Ships officers kit --advised in the 1960s.

Ships officers kit --advised in the 1960s.

A ship's apprentice (cadet) nowadays called  trainee and  new recruit especially joining as 2nd Mate in the 1960s saw perhaps some thing that may never be even envisaged today. In fact, in some companies the ship's officers kit   included a navigating instrument viz the Sextant.

Let me elaborate : When we passed out of T.S.Dufferin in 1965, we had instructions on the Essential Kit to buy inc.warm gear and this was:                1) Navigating Sextant  2) Binoculars 3) Camera  and the 4 ) Glare Glasses to keep watch inc Lookout -to sight ships visually when on a course heading "into the sun" especially on Westerly courses ( setting sun)  in the evening in Traffic lanes !!-Sun in our eyes cant see the horizon was a serious matter in the Ch Mates watch and cadets often kept watch under his eagle eye . 

Binocs & Glare-glasses thus became essentials. 

So glare glasses was some how managed-as they were cheap in that time in the US ports in stores.

  

I could not afford a Plath Sextant nor a binocs (approx cost for both was then abt 4000/k and at our Apprenticeship stipend of Rs 90 /-100/- p.m. barely managed -so never bought-Just managed with ship equipment as Great Eastern did not insist (unlike Scindia & ISS where it was mandatory at 2nd mates level. But a Camera became a priority buy and gradually a part of the travel kit 

NOTE I may add all our Kit was contained  in a large Steel trunk ( looked like a coffin)  painted black (using ships paint) -with ships name, Roll No/Company /Initials and it was  mostly Uniforms & Books --& a small canvas kit canvas bag for misc.including civvies which may be two sets and seldom used then.

No Samsonite or VIP suitcases--Ha ha  

Jag Laxmi -above at Calcutta Moorings 1968.
At LA-USA as 4th mate

Owning a camera and serious Photography for me started only in 1970, after Earning as a 2nd Mate. Got a Minolta Camera, which I purchased in Chiba, Japan-June 1970 ..till then borrowed --make do ...hmm-

But, this got me going on photography and also kept my family updated by post..now retrieving to albums and blogs including this one.

Colour Photography recalled
In 1972,off the ship, I had 2 colour rolls + Minolta Camera. took 60 pics learnt- You had to send them to Kodak Bombay by VPP, to process and time taken was  one month.

TODAY: 2011.

Sextant navigation is virtually obsolete--inc all old systems by the -GPS..

Binoculars is still used -but not much as detection is by Anti Collision Radar used all the time i.e. ARPA altered much and may add-also increased collisions Hmmm. but the CAMERA has advanced by quantum leaps-

VIDEOCAM-or Stills ...Mobile photos--sent to family  direct-instant-

Really, what a change

rgds
TR