The old steel bucket

[Wagga]

MV Orita, Atlantic 1970:

One of my jobs was to empty the ‘gash bins’. All the rubbish would just be thrown overboard. Didn’t matter what it was, it went overboard. When one of the crew wanted a bucket of sea water, he threw a bucket over the stern attached to a rope. It was a strongly made steel bucket. With the speed we were going it soon came to the end of the rope and ‘bang’, he was unable to haul it back in again. The rope was as tight as hell and you could almost play a tune on it. He ran up to the bridge to have the ship slowed so it could be hauled in but the First Officer said “No chance”. The bucket stayed there for days until it parted one night. It is a testament to the saying that “They don’t make things like they used to”. A plastic bucket would have lasted less than one second.

Dawber, Christopher (2012-01-27). RUNNING FOR HOME (Kindle Locations 1657-1663). . Kindle Edition.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Whilst serving on a 1914 built trawler there was little capacity for fresh water, most things were done with buckets of seawater, even cooking! Buckets quite easy to fill whilst trawling at slow speeds, but steaming out and back from Iceland (not the store!) at some speed swing the bucket back and forth until its nearly 180 degrees let go on the forward sling as it comes amidships it's already full and easier to get on board, but not that easy when your a 13 year old. First time I tried it only the quick thinking of a deckie learner grabbing my jumper stopped me going overboard................ah! those were the days

[alf corbyn]

a glaswegian and an aberdonian both applied for a deckies job. the skipper said i'll take the aberdonian as they are honest. the glaswegian protested that he was honest so the skipper took them both.
a couple of days later the aberdonian was washed overboard trying to get a bucket of water. the glaswegian rushed up to the bridge and said to the skipper, you know that honest aberdonian, he's away with yer bucket.

[Jim Brady]

Remember those string mats,they were like a string covered in plastic.I was on a ship where this guy decided it was a good idea to lash one to a heaving line and throw it over the side to clean it.When he hauled it back in all that he had was a very long piece of string.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Neville Roberts]

I was told to prewash your wranglers that it would do it if you ropped them over the aft on a rope threaded through the leg and leave them in for a few hours ,I forgot them and went the next day . not much left of the jeans ,just tatters . cost me $5 too .

[John Cassels]

After loading?discharging ore or coal , it was quite normal for boilersuits to be towed astern on the end of a heaving line
for an hour or so,

[Doc Vernon]

Never did actually trawl my Wranglers in the Sea,but did many times get them to look a nice light Blue by soaking then in Sea Water for a day or so,in one of then noice old Steel Buckets (actually think they were made of something else not real Steekl)
That also brings back the old memories of us on the Farm in Vereeniging (outside Johannesburg) when we first had our little House there no Electricity and Water from the Windmill,used to have quite a few of those old good Buckets,and a large Oval Bathing one made of the same stuff!
Used to love splashing around in that !
Cheers

[Calvin Kent]

I favoured Lee Coopers myself and always used to break them in over the back end. Once lost a Lee jacket when the heaving line snapped. Gutted!

The buckets were galvanized and I threw one over the side when I was a deck boy. Meant to just lose the dirty sugee but my hand was a bit slippery. Kept it quiet from the bosun even though he kept asking after it as he needed to do some dhobying. I was doing cargo watch down No 4 hold in Famagusta when I spotted half a dozen galvanised buckets for Mr Poppadopolous of Nicosia. He got five, bosun got one, I lived to screw up another day. Could that bucket be a major cause of cargo switching to containers?

Regards
Calvin

[Doc Vernon]

Thanks Calvin that was the stuff Galvanised! Now why couldnt i remember that! ?? Grrrrr! Old Age !

[John Pruden]

going into the panama we had to wait and anchor for the night during the night one of thees American coast guard cutters tied up along side the galley boy half a sleep tipped the Rosie over the side the crew of the cutter was not amused they had a big clean down first light nice white deck.jp