# BOT Provision Allowances



## Binnacle

REQUIRED BY SECTION 25 OF THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT, 1906, AS AMENDED BY THE MERCHANT SHIPPING (SEAMEN’S PRVISIONS) (sic) ORDERS, 1945 AND 1946, TO BE ALLOWED AND SERVED OUT TO THE CREW DURING THE VOYAGE, EXCEPT IN CASES IN WHICH THE CREW FURNISH THEIR OWN PROVISIONS.

Note: - The Scale agreed upon is in addition to the Lime or Lemon Juice and Sugar, or other Anti-Scorbutics required by the Merchant Shipping Acts.

Provision..............Allowance per week 

Water....................28 quarts

Soft Bread............7 lbs.

Fresh Meat (including any fresh offal or fresh sausage)
...........................4 lbs 11 ozs.

Smoked Ham or Bacon
............................8 ozs.

Fresh Fish..............1 lb. 8 ozs.

Eggs ***......................2 No.

Potatoes.................7 lbs.

Dried or Compressed Vegetables

.............................8 ozs.

Split Peas...............6 ozs.

Green Peas, Haricot Beans or Butter Beans

............................1 lb. 4 ozs.

Flour.....................2 lbs.

Rice......................6 ozs.

Oatmeal, Rolled Oats or similar cereal

............................6 ozs.

Tea.......................3 ozs.

Coffee (containing not more than 25 per cent. Chicory)

............................2 ozs.
or Cocoa or Chocolate

............................3 ozs.

Sugar....................1 lb. 5 ozs.

Milk (condensed or dried)

........9 ½ ozs..........4 ozs.

Milk for Cooking

.....(condensed or dried)

........4 ⅔ ozs...........2 ozs.

Butter.....................10 ½ ozs.

Suet.......................2 ozs.

Cooking Fat (other than suet) or Margarine

.............................4 ozs.

Marmalade, Jam or Syrup

.............................8 ozs.

Cheese...................4 ozs.

Pickles....................¼ pint

Onions....................8 ozs.

Dried Fruits..............5 ozs.

Fine Salt..................2 ozs.

Mustard...................¼ oz.

Pepper.....................¼ oz.

Curry Powder.............¼ oz.

**
*Eggs. - Not less than four eggs, fresh or preserved in shell, shall be issued during the first fortnight of any voyage starting from a port within home trade limits.

Two eggs for each week thereafter should be issued if obtainable at a reasonable price and if there are facilities for keeping them. Dried fish or kippers, tinned salmon, herrings, pilchards or sardines may be taken as equivalent to eggs in the proportion of 13 ½ ozs. of dried fish or 9 ozs. of kippers or tinned fish to 8 eggs.
(Eat)


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## Pilot mac

Don't know what MSAct was in force in 1970 but from memory the weekly allowances look very similar. Meat and Fish specifies 'fresh' which must have been almost impossible on a long voyage. It would be an interesting challenge to one of the many TV Chefs around at the moment to plan a weeks menu on that provision list !

regards
Dave


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## kevjacko

_It would be an interesting challenge to one of the many TV Chefs around at the moment to plan a weeks menu on that provision list !_

They'd be knackered mate. No extra virgin olive oil or Sun dried tomato' s.[=P]


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## Alex Salmond

Wheres the Yams ?? they were always on the list but I never remember getting any,what is a yam anyway ??


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## alan ward

Alex Salmond said:


> Wheres the Yams ?? they were always on the list but I never remember getting any,what is a yam anyway ??


White fleshed,rough brown skinned tuber,like a starchier potato African staple and great ingredient in Palm Oil Chop


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## trotterdotpom

Alex Salmond said:


> Wheres the Yams ?? they were always on the list but I never remember getting any,what is a yam anyway ??


It's a house where Geordies live.

John T


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## WilliamH

The salt ration equates to more than 8 grams per day, very unhealthy by todays standards.


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## William Clark8

*BOT Rations*



WilliamH said:


> The salt ration equates to more than 8 grams per day, very unhealthy by todays standards.


Not quite BOT but was on a ship that ran out of "Shakey" milk and had to "Coney" which was watered down for your Cornflakes, Porriidge etc. 
which was absolutely Minging and if you did not take sugar TOUGH(Cloud)


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## Farmer John

trotterdotpom said:


> It's a house where Geordies live.
> 
> John T


It's a place where Geordies gan and they have to be taken in.


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## rob mcc

nice one about geordies with regards to the salt alowence engine room staff would need this amout and it really hot climates salt tablets


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## DURANGO

William Clark8 said:


> Not quite BOT but was on a ship that ran out of "Shakey" milk and had to "Coney" which was watered down for your Cornflakes, Porriidge etc.
> which was absolutely Minging and if you did not take sugar TOUGH(Cloud)


There was always McDonalds


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## david freeman

Pork and Beans Inspectors in my day used to visit ships in vitalling ports (Such as Drydock-ports within the UK) to see that everything had a crown and anchor or a BOT Stamp, and that the meat as it should be.
Great charcaters and did a good servive in looking after the honest seaman.


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## trotterdotpom

david freeman said:


> Pork and Beans Inspectors in my day used to visit ships in vitalling ports (Such as Drydock-ports within the UK) to see that everything had a crown and anchor or a BOT Stamp, and that the meat as it should be.
> Great charcaters and did a good servive in looking after the honest seaman.


How many of them took a side of beef home? Just curious.

John T


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## Ray Mac

trotterdotpom said:


> How many of them took a side of beef home? Just curious.
> 
> John T



Quite a few(Thumb)

Ray


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## john blythe

I was lucky the 18 years I was a cook .I never had to work to BOT rations ,but I can imagine what it must been like.People moan some of them don't know how lucky they are now .


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## Pilot mac

Did anyone ever actually cater to those rations? Was with one stroppy Cook who used to threaten us with BOT rations until I pointed out to him that that was fine but he would then be on BOT pay!

regards
Dave


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