For hundreds of years a seaman’s sea chest, was part of life for merchant mariners. Often made of intricately carved or painted wood, it was stored in the crew’s quarters and held the individual’s personal property. Besides containing bedding, clothing, and items of entertainment such as books, playing cards, or musical instruments, sea chests were also filled with keepsakes from the many exotic ports the mariner had visited.
Not only kept as personal remembrances of voyages past, keepsakes were also held to be given to someone special ashore – a friend, family member, or loved one. Instead of having to lug a heavy wooden sea chest from ship to ship, modern merchant mariners switched to sea bags and luggage, but one thing hasn’t changed – the tradition of bringing home keepsakes from far-flung ports.
My Dad sailed as an able seaman and bosun for many years. He caught a ship running from New York to Pireaus, Greece one summer. Since the ship was a break-bulk freighter, it was in port for several days, enabling him plenty of time to go ashore.
He brought back two komboloi, one for my Greek mother and the other for her mother. Strings of amber or mother-of-pearl beads, they have a long history among the Greek people, where they are thought to reduce stress. Anyone visiting the country will see people everywhere clasping theirs. The ones my Dad brought home were made of beautiful Baltic amber and, during my teenage years, I saw my mother using hers quite often, whenever she needed to cool off after one of our “discussions.”
My father-in-law sailed as an assistant purser on various U.S.-flag merchant ships during World War II, carrying supplies for the U.S. Navy to many different countries. His favorite was India. Once while there, he bought a set of carved ivory elephant figurines, decades before the restrictions on purchasing ivory came into effect.
After the war, he became a salesman, but said that whenever he looked at the figurines, they always reminded him of his time sailing on Liberty ships – living each day with the knowledge that a Japanese or German submarine could make it his last. He bequeathed them to my wife, and today those figurines have a place of honor in our own vintage China cabinet.
One keepsake I gave my wife is still treasured to this day. I brought it home after a long trip working as a chief mate on a ship in the North Pacific. Getting word that I’d be flying home a couple of days after we docked near Honolulu, I decided to get something special that would bring some of Hawaii back to her. Asking the dockworker in charge of handling our mooring lines what his opinion was, he replied, “You need to bring her back some beautiful seashells, brah.”
I thought about it and agreed. The only problem was, being a “haole” from the mainland, I didn’t know a thing about Hawaiian seashells. Luckily, he gave me some info on the best place on Oahu to buy them, and the next day I went to see a vendor. After looking at their large inventory, I bought two lovely triton conch shells – each a shiny mix of white and beige with just a tinge of pink.
The vendor wrapped them up securely for me, and from that time on I handled the shells with every bit of care I could muster. Encasing them in my small carry-on, wrapped in my softest clothes and sweaters, I stowed the bag itself under my seat on the airplane. After arriving in Seattle, I held them in my lap for the entire two-hour shuttle ride home.
Walking down the driveway my wife saw me approacing and ran out to greet me. Handing her the shells, I could see that longshoreman had steered me right, and I am pleased to say that years later they still hold a prominent place in our China cabinet above the carved ivory figurines from India.
Giving a keepsake is a way to share a bit of your experiences at sea with someone ashore. Some examples I recall hearing about include a first engineer who brought home an ornate tea set from Japan for his mother; a bosun who gave his daughter a turquoise silver bracelet from Mexico; and a mate who bought a ruby ring in Thailand for his fiancée.
To help guarantee a good homecoming for all concerned, one important caveat that should be mentioned is to make sure that you follow any applicable U.S. Customs regulations regarding the gifts you bring home. You can find these at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website – https://.www.cpb.gov.
Wherever you visit during your career as a merchant mariner, I hope that you too will carry on the tradition of bringing home reminders from your voyages. A famous American poet and scholar named Muriel Rykeyser once wrote that the universe is made up of stories, not atoms. This holiday season, instead of the traditional presents that most people put under their tree, I suggest gifting someone special in your life with one of the keepsakes from your travels – along with the story that comes with it.
Till next time, I wish you all happy holidays, and smooth sailin.’ •
Capt. Kelly Sweeney holds the license of master (oceans, any gross tons) and has held a master of towing vessels (oceans) license as well. He has sailed on more than 40 commercial vessels and lives on an island near Seattle. He can be contacted by email at captsweeney@outlook.com