A Mediteranean interlude

 So, this is Gibraltar, that large rock at the entrance to the Mediterranean that I have heard so much about lately and here it is right in front of my eyes, my very first foreign port. I'm really looking forward to it.

As a 16-year-old grammar schoolboy I learnt very little history being more led through English literature and languages which did not excite me at the time.

Only later did I learn of the British Empire and its tentacles around the globe.

Gibraltar was an outpost of the British Empire but has had an interesting and varied history.

Not only is there evidence of prehistoric cave dwellers on “The Rock” as it is affectionately called but it was of religious and symbolic importance from around 950 BC. For the Greeks and Romans, it was called “The Pillars of Hercules” after the Greek legend on the creation of the Straits of Gibraltar.

The Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 covered the occupation of Gibraltar until the Spanish recaptured it in 1462.

In 1713 the Treaty of Utrecht ceded control of Gibraltar to Britain, and it later became a British Protectorate albeit there were many attempts by the Spanish to retake possession.

The Napoleonic Wars showed the strategic importance of the Rock, and it became an important British Naval base.

However, to me, as we approached the harbour and the extensive breakwater all I saw was a lot of naval ships. Colin called them “the grey funnel line”. Well, at least, it is a sailor’s port and that means lots of fun ashore.

So, you're expecting to go ashore says Colin in his Welsh accent. Of course, this very excited 16-year-old boy had never been abroad and here we are in Gibraltar. “Well let's wait and see”, says Colin.

The chief officer wants to see you now. Okay what's all this about so I went for’d and knocked on his door and said, “Sir you called for me”. “Yes Douglas”, he said. “This is your first foreign port and you’re only 16 years of age. Because you're young and this is a sailor port you've a lot to learn.

“You can go ashore with Jock, one of the quartermasters. He'll be going ashore for a few beers he will take you into a bar and give you a beer. Then I want you to promise me that you'll come straight back to the ship. Is that clear?” “Yes Sir”. Okay Jock is ready now so you can go get into your city gear and get ready to go ashore”.

Jock was a huge, slow speaking man from the Hebrides, so clearly, I was going to be in good hands ashore if anything happened.

A little bit despondent at the thought of being chaperoned I went and changed into a pair of slacks and a short-sleeved shirt because it was quite warm and then went down to the quartermaster's accommodation. I knocked on Jock’s cabin door and he said “OK, let's go”, and we went down the gangway and I stepped onto “foreign soil” for my very first time. We went straight across from the dockyard into the Main Street and there was a bar. It was called the Pinto bar. “This will do”, he said, and we went inside.

Not having been in a bar before I was eager to see what it looked like. Well there was a long bar down one side with beer pumps. Behind the bar on the wall were many shields of naval warships with their names clearly visible. It was dark inside after coming in from the bright sunlight and it took some time to see the rest of the tables. There was a lot of cigarette smoke, and a jukebox was playing an Everly brothers record “Bye Bye Love” in the corner.

This is going to be great, I thought.

OK, said Jock, “I will buy you a beer”. That was generous, I thought as he handed me a pint glass of beer. This was my first ever glass of beer, so I eagerly took a sip. Not at all what I expected! It had a heavy froth on the top that stuck to your lips and the taste was really bitter. Jock saw my grimace and laughed. So it is your first taste of bitter? Bitter is the Englishman’s drink, lager is for all those continentals, he said.  It is very like the Newcastle brown from your area so get used to it.

I noticed he also had a pint but also a double whisky. Never seen that combination before.

“Cheers”, he said, and we stood at the bar and drank our beers. He then downed the whisky in one swift movement, turned to me and said, “Laddie”, it is time for you to get back to the ship and for me to get down to some serious drinking”!

“Remember what the chief officer said, straight back and no dawdling”!  What have I done to deserve this, I thought, but remembering my promise to the Chief Officer and uncertain of the consequences of disobeying I turned left out of the bar and wandered down the street to the dock.

Looking around I could see that it really was very British, red post boxes, red telephone kiosks and policeman with English Bobby hats. Everybody seemed to speak English, lots of sailors around lots of bars. This is a place I could get to like. If I missed the ship, it wouldn’t be too bad.

However, a promise is a promise so back to the ship.

 My first trip offshore in a foreign port and it lasted about 1 hour, and I drank one beer. Aw’well, let’s hope things improve on the voyage.

Next morning after breakfast we prepared for departure. The “Blue Peter” was flying so we

expecting to sail. This flag is the “P” flag in the alphabet and signifies that the ship is getting ready to sail. Has anyone seen Jock said Colin, he has not returned yet and we sail in a couple of hours? No-one had seen him, but no one seemed too worried. An hour before departure a taxi raced up to the gangway, the rear passenger opened, and Jock fell out onto the dockside. His mate on gangway watch hurried down the gangway and helped him up to the ship and he disappeared into the accommodation. So, this is what is meant by “serious drinking”! Must remember that.

The pilot arrived, the pilot flag “H” was hoisted, and the gangway lifted inboard. We went “to stations” and on the poop I again had to handle the telephone and communicate with my Glaswegian Second Mate. At least it was daytime and no rain this time. We “singled up” and waited for the tugs to arrive, two giant naval tugs, far bigger than those we had on the Mersey, one forward and one aft. “Let go everything”, came the command from the bridge and duly we winched the wire spring and the after mooring rope in with clouds of steam coming from our mooring winch. “All gone aft” shouted the Second Mate and then there was a great shudder through the ship and we gently eased away from the quay and out past the breakwater. The pilot boat came alongside and the naval pilot in full uniform went over the side down a pilot ladder with a wave and we were away heading east for our next port, Port Said. Perhaps this would be a real “foreign port”.

Now we are heading east in a clear blue sea, fine weather and everybody settling down to our watch system 4 on and 8 off. That is all except Jock who has not been seen yet. Still recovering from his “serious drinking” trip ashore!

Next morning I was woken at 0700 after only 3 hours sleep to an infernal racket outside the cabin. Sounded like an aircraft crash. Jumped out of bed cursing being woken up and bumped into Colin. What the hell is that noise, I shouted. Relax boyo, he said, the crew are holystoning the deck. What the hell does that mean? Come and see, he says. Outside the cabin was a row of Indian crew pushing blocks of stone along a wet deck!!! The boat deck was a teak deck fastened on top of the steel deck and apparently it needs to be cared for by scrubbing it with sandstone!! But holystone? No idea, said Colin, we have always called them that and it happens every week followed by washing the decks down.

OK, another maritime tradition I need to get used to.

At our leisurely pace of 8 knots it is going to take around 9 days to reach Port Said. That means at least one more round of holystoning, must remember that!

After lunch Colin called us into the apprentice messroom. It is Saturday today and tomorrow, Sunday, the Captain will start his weekly rounds of inspection and that includes us.

“What”, all of us first trippers shouted. We thought we had escaped having to tidy up and clean our bedrooms when we left home! Well, boyo, he said. Not quite used to this boyo thing. Must be some Welsh expression but is he being kind, patronising or is it just like in Yorkshire when we shout, “ 'Eh up'.”? Well, at least he is not angry. OK Colin what have we got to do? Well, just so you know he comes with clean white gloves and if he finds something whilst wiping above doors behind bathroom taps etc., we will get a rocket, get it? Everything must be squeaky clean. And another thing he will inspect your personal lockers so do not leave any dirty underwear in there! And finally, we line up outside in FULL UNIFORM.

Bloody hell seems we are in the Navy now. Something like that says Colin with a smile.

Sunday arrives, 0945 Colin has done his inspection to check everything and just before 1000 we line up outside our cabin. Right on 1000 the Captain arrives in full uniform, the standard gold “scrambled egg” on his uniform cap showing his full authority. The doleful chief officer trails behind.

Good morning boys, the Captain smiles, no illnesses, all in good physical form? Fine we all respond, and Colin invites the Captain in to start his inspection. He pulls on a pair of white gloves, smiles at us and enters the hallowed apprentice accommodation. We are told to wait outside so have no idea what happened in there. Fifteen minutes later the entourage comes out and the Captain reports that all is well but commands Colin to train the younger apprentices to be more thorough in cleaning behind and under the taps!! Not only that we could better organise our clothes in our lockers!!

So ends our first inspection and Colin sighs a breath of relief. “I thought it was going to be much worse than that”. It was a good idea that I did an inspection first. One sneaky thing some Captains do is to put a coin in a well-hidden place and then check to see if it is still there on the next inspection. I found one under a bunk mattress. Well done, Sunday is a day of relaxation for non-watch keepers which is alright for me, but you guys have to go back on watches! He smiles and lights up his pipe.

The weather is warming up and it is not too bad on watch now. Seas are relatively calm and the midnight to 0400 “graveyard” watch is pleasant enough once you have the routines worked out. It is relatively quiet on the ship and the only sounds are the thump, thump of the engine and the splashing of the sea against the ship’s hull. Now and again dolphins come and play in the bow wave jumping high in the air before diving like a torpedo back into the sea. However, there is not a lot of time to hang over the bridge coaming and dream as there is plenty of ship traffic coming and going in our direction and we do not overtake many ships at our leisurely 8 knots. There are fishing boats around and they seem to have no regard for other shipping and the only lights they seem to display is very bright overhead lights over their fishing gear. Not very good for detecting their movement. So, the days and nights pass quickly and there is a sense of excitement on the ship and the word is we will change into “whites” tomorrow whatever that means!!