MASTER MARINER
The following is the beginning of an account of a
life at sea written by Captain RAYMOND STORM (1892-1971).
His first ship was the SS
Kildale owned by Messrs Rowland & Marwood
of Whitby, and he joined her in 1909. Captain MILNER was her
master.
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The people of Robin Hoods Bay used to own sailing vessels used
mainly in the Baltic, North Sea and Mediterranean trades. These
vessels were mainly brigs, brigantines and schooners.
I started in steam as a premium apprentice. Others started as
ordinary seamen with no premium to pay. My first trip started
with a 10-hour train journey to Barry Dock in South Wales, and my
first impressions of that place were coal dust and the rattling
of steam winches. I was a bit scared of any machinery.
I made the train journey in company with one T. FLETCHER who
turned out to be the hardest man I was ever shipmates with. But
what a sailor! I was used to short trips like Whitby and
Scarborough or Middlesborough, and I thought we were never going
to arrive; but we got there in time for a breakfast seasoned with
coal dust. I have come across a few since that time who changed
their minds about a life at sea under such a beginning. The ship
was lying in a waiting berth and she shifted next day into her
loading berth.
The Bristol Channel was very busy in those days with ships of
five to seven thousand tons down to small coasters of five
hundred or so. Barry was full of ships. Other apprentices were C.
TURNER, who only had six months to go, D. GOWDY of Sunderland,
and H. REDMAN of Robin Hood’s Bay, both with about 2 years
to put in, and one called SPENCE from Redcar who had done about a
year. (Raymond met Capt H Redman 40 years later in Liverpool when
the latter was a master in the Palm Line. ‘Tommy’
Fletcher was of the same family as Capt Will Fletcher who
commanded the ‘Margaret Nixon’ for 40 years. This was
the last brig registered at Whitby)
The crew had not yet come aboard but the riggers were busy, and
there was a night-watchman called PENGELLY who did the cooking,
the Donkeyman, MURPHY, who had been fireman in the Company’s
ships, and an engineer or two.
We were several days loading, and the crew eventually signed on
to join five minutes after midnight before sailing time. My first
job was to clean the brasswork which was very green, like me, and
then we scraped decks, cleared all cargo gear away and washed
paintwork.
I was seasick and there was a long trip ahead across the line to
Montevideo and Durban, and back to Cardiff. I saw much of the
high winds and heavy seas…Karachi, Hamburg, Finland…..
Rajah and Cardiff again followed. An old sailor advised me to
take little sips of salt water for the sickness. It didn’t
help; nor was working four-hours-on and four- hours-off much use
either.
My indenture was for four years. I was to serve the master, his
executors, administrators and assigns and to obey their lawful
commands and keep their secrets and, when required, to give a
true account of their goods and money. The frequenting of
alehouses and taverns, and the playing of unlawful games was
forbidden. In consideration of these commitments I was to be
taught the business of a seaman and to receive meat and drink.
The customary arrangements for laundry and washing, amounting to
a soap allowance of a shilling per month was crossed out, but
medical treatment was allowed for. In the first year I was to
receive £7, in the second £8, in the third £10, and finally
£15. The indentures differed little from my grandfather’s
in 1850 (JACOB STORM 1837-1926) except that he served for 6
years.
I remember liking Montevideo. We lay in the bay and, because
there was no shore-going, we fished, and patronised the bumboat.
On leaving we went straight into horrible weather.
Odd things stick in the memory. I remember buying shirts for one
shilling each in India, and messboys hired for sixpence per day.
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. IN MEMORIAM
