Boatnerd Discussion Forum

I sailed on the Canadian D.C.Everest Marathon Ontario to Green Bay Wisc.every 5 days. We observed U.S. Thanksgiving and always has dinner in port at green Bay. I remember lobster .This meal was a big deal for us no expense was spared, a good memory

Jon Paul

Thanks for the pics. Always need to see pics from onboard ships. Would be neat to see more.

Here are some photos of Christmas 1977 I took aboard the Charles M White. The outdoor Christmas tree we had pillaged from a field across from the LS& I loading dock in Marquette and set up behind the Captains quarters. The artificial tree was in the forward rec room and fellow wheelsman Scott Moore was trying to watch TV which back in those days was sporadic at best. Our relief Steward is preparing appetizers and Fran our porter is helping the 2nd Cook also female preparing shrimp cocktail.

Scott wrote:Along with the menus comes another question. Who doesn't enjoy a after dinner nap on Thanksgiving? Of course, on a laker this isn't always possible. Are there relaxed work rules on board during holiday days or is it business as usual and working designated watches? I assume that since the cargoes still need to move that it would be a normal day.

Just another day on board unless: you are fortunate to be at anchor for weather. Meal usually is served during the Second Mates watch. So you either had another mate relieve you for a quick meal out on the lake. Not that enjoyable. Usually ate leftovers after watch.

In 1979 I sailed as a wiper on the Detroit Edison. For our Thanksgiving meal I remember shrimp coctail, filet, turkey and plenty of wine. Fortunately, we were at anchor and could enjoy the meal and then take a nap.

Dawn wrote:Interlake usually posts Thanksgiving dinner photos from their ship's galleys on their FB page. Always interesting to see the creatively that goes into the preparation.

Just checked the Interlake FB page. Menus and lots of photos too.

Scott wrote:Along with the menus comes another question. Who doesn't enjoy a after dinner nap on Thanksgiving? Of course, on a laker this isn't always possible. Are there relaxed work rules on board during holiday days or is it business as usual and working designated watches? I assume that since the cargoes still need to move that it would be a normal day.

Loading in Two Harbors in the mid-70s on the Clarke. I was decking and had 15 minutes to eat so I could relieve another deckhand on the dock. Nothing like an enjoyable meal.

Along with the menus comes another question. Who doesn't enjoy a after dinner nap on Thanksgiving? Of course, on a laker this isn't always possible. Are there relaxed work rules on board during holiday days or is it business as usual and working designated watches? I assume that since the cargoes still need to move that it would be a normal day.

It was 1954 and I was 13 and my Dad was captain on the Ishpeming. He brought coal into the Cliff's dock in Green Bay. The Thanksgiving dinner was fantastic. We had a whole turkey on our table and Dad carved it, The steward's wife was also present. There were bottles of Virginia Dare on our table. Following a sumptuous meal my sister and I retired to the passenger quarters and finished the bottle we had stolen from the table without anybody seeing it. I slept that night in the lower pilot house. I awoke around two or three feeling terrible and thinking that the deckhands had walked through my mouth in their sweat socks. It felt like 90 degrees in there. All the forward sink taps had signs that said "washing water only" and I needed a drink of water. So I went out on the foc'sle in my pajamas and bare feet to break ice of the railing to slake my thirst. That following Friday was the worst day of my life - until I got older and made the same mistake a few times. My older sister was also similarly disabled. But it is a Thanksgiving memory that will last forever and even some of my grandchildren have heard of it.

Menus today from Walter J McCarthy Jr and Sam Laud.

hugh3 wrote:

I hear all about the "old days". We never had shrimp, lobster, plates of cookies, appetizers, etc. Same thing every yr. Turkey and ham. And this was on the Clarke from 71 thru 78, plus the Watson in 79. Never anything more than you'd expect.

I first shipped out in 1956, USS was sailing @ 55 boats in those days. When I left in 1970 they were down to @33 boats. The Fleet cook came aboard to talk to our cook because he was spending more then any other cook in the fleet. They were actually pretty food friends and so our cook got away with saying "well somebody has to be high and someone has to be the low spender". When the FC left that day he complemented our cook on the meal...When a Captain found a good cook he would take the cook with him from boat to boat the same as he would take good wheelsman.

Same Chief Steward on the Clarke the whole time I was there. 5 different Captains, same cook.

I hear all about the "old days". We never had shrimp, lobster, plates of cookies, appetizers, etc. Same thing every yr. Turkey and ham. And this was on the Clarke from 71 thru 78, plus the Watson in 79. Never anything more than you'd expect.

I first shipped out in 1956, USS was sailing @ 55 boats in those days. When I left in 1970 they were down to @33 boats. The Fleet cook came aboard to talk to our cook because he was spending more then any other cook in the fleet. They were actually pretty food friends and so our cook got away with saying "well somebody has to be high and someone has to be the low spender". When the FC left that day he complemented our cook on the meal........When a Captain found a good cook he would take the cook with him from boat to boat the same as he would take good wheelsman.

garbear wrote:I hear all about the "old days". We never had shrimp, lobster, plates of cookies, appetizers, etc. Same thing every yr. Turkey and ham. And this was on the Clarke from 71 thru 78, plus the Watson in 79. Never anything more than you'd expect.

I hear you on that one! Maybe we should start referring to the "old-old days" instead? My uncle sailed the lakes back in the 60s and he always talked about how the fleets had been cutting back even then. If my memory serves correctly, he also complained that despite their bravado British ocean fleets were generally tight fisted when it came to feeding the crew. The one exception he noted was that as an officer on a British supertanker in the 1970s the company fed them very well. I'm recalling all of this secondhand from my childhood so others may have a better insight.

Interlake usually posts Thanksgiving dinner photos from their ship's galleys on their FB page. Always interesting to see the creatively that goes into the preparation.

I hear all about the "old days". We never had shrimp, lobster, plates of cookies, appetizers, etc. Same thing every yr. Turkey and ham. And this was on the Clarke from 71 thru 78, plus the Watson in 79. Never anything more than you'd expect.

Would not be surprised if the meals were pre-packaged and microwaveable. Certainly not like the "old days" When on some boats they had Cigars and maybe "a" glass of wine.

I too enjoy viewing the Thanksgiving and also Christmas menus being served on the Lakers. Thanks for asking...

Does anyone have a Thanksgiving menu from onboard for this year? It's always interesting to see what is being served.