Twin screw British coaster – 1936

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Pembroke Coast – Drawing by Robert A Wilson –

[Richard SimpsonModerator @richardsimpson88330]

Lovely traditional lines typical of her age. Life on board wouldn't have been easy though. You've captured her perfectly Bob.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks Richard,

Yes, a smart little ship. Life aboard was not all that bad. Being a coaster, the food was good. Accommodation was practically standard for that era. The crew of 5 lived in a small cabin under the poop deck (The two forward portholes of the group of four in the after end. The only content of their cabin was two double berths (upper and lower) and one single berth. The cook and boy shared a small cabin on the deck above. Captain, mate, 2nd mate and three engineers all had small cabins that only contained bunk, wardrobe, daybed and washbasin. The captain and chief engineer had desks as well. I have sailed in similar ships, but without the luxury of a washbasin, and it was not as bad as you may imagine. Twin screw was unusual for a coaster. She did not last long – hit by a bomb in port in 1940!

Bob

[Richard SimpsonModerator @richardsimpson88330]

I think all things are relative Bob and my thoughts always go to the crew in the fo'c'sle. I'm not sure by 1936 whether the articles would have included the BOT feeding rates but I know in the mid 1920s they didn't and crew had to buy their own food, cook it over the wood burner in the 'cabin', and eat it in their cabin. The cabin would be shared with three deck crew and three engine room crew so was pretty cosy. I believe some companies allocated linen but, certainly in the 1920s, the straw for the matress had to be sourced from ashore. Add to that the violent movement of a coaster, particularly in the bow, and toiler facilities being not much more than a thunderbox with a pipe over the side and I can't imagine living conditions being too comfortable.

I also think it was very rare in the 1930s, and well through the war, for crew to sign on for only a single voyage and there was no guarantee of employment after that. The articles at that point only included permanent contracts for officers. In fact when I first went to sea in 1975 I seem to remember it was still not the norm for crew to be permanently contracted.

I once did some time on a coaster, crew of 11, six officers all sat around the table together. One cook/steward, make your own bed etc. No entertainment apart from have a beer and a chat in your cabin. Doors were always open with the curtain across. Great atmosphere, I really enjoyed the closeness of the crew and the fascinating medium speed Doxford, which was the British engine manufacturer's last ditch attempt at competing with the rest of the world.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

In the two coasters I sailed in, everyone aboard had their own cabins and the crew cabins were about the same as the officers, except that the captains had their own bathrooms. But the chief engineers only had cabins like the rest of us, without even a wash basin. Everyone (except me) had to pay for their food as well, but as I worked for a radio company and not the shipping company, the shipping company had to supply my food.

What coaster were you one? Mine were Frederick T Everard, and the flatiron Wandsworth. Here is the famous painting of the Wandsworth in the Science Museum, London: **LINK**

In Pembroke Coast, there were two separate galleys for crew and officers, I have never come across that before. But as they had to pay for their food, I expect they would have ensured the cook provided them with good grub! On the Wandsworth the two mates did four hours on, four hours off watches, because the captain didn't seem inclined to keep a watch, but the chief engineer did the 8 – 12, so the three of them did 4 on, 8 off.

[Richard SimpsonModerator @richardsimpson88330]

She was brand new when I sailed on her, I can't believe she is was broken up 15 years ago!

Crown Prince

 

 

 

 

Edited By Richard Simpson on 26/02/2022 12:08:17

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Looks a lot bigger that 1,599. No doubt good accommodation. Not one I have ever heard of though!

[Richard SimpsonModerator @richardsimpson88330]

Cabins were very small but we all had our own washroom/toilet/shower so pretty good for a 'coaster'. We used to do Ellesmere Port, Porto and Gibraltar, 10 day round trip. I lived in Northwich at the time so got a carton of cigarettes and a bottle off every ten days!

There was some very creative design in those ships as everyone was very surprised to hear she was classed as 1,500 grt. Some odd bulkheads in the machinery spaces were part of the creativity!

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Sounds luxurious. Here is the officer accommodation in the Wandsworth. I was behind the bridge opposite from the 2nd engineer. He wouldn't occupy the real 2nds cabin below, because there was only one way out up the stairs if it sank, so he took the 3rd's cabin, whilst the 3rd went below in the 2nds cabin. (The ship did eventually sink, 7 years after I left!) My cabin was incorrectly labelled "Radio operator" that I never was, as I never even bothered with an operator's certificate that was only good for trawlers and tugs, so even on the Wandsworth, I was qualified with a 1st class certificate, good for chief in the largest passenger liners afloat. I was not completely miserable there – but it was an awful winter in the North Sea in '62. Interesting experience, and two years later, I shook it all off when I arrived in the RMS Transvaal Castle of 30,000 grt and never looked back after that –

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