Volume Eight - Pre-Victorian to the present day - more aspects - Sea Breezes Article 1989 - 'Boyhood Days on the Bristol Channel' . . .

Two engineers were carried in the ship but the only thing I am able to remember about them is that when on duty they wore high necked, navy blue patrol jackets. The patrol jacket type of uniform was once popular in the Merchant Navy, particularly with engineer officers during the years between the wars.

Anchoring the 'Ravenswood' was, by today's standards, quite a performance. She was equipped with a pair of Admiralty pattern (stocked) bowed anchors and before anchoring the bulk of the anchor had to be lifted clear of its bed on the foredeck, using the large radial davit sited forward of the windlass. The stock was next manhandled into the shank and pinned in place. The assembled anchor could then be swung outboard and lowered until its weight came onto the chain, when the three-fold purchase was released. Having previously put the gipsy in gear the cable was walked back until the anchor cleared the forefoot. Finally, with the gipsy disengaged, our anchor was ready for letting go.

I am just able to visualise the weird and wonderful arrangement of snatch blocks necessary to provide a fair lead for the hauling part of the anchor purchase when taking it to the warping barrel of the windlass. It was not possible to cat the anchors and temporarily make them fast outboard of the bulwarks.

There was certainly no shortage of work, particularly for the OS who's week it was to be fo'c'sle peggy. By far and away the job I detested most, however, was clearing up after seasick passengers.

We had lighter moments, though. A prank that one seaman used to pull regularly was to chat-up a pretty passenger and ask her to sit on the capstan so that he could be photographed with her. Steam would then be slowly cracked on and as the capstan revolved the girl would start laughing. With a bit more steam applied the revolutions would increase and at this point the giggles would turn to screams because, needing both hands for holding on, the poor lass couldn't help her skirt from flying up!

My time in the 'Ravenswood' soon came to an end. I duly rejoined the 'Mercury' and remained there until August, 1953, when I was appointed to my first deep-water ship. the 'Trevose'.