THE GOLDEN RIVET

[Merlyn]

Flicking through the site concerning " practical jokes " there appears to be no mention of the foregoing.
So where is the " Golden Rivet " on a ship and what exactly does it mean?

[JK]

its probably missing because of the connotations.

[pac22ken]

Sandra from Saskatoon thought it was just a little fastener like the ones on blue jeans.
Golden probly just referred to the colour. Then she went on a cruise an got tawkin
to one of the ships engineers.

[Merlyn]

Had to admit, thought connotions was some secret compartment I had never heard of till I gave up and looked in the dictionary However what did Sandra from Saskatoon get told by the ships engineer?
Pray continue?

[JK]

She was asked what the most Important nut on a ship was.

[Merlyn]

Good try but alas not the answer we seek.
It's up the sharp end.

[Curt233]

Well, this joke was a joke played on any new engineer while I was in the Navy, and obviously has been around for Ages. The "Golden Rivet" was the last rivet hammered into place, usually near the keal of the ship in the bilge. They made you think it was "Golden", but in reality, they pissed on your head when you were in the bilge. Which is where the "Golden" comes from. I had never seen it actually done, more just freaked the guys out making them think you were going to do it.

[JollyJack]

The last rivet in a riveted ship (few and far between now) is always put in the last rivet hole.

[Big Pete]

...and the last rivet, in the last hole, would be somewhere topsides as ships are built from the bottom up...

Never let Engineering Facts get in the way up of a good "Wind Up" or "Prank" for the benefit of First trippers.
The only rivets you are likely to find on ships now are "Pop" rivets.

BP

[Merlyn]

Interesting comments and " takes " on the subject, getting close to the answer, interesting comments by Curt re the peeing in the bilges which in the pre control room days of all the engineering crew did on their nightly walk arounds to save a trek to the toilet and the bilges awaited us apprentices being sent down there for that very reason.
JJ's the last rivet went in the last hole, well, not much to say about that. Top technology there.
BP, well, " never let Engineering Facts get in the way of a good "Wind Up " or Prank ", I think you may have inadvertently solved the long outstanding Liner problem here, ( in passing perhaps ? )
CTH = Cranking The Handle = winding up the Engine = Winding her up = ( well, you said it , )
Go on BP, draw on all those years afloat and put 1420 people out of their misery on this unanswered question.
You're the nearest one so far but bear in mind despite all the foregoing there IS a difference.

[JollyJack]

First Trippers have always been a prime target for pranks, as have Fivers and fools!

[Merlyn]

True, this is 1960 and the second Week of the five years to run.
It's not just engineering here to take on board.
You could term this one as a Conversion course, but not for me?

[Merlyn]

This compartment has no key?

[Merlyn]

It's in the chain locker?

[Merlyn]

Well, I am surprised once again what with all that knowledge/experience/ seatime that must be out there no answers forthcoming re the Golden Rivet, what it means and it's exact location on a ship.
I can only relate to my own experience and in doing so will have to wind the clock back to 1960 and me as a sixteen year old boy stood on the engineroom deckplates, the very same deckplates that the previous first week I had spent 3 separate " recce " runs under, each period being upto two hours duration as instructed in order to produce an up to date " schematic pipework diagram " of all types located under there.
The reason for three separate visits was that being told that " it's not right, whenever you join a ship you must equate yourself with colour coded pipes and what they are for and also to ensure no one had repainted any pipes in the wrong colour. "
That together with the, oh we were just passing by and thought that's dangerous , someone has left the deckplates up, that's not on, better bolt them back down to avert an accident, then some wag would compound the situation by placing a Weir pump body or bottom end cap off one of the big ends securely onto the plates thus sealing you in the bilges.
This process was a sure fire way of curing any claustophobia problems one might have for to portray a weakness in that department would set you up for five years of hell.
Emerging for the second time I was told that the salt water feed pipe underneath the bulkhead stop valve was not on my diagram so best you get back under and do it properly this time.
There was of course no such pipe but although I was quite skinny the fear of being trapped someone inaccessible under one of the mains for example was always predominant in my thoughts whilst in the bilges.
So back to the Golden Rivet.
This was to be my next important task.
So, did I know where it was on the ship?
Our mid morning coffee / tea breaks were, weather permitting taken on the decks.
Some of our fitters mentioned to me all the different parts of a ship and how you had to acquaint yourself with them so in the event of an emergency you would know straight away where to go.
Did I know where the Golden Rivet was?
Other apprentices were too busy to show me so I was informed that this was the Stewards job to care care of this compartment and the Golden Rivet therein when the ships restaurant was closed.
So having lunch out on the deck one day the Steward informed me when I was introduced to him that I " seemed like a nice boy " and as such he would have no problem " looking after me " whilst showing me the " Golden Rivet "
Phillip was his name or Phill to his friends and I was told that when I really got to know him better you could call him Phylis as was the name that his fellow stewards called him.
Other apprentices with straight faces arranged for the following day lunch time for the Steward to take me to the chain locker to show me the " Golden Rivet "
The apprentices told the Steward that I would have no problem clambering among the chain links and told the Steward that after my bilge trips I was a very supple boy and as such would have no problems performing the contortions necessary whilst in the chain locker seeking out the Golden Rivet.
Although only a boy and as yet not worldly wise alarm bells rang faintly in my head and realising this other apprentices assured me that this " conversion course " was necessary to enhance my career as a Marine Engineer. "
Now this ship had two gangways, one off and one on and in order to " duck " the " conversion course " I found myself going ashore down the up gangway to a cafe on the Quay to escape the Stewards attentions during the following several days lunch breaks to avoid " Phylis. "
Still in my infancy I could not be 100% sure of the "Golden Rivet " outcome and despite the assurances of all the apprentices concerned I could not bring myself to go on the " conversion course " with the Phillip/Phil/Phylis character in the depths of the Chainlocker with just the two of us.
This " ducking of the chain locker " visit made me the subject of much ridicule with all the other apprentices who assured me that as they had been shown the Golden Rivet why should I be any different?
Here at this point however I have to admit defeat as today some 56 years later I still don't know what the Golden Rivet was.
That being said all those years later I am about to be informed by someone who does know what the Golden Rivet is and of all places in my lifetime in the trade it comes from no less a place than this very site.
So I await for the explanation / answer ?
I now remain confident however that after all these years that the Explanation to this will be revealed by the person who has told us all that he does indeed know the answer.
I await with bated breath for this person to impart this knowledge to us all in an effort to enhance all our careers even further in this long awaited answer.
So Its over to you R.R.?
The only person on the entire site who knows the answer to the "Golden Rivet" ?
Swop you answers re the 13 inches jobby and will consider opening up re the Liner question.
I have allways wanted to know the Golden Rivet meaning and R.R. need not be awake each night anymore concerning the 13 inch explanation any more.
The conversion course?
Never did it, as I said to the wife only the other night,
" Daren't try it in case I like it "