# New book: Tales from the Waves



## Austinsparks (Apr 30, 2013)

Hello everyone. Can I introduce my newly-published book, Tales from the Waves. This follows my often-precarious studies and subsequent career as an R/O. It includes a short history of radio, some details on communications, watch-keeping and distress (at least partly for the benefit of non-R/Os reading the book), some maritime history, and recollections, misadventures and trivia on ports, people, sights, entertainment, and daily life on board. The book is now available on Amazon, and I'm told it will appear on other platforms soon; also the Kindle/e-book should become available in two weeks or so. If you decide to read it I hope you enjoy it! UK link here, and it is in other countries too! Tales from the Waves: My voyages on some of Britain’s last traditional cargo ships: Amazon.co.uk: Guest, Austin: 9781803699837: Books


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## djringjr (Feb 11, 2008)

Congratulations on the new book, Austin. I've just ordered it. You're QRY2 after the wonderful book "All Ships, All Ships" by R/O Larry Bennett ex GKA. Wonderful season for great books. 73 de David Ring N1EA


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## Sylvia Grinham (May 17, 2021)

Austinsparks said:


> Hello everyone. Can I introduce my newly-published book, Tales from the Waves. This follows my often-precarious studies and subsequent career as an R/O. It includes a short history of radio, some details on communications, watch-keeping and distress (at least partly for the benefit of non-R/Os reading the book), some maritime history, and recollections, misadventures and trivia on ports, people, sights, entertainment, and daily life on board. The book is now available on Amazon, and I'm told it will appear on other platforms soon; also the Kindle/e-book should become available in two weeks or so. If you decide to read it I hope you enjoy it! UK link here, and it is in other countries too! Tales from the Waves: My voyages on some of Britain’s last traditional cargo ships: Amazon.co.uk: Guest, Austin: 9781803699837: Books


Sounds interesting. Might give me an insight into my Stan's days at sea in the merchant navy.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Well worth a read. 

Poor Austin sailed with a real bastard of an Old Man....


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## DickGraham (Oct 2, 2017)

Well written, Austin, a good read. You appear to have had a tough time of it but maybe that was the lot of the direct employ R/O. I was at sea during the same period but with Marconi so wasn't "under the thumb" on ships and certainly enjoyed myself


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

That examiner was a right ***** as well....


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Austin,
Have just enjoyed reading your book on Kindle and recognise several similarities with my time at sea as an R/O a decade or so earlier. One significant difference was that I was employed throughout my sea career by Marconi Marine. That meant that as long as I did my job properly, my future did not depend on anyone aboard, not even the Master.

During my time as sea and since, I have heard and read (including on this website) claims from many direct-employed R/Os that their employment was not only better paid but that they were treated far better. I will not try to deny the financial benefits (although not massively greater) but your experiences with your employers were far worse than anything I ever met up with. Ships that I sailed on had working equipment, had adequate spares and material to maintain the equipment and requisitioned parts arrived promptly on the few occasions that I needed them without any questions being asked or justifications being required.

Further along those lines, I never had to call for assistance from shore technicians because the few failures that I had (averaging one or two per year) could either be fixed using the onboard spares or with replacement parts flown out from the UK. In the latter category was the 12ft scanner of a Hermes radar that decided to make its break for freedom while we were heading South in the Red Sea.

I sailed on a variety of ships, from old (1940s and 1950s) to a new-build taken out from the shipyard, passenger-cargo liners, tramps, cargo liners and tankers but none of them had the social problems that you encountered. I performed no duties and had no responsibilities beyond the radio room and the radionavigational equipment rented (along with me) from Marconi.Marine. So off-duty, all my time was my own and I could choose whether or not to help out or join in with any activity. That suited me fine and I enjoyed every trip I made. On one cargo liner I did four deep-sea voyages, including a round-the-world trip, and a couple or three coasting trips around NW European ports and the UK, totalling 18 months. On my last tanker I spent 17 months running mostly from Trinidad to the Arabian Gulf, with occasional visits to the Eastern Med.

I sailed with a lot of Masters, some better than others but only one was obnoxious - but he was obnoxious with everyone and for much of the time was sedated by alcohol consumption and never caused me any problems whatsoever. The deck officers suffered under his drunken direction though but none made any official complaint - fearful of repercussions. A disadvantage of being direct-employed! I am of the opinion that the claims for P&O's high standards for officers are not supported by your description of some of the Masters with whom you sailed.

My time at sea was not only interesting but was also happy. When I felt I needed a change, I just asked for a different shipping company and that's what I got. When I ran my bank balance down by partying on the Aussie coast I asked for a tanker to build up my account. I was posted to a tanker as soon as my leave was over. When I asked for paid study leave to get my 1st Class PMG or my BOT Radar Maintenance certificate, it was granted at once.

So apart from only earning at the rate set for Radio Officers by the National Maritime Board, there was nothing about my life that the direct-employed R/O enjoyed that could be considered inferior. I did not have to be anything more than polite to a ship's Master and could (and did) quite readily refuse to perform duties outside my terms of employment. On my first trip in charge of a ship's radio station, where I was filling in for the regular R/O on a passenger-cargo liner, my obvious "newness" led the Master to think I would be awed into following his requirement that while we were in port I should paint the radio room and the radar mast because they were only there for Marconi's benefit, supporting their rented equipment. When I firmly declined, he was visibly upset and said that the regular R/O always complied. I made it clear that I was not willing to assist him further on the matter. The subject was never raised again during the voyage and on our return to the UK I left the ship on compassionate grounds because my father was in hospital having suffered a heart attack. The ship sailed deep-sea again before matters at home were resolved so I never found out whether or not I would have been welcomed back on another voyage.

My conclusions:
In comparison to the ship's that I sailed on, for a few pounds extra each month, the direct-employed R/O suffered far more aggravation and interference caused by from visits from the shore supervisor (there was no such person for the Marconi R/O) and from the Master of the vessels; the equipment he sailed with was less reliable or had been less well maintained and, finally, non-radio duties were obligatory rather than voluntary.

I think that I got the better of the deal. Only an opinion based on limited experience, I grant you, but one supported by reading your book.


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## DickGraham (Oct 2, 2017)

I concur Ron. Also I never heard of anybody being fired by Marconi - if you misbehaved you got posted to a "bad boy boat"


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Whilst I'm certainly no fan of Marconi or their Australian arm AWA, Ron does make some very good points.

Sailing the ship at very short notice without checking who was ashore, and then refusing to let you board via the pilot boat was the mark of someone with psychiatric problems....not to mention a breach of the W/T and (I think) Nav Acts.

There is no way that would have happened in Oz. No way. The old man would have been sacked, and there would have been no repercussions for you at all.

Having said that, there are stories of direct employ R/Os who had a great time with P and O...particularly on the pax boats.

The P and O radio super sounded like a barrel of laughs as well....what a goose.


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## bbyrne98 (Jun 27, 2007)

DickGraham said:


> I concur Ron. Also I never heard of anybody being fired by Marconi - if you misbehaved you got posted to a "bad boy boat"





Ron Stringer said:


> Austin,
> Have just enjoyed reading your book on Kindle and recognise several similarities with my time at sea as an R/O a decade or so earlier. One significant difference was that I was employed throughout my sea career by Marconi Marine. That meant that as long as I did my job properly, my future did not depend on anyone aboard, not even the Master.
> 
> During my time as sea and since, I have heard and read (including on this website) claims from many direct-employed R/Os that their employment was not only better paid but that they were treated far better. I will not try to deny the financial benefits (although not massively greater) but your experiences with your employers were far worse than anything I ever met up with. Ships that I sailed on had working equipment, had adequate spares and material to maintain the equipment and requisitioned parts arrived promptly on the few occasions that I needed them without any questions being asked or justifications being required.
> ...


Ron,

Great post ... triggered some, no many, thoughts ... 

Having spent 11 odd years with MIMCO, most of which were very happy (the rest for another day), I can't say that I was given *'Terms of Reference'* about what I could or could not do when on board a ship. 

Indeed, to my shame, I cant recall (I wasn't) given uniform requirements either but, again, for another day. 

It never dawned on me that I could go toe to toe with the Captain when he asked me to sort out the duty free (B & I Line), count timber (Booth Line), sign and sign off (Esso) and more... none of which I disagreed with but you seem to have been working to another TOR. 

Please help me understand that a little more. You might help me exorcise some pretty difficult decisions / stances I had to make, or didnt make, without any guidance whatsoever ... Barry


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

As far as I recall I wasn't given any TOR by MIMCo but I was conscious that neither my training nor the PMG syllabus led me to believe that I should expect to act as a decorator, cleaner or ship's writer. I trained and was employed as a ship's radio officer and had spent a year at college studying for that role and associated duties, followed by half a year being supervised in their execution, so was confident of my position. As long as my behaviour aboard ship remained legal and outwardly respectful towards the Master, I considered the running of the radio service and the maintenance of my employer's equipment to be my province alone. I never sailed with a Master that was better trained and qualified than me at my job so was not prepared to defer to the Master in such matters. I did my job and felt that was what I was paid for.
I never needed to go toe to toe with the Master, I simply refused to do work that was nothing to do with the function for which I had signed on. My refusal was not well received but the matter was not pursued by the Master.
I was not employed or paid by the shipping company but by MIMCo so my career progression was in their hands, not the Master's. Additional to doing the job for which I was employed, I fixed things for my shipmates (including Masters) but that was my choice. I was brought up to believe that if any person was employed to do a job (aboard ship or in any other organisation) it was because their input was essential. So they are all equally important. The Master was just another shipmate and ought to behave as well as everyone else. I sailed with two who didn't, one for only a month and the other for only a few months. Both joined the ships concerned after me and left before I did. Neither caused me any problems but gave other officers plenty of grief during their short reigns. Neither could have held a management post ashore, the workforce would not have been as deferential as those aboard were. I was grateful that I enjoyed the independence of my MIMCo contract.
Apart from those two men I found all the other Masters that I sailed with to be fair and reasonable. I never envied them their positions and never wished to have their responsities and the degree of isolation they had aboard.
I was very happy to do my job and let the Master do his.u


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## bbyrne98 (Jun 27, 2007)

Ron Stringer said:


> As far as I recall I wasn't given any TOR by MIMCo but I was conscious that neither my training nor the PMG syllabus led me to believe that I should expect to act as a decorator, cleaner or ship's writer. I trained and was employed as a ship's radio officer and had spent a year at college studying for that role and associated duties, followed by half a year being supervised in their execution, so was confident of my position. As long as my behaviour aboard ship remained legal and outwardly respectful towards the Master, I considered the running of the radio service and the maintenance of my employer's equipment to be my province alone. I never sailed with a Master that was better trained and qualified than me at my job so was not prepared to defer to the Master in such matters. I did my job and felt that was what I was paid for.
> I never needed to go toe to toe with the Master, I simply refused to do work that was nothing to do with the function for which I had signed on. My refusal was not well received but the matter was not pursued by the Master.
> I was not employed or paid by the shipping company but by MIMCo so my career progression was in their hands, not the Master's. Additional to doing the job for which I was employed, I fixed things for my shipmates (including Masters) but that was my choice. I was brought up to believe that if any person was employed to do a job (aboard ship or in any other organisation) it was because their input was essential. So they are all equally important. The Master was just another shipmate and ought to behave as well as everyone else. I sailed with two who didn't, one for only a month and the other for only a few months. Both joined the ships concerned after me and left before I did. Neither caused me any problems but gave other officers plenty of grief during their short reigns. Neither could have held a management post ashore, the workforce would not have been as deferential as those aboard were. I was grateful that I enjoyed the independence of my MIMCo contract.
> Apart from those two men I found all the other Masters that I sailed with to be fair and reasonable. I never envied them their positions and never wished to have their responsities and the degree of isolation they had aboard.
> I was very happy to do my job and let the Master do his.u


Ron, you sound like my big brother and I mean that with the greatest of respect. I wish I had you to look after me when I had to work through all of this as an 18 year old. No one and I mean* no one,* showed me the way. 

MIMco, God bless their cotton socks, left me to work it out. I never went toe to toe with a Captain. I took it on the chin. 

Today, I would not have let my kids go for a message to the local Sainsbury's at the same relative age (and one of them is now a Police Inspector). 

I wouldn't swop my days at sea though ... (well, maybe ATC at Dublin Airport, but that's yet another story ..).

Barry


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

I was brought up during the war by my mother, my father being absent with a machine-gun regiment on a prolonged world tour. She had the view that I, her only child at that time, was clever and lovable and my school life tended to support that. Whilst working as a labourer on temporary jobs in a cotton mill and a food processing factory I soon learned that my colleagues did not not all share her opinion. So by the time I went to sea I had recognised that on
occasion some of my opinions and actions were not acceptable to others and learned to decide which of those were important to me and must be defended and those which should be avoided and kept to myself.
When I went to sea the lessons learned as an inexperienced, unskilled, shop floor worker proved at least as useful as my grammar school education. Nobody bullied or browbeat me.


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## gordonarfur (May 27, 2018)

Interesting comments, On leaving radio school I was fortunate enough to go direct employ with NZS who were a first rate employer with well maintained ships and equipment and generous leave probably far in excess of that given by the radio companies and really interesting and varied trips.. I believe that our wages were higher than the standard rates but not sure by how much and I did,nt care anyway. The radio superintendents were great guys as were the ships masters. In contrast I met an ex marconi R/O who had been appointed to a caltex tanker for a "quick trip" to the gulf and back which lasted 13 months before returning to the UK. His new wife was singularly unimpressed and that was his last trip and I believe that was not an unusual practice by the radio companies. .


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## Bob M (Jul 14, 2019)

DickGraham said:


> I concur Ron. Also I never heard of anybody being fired by Marconi - if you misbehaved you got posted to a "bad boy boat"


I joined my first ship, the Falaise Soton to St Malo cross channel ferry in May, 1958, just short of my 17th birthday. I was treated with kid gloves at first. Found out that was because I was a Scotsman and from the Watt Memorial. It turned out that my predecessor was also a Scot from the Watt Memorial who had done his national service before attending college. He had obtained his ticket at the exam before me. The Falaise was his second ship. Marconi had been told not to send him back for a second trip on his first ship. He did not last many crossings before getting the boot from the Falaise. I understand he had been making some unwelcome approaches to other crew members. He was thoroughly disliked and definitely not trusted at college by we young guys whom he tried some bullying tactics.
I had a great time on the Falaise, although I was desperate to get deep sea which I achieved after three months. By coincidence on the same ship Ron later did his training, the Golfito of Elders and Fyffes.
Cheers Bob


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## Bob M (Jul 14, 2019)

Bob M said:


> I joined my first ship, the Falaise Soton to St Malo cross channel ferry in May, 1958, just short of my 17th birthday. I was treated with kid gloves at first. Found out that was because I was a Scotsman and from the Watt Memorial. It turned out that my predecessor was also a Scot from the Watt Memorial who had done his national service before attending college. He had obtained his ticket at the exam before me. The Falaise was his second ship. Marconi had been told not to send him back for a second trip on his first ship. He did not last many crossings before getting the boot from the Falaise. I understand he had been making some unwelcome approaches to other crew members. He was thoroughly disliked and definitely not trusted at college by we young guys whom he tried some bullying tactics.
> I had a great time on the Falaise, although I was desperate to get deep sea which I achieved after three months. By coincidence on the same ship Ron later did his training, the Golfito of Elders and Fyffes.
> Cheers Bob


When I said he got the boot off the Falaise, it was also out of Marconi.
Strangely enough, I narrowly avoided meeting him later in New Zealand when one of the crew apparently met him ashore and he was making enquiries about the Sparks. We sailed before he could track me down. Another of my contemporaries also had him enquiring at the gangway of his ship to come on board to meet the sparks. Fortunately the watchman checked first and was told to keep him off the ship!
Bob


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Bob,
In the summer of 1960 I met a guy who had been at Manchester's Brooks Bar radio college with me. He invited me aboard the ship he was on, the Falaise. I was 3rd R/O on the Golfito, just having returned from my 1st trip to the West Indies. Running daily from Soton to St Malo, he was jealous of my tales of time ashore in Jamaica and even more jealous when I described my cabin on the Golfito. His accommodation was not a lot bigger than a broom cupboard but since they were only at sea for a few hours at a time, I suppose that didn't matter too much.
He was the only fellow student from Brooks Bar that I ever met after qualifying, despite remaining with Marconi Marine for over 40 years.


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## Bob M (Jul 14, 2019)

Hi Ron,
Yep, the 2nd RO cabin on the Falaise was what had been a double passenger cabin meant for overnight occupancy. However as I spent little time in it, I did the 0100 to berthing about 0730, my zzing time was short. I used to hit the sack when we berthed on Sunday morning, I was the only crew member on board, and sleep through to Monday morning. Wish I could sleep like that nowadays.
The old Golfito was a big change. Except for you know who.
Cheers Bob


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## Austinsparks (Apr 30, 2013)

Ron Stringer said:


> Austin,
> Have just enjoyed reading your book on Kindle and recognise several similarities with my time at sea as an R/O a decade or so earlier. One significant difference was that I was employed throughout my sea career by Marconi Marine. That meant that as long as I did my job properly, my future did not depend on anyone aboard, not even the Master.
> 
> During my time as sea and since, I have heard and read (including on this website) claims from many direct-employed R/Os that their employment was not only better paid but that they were treated far better. I will not try to deny the financial benefits (although not massively greater) but your experiences with your employers were far worse than anything I ever met up with. Ships that I sailed on had working equipment, had adequate spares and material to maintain the equipment and requisitioned parts arrived promptly on the few occasions that I needed them without any questions being asked or justifications being required.
> ...


Ron,

Thank you for your interesting posts - and also to all who replied to you. And apologies for responding so late - I'm on this site from time to time but don't know how I missed all these posts.

I think I recall a general impression from my time at college that "going direct" could be more lucrative, and also that it had the attraction of being a break with the traditional bureau-style way of working. Obviously none of that guaranteed anything, and as I described in the book I found that even if I had been better off than with MIMCo (questionable) this was balanced by missing out on other benefits such as study leave.

There were certainly times when I would have been pleased to have the option of asking for a trip on a different shipping line! But after getting beyond that, I began to see enforced limits on my career as an R/O as fleets declined, and also found myself repeatedly being assigned back onto a run I liked, and went with the flow until I was ready to leave. Career progression didn't really exist, except for the prospect of an extra half stripe on the uniform after, I think, eight years, and I never contemplated an office job with the company. It was interesting to encounter what remained of the company decades later.

Regarding being asked to do jobs outside the usual remit, P & O brought in a measure called "Inter-departmental Flexibility" which occasionally led to my being asked to operate or maintain equipment on deck which would normally have been the Leckie's responsibility. While I wasn't totally unwilling to help, I usually just had to say that I knew nothing about how to operate or fix it, and the request lapsed, especially as no-one had time to train a novice at times like that. So my time mostly remained my own.

Your conclusions may well be right, at least based on my experience. The company super's visits were best summed up by the quote attributed to Reagan as the most terrifying in the language: "I'm from the Government and I'm here to help!" Only there was never any mention of providing help...

Best wishes,
Austin


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Austin,

I am not sure about 'study leave'. I understand that the MN Establishment required employers to give 'study leave' (as earned against time on articles on a British ship) to learn for certain certificates of competence. R/Os had, I think, only one that qualified, BoT Radar Maintenance (perhaps also for first class PMG when that was relevant?)

If an employer wanted to send you on a course other than for a certificate of competence then it was all down to them including pay and subsistence with no earned study leave taken off you. I was lucky enough, although neither employer nor shipowner knew what they wanted out of it, to be sent on the AMEC course in 1975 by MIMCo.

David V


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## Austinsparks (Apr 30, 2013)

Varley said:


> Austin,
> 
> I am not sure about 'study leave'. I understand that the MN Establishment required employers to give 'study leave' (as earned against time on articles on a British ship) to learn for certain certificates of competence. R/Os had, I think, only one that qualified, BoT Radar Maintenance (perhaps also for first class PMG when that was relevant?)
> 
> ...


Hi David,

Interesting to read this. When I went back to retake my radar I suddenly found my funds cut off once my paid accrued leave ran out, and P & O told me they didn't pay for study leave! Perhaps this was incorrect but it seemed impossible to check or challenge at the time.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

As you say interesting, Austin. Perhaps more knowledgeable hands will put finger to keyboard in due course. I never took Radar. At that time in my career AMEC looked (and was) more useful. Had I not exchanged my mount before carriage of a certificated radar maintainer become mandatory it might have been less so.


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