On Sun, 01 Mar 2015 16:57:29 -0800, PeggLeg <reply@here.net> wrote:
>A "tanker stiff" was/is someone who sails only, or preferably, on oil
>tankers. In WWII, tankers were a really hot "target" of U-boats so the
>guys who sailed them got extra pay. After the war, the trend continued
>and, generally, "tanker stiffs" got a bit more pay. It was dangerous.
>Do you remember the Sansinena? My Mom was way down the coast (Calif.)
>when it blew up and she said she "felt" it. And that was caused, they
>said, by a nylon jacket being tossed over a steel pipeline during a
>Butterworth operation (that is when tanks are cleaned with hot water),
>when the ports in the deck were open. I don't know if they ever changed
>their opinion of the cause, but it shows how dangerous it could be.
>Today, it is much safer. Much, much safer! We have inert gas systems
>and the Butterworth systems are built in to the deck. So, no open
>hatches in the deck. While I have barked my shins on the lines more
>than a few times, they are a whole bunch safer!
>And..."tanker stiff" is just a nickname. The job title, at least my
>last one, was QMED, which stands for "Qualified Member Engine
>Department". Took 10 or 11 tests total, to cover each of the engine
>department jobs, but it was still unlicensed. Less moolah, in other
>words.
>Sorry, didn't mean to get so blabby...
>Thanks for the posts!
>
===================================================
NOT blabby At All Peggleg, it is all very interesting.
I don't remember the Sansinena, I did a search of my archived
collection and came up with No Hits :(
Was hoping that there might have been something. I will check it
online.
I'm 48 and have never served in any type of Military service... just
so that you know a bit about my (lack of) military, seafaring
knowledge :)
Being in the military over here (UK) is nowhere near as widespread as
it is in the USA. My Ex. Wife (from Kentucky) had several
family/extended family members in the armed forces... Me ! None !
(just past ones from the WW2 era).
Like I said, that's interesting stuff that I don't get to hear about
in documentaries (so far).
:)
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