On The Ocean

In going through 50 years of photographs for a slide show to show at our Golden wedding I came across many that would be fun to post over time. Here I begin with photographs of my first year of married life, at sea with my husband, sailing up and down the Eastern Seaboard of Canada, America and Mexico, sailing to many ports on the way. Just a random few and quality not too great as they have been scanned from old transparencies.

The full ecstasies and agonies of this trip are told in a chapter of 'My Story', found by clicking on same in the right hand sidebar under 'labels'.


Yes I am steering the ship - but not for long!

Sailing past The Bahamas

The Mexican Gulf

Lifeboats were good for sunbathing!

On the beach in Mexico

Dolphins love to dive ahead of the ship

Taking a noon time sight of the sun - for navigation

The Queen Mary passing us on it's way into New York Harbour

The tranquility of Nova Scotia

These are the aunt and uncle of the second mate on the ship who lived in White Plains, New York State. When they heard that there was a lady on the ship they invited us to stay with them every time we docked in New York. No sweat shirts and fleeces in those days - suits and suits only!

Linda on the right was the daughter of the ship's agent and her friend on the left. They travelled from Halifax to spend some time with me.

We swam regularly in a disused quarry in Nova Scotia

Mississippi river boat

Yours truly with the second mate and his aunt

Seaplane gas station on the Mississippi

So much time spent gazing ahead (until the camera showed up!) Beleive me the sea was not always this calm, especially when there were hurricanes around!

Beautiful Fall in Nova Scotia but unfortunately faded in the ancient photo

The husband, Alan who was Chief Engineer on the ship. Alan had always been on large oil tankers but when I met him he was again at college studying for 9 months. In order to earn some money when we got married he took a posting on a small cargo ship.

The ship high and dry in the Bay of Fundi where the tide goes out for 3 miles.

This is a very small cargo ship and it would be hard to describe what it was like being 'hoved to' in the middle of the Atlantic in the worst weather Alan had ever experienced in 9 years. It took us 3 weeks to cross the Atlantic from the East of England, then around the Northern tip of Scotland to Nova Scotia.