Maritime superstition and lore.........

Maritime superstition and lore...

Sounds reasonable to me, D'Artois. Possibly stems from the three items to avoid taking to sea: Women, Coffins, and Church Ministers...
In that order.

Reminds me of the tale (allegedly true) of a famous MacBraynes ferry captain - Archie Bell - who sailed out of Oban on the Isles run.
I must first explain that in the Western Isles there is a small break-away branch of the Church of Scotland called 'The Wee Free' (fanatic observers of 'The Lord's day') Archie was a staunch Presbyterian (no love lost between the two sects).
Anyway, it seems half way between Oban and the Isle of Skye one of the crew shouted "Man over board..." then added... "He's a Church Minister..."
"What Church ?" shouted Archie...
"A Wee Free..." responded the crewman.
"Full steam ahead..." shouted Archie...

 

D'ARTOIS,

I must buy this boat.............

 

Maritime superstition and lore...

I take it, Paul, you're cancelling your regular order for mud-skipper bladders

 

I believe he rather requires that stuff they brew in Oban and Isle of Skye, you know that yellow liquid called "poteen" (or is that Irish?)

 

Maritime superstition and lore...

Poteen, friend D'Artois is Irish (made of potato peelings I believe...but none the less acceptable - at a pinch)
But you're right. Lagavulin; Talisker; Laphroag; Islay Mist...ah, poetry to the ear.

 

Why are you sitting there in Oz? What's a highlander doing there? Shaving sheep? I am sure that when we could make a voyage, we would put Tristan Jones to shame.....

 

Surely the Laphroagh is a little to peaty Bergalia (no doubt caused by to much dipping of parts famous in cold mountain burns! Rather have a touch o' the'black bush' meself so tis spelt with an 'e' but the dipping is marvelous

Now were do we get this boat that helps with the divorces?

 

For me Talisker is no 1 - Laphroiagh a fat no 2 - I used to import Laphroaigh in that dark part of Africa I was. The distillery was run by two old ladies who solely decided how much you could by. In my case, it was no more than 80 cases per order - 480 bottles. But there are a few secrets to whisky - we don't talk about the blends, but the pure's - there is a guy in Elgin that sells the best whisky's in the world - you can order the whisky distilled in the year of your birth......

 

Maritime superstition and lore...

Sorry, have to disagree with you Walrus... Talisker is the 'peaty one' - but a great 'breaker' between sips.

"Shaving sheep..."? Bugger, D'Artois, I misheard. Been doing the wrong thing...
But best whisky in the world is: 'Priory Park', bottled lamb's breath from the Orkney Isles. Trouble is most of the stock is bought up by passing trawlers... Almost impossible to buy on the mainland. It's a blessing I suppose, prevents the Americans getting their hands on it and adding ice and water...(almost as bad as the native Aussies)
Tristan Jones... What a boy, eh. Fantastic (in the literary sense) writer. Pity he's Welsh...
There was a a tipple I enjoyed in Holland, can't remember the correct name, but I believe translated it meant: Virgin's Bath Water... Any clues ?

 

If I find that stuff, I 'll send you a bottle... Something to do with Maagden.....?
Was it a kind of Gin?

 

Maritime superstition and lore...

A liquer, if I remember right. We were laid up in Rotterdam (bloody engines again) and we became quite 'touristy'. Drank it a small village near Delft (cook had a passion for the pottery) and there was a cafe/bar decorated with genuine art works (artists who paid their bill by dashing off a quick sketch or painting). One was a Phil May - worth even then about $10,000.
Naturally being Scots we would have stolen it... but the landlady had filled us with too much cheese, gin and "Virgin's Bath Water".
As an aside. Any cheese lovers out there - trust me, the Netherlands is more than Edam and Gouda (excellent though they are...)
If you find it, D'Artois, thanks for the offer, but keep the bottle and drink it for me...

 

So that's where it all goes, never realised there where any such thing as real virgins - thought they was a myth like the old unicorn (well the lions at pompey guildhall ain't roared for some few years now so there's none there!

Incidentally Bergalia the Laphroag I had earlier was deffinately peaty! And no virgin had been anywhere near that for sometime!

 

Maritime superstition and lore...

Another foul English calamuny....My mother, her mother and her mothers before her were all virgins right up until the day we laid them to rest...

 

:idea: Bergalia

Whistya tis jist terrible the things you have to go through for a wee dramn these days! and ye a member of the church as well (was it no you I saw in the filum made in the 40's about a wee boat which hit the rocks - Harrisons of Clyde vessel as I remember it - something Galore If I remember rightly)! Ye ken the one I mean!:idea:

 

Maritime superstition and lore...

Twas so, me darlin. If memory serves aright, twas the 'Congressman' or some such furrin Amerika name. Went down with a cargo of liquid gold.
Twas sabytarge of course. Stop them colonialists stealing the recipe for 'The Real Thing..' Which is why America ended up with Coke - and we kept Highland Dew.
There were still 'genuine' bottles of the cargo being sold at a premium to tourists in Oban when I was last there. I know, coz my mate used to soak newly printed labels in sea water for a fortnight, collect empty bottles from the pub backdoor, and fill them with horse piss. The average English 'whisk(e)y' drinker couldn't tell the difference...
PS - have you still got yours ????