Merchant Mariner Clubs?

Hmm. I might be that Chief. . . . . . I certainly did some research, and Stoney’s was just the kind of joint that I was thinking about.

If it hadn’t been the Exxon Valdez it would have been some other incident. The industry has changed and so has the culture. Used to be you were not considered to be a real seaman if you didn’t like to go out on the town in port, no more. It’s no different then a lot of other industries, what ever happened to the old barn stormers in aviation?

Nobody nowadays expects the pilot have a couple “heaves ahead” before flying a four engine jet passenger liners trans-Atlantic and nobody wants the captain of a supertanker to either. Those days are long gone and they are not coming back.

K.C.

Actually that is a mixed metaphor.

The Valdez got us drug and alcohol testing. The REAL issue still has not been addressed: incompetent social promotion, and stupidity behind the wheel. Cousins certainly was NOT drunk, and the Captain was not even on the bridge at the time. But, boy do we ‘feel better’!

[QUOTE=cappy208;70896]Actually that is a mixed metaphor.

The Valdez got us drug and alcohol testing. The REAL issue still has not been addressed: incompetent social promotion, and stupidity behind the wheel. Cousins certainly was NOT drunk, and the Captain was not even on the bridge at the time. But, boy do we ‘feel better’![/QUOTE]

It’s irrelevant what happened on the E.V. - the incident caused the powers that be to sever the cultural link between drinking and the maritime industry by cracking down hard on it including linking the DWI on a driver license to mariners credentials.

As to the problems in the industry the real answer reminds me about the joke about losing weight, the only two thing I am not willing to do in order to lose weight are diet and exercise. The only two things the industry is not willing to do to increase safety is raise wages and improve working conditions. Everything else is on the table including the D&A screening and criminalization.

K.C.

[QUOTE=Kennebec Captain;70891]If it hadn’t been the Exxon Valdez it would have been some other incident. The industry has changed and so has the culture. Used to be you were not considered to be a real seaman if you didn’t like to go out on the town in port, no more. It’s no different then a lot of other industries, what ever happened to the old barn stormers in aviation?

Nobody nowadays expects the pilot have a couple “heaves ahead” before flying a four engine jet passenger liners trans-Atlantic and nobody wants the captain of a supertanker to either. Those days are long gone and they are not coming back.

K.C.[/QUOTE]

Agreed that those days are long gone.

For some years now, I have come to the realization of not stepping ashore for 3 weeks while I am at work. Ok, I might get to walk some garbage up to the dumpster at Caddell’s or cab it to the Pathmark for a big grub run with one of the deckhands, but it’s not what I remember as going ‘going up the street’.

Times change, attitudes towards what we did ‘up the street’ change too.You have to nowadays to stay employed steadily.

[QUOTE=cappy208;70896]
The Valdez got us drug and alcohol testing.[/QUOTE]

I believe the Valdez accident gave us alcohol testing, but it is my opinion the more stringent drug testing procedures put into place stemmed from a railroad accident outside Baltimore in 1987.

The engineer of a ConRail freight locomotive (coupled to 2 more locomotives), Ricky Gates missed a stop signal and proceed onto an occupied track and stopped before an Amtrak passenger train slammed into the rear locomotive at nearly 110 miles per hour.

Gates and his brakeman were smoking a doober before the accident both later tested positively for weed.

[QUOTE=cappy208;70887]Which reminds me of a chief I had a long time ago. His avocation was to publish a book of seamen watering holes from Maine to Texas, of course doing research along the way as needed.

For me, being addled with add the best recollection has to be ‘stoneys’ in Tampa, and the ‘black horse’ Staten Island. Where sailors can (along time ago) go act like… Sailors.

Frickin’ Cousins had to go screw the pooch on that whole deal![/QUOTE][B]

I was just thinking about Stoney’s when I got to your reply, made me laugh. I would have had to mention it, if you didn’t. “Get stoned at Stoney’s” was the motto there… and we did.:cool:

Closest place to get a drink after work at the shipyard. Danced with a garbage can lid on my head.

They place is still there. [/B]

[QUOTE=NAUTICART;71270][B]

I was just thinking about Stoney’s when I got to your reply, made me laugh. I would have had to mention it, if you didn’t. “Get stoned at Stoney’s” was the motto there… and we did.:cool:

Closest place to get a drink after work at the shipyard. Danced with a garbage can lid on my head.

They place is still there. [/B][/QUOTE]

I was cleaning out my store room at my camphouse 2 weeks ago and found a “Get stoned at Stoney’s” hat. I first steped foot in Stoney’s in 1976. I lived on rum and coke, empanadas and smoked mullet for several drydockings over the years.

I think Stoney’s should be the standard for waterfront dives to be gauged!LOL!

[QUOTE=NAUTICART;71270]
Danced with a garbage can lid on my head.
[/QUOTE]

must have been one hell of a party! any pics?..would LOVE to see them!

[QUOTE=injunear;71273]I was cleaning out my store room at my camphouse 2 weeks ago and found a “Get stoned at Stoney’s” hat. I first steped foot in Stoney’s in 1976. I lived on rum and coke, empanadas and smoked mullet for several drydockings over the years.

I think Stoney’s should be the standard for waterfront dives to be gauged!LOL![/QUOTE]

[B]Yeah, funny sent one of those t-shirts up to a buddy in Mich. his nickname was “Stoney”. He thought it was cool, probably because it also said “hookers point” lol

Oh and C.capt…pictures? Don’t remember any flashes coming from cameras…:rolleyes: [/B]

[QUOTE=NAUTICART;71285]Oh and C.capt…pictures? Don’t remember any flashes coming from cameras…:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

Damn! So tell me how does one manage to dance with a garbage can on one’s head anyway?

be forewarned that you get minus points if you answer “very carefully”

[QUOTE=NAUTICART;71285][B]Yeah, funny sent one of those t-shirts up to a buddy in Mich. his nickname was “Stoney”. He thought it was cool, probably because it also said “hookers point” lol

Oh and C.capt…pictures? Don’t remember any flashes coming from cameras…:rolleyes: [/B][/QUOTE]

And thank God for that. Stoney’s was always a short walk from the docks where we were discharging gasoline (and a longer stagger back; through fences, tank dykes, whatever-navigate by the sound of the 8-71 diesel running the generator). I remember meeting up with a gal who told me she liked “cuntry” music with the innuendo not only NOT subtle but, well, confirmed later. . . .

[QUOTE=c.captain;71291]Damn! So tell me how does one manage to dance with a garbage can on one’s head anyway?[/QUOTE]

I guessing that you have to hold on to it with one hand which still leaves your two feet, one arm and an elbow with which to “dance” with. For the record I don’t have specific expertise to ans this question.

K.C.

[QUOTE=PaddyWest2012;70843]Does anyone know of any merchant mariner clubs? . What I’m wondering is if there any “clubs” out there for people like us in the older, perhaps more traditional, sense of the word: somewhere with some sort of bar/lounge(s), restaurant/dining room(s), maybe lodging upstairs, and the occasional programming directed at the theme of the club, i.e. industry professionals, etc. The place I imagine is somewhere for like-minded individuals and professionals to meet, relax, converse, connect, and anything else you can think of.
.[/QUOTE]

Careful excising of the OP brings the real question into focus.

I come to the conclusion that what is being asked for is the location of a Bordello that is fit for seamen. (This is a trick question. There is no such thing as a Bordello that is UNfit sor seamen,)

I dunno, it could just be my sense of perspective.

Either that or the ‘good ole alumni’ thing ain’t quite doing it for their interest.

This actually seems to be a common theme amongst academy grads I have worked with. Most have NOTHING to do with their Alma mater after graduating. How sad. Support where you came from… I do!

[QUOTE=cappy208;71327]This actually seems to be a common theme amongst academy grads I have worked with. Most have NOTHING to do with their Alma mater after graduating. How sad. Support where you came from… I do![/QUOTE]

Its not just an academy thing Cappy it’s a problem throughout the industry. It’s a problem that we each face and it is that everyone in the merchant marine is a eff’in idiot with two exceptions.Those two exceptions are; me and the old timer, now long gone, who taught me the ropes

I am speaking of course of the non-gcaptain forum part of the merchant marine.

K.C.

[QUOTE=Kennebec Captain;71328]Its not just an academy thing Cappy it’s a problem throughout the industry. K.C.[/QUOTE]

Not sure that is totally true. I have kept up with several of the co workers that I had started with in 1980. Over the years this network has proven to be quite valuable in hiring, and promotion. Not just for me but for all.

It would seem that any groups best advantage is to have this alumni system working. But having asked several graduates and cadets, it seems to fail to achieve lift off. I know more people from other industries who do participate in alumni promotion. Just don’t hear of any success’ from maritime academies. It would appear the braggadocio about the inter academy peckerchecking is more prevalent than actually helping.

[QUOTE=cappy208;71329]Not sure that is totally true. I have kept up with several of the co workers that I had started with in 1980. Over the years this network has proven to be quite valuable in hiring, and promotion. Not just for me but for all.

It would seem that any groups best advantage is to have this alumni system working. But having asked several graduates and cadets, it seems to fail to achieve lift off. I know more people from other industries who do participate in alumni promotion. Just don’t hear of any success’ from maritime academies. It would appear the braggadocio about the inter academy peckerchecking is more prevalent than actually helping.[/QUOTE]

Honestly I don’t really know one way or the other. I sail deep-sea and mariners (like me) with a non-academy background that are sailing at the senior officer level are getting more and more scarce so I haven’t experienced that alumni love, or the lack of it.

K.C.

Edit: On reconsideration I may have experienced the lack alumni love, it’s that I don’t know how other fare.