Lloyds List wants your stories

[The Dieselduck]

Stories of life at sea
By Tom Leander of Lloyds List

THIS being the Year of the Seafarer, as decreed by the International Maritime Organisation, Lloyd’s List would like to encourage commercial seafarers of all stripes to share their stories.

The object will be to publish them throughout the year to give all of our land-bound readers, clinched to their desks, to paraphrase Herman Melville, a chance to live vicariously.

The point will be to draw an accurate first-person picture of the struggles and joys of a life at sea. We are not asking for fine writing, but, of course will be delighted to receive it. Lloyd’s List’s gallery of green eyeshades will assist by editing where necessary.

We are looking for the truth about life at sea on any of the following topics: how did you go to sea? Was there a particular figure that inspired you in your early years? Do you have an adventure to recount? Have you ever encountered a piracy attack? Been in a casualty? How has the mechanised world of seafaring changed the life that you lead? What is your experience of working conditions on board? Of the different cultures mixing on shipboard? How did you finally decide to quit the ocean and take a job on shore?

Submissions should be no longer than 500 words, and they can be shorter. Authors of accepted submissions will be notified by email that their stories will be published. Please send all submissions via email to [email protected].

We encourage you to take the time to write. As Lloyd’s List editors we believe that in this era your lives are largely unsung. We’d like to right that.

[JollyJack]

Does that include stories of Lloyds surveyors, brown envelopes, cartons of Marlborough, bottles of Johnny Walker and all statutory IMO and SOLAS safety Certificates signed on the same day on one afternoon visit?

[JK]

Not so funny when you hear that kind of thing from several different sources, eh?

[Big Pete]

For the sake of historical accuracy, I would like to point out that LLoyd's Class, Lloyd's List and Lloyd's Insurance are all entirely seperate organisations. They share a common origin in that their members socialised and did bussiness in Mr Lloyd's coffee House in London. This is why they used to call their messengers" waiters". (Coffee Houses then were a bit like 1970's Wine Bars)

I worked for a Class Society, as a surveyor, 20 years ago. One day I was surveying a small coaster in drydock, the Captain was part owner and the ship did not carry an Engineer, even though it was trading to East Africa from Europe. There was no Superintendant. When I inspected the ship's side valves I found that the brass seat rings in the valve body were all chewed up. It looked as if some one had pounded a cold chisel on them, big Vs were cut out of the seat and it was clearly impossible that any of the valves would seal properly. This obviously meant that the Hull had no watertight integrity, if a sea water pipe failed. I told the yard foreman, that I was going round with, that I could not accept them, and the yard would have to repair or replace all the valves. He replied that the brass rings were not the valve seats!!! I politely informed him that they were. (He was a young lad in his twenties, recently promoted from being a welder).
By the time I got back to the Office, the yard had contacted the London HQ of the Class Society (NOT Lloyd's), they had contacted my office and I was severely rebuked for upsetting the yard and told that as Surveyors it was of the utmost importance that we maintained good relationships with the shipyards, that I obviously did not understand what a valve seat was, and that another Surveyor would be sent to the yard to apologise and sign off on the ship side valves. I was also declared "Persona non grata" by the yard, meaning they would not allow me into their yard any more.
Surveyors soon get the message that they are not expected to cost the ship owner any money. The ship owner is the customer, and the customer is always right.
I went back to Sea because I was so frustrated at seeing piles of ---- and not being allowed to do anything about it.
BP

[JK]

Stories like this and the case of the Lloyd's surveyors here in the East coast, successfully taking legal action against LR for being let go, makes me GAG that TC and the Canadian government is cheerfully handing off their responsibilities to Class.

[JollyJack]

You are aware, of course JK, of who is one of the biggest shipowners in Canada.

Have a look at the "Tankership Tromedy" elsewhere on Martin's site. Very illuminating as far as shipyard/class relationships go. The goings on skirt classification as criminal activity....but only just! It does reinforce, however, that seafarers are, always have been and always will be, disposable, as far as shipowners are concerned. Guess who pays Class societies? Shipowners!

[JK]

Guess who pays Class societies? Shipowners!

And that litle fact is being glossed over to facilitate the handover.