That condition is considered incurable even by chief stewards since Board of Trade Number Nines have no discernible effect other than to occasionally worsen it.
> 
> 5. Cadets should be aware that tropical whites, particularly shorts, have remarkable properties of absorbancy. Underwear stains, even if they have been washed several times by a casual dipping in lukewarm water, can easily migrate to the seats of the shorts where they become as visible as quite large lighthouses, and from at least to the farthest corners of the officers saloon. Sitting on them is not a solution because one has to get up sooner or later and face the ridicule of one's peers. Even worse, when out on deck the cadet might find the crew referring to him as "Mr. Brown" when his name is actually Corruthers, and that is not conducive to self esteem.
> 
> 6. Occasionally the cadet might find that the ships catering, having loaded supplies in foreign places, is not conducive to his digestive system that his mother caused it to expect. This can cause a temporary affliction known in the trade as "the trots", and it can result in unexpected discharges at the most inconvenient times. These discharges are usually preceded by noises similar to those of the ships whistle but are always followed by substantial evacuations of the more solid matter. In all such cases the chief steward will insist that the affliction was incurred at the last port of call, even it that was two weeks ago. If the cadet suspects that such an event is likely he should make a point of wearing boiler suits for the duration of the affliction and only eating in the dirty mess. Boiler suits are less absorbent and are loose-fitting, and can channel undesirable matter into shoes and socks, from where it is more easily recovered without damage to ones uniform. In the case of deck shoes they can be thrown overboard, while in the case of engine room shoes the added materials would not be apparent. The dirty mess will normally only be occupied by engineers, all of whom will smell of oil and none of whom will notice any other odours.
> 
> 7. At this point it is necessary to distinguish between deck and engine room cadets. The former are expected to evolve into chief officers or even masters, when nature decrees that they will no longer need to s**t. They will have acquired to power to pass on any evacuation to lower ranks, and to penalise any inadequate performance. Engine room cadets, meanwhile, should gravitate up through the ranks wearing nothing other than boiler suits, and those should be so stained by lubricating and heavy fuel oils (all of which are conveniently brown) so that personal hygiene is not immediately apparent.
> 
> 8. And finally, it should be noted that in distant days there were such things as tropical dress uniform and tropical battledress uniform. The latter was khaki and it could hide a multitude of sins, at least until the Old Man's Sunday inspection.


(Applause)(Applause)(Applause)


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## johnball59

who did the dhobi well of course it was the dhobi Walla I was fortunate enough to sail on indian crewed ships with Ellermans and other companies and it was a bit of an unspoken rule you paid to have your laundry done, more wages for the crew so I never bucked the system Ellermans it was 10p per item washed ironed and starched, and everyones whites were always immaculate


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## cueball44

I remember an old sailor who finished his days on Trawlers from HULL. He was supposed to have been torpedoed 3 times during WW2. We knew him as Pidgin Smith. At the end of each trip he would toss all his gear into a fish basket, throw some soda crystals among it, then turn the donkey hose on it for a couple of minutes, then stand on it to get most of the water out. He would put the gear in the drying room round the funnel, and when dry pack it in his kit bag. Last time I saw him, in the 70s, he was standing half frozen near the city hall in his shirt sleeves. I asked him "what's up", he replied "some young thug had nicked his overcoat. I gave him some money, and that was the last I saw or heard of him.


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## Ian Beattie

Cueball77 the word I am reliably informed is 'ULL
Cheers Ian


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## Ian Beattie

What a load of bullies those nasty decky peeps seem to be- you should be nurturing these young souls and not propigating the same s**t that happened to you - SHAME on you all - you should have helped them to do their dhobi not mock them - FIE a plague on your houses and a thousand flees on your B******ks Ha Ha Ha
Cheers Ian


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## cueball44

Ian Beattie said:


> Cueball77 the word I am reliably informed is 'ULL
> Cheers Ian


44 not 77. Those who live in HULL pronounce it "ULL". I couldn't very well put that in my yarn could I?. No one outside of the boundary would have known where it is.(Smoke)


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## Ian Beattie

cueball44 I stand suitably chastened but even the russians call it Gull
Cheers Ian


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