Trusty ShellBacks - Have you "crossed the line"

[Navy_Chief]

Have you crossed the Equator and earned your ShellBack card?

[dakrewser]

Have you crossed the Equator and earned your ShellBack card?
I've crossed, but not on a ship... :(

[Orcrone]

I've never crossed the equator, but DW says I cross the line all the time.:D

[Bill S]

Nope, not by ship, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. ;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

YES - we got our certificates to prove it. Did it on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Also had to kiss the fish!

:)

[elmorejj]

Haven`t done it yet, that`s why I want to take the Amazon river cruise. I don`t mind kissing a fish!!!.....jean :D :D

[jimmy2x]

Crossed in December 1973 aboard the USS Oriskany. A "Fun Time" was has by all. CPO, USN, Retired

[dosperegrinos]

Twenty-seven years ago on a trip to Ecuador, stood on the line with right foot north, left foot south. Now in November we will head across by flying down to Rio and boarding the Amsterdam for it's seventeen day cruise 'round the Horn and up to Valparisio. So I guess that will really be the one that counts because there will not be any doubt that we are south. Now, I know technically we have to cross the equator while on board a ship or boat. Wonder if we get credit for the fact that we will be at sea that long and will be waaaaay south?

D and B - Seattle;)

[CruisinMatt]

Last year, but didn't get the card. :o

[jazzsea]

DH and I did it in 1986 aboard the American Hawaii ship M/S Liberte. Tahiti cruise. Had to kiss the mermaids belly..... Too funny. Still have the certificate to prove it.

[viennacruiser]

My DH did on the Carl Vinson.:) still has his card:D

[Joedog]

Hey Jimmy2X,

I do believe I crossed just about the same time as you did, may be even the same day. I was on the USS Buchanan DDG-14 at the time and I am pretty sure that we were with the RUskinny Task Force there in the IO just off the coast of Africa. Your helos used to bring us our mail.

If memory serves me on this, we were inport in Mombosa, Kenja for Christmas and since we were just a little old Tin Can we got to go pier side but you guys on the carrier had to anchor out and the seas were too rough to run liberty boats.

If it makes you feel better, we didnt get liberty until almost 8PM that first night because they wouldnt let us off the boat with out the local currency and all the money changers were out on the carrier. They did finally let us go, and as I am sure you know, we didnt have any trouble getting into trouble with just U.S. Dollars. Of course being a Fireman Apprentice at the time I had to be back on board at midnight so there was a time limit on the amount of trouble I could get into.

Wow.....memories........What I wouldnt give to be 18 and in the Navy again (the 1970's Navy that is).

Retired CWO4 (1999) - initiated HTC (1982)

[Joedog]

Viennacruiser,

I was on the Carl Vinson from 93 - 96 and crossed the line then. It wasnt my first time though, in fact I was probably the seniorist Shellback onboard. When was your DH on board? I have pictures of the initiation here somewhere although I am sure not from your DH's.

[Navy_Chief]

Glad this thread has brought back those good ole' Navy days. I still go by the Chief's Mess on the base to pull a pint with the fella's. My crossing was on USS Harry E. Yarnell (CG-17) in '91 when we crossed through the "Ditch" in Panama and went to the Pacific side to chase down some "Druggies" with the Coast Guard hitching a ride. There were about 25 Shellbacks and the rest of us (410) were wogs including the skipper! And he was in it as thick as the rest of us "Wogs". Of course, he got singled out as a special case!

[grannynurse]

Does the Arctic Circle count? We crossed it twice this summer. And, yes, we got a certificate.
GN

[CDRMark]

Grannynurse:

That makes you a "Bluenose"!

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

Gee, I forgot, that to get down to Rio, we had to fly. Nothing exciting happened on the plane and we weren't given any certificates.

:mad:

[Terri Lee]

Yes,back in 1998 on the Inaugural World Cruise on the brand new RotterdamVI.It was during the final leg from Rio de Janeiro to New York.We were all given a parchment "scroll" from King Neptune! All I can really remember is that it was incredibly HOT!(the weather,not the scroll!)


Terri;)

[Navy_Chief]

Hehe Navy tradition got us on the Foc'sal at 05:00 and we were watered down with the fire hose. Didn't know it could be soooo coooolllddd at the equator :D

[mikefang]

:D Navy Chief-crossed in 75 on USS Long Beach (CGN 9) in the Indian Ocean.Then on USS Jason (AR 8) twice, one at the dateline. I can still taste the graphite grease and cayenne pepper.
Mike-retired Navy.
Had to edit to correct a type-you can tell I wasn't a Yeoman!

[NorfolkSailor]

Yes, on the Saipan in the early 80's...

[Navy_Chief]

LoL that's ok Mike, if I had a nickle for every typo an PN made in my Service Jacket, I would have retired with more money than a Fleet Adm!:D :D

[jimmy2x]

JoeDog,

Well you are certainly close. Actually spent New Years Eve in Mombassa. You are right about the high winds and heavy seas. I got on the 2nd launch off the boat and made it in. Think a couple of more made it before they shut down the runs to the beach. Actually wound up stranded in Mombassa for 3 days (good thing I had some bucks). Spent New Years Eve crashed in one of the Casinos. It was a decent port, but of course not as good as "Thieves Alley" or even better, Subic. Those were the days, my friend - we thought they would never end. Must say that the accomodations and the chow are a helluva lot better on a Cruise ship. Me, I don't really care a whole lot about what islands we go to - just to be back at sea again is enough!

[Joedog]

Jimmy,

I was probably in Mombosa for New Years and not Christmas. I really dont remember anymore. I think I was thinking it was Christmas because a "lady" that took me home for the evening played "Silent Night" on her little 45RPM record player while we "danced".

Subic Bay.....celebrated my 19th birthday there. No way to ever explain that place to anyone who wasnt there then, during marshal law. Did you call the bar dump at 11PM "Panic in the Streets" too?

I agree with you 100%, I am happy just being on a ship. Dont really care what ports we go to. I dont think any port on any cruise ship will ever give me anything close to the thrill of the night before pulling into Subic.

I remember the Chaplain saying in the evening prayer the night before we pulled into Subic "Forgive us Lord for the sins we are about to commit."

Anyhow....this was about Shellbacks. I remember how cold I was up on the foc'sle being sprayed by firehoses in the shade of mount 51. Never believed the water from the IO could be that cold.

[terrascape]

Crossed the line 4 times on a world cruise aboard the old SS Universe in 1971 as part of the Semester At Sea program sponsored by Chapman College. First time was southbound between Honolulu and Pago Pago. First Northbound was between Bali and Singapore, Second southbound was between Bombay and Mombasa & second Northbound was between Capetown and Freetown. Received the certificate for the second southbound crossing.

[jabang]

USS CONOLLY (DD-979), 1983, crossed off of the west coast of Africa at the Prime Meridian.

...and no, planes don't count....

[Navy_Chief]

Jabang,

A friend of mine crossed with you on the Conolly. See if you recognize him. Here's a link to his web page:

http://puttinonthehits.com/

He's the fella kneeling front and center.

-Bob

[viennacruiser]

JoeDog,
My DH crossed on the Carl Vinson in 1983:eek: .He was on its first crusie,:) .
that 2 year trip convinced him to try cruising for a vacation.:) :)
Nancy

[jimmy2x]

Joe,

"I dont think any port on any cruise ship will ever give me anything close to the thrill of the night before pulling into Subic." CHANNEL FEVER!!;)