Back in the days of general cargo vessels the master departed to either go home or stay with friends, the mate, after the heavy lifts were over, worked on his golf handicap, and the second mate took charge with the third and fourth mate and two radio officers worked day about. The radio officers drew up the cargo plans under the direction of the second mate. It is worth noting that the second mate and usually the third mate had unlimited tickets.
Because I came from the navy some 50 years ago things were slowly changing and while my peers had experienced this I didn’t but I did find myself doing things as master, such as medical duties, that had been my expected duties as second mate.
In one joyful incident the mate had moved in to the master’s accommodation with a young Caribbean lady in Avonmouth in the UK. Someone got one of the Jamaican dockers to ring up on the ship’s internal phone and in a deep bass voice stated “ youse got my woman up there, I is coming up to sort youse out. “
The fallout was pretty to watch.
Vessel tied up at company dock. Captain went home leaving 3/M in charge. Am I making too big a fuss?
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