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As a junior chef in my early teens(15)working on the big Passenger Liners of the seventies era, many of the crew had twenty or more years experience of being at sea, some were quite serious about superstition others said very little.

There are many things that seaman consider to be bad a omen, some I have experienced first hand and some I have heard off from others.

In the days of "sail" there was definitely no whistling on board anywhere, the reason being the fear off" whistling up the wind" the possibility of bad weather was never welcomed, it could sink you or even drive you onto a reef or rocks.

I believe the trimming of beards and of fingernails also was thought to bring bad weather too.

Friday the thirteenth also known as" Black Friday" a day for bad luck. Sailing on this day from port considered to be unlucky, (just as it is ashore)I have sailed on a Friday on more than one occasion, only the odd comment would be made about the date, perhaps because we did not want to tempt fate.

Another bad omen for seaman was the killing of an Albatross, those Huge white sea birds that grace the southern hemisphere and equatorial areas of the west coast of Africa soaring just above the crests of waves effortlessly for miles and miles, I believe that in the days of sail if a seaman killed one he would have to wear it around his neck for six months to break the spell of bad luck/curse to the ship and/or crew(imagine that smell!

The taking of a swan on board a ship is also deemed bad luck thought also to be of the albatross family!

I recall an incident that took place whilst going down south with the task force, some of the requisitioned merchant ships carried troops, and whilst practicing their shooting skills from the deck of a ship, a soldier with a machine gun shot what he thought to be a very large seagull! It was an albatross, to be expected the crew were far from happy and the soldier responsible was nearly lynched fore his actions by the crew (bearing in mind we were going to war) this was the last thing any seaman wanted, the ship docked for refueling along with a few other vessels, and the crew downed tools immediately demanded that the person be transferred off. I do not know where he went, but our ship and the others didn't want this person either. The M.O.D. said no at first but the crew won such was the feeling of superstition, he was transferred, and the ship and we continued on our way.

Some clown bought a Ouija- board on board a ship once, and produced it in

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