A painting of the Imperial Japanese Navy Ship Hokoku Maru.
The Ondina’s predecessor was the war time Ondina who was famous because they sunk the Japanese raider Hokoku Mary with a shot fired with the single gun aft. The captain was killed but they succeeded to limp to Australia where she was repaired and returned to duty again.
Apart from the Hokoku Maru they also brought down the two aircraft of the Japanese vessel. Don’t mess with the Dutch…
But what did they wear in the mess room?
We had no “Dress Code” for the galley. Most of the men/women used a bit of common sense before attending their well deserved meals. For the most part, the adults in the room didn’t need a “Dress Code”. Cook was the cleanest guy in the bunch (For those of us lucky enough to have a designated cook). I was on rigs that worked 24/7, as most of you were. If the crew had a little dirt under their fingernails, I didn’t give a shit. Galley etiquette/dress and where the forks and spoons were placed was the least of my worries. As far as flip flops or whatever, that gave them relief after being in hot work boots after a watch after a shower before going to bed and getting ready for the next watch. I did worry about flip flops in weather, but so did they. The people coming on watch were in regular work gear. As one poster said, unless they are putting their feet on the table, no problemo.
The picture is from the Officer’s Mess, which presumably was aft, while the Master, Ch.Eng. and Ch.Off. ate in the Dining Saloon on the Midships superstructure.
This being a ship with Dutch Officers and Chinese crew there would have been a large galley crew and several “boys” to serve the Officers.
A different world from that of a Drilling Rig, OSV or Tug, but how different from that of a US flag tanker at the same time?
For me it was a “cultural shock” to come on an American OSV in 1970 and on my first Drilling rig in 1974.
In the very old tankers I sailed in the officer’s saloon was aft and deck officers had to run the gauntlet down the flying bridge to the after accomodation. The 4 to 8 engineers (one senior and a junior) had their evening meal on a table off the manoeuvring platform by choice. In port the second and third mate worked 6 on 6 off which fitted with meal times, the third mate normally managing to scrounge something from outside the galley. The later all aft tankers were UMS.
When I was Deep Sea I recalled the car carriers had two messes, one mess where the captain and mate usually sat (it wasn’t officer only though) and really the only rules was no work boots and clothes must be clean, the other mess was sort of whatever you have on if youre just quickly eating before turning two.
The only tanker I was on everyone wore coveralls and the galley was officer and unlicensed separated. The mate on watch usually had cargo pants and a company polo on instead of coveralls though.
On the tugs I’m on now since its just 4 of us, generally we’re in workout/about to go to sleep clothes while we cook, for dinner and breakfast is more work clothes put on for the day with lunch having no change out.
I don’t think the old timey pictures of ship galleys in the olden days really apply today. People used to get on airplanes in 3 piece suits too…
No they ate at the second seating at the empty table in the mess room aft. We called it the High Pressure Table. The captain had his private steward who was highly respected by the Chinese crew. There was a large galley crew with cooks, bakers and pantry boys, also quite a number of cabin stewards for the officers. Shoe shine service was included, We conversed with the Chinese crew in Pidgin English which led sometimes to misunderstandings.
The smoke room aft.
When I sailed deepsea with Teekay, we wore our uniforms at meals when we were in port. But not Tobruk. When I wore mine to breakfast after arriving I was laughed at and told that Tobruk isn’t a real port, for some reason. Breakfast was early enough and supper was late enough to allow for changing and washing up. Lunch for engineers was always in the cozy little duty mess, and we let the oilers and wipers go early so they could wash up and change for lunch.
In the last few days the galley men have asked me if I enjoyed the snacks they sent up to the bridge for me. I was surprised: there are snacks on the bridge? They were surprised: you don’t work on the bridge? I was curious: how come no snacks in the ECR? They were curious: what’s an ECR? -_-
For years I thought the policy of open toe shoes prohibition had to do with foot safety only. That was until I passed a room with the door open & smelled the stink of foot stank. Some stinky feet fellows probably need to keep those things covered. When I worked on tugs & ATBs I admitt it was usually a tightknit, somewhat closed community & I don’t recall a dress code being required. Tug guys are tug guys. People usually got in where they fit in & if they didn’t fit they had to change or go. Not so much with large diverse crews with vastly different levels of professionalism & intelligence. Best to have written policies for the lowest common denominator IMO.
I was a contracted AB on a T-AGOS ship in the Persian Gulf with some female “scientists” aboard where the 3rd mate never wore a shirt even on watch. Nothing sexy mind you, the guy had a gut and was a loudmouth. I never understood why the captain didn’t tell him to STFU and put on a shirt.
That is an incredible move. There’s no way this was recent?
1998
I did that for a number of years when rejoining a ship or heading home. I was bumped up to business/first class more than once from coach by the ticket agent.
More recent than I expected. And everyone was just… cool with it?
It was a very strange crew. A contingent of the OSs didn’t pull their weight and ignored the mates. One of the ABs couldn’t steer to save his life when trying for follow survey lines. The captain was super friendly and liked to hang out on the bridge and shoot the breeze but never exercised an ounce of authority. The third with no shirt was a Frenchman who claimed to have ties to the Marseilles mafia and thought he was god’s gift to women. A real douche.
One of the OSs was a convicted felon who told stories about his hard time. FWIW the crew was contracted through DynCorp.
One good thing worked out for me on my way out at the end of my hitch and put a spring in my step. I’d been exchanging longing looks with one of the scientists but of course there was no fraternizing possible on the ship. The timing worked out perfectly. We were pierside on my last night in Bahrain so I spent the night in my new friend’s hotel room playing hide the sausage.
They probably thought you were an air marshall. I don’t know if it’s changed but at one time they complained to the director about the dress code because they could be picked out easily. They were the only ones wearing jackets and ties.
The shirtless mate story just makes me think of Randy from Trailer Park Boys
In my early navy days we dressed as gentlemen do, properly for dinner. Bow ties (invariably hand tied) and mess undress every night (medal miniatures, white mess jackets with epaulettes in summer and black in winter - gold stripes on the sleeves).
Mess dress (the next step up) was for more formal dinners. Stiff, detachable collars, stiff fronted shirt with studs, patent leather shoes, white or black waistcoats with gold buttons.
Dinner was a very convivial affair, especially in large ships such as an aircraft carrier and even more so if there was no night flying ie a hundred or so officers at a loose end - and about half a dozen sober due for night watches. Often the ship’s band would play some background themes as the officers gathered on the teak-laid quarterdeck for pre-dinner drinks as the sun set. Beer was tapped from a keg.
The bugle would sound Officers Dinner Call and off we’d troop down to the wardroom, following in the wake of the mess president where swarms of stewards did us proud. No rush. No fuss.
Any number would linger for hours over port and cigars discussing matters of some importance whilst others adjourned to the bar and discussed matters of importance. Some apparently did a bit of paperwork too.
The captain and (if embarked) the admiral were messed separately - from each other and from the officers - and so needed company and often invited a smattering of chaps up for dinner. Depending on the personalities, such invitations were gold or lead.
Today, apparently, they wear camouflage all day, every day. Not the same atmosphere. Sad.
