On my first ship (SeaLand), I sailed as wiper in January 1967.

SS Steel Maker / I sailed as fireman/water tender from 12/67 to 5/68.

SS Steel Executive / I sailed as fireman/water tender from 6/68 to 9/68.

SS Steel Chemist / I sailed as oiler from 12/68 to 4/69.

SS Steel Navigator / I sailed as oiler from 5/70 to 9/70.

I got my engineer's license December of 1970, just before my 22nd birthday.

SS Steel Scientist / I sailed as third assistant engineer 1/71 to 7/71. (scrapped in Taiwan)

In between the Isthmian ships I was on an oil tanker, a coal ship, a container ship, and a Seatrain ship. It carried rail cars on tracks in the hold. If the ship was full of rail cars, the train would be a mile long.

SS Steel Scientist (formerly Sea Owl) made it last voyage in 1971 and so did I. The photo of the Naval Architect’s drawing below is from the SS Steel Scientist. It is 5’ 9.5” long by 2’ 2.25” high. I took it from the ship when she was scrapped in 1971.

-- Patrick