Click here for nautical ditty!
A Book about Ships, Seamen and the Sea!
(I
have placed what I think is appropriate music on each page of this site. Just look for the note near the top of each page)
I am an ex seafarer who decided to put the story of his time at sea on paper. My book, "The World
is my Ocean",
traces my time at sea including sailing on an old coal burning tramp ship from
England to Australia
immediately following the second World War when I was seven years of age.
I went to
sea as a cadet when I was 16 years of age on a British training ship.
The following years of adventure, fun
and learning are chronicled in the book.
The cadet years take me from Australia to Europe and the United Kingdom.
As I quickly mature I find myself
on the African coast for the last years of the British Empire.
|
| My book |
On completion of my training which took over three years I emerged as
a fully qualified seaman. Then came
the studies for an officers certificate
of competency which would allow me to join a ship as a junior officer.
I then spent the next few years on various cargo liners and a
historic five star passenger ship.
After gaining
further qualifications I decided to broaden my
horizons and joined a tramping company in Hong Kong to see what
adventures
may come my way sailing the South China Seas.
Little did I realise how exciting it would be as I made my way
towards
command. When I eventually was appointed Captain of a small
cargo ship the adventures started in earnest.
My book goes into detail regarding life at sea during the 1950's
and 60's, arguably the golden years
of British shipping.
| The passenger ship |
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| RMS Kampala in Bombay |
Another unsolicited
posting from a member of the 'Ships Nostalgia' web site.
"I have had the honour and privilege of reading the draft manuscript of John's book
and I have to say it is one of the most poignant yet extremely humorous and interesting stories of a life and career at sea
I have ever read.
I can honestly and sincerely recommend everyone at SN to obtain a copy, you won't be disappointed.
Those of you who were/are seafarers will see much they recognise. For the rest of us it provides a taste of just what it's
like to "go down to the sea in ships"
Excellent work JB, you should be rightly proud of yourself."
Tom McCluskie MBE Author of, 'No Place for a Boy', A Life at Harland & Wolff. Tempus Publishing Limited.
An acknowledged "Titanic" expert who has written
numerous books on the "Titanic" and her two sister ships.
| When I was Master |
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| MV Atlas Navigator in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
“It is a great
and very interesting read about a great bloke.
An exciting time not only your time at sea but in the development
of the maritime world and the world post WW II.
A time and life that will never be repeated.“
