On the
Silly Tuggers thread
http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=15043.msg148013;topicseen#msg148013Reply #14 onwards is a short discussion about seismic surveying of the sea bed.
This is something I know nothing about. And I realised that I know very little about the range of jobs undertaken at sea. Both currently and jobs now long gone.
Most of us are familiar with some of the workings of ferries, having been passengers. But there are so many more jobs. Some interesting, some high tech, and some downright dangerous.
Let me start with a job from the past
My grandad used to put on the old silver suit, get on a swing and was lowered into steam ship fire boxes. He had a small hammer and he had to knock the clinker off the insides of the fire box. This had to be done hot. If the fire bricks cooled they would shrink and fall in. He was aided by a boy.
The boy's job was to watch him carefully. If granddad started getting sluggish the boy had to pull him up.
If Granddad passed out the foreman would take him off and he could not work anymore that day, so he went short of cash.
If he was pulled up an OK he had to take a mandatory break before continuing. The more times he came up, the less work he did, so the boy must not pull him up to early either.
Oh the joys of the steam period. And before the days of H&S.
Well that is one job, now gone.
What other intersting, scary, or unusual jobs are/were there in the wonderfull maritime world?