# Esso ~ free R/T calls:



## les.edgecumbe (Dec 24, 2007)

Praise be to allah that I escaped it, but often wondered how R/O's with Esso handled all the free calls offered by the Co.
Considering the long waits I endured for even 1 link call, and maybe to find QSB coming near my turn, I can only be amazed at long queues outside the Radio Rm.
How did you cope?


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Imagine that - sitting there for hours with the people who reckoned you didn't do anything! The total loners would have phoned the speaking clock just to take advantage of the perk.

John T


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

We had the same thing in Shell.

Kept you busy.


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

now in the offshore world with V-SAT and phones in every cabin it's a doddle. Just dial away.


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## Keith Adkins (Apr 21, 2006)

I sailed with Esso from 1970-75 and seem to remember that there was a limit on the number of free calls you could have, and didn't have any problem with the system. If memory(ha ha) serves me right the calls were limited to 3 minutes, but then I could be wrong


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## William Clark8 (Feb 15, 2013)

*Keith*

If I remember it was 1 per month. Sometimes you had to have message relayed through another person which was a bit off putting
if you wanted to say something really personal. What was the name of relay station. Was it Portisaid Radio?(==D)


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## les.edgecumbe (Dec 24, 2007)

Keith Adkins said:


> I sailed with Esso from 1970-75 and seem to remember that there was a limit on the number of free calls you could have, and didn't have any problem with the system. If memory(ha ha) serves me right the calls were limited to 3 minutes, but then I could be wrong


Link calls were never a favourite of mine....standing by with a turn number for ages, listening to all sorts of ????, HMS Ark Royal with 22 calls!, then the dreaded fading starting 2 turns before yours. If you had a queue of callers waiting in the shack etc. this would really increase the tedium and pressure.
Of course it was/is a deserved perk, but my point is the time involved to manage it~ bound to run into 'out of watch' time too.


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