Got my first second mate job in the late 70’s aboard the SS American Accord. She was a US Lines container ship early 1950’s mariner class conventional freighter converted to container cargo.
US Lines had a reputation for having some tough skippers, some of my peers refused to work for that company. Our job assignments were dispatched through a union hiring hall. Jobs were posted on a blackboard and if I was interested i’d throw in my card. A system of seniority determined who got the job. The Accord skipper had a reputation that caused more senior fellows to pass on the job, normally I wouldn’t have stood a chance of getting the ship.
After clearing the union hall and a physical at the doctors office I headed over to the US Lines container terminal, Howland Hook, on Staten Island. I was nervous, in addition to the company’s and Captain’s reputation, this was my first second mate job. I was in my mid 20s. The second mate is one of the three watch standing officers (similar to the OOD on navy ships). He (or she now a days) is also the navigator, responsible for the bridge, charts, pubs, laying out the routes, etc. reporting directly to the captain. Stood the 4–8 a.m. and p.m. watches when dusk and dawn occur and star sights are taken, the most accurate celestial position fixes.
I reported a board the ship to the chief mate who seemed fine then went up to meet the captain. Captain Pedderson was in his early 60s, short, World War II veteran and Danish. Reminded me of Elmer Fudd when he talked. I explained to him this was my first second mates job that I’d work hard….He was rather soft-spoken, told me I do fine and dismissed me as being in port he was rather busy.
Over time working with him I really came to like the guy, he enjoyed showing young people the ropes and tricks of the trade. He trained on the tall ship Denmark prior to WWII, Had quite a career paths ending up as Master on US ships.
One day while in port he asked me if I was going ashore, I said no why? He said he wanted to show me something, be up in the Gyro room in a few minutes. This ship had a small room one deck below the bridge located on the centerline that housed the Sperry gyrocompass. It was about the size of a garbage can, mounted on a low stand. Not something a green second mate in his right mind would think about messing with. The captain came in, shut down the unit, we waited a while for it to wind down. He then took some of the sheet-metal cowling off of it. We got down on the deck on our backs, shoulder to shoulder, and he disassembled some contacts and showed me how to clean them. At one point while doing this he looked over at me and asked in his heavy accent “So Kevin, do they still say I’m an a—hole in the union hall?” I thought for a minute, I really liked this man, needed to think how to phrase my response. I finally answered “ Captain, some of them do.”
He replied in that heavy accent “Do me a favor, don’t tell them any different.”
He was a great guy to work for.
Kevin
US Lines had a reputation for having some tough skippers, some of my peers refused to work for that company. Our job assignments were dispatched through a union hiring hall. Jobs were posted on a blackboard and if I was interested i’d throw in my card. A system of seniority determined who got the job. The Accord skipper had a reputation that caused more senior fellows to pass on the job, normally I wouldn’t have stood a chance of getting the ship.
After clearing the union hall and a physical at the doctors office I headed over to the US Lines container terminal, Howland Hook, on Staten Island. I was nervous, in addition to the company’s and Captain’s reputation, this was my first second mate job. I was in my mid 20s. The second mate is one of the three watch standing officers (similar to the OOD on navy ships). He (or she now a days) is also the navigator, responsible for the bridge, charts, pubs, laying out the routes, etc. reporting directly to the captain. Stood the 4–8 a.m. and p.m. watches when dusk and dawn occur and star sights are taken, the most accurate celestial position fixes.
I reported a board the ship to the chief mate who seemed fine then went up to meet the captain. Captain Pedderson was in his early 60s, short, World War II veteran and Danish. Reminded me of Elmer Fudd when he talked. I explained to him this was my first second mates job that I’d work hard….He was rather soft-spoken, told me I do fine and dismissed me as being in port he was rather busy.
Over time working with him I really came to like the guy, he enjoyed showing young people the ropes and tricks of the trade. He trained on the tall ship Denmark prior to WWII, Had quite a career paths ending up as Master on US ships.
One day while in port he asked me if I was going ashore, I said no why? He said he wanted to show me something, be up in the Gyro room in a few minutes. This ship had a small room one deck below the bridge located on the centerline that housed the Sperry gyrocompass. It was about the size of a garbage can, mounted on a low stand. Not something a green second mate in his right mind would think about messing with. The captain came in, shut down the unit, we waited a while for it to wind down. He then took some of the sheet-metal cowling off of it. We got down on the deck on our backs, shoulder to shoulder, and he disassembled some contacts and showed me how to clean them. At one point while doing this he looked over at me and asked in his heavy accent “So Kevin, do they still say I’m an a—hole in the union hall?” I thought for a minute, I really liked this man, needed to think how to phrase my response. I finally answered “ Captain, some of them do.”
He replied in that heavy accent “Do me a favor, don’t tell them any different.”
He was a great guy to work for.
Kevin