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| I have been kind of saving this one as it is a part of my life as well as it is an interaxial entity of the world today as of yesteryear . Everything revolves around shipping and the oceans and seas. Maritime law (international) makes a mockery of war and business. I will explain later and also tell story's about working on the Water Front as a Longshoreman. To continue; when anybody is in international waters, (oceans or access to the sea), is subject to international law. Who every the party may be, friend or foe, any one/nation must come the aid of said and give/administer aid and make sure of their health and welfare, including food, clothing, shelter, medical care and return them to their respective country. |
| Raining Steel There used to be a shipping company called Pacific Far East- Lines (PFE) All of the ships names ended whith a "State"-Bear. Such as the "Organ Bear", "Cal." Bear, etc. They would run from Asia to the West Coast such as S.F. and, after discharging enough cargo to bring the ship high enough out of the water, into Stockton. The ships would have about 7 "holds" whith No. 1 being the smallest. Now a ship has to be balanced foe and aft, port and starboard. Port being on the left side, (I made up a system, port being red, heart being red and on the left side). [The same reasoning about international time. Add two hours after 12. Such as 1:00 O-Clock would be 1300]. Well, sometimes they would load heavy items into No. 1 to keep the bow down. In this case there was/were bundels of steel that were "pre-slung". I read one of the weights of one of 6 bundles that were pre-slung into one. I said, "I can't hook it up". The boss said "why not?". I said, "they are too heavy". He replied, "they loaded it didn't they"? "Yes", I said, "but they might have used a dock crane". "Hook it up WOODY", came the reply, so I did and told the "Hump", "better get back in the wings, because it's coming back down". The load got half way up and both "Vanes" parted and all 6 bundles came crashing down. ( "Vanes" took the place of "guys and "preventer's" (that had to be rigged by hand.) The Rigging is refereed to as "gear". The gear at that hatch was only geared for 5 Tons and the pre-slung bundle was 12 tons. Point of story? Once again, no matter who you are or who think you are, two and two is four. |
I keep forgetting to say that all of my "crazy" ideas are another way of thinking outside
the norm. After working and living with unskilled, uneducated, brainwashed, etc., such as
Stockton Longshoremen, mostly the bosses, I know that the truth is the truth no matter
what anybody thinks! You know, the common worker is not only the stupid "dumb" ones.
I just can't get through to the "officials" of common sense (of the world).
Every time that I return from the modern and intelligent society in Europe, I have to adjust
to the local yokels in Stockton, California. (I'm still trying to save the S.J. Valley).
the norm. After working and living with unskilled, uneducated, brainwashed, etc., such as
Stockton Longshoremen, mostly the bosses, I know that the truth is the truth no matter
what anybody thinks! You know, the common worker is not only the stupid "dumb" ones.
I just can't get through to the "officials" of common sense (of the world).
Every time that I return from the modern and intelligent society in Europe, I have to adjust
to the local yokels in Stockton, California. (I'm still trying to save the S.J. Valley).
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This a picture of rice being loaded at the port of Stockton, Ca. This "pick", load, contains 16
"Bags" of which there is 36, whith a "tie" of 4x6 101 lbs sacks. (These bags used to be hand loaded
in the hold(s) of ships).
THE LOADING (STOWING) OF RICE "BAGS".
The load (pallet) is hoisted, (picked up) via the ships "gear", (I will explain that later in my book,
"what's a "B" man), transported across the deck and lowered down into the hatch (hold), onto a
"table" consisting of about three tiers of sacks so that we don't have to bend down to grab a sack.
Then we grab a sack and hug it to our "bellies", (hence the expression, belly packing),
carried to the forward and/ or aft, put down in a "tie", split the deference in the laying of the bags
so as to create a tight stow and provide a semi even floor for the next layer. There is an opening in
the center of the hold which is referred as the "hatch", I.E. hold, such as "hatch" boards, (covers).
Past the opening, (combing), there is "wings" that extend fore and aft and port and starboard. Now
most all ships have a least two decks in the hatch, and more modern ships, back then, had three to
four decks, such as the "tween deck" and upper "tween" or "shelter deck" which were about 8 to
12 feet high. The lower hold, I now estimate, was about 80 feet deep. (There was a old ladder
attached to the "bulkhead" that we had to climb up and down. I was always afraid of falling,
sometimes being tired of trowing sacks for eight hours and /or having the pleasure of a few beers
or wine/ whiskey. I'm surprised that no one ever fell, sometimes the "hatch" opening was so small
that you would have to put one arm up at a time in order to crawl through to the next deck). We
would keep building the stow to waist high, then go back on top of the stow and start all over again.
Some times, the old timers, would slit the sacks so that we would have a even "floor" upon which
to walk. This would continue until there was just "head" room. Then we had to "beam-up" to fill the
hold. (The shippers always wanted to get as much cargo aboard as possible. I was still pretty
young then and had trouble lifting sacks above my shoulders).
"Bags" of which there is 36, whith a "tie" of 4x6 101 lbs sacks. (These bags used to be hand loaded
in the hold(s) of ships).
THE LOADING (STOWING) OF RICE "BAGS".
The load (pallet) is hoisted, (picked up) via the ships "gear", (I will explain that later in my book,
"what's a "B" man), transported across the deck and lowered down into the hatch (hold), onto a
"table" consisting of about three tiers of sacks so that we don't have to bend down to grab a sack.
Then we grab a sack and hug it to our "bellies", (hence the expression, belly packing),
carried to the forward and/ or aft, put down in a "tie", split the deference in the laying of the bags
so as to create a tight stow and provide a semi even floor for the next layer. There is an opening in
the center of the hold which is referred as the "hatch", I.E. hold, such as "hatch" boards, (covers).
Past the opening, (combing), there is "wings" that extend fore and aft and port and starboard. Now
most all ships have a least two decks in the hatch, and more modern ships, back then, had three to
four decks, such as the "tween deck" and upper "tween" or "shelter deck" which were about 8 to
12 feet high. The lower hold, I now estimate, was about 80 feet deep. (There was a old ladder
attached to the "bulkhead" that we had to climb up and down. I was always afraid of falling,
sometimes being tired of trowing sacks for eight hours and /or having the pleasure of a few beers
or wine/ whiskey. I'm surprised that no one ever fell, sometimes the "hatch" opening was so small
that you would have to put one arm up at a time in order to crawl through to the next deck). We
would keep building the stow to waist high, then go back on top of the stow and start all over again.
Some times, the old timers, would slit the sacks so that we would have a even "floor" upon which
to walk. This would continue until there was just "head" room. Then we had to "beam-up" to fill the
hold. (The shippers always wanted to get as much cargo aboard as possible. I was still pretty
young then and had trouble lifting sacks above my shoulders).
PHOTO: COPYRIGHT OF COLORNET, INC., Phil Dimarino. (COURTESY)
Sweat Boards: The hull of a ship will "sweat", that is moisture will condense on the steel as the temperature changes from the out side of the ship in relation to the
inside. Therefore, sweat boards run along the sides spaced a few inches apart in height, secured by "L-shaped brackets" that are attached to the "ribs" of the sides of
the ship, (a skeleton, if you will), in which the boards rest. These boards are placed there to prevent the cargo from getting wet, in this case the sacks of rice. Paper is
hung on the boards to further protect the cargo (rice). Also, I may add, being as how I was an abused farm boy, I did what the other men did, that would be, since it was a
lot of work to climb out of the hatch, we would urinate against the side of the ship. Since they wanted to fill the hatch as much as possible, the order was shouted down
to "beam" all the way up. I was working whith several "B" me whom usually worked together and was always joking and xing off.
So there was a gap at the top of the boards, so they said, "they want cargo huh, we'll give them cargo" and stared to push the sacks over the top of the stow. Now this
means that a lot of rice will be ruined by the time that it reaches their destination. Being tired, I found this humorous and laughed my ass off. Each group of men, gang,
had a "gang boss" who was supposed to watch and direct the loading. However, most of them were drunks and stayed on the dock oblivious to the operation. The
point of this, that all the supervisors, (big shots), whith their "white" hard hats and shirt ties have no idea of the operation of shipping. So to have some dum dumb
senators to make laws to protect the incoming cargo from the "Boogie Man", I.E. "terrorist" is ridiculous. In my book, I will explain the idiocy of shipping companies.
inside. Therefore, sweat boards run along the sides spaced a few inches apart in height, secured by "L-shaped brackets" that are attached to the "ribs" of the sides of
the ship, (a skeleton, if you will), in which the boards rest. These boards are placed there to prevent the cargo from getting wet, in this case the sacks of rice. Paper is
hung on the boards to further protect the cargo (rice). Also, I may add, being as how I was an abused farm boy, I did what the other men did, that would be, since it was a
lot of work to climb out of the hatch, we would urinate against the side of the ship. Since they wanted to fill the hatch as much as possible, the order was shouted down
to "beam" all the way up. I was working whith several "B" me whom usually worked together and was always joking and xing off.
So there was a gap at the top of the boards, so they said, "they want cargo huh, we'll give them cargo" and stared to push the sacks over the top of the stow. Now this
means that a lot of rice will be ruined by the time that it reaches their destination. Being tired, I found this humorous and laughed my ass off. Each group of men, gang,
had a "gang boss" who was supposed to watch and direct the loading. However, most of them were drunks and stayed on the dock oblivious to the operation. The
point of this, that all the supervisors, (big shots), whith their "white" hard hats and shirt ties have no idea of the operation of shipping. So to have some dum dumb
senators to make laws to protect the incoming cargo from the "Boogie Man", I.E. "terrorist" is ridiculous. In my book, I will explain the idiocy of shipping companies.
| First, now, few word on "words", starting whith longshore terms. "Gang", Deuth s(German) for a group of people. Lift, jitney, C.L.. (LA) Bull (Ore.)=Lift truck. Hook (stkn.) Front, (LA), dock man. Boom (slinging logs in the water to hoist aboard ship). "Stickers" which are so named as they are "stuck" under cargo so that the lift's forks can slide under the load in order to pick up the load, most ports except for northern ports, which are called "toobys", short for 2+4s. This is just a sample of words and the meaning thereof and the ignorance of such when misunderstood. Tools: "Skill" (saw), Crescent (adjustable open end wrench), Channel Locks (type of pliers), Stillson (chainsaw), these are brand names that don't make any difference such as "Fridge", (on a ship they are referred to as "Refers"), NOT GOOD; "BOX CUTTERS', real term, utility knife, used mainly for hanging sheet rock and wall paper (carpentry). |
Back then, a "loading" gang consisted of 14 men. 1 "gang" boss, 1 jitney drover, (at that time there were very few fork lifts, if any. All cargo was handled by "hand",
using slings that were loaded on wagons and pulled by "jitneys"), 2 "hook" men, (to hook/ unhook the load), two which operators, that drove the wenches that hoisted
the load(s) and 10 "hold" men, that would be split in half so that both ends of the hold could be loaded semertareatly, (at the same time), caring the cargo into the
"wings" of the ship's hold (load). This was called "bellie packing", as one would snatch a sack up against you stomach and walk it to the stow.
using slings that were loaded on wagons and pulled by "jitneys"), 2 "hook" men, (to hook/ unhook the load), two which operators, that drove the wenches that hoisted
the load(s) and 10 "hold" men, that would be split in half so that both ends of the hold could be loaded semertareatly, (at the same time), caring the cargo into the
"wings" of the ship's hold (load). This was called "bellie packing", as one would snatch a sack up against you stomach and walk it to the stow.