maritime

Through my sleep I dreamt of eating fish and chips. Probably because my stomach was so empty, and I was hungry after my miserable first watch on the monkey island. However, that dreamy state of half-awake and half asleep was rudely interrupted by a sound in my ear” Sahib, Sahib, one bell”. This cannot be right; I had just gotten off to sleep but no there he was waiting for to get out of my bunk. “It is quarter to eight in the morning, Sahib, breakfast time”. Well I was certainly hungry and thoughts of an English breakfast with all the trimmings did not seem a bad idea. But how did I get it and where did I go to get it? That’s the question. Colin, the senior apprentice, popped his head around the door still puffing on his pipe and in his soft Welsh lilt said: “Wakey, wakey, breakfast at 08:30 in the officer’s saloon. Make sure you have your uniform on and it is tidy”! Okay, quick shower, teeth cleaned and dressed in my new uniform with stains from last night’s debacle on the mon...

For pensioners As pensioners we constantly adapt to keep up with daily life. Such is the case with supermarkets. No longer is it easy to find a friendly local butcher, greengrocer, or baker. We shop in a giant warehouse, often out of town, that they call either a shopping centre or a supermarket. This requires different strategies to successfully complete our purchases that fit our needs and pocket. Timing is also important. Avoid the commuter rush and especially the “after work” peak to the supermarket. Late morning, early afternoon is best, there is more parking space! Parking is the next challenge. Do I need to find an automat, have I got the right app or is it all done automatically by cameras. Getting it right is important to avoid a heavy fine. Is this a big shop requiring a trolley or a small shop where a basket is enough. The result of the decision determines whether you can use the “self-checkout” or not. No trollies in self-checkout. Today it is a basket shop. The o...

Shipping people overseas The transport of goods by sea on scheduled services has been a necessary maritime activity for centuries but also the carriage of people by sea has been a much smaller but nevertheless important part of maritime trade. The Vikings did it in the first century and before that the Romans, the Greeks also travelled around their new lands they conquered. However, there is no sign that the ships they used were specially built for passengers. Warships and cargo boats were common, but ships and boats primarily built for passengers are difficult to find. However, the word passenger is often interpreted as travelling freely and perhaps in some state of luxury. This was not always the case and therefore the term “ Human cargo ” seems a more appropriate title for many of the early maritime ventures.   Therefore we differentiate between those that travel of their own free will and those that are part of “forced travel” such as troops, convicts under “transportation” and...

  Surviving entry into a foreign country The plane came to a stop and the seatbelt signed pinged and switched off. It was if it signalled the start of a race or the commencement of a rugby scrum! People pushed and shoved, climbed over seated persons to reach the aisle, and establish a place in a queue for a cabin door that was not even open! Overhead bin doors flew open and without any regard to people below dragged out their luggage and forced a place in the queue for it. If their baggage was not adjacent to their seat, they pushed past with the determination of a scrum forward without apology or concern for others. What is it in us that brings out this behaviour? Having checked in baggage I knew there was no need to rush so sat back and enjoyed the debacle of sensible people reduced to a rabble in their urge to leave the plane. The door opened and the pushing started but also a sense of decency returned as people waited for others to rise and exit their seats. Soon the pace...