# The Chaffing



## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Ok - who is a martyr to this most excruciating of Engineering ailments?


I once paid a 4/E to my evening walkround as I could only walk sideways due to near terminal inner thigh chaffing. 

Of course there were the two types of chaffing:

1. Inner thigh
2. Buttock

I personally rate it worse than *****ly heat


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

I think that you have been riding a horse for too long, sounds like saddle rash

Bob


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## John Briggs (Feb 12, 2006)

Sounds suspicious to me! What ports were you visiting at the time?


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Nothing to do with Dhobi Rash?


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## davetodd (Jul 8, 2007)

Often associated with boiler top straddle rash?[=P]


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Marconi Sahib said:


> Nothing to do with Dhobi Rash?


you're a sparky and this is sweat related


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Satanic Mechanic said:


> you're a sparky and this is sweat related


You've obviously not sat next to a transmitter with a couple of receivers containing twenty plus heated valves in front of you in a box the size of a water closet with no air conditioning or fan. (==D)


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## MARINEJOCKY (Nov 25, 2007)

I doubt if he was ever outside of an air conditioned control room so I guess he was paying the 4/E for other services (*))


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## Matt Black (Dec 31, 2008)

*Betty Swollocks*



Marconi Sahib said:


> Nothing to do with Dhobi Rash?


How could I forget Betty Swollocks? second cousin of Dhobi Rash. 

Chef types call this "The Wolf" something to do with the walking style employed to ease the agony!!!


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

Could it be the dreaded BBS- battered buttocks syndrome?


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Marconi Sahib said:


> You've obviously not sat next to a transmitter with a couple of receivers containing twenty plus heated valves in front of you in a box the size of a water closet with no air conditioning or fan. (==D)


Pfft - tis for wimps(Smoke) 

Anyhoo - I have heard of a cure for 'the chaffing' - I was out with a lad last night who was so bad with it he took it to the doctor.

Surely its not a new problem


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## South Pacific Pom (Apr 26, 2009)

Satanic Mechanic said:


> Ok - who is a martyr to this most excruciating of Engineering ailments?
> 
> 
> I once paid a 4/E to my evening walkround as I could only walk sideways due to near terminal inner thigh chaffing.
> ...


There is a 3rd type which I have personally experienced but only with a particular brand of boilersuit :

3. Nipples

eventually had to stick tape over them to get some relief from the aching (EEK)


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

South Pacific Pom said:


> There is a 3rd type which I have personally experienced but only with a particular brand of boilersuit :
> 
> 3. Nipples
> 
> eventually had to stick tape over them to get some relief from the aching (EEK)


It wasn't 'Can't tear 'em' boiler suits by any chance


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## Steve P (May 23, 2007)

Present company insist on us wearing red cotton boiler suits, but with a fire retardent applied to the material. The sweat, therefore, doesn't soak into the material but runs down the back, down the legs and into ones boots. Not only does one end up with buttock rash, betty swollocks and chaffing thighs but trench foot as well........!!


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Steve P said:


> Present company insist on us wearing red cotton boiler suits, but with a fire retardent applied to the material. The sweat, therefore, doesn't soak into the material but runs down the back, down the legs and into ones boots. Not only does one end up with buttock rash, betty swollocks and chaffing thighs but trench foot as well........!!


thats just plain nasty - fire retardent boiler suits are a nightmare - present company does not use them ruling them excessive to requirements(Thumb)


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Satanic Mechanic said:


> Pfft - tis for wimps(Smoke)
> 
> Anyhoo - I have heard of a cure for 'the chaffing' - I was out with a lad last night who was so bad with it he took it to the doctor.
> 
> Surely its not a new problem


A nice cool, loose boiler suit and skivvies is no match for doing a watch wearing full whites or number tens under such conditions. Purely in case a passenger happens by the radio room. (Sad)

Besides, there's a picture of a mere sparkie in a manky boiler suit in Sembawang drydock bottom somewhere in the gallery. (Thumb)


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## waldziu (Jun 17, 2008)

A nice well washed and faded pair of ovies and commando worked for me in the RN.

And before you all start I was the original hairy****d stoker.


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## Fieldsy (Nov 3, 2008)

Once took a pack of itching powder to sea, with the intention of sprinkling some in the skivvies hanging out to dry on upper engine room handrails.

Never had the heart to do it!


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## GWB (Jul 11, 2007)

Once told a first trip junior best way to solve the chaffing problem sprinkle a good dash of OLD SPICE on the effected area or do his own dhobi as greaser used suggie to boil the overalls he choose the first last seen running down the alley way looking for fire hose.

George


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

I never had a rash from engine room heat or overall chaffing etc and maybe it was because we washed our overalls with Union Co soap.
Our ship had a large drum located near the workshop lathe and we used a shaft in the chuck and extending out of headstock with a reciprocating crank to pump a dobbie plunger up and down in the drum. A piece of rubber insertion jointing made an ideal paddle and adding a few cakes of toilet soap followed by a good fresh water rinse we had garments as pure and sweet as a freshly laundered baby's nappie.
That Colchester Lathe might never of turned in anger but it certainly put Mr. Beatty or Bendix to shame.


Bob


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## Philthechill (May 8, 2007)

*Whose nipples were they?*



South Pacific Pom said:


> There is a 3rd type which I have personally experienced but only with a particular brand of boilersuit :
> 
> 3. Nipples
> 
> eventually had to stick tape over them to get some relief from the aching (EEK)


 #3 sounds decidedly "suss" to me! Aching b******s connected with nipples and type of boiler-suit?

Sounds to me as though he's had his "ball-and-chain" doing the trip with him. She's donned a light, nylon, boiler-suit, suitably dampened, stood in front of the fan so her "nips" got suitably chilled and then, when he was raring to go, denied him his "marital rights". She then realised that he needed calming-down a bit so she stuck tape on them. However it was all too late and the net result, "aching goolies". Q.E.D. Salaams, Phil(Hippy) P.S. Usual cause of Betty Swollocks, giving grief, was not making sure the boiler-suit was well and truly rinsed after it had been dhobied! O-o-o-o-o-o-h the pain!!!!!


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## Hugh Ferguson (Sep 4, 2006)

Surely this must be chafing-I've been thinking it had something to do with taking the mickey.


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Oh here I forgot to mention what my mates doctor said:

So he goes to the doc with a double whammy (inner thigh and buttock) chaffing - no doubt either walking sideways or walking on his hands.

The doctor tells him it is a form of fungal skin infection that most people have and it is related to athletes foot - but it causes inflammation and pain in welts where it is rubbed and is hot and sweaty. Even in sparkies

So the answer is athletes foot cream and powder. there you go(Thumb)


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## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

Corn starch works for me

Greg Hayden


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## ccurtis1 (Aug 16, 2007)

Whitfields ointment cured EVERYTHING. Can you still get it?
Regards


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

ccurtis1 said:


> Whitfields ointment cured EVERYTHING. Can you still get it?
> Regards


This the stuff?

http://www.guyanamasala.com/whitfield39s-ointme.html


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## ccurtis1 (Aug 16, 2007)

Satanic Mechanic said:


> This the stuff?
> 
> http://www.guyanamasala.com/whitfield39s-ointme.html


Aye,thats the stuff. Second Mates (the shipsdoctor) doled the stuff out for every ailment, but it did work
Regards


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Sierra Leone crew could be cured of nearly everything with Deep Heat - except chaffing and betty swollocks(EEK)


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## ccurtis1 (Aug 16, 2007)

Mention of the Sierra Leone Kroo boys brings back some memories. A Chief Steward in Palm Line cured headaches for the Kroo, by cellotaping an Aspirin on their foreheads. With the sweat dissolving the Aspirin, it then ran into the lads eyes irritating them and they were in worse distress from this than the original complaint, so headache gone. The same Chief Steward had a visit from a Kroo , complaining, "Sah, no caca" The CS prescribed a mild laxative. Following day, same Kroo approached the CS saying "Sah, still no caca" A stronger laxative was prescribed. Following day the Kroo almost on his knees approched the CS saying "Sah still no caca" The CS prescribed a mixture of Black draft, and all of the laxatives known to man confident that this would cure the ailment. Not so. Following morning The Kroo again approached the CS, virtually on his hands and knees saying "Sah, still no caca, all time piss for ass". Poor beggar had been suffering from diahorrea
We had a dhobi man, Festus, who had been in the army during the war, and when asked if he carried a rifle replied "no sah, I was dhobi man" A lifetime it would appear of washing clothes and linen
Regards


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

If memory serves the Kroo were from a large expanded family in Sierra Leone but not all Sierra Leonies (sp?) were Kroo - a lot of Kroo settled in Liverpool mostly called Kamara.

Can anyone confirm this?


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## Philthechill (May 8, 2007)

*Asepso soap.*

I had an absolutely monumental dose of *****ly-heat one time and, when we got to Aden, I was having a yarn with one of the RAF blokes who'd come aboard to supervise unloading some RAF Stores and I told him about my *****ly. "Asepso soap is the stuff!", he said, "and you can get it in Steamer".

Next time I went ashore I got half-a-dozen bars. It looked a bit 10-1 (CB speak for "a bit iffy") being a darkish grey. The texture left a bit to be desired too feeling not unlike fine emery! It did the trick though as I used it as soon as I got back on board and got the first relief from the incessant irritation for ages.

I think the "emery" texture was some mild sort of abrasive which sort of opened the skin up to the antiseptic contained in the soap ( as SN's resident medic, Pompeyfan, does that sound about right?) which then gave the relief you craved.

I also used to have trouble keeping the BOT salt-tablets down too and, when I was getting the "Asepso", I spotted some chocolate-coated "salties" so I bought a ginormous bottle of them. They were an absolute God-send as I never had a bit of trouble with keeping them down so I was able to keep my salt-levels up. Hard to imagine now, in normal everyday temperatures (or even the hottest Summer days) how we black-gang chaps had to swallow unimaginable numbers of salt-tablets to replace the salt we sweated-out. I always knew when I needed to "top-up" on the salt as I used to get agonising cramp in my arms when I was perhaps tightening a nut down after working on some piece of kit.

The salt-tablets and the large amounts of Tennents kept our liquid and salt levels in equilibrium and the agony of Betty Swollocks at bay I reckon. It must be absolutely crap in The Merch these days going down the Red Sea and you're only allowed two cans of ale a day! Salaams, Phil(Hippy) P.S. I've just Googled "Asepso" and it's still available! It say that up-to-date 8 billion bars have been sold! Well without the half-dozen I bought that figure would have been 7,999,999,994 so I bet they're well-chuffed!


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## ccurtis1 (Aug 16, 2007)

Phillthechill said:


> The salt-tablets and the large amounts of Tennents kept our liquid and salt levels in equilibrium and the agony of Betty Swollocks at bay I reckon. It must be absolutely crap in The Merch these days going down the Red Sea and you're only allowed two cans of ale a day! Salaams, Phil(Hippy)


Amen to that Phil
Regards


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## william dillon (Jun 9, 2005)

Steve P said:


> Present company insist on us wearing red cotton boiler suits, but with a fire retardent applied to the material. The sweat, therefore, doesn't soak into the material but runs down the back, down the legs and into ones boots. Not only does one end up with buttock rash, betty swollocks and chaffing thighs but trench foot as well........!!


I like it Steve, that made me laugh "Trench Foot" brilliant.(Jester) (Jester)


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## NoMoss (Mar 14, 2007)

GWB said:


> Once told a first trip junior best way to solve the chaffing problem sprinkle a good dash of OLD SPICE on the effected area or do his own dhobi as greaser used suggie to boil the overalls he choose the first last seen running down the alley way looking for fire hose.
> 
> George


I know the feeling once sprayed DDT to repel mossies and got some on private parts - was kept awake with glowing scrotum which could be seen through the sheet all night.


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## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

ccurtis1 said:


> Aye,thats the stuff. Second Mates (the shipsdoctor) doled the stuff out for every ailment, but it did work
> Regards


Bit cheaper here - http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/compound-benzoic-acid-bp-whitfields-ointment_1_9344.html

Tried to get some from Asda's pharmacy the other week though and the pharmacist quoted several times that price and that frightened the athletes foot away!!

Agree though that it used to cure all sorts of minor skin ailments - provided you could put up with the initial burning sensation!!


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

As previous Members have stated the amount of Salt tablets we in the Black Gang consumed was unbelievable, now I get "black looks" from her indoors when I go for a packet of Crisps.


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