Blue Star Logbook

Boxes, Brazil and the Gorbals by Ian Gater 2012



This is an entertaining read of Ian Gater's experiences of going to sea as a Deck Cadet with Blue Star Line in 1974. Anyone who sailed with Blue Star or Lamport & Holts will find it bringing back memories of their own time at sea. Written with a tongue in cheek sense of humour of the characters sailed with and the ports visited.
Melrose Books ISBN 978-1-908645-21-0
Obtainable from Melrose Books and all good book sellers.

I bought the book, and I don't think I'm doing Ian too much of a disservice when I say that it won't ever be a competitor in the Booker Prize, but what a funny, happy, true and enjoyable read!! Thanks Ian, I got it yesterday, and finished it at breakfast time this morning, much to the dismay of the "distaff side" who doesn't understand these things!!

It brought back many memories (good and bad), that I thought I'd forgotten years ago; it lead me to open up the "history drawer" in my desk, the one that holds my old discharge book, watchkeeping certificates and sundry stuff and to tell too many stories of my own...Thank you so much, Ian!

Is there an engineer out there that can do for the "oily boily" what Ian has done so well for the "white collar"? It would make a hell of a read!

Cheers

Jim Blake

I too have received and reed the book and was very suprised that that he could not find out where the CALIFORNIA STAR was scrapped,none the less it brought back memories although its a bit tame haveing been on the SA coast(probablies to protect the innocent and divorse papers),as for literary engineers well you have only to read some log books eg. "All tempertures and pressures various but normal whilst running".Most of the ones I've sailed with are poets and comics.