Jumping ship

[Robert George Young]

I know there would be a few reasons to jump ship.

But would one of them be to possibly make a life at the place?.
Would that be one of the main ones..?

thank you

[j.sabourn]

Many seamen have jumped ship in different parts of the world. Philadelphia the place you talk about , I joined a ship there and the next morning half of the deck crew were gone. They were Chinese and even though the ship had private guards on hire from Pinkertons they still got off against the agreement that they signed that they would not go ashore in the USA. Their case it was an organised crime syndicate working out of H.K. Called the Happy Villagers Association , and they were transported mainly to N.Y. To work in cafes etc.after a couple of years when made enough money they handed themselves into immigration and were deported back to H.K. I was in H.K. Years later and was invited by the bosun who jumped ship previously to meet him ashore and he was a very rich man.
There may be some on site who may wish to tell you or not , in my working out here there have been quite a few who jumped here in Australia and I can’t speak for them , whether it was women, or a better life or not. I never had the nerve to jump but I certainly thought about it many times . Your father sounds like the average seaman of his era. JS. ps the Philly incident was in 1968 so if it happened at the same time , let’s hope he didn’t get caught up in the rush with the chinese. Cheers JS..

[Ivan Cloherty]

Most people jumped ship because of the affairs of the heart (or possibly crutch), bet most never even thought of the 'better life' aspect of it. Like John whilst on the Aussie coast my heart nearly ruled my head, those blond, bronzed ladies could tear a man's heart in two. Some could even spit it out and move onto the next victim, some of those nurses from Sydney Nurses Home could be real Jekyll and Hide, but not the one I fell in love with!!

Only time I jumped ship is when the mooring men didn't turn up to take the lines and some 'volunteer!!!!' idiot had to jump on the quay from a moving ship to get a wire spring ashore.

[john walker]

Robert I jumped ship in 1970, My reasons for doing so were that I hated the ship that I was sailing on (The Orcades) and I liked the place and people where we were (Auckland) At the time I am sure that I did not care about the consequences but realise now that it could have meant the end of my seagoing career and goodness knows what else. I also feel sure that if the ship had been in one of the more God forsaken African/Asian ports I would not have jumped ship. One of the reasons for myself and others jumping ship in that part of the world were that when ashore you were among people who had a certain amount of sympathy towards seamen and could offer help and advice if asked for.

[Harry Nicholson]

During the war, Hartlepool was the base for a Polish Destroyer that escaped to join the British fleet. One of it's engineering officers became a family friend. At war's end, rather than return to Poland and the Communists he signed on a British merchant ship. He walked off her in Australia, where he married, raised a family, and built up a car repair business. He kept in touch with us by letter.
All his life in Australia he declared himself a German in case he was discovered as illegal and sent back to Europe. The Russians had murdered his brothers, all officers, with hundreds of other Polish elite in the forest at Katyn - he would rather be German than be sent back to Poland. He left the world about 20 years ago - a lovely man.

[Doc Vernon]

For me well had never a reason ,although many a Love lost or just never saw them again, but i never Jumped Ship because of that or any other !
Just took life as it came, the good and the bad! Possibly the ugly too LOL

Cheers

[Ivan Cloherty]

Just took life as it came, the good and the bad! Possibly the ugly too LOL

Cheers

So! you went out with her as well!

[Doc Vernon]

Actually Ivan no true a word has been said as Yes i did at one time not actually go out with the Ugly one , but you know a one Night Stand was all and it took a Bottle of Mainstay Cane for the Pain mate! LOL
Cheers

[j.sabourn]

#8. Maybe a good reason for jumping ship to the usual reason Vernon, so she didn’t know where to find you ? JS

The Philly one I mentioned the British mates and engineers had been there 2 years and 3 months and they stayed on until the US coasting was completed. It suited at least one of them who was from Shields who was wanting a divorce was able to claim a poor mans one as having been apart for more than 2 years. JS.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Although many jumped in Aus, I think that more British seamen jumped in NZ than any other place, though I stand to be corrected. Many were picked up and put on returning ships but many stayed, I was up for jumping but my brother who had jumped the Derryclare in 47 advised me to emigrate as if I were picked up could do two months inside and then could still be sent home., it didn't deter 50% of the tanker i was on, in New Plymouth four Geordie's jumped, on the coast much later I met them, all with families there. I think most jumpers in NZ did it for the girls and the parties and stuff the consequences.
Des