# Sailors Taking Women On Ships As Stowaways **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 25, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423 "2010-02-25T18:46:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/21 "2010-02-26T13:22:39Z")
Concur on the ‘nutters’ evaluation but you HAVE to throw in ‘awesome’ and ‘badass’ at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/22 "2010-02-26T13:58:58Z")
How quickly political correctness take hold! The link to the newspaper article about the twins was 1997; the headline for the article beside it was: _ **Retarded Murderer Executed** _ ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/23 "2010-02-26T14:42:08Z")
Australian soap operas :smack: Who knew??? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/24 "2010-02-26T15:13:25Z")
Reminds me of the story of a suicidal young woman who went down to the docks to throw herself in the water. Just as she was about to leap, a friendly sailor stopped her. “I’m off to South America in the morning, you could come too,” he said. “I’ll hide you in the hold, bring you as much food as you need, and all I ask is that you keep me happy on the long voyage.” She agrees, and over the next few weeks she enthusiastically keeps up her side of the bargain. Eventually, however, she is caught hiding and hauled in front of the captain. “Explain yourself, woman,” he yells. “Well, sir, I have come to an arrangement with one of your crew. He’s taking me to South America to start a new life, and giving me food and water on the voyage…” “And what are you giving him in return?” “Well, sir, I have to admit he’s screwing me.” “He certainly is,” the skipper replies. “This is the Calais ferry.” Edit… OK so **Krokodil** got there first… ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/25 "2010-02-26T15:37:36Z")
As a peripherally related question, how late in history was a naval captain privileged to have his wife aboard? I would guess that the practice was still technically legal but frowned upon in the Napoleonic era; but I don’t actually know. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/26 "2010-02-26T15:48:32Z")
FWIW I knew a lady that claimed that in her youth, she and another free spirited young lass were smuggled aboard a US Navy destroyer before it went out for a weekend exercise. She and the other lady spent the weekend entertaining members of the crew. From what I gathered not on a professional basis, but rather as their way to support the troops, if you catch my drift. No they were not caught. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/27 "2010-02-26T23:04:21Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > As a peripherally related question, how late in history was a naval captain privileged to have his wife aboard? I would guess that the practice was still technically legal but frowned upon in the Napoleonic era; but I don’t actually know. Some merchant vessels used to allow the the officers to bring wives and infant children on board till very recently. In particular, Shipping Corporation of India (the government owned shipping line of India) allowed it. I think it has stopped post 9/11 because getting visas became harder and the whole thing became too much trouble. I’m not sure about this though. I haven’t been on an SCI vessel for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Bbusyb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bbusyb/32/4580_2.png) [@Bbusyb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bbusyb)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/28 "2010-02-27T01:50:00Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Some merchant vessels used to allow the the officers to bring wives and infant children on board till very recently. In particular, Shipping Corporation of India (the government owned shipping line of India) allowed it. I think it has stopped post 9/11 because getting visas became harder and the whole thing became too much trouble. I’m not sure about this though. I haven’t been on an SCI vessel for a while. I think they still do allow it, at least on longer Voyages. I have an Aunt whose Husband is in the Merchant Navy and She Travelled with him for a few months on a Journey to Indonesia. I’m not too clear on what the actual route was but She did Travel with him for 4-5 Months and has done so pretty regularly in the past. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/29 "2010-02-27T02:35:31Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Some merchant vessels used to allow the the officers to bring wives and infant children on board till very recently. In particular, Shipping Corporation of India (the government owned shipping line of India) allowed it. I think it has stopped post 9/11 because getting visas became harder and the whole thing became too much trouble. I’m not sure about this though. I haven’t been on an SCI vessel for a while. Merchant sailors don’t travel with pasports. In the US Merchant Marine they have Z cards. The wife and family would need visas. In the days of sail most masters were also part owners of the ship and could bring their family. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/30 "2010-02-27T03:27:37Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Also, was it true that women on board were considered “bad luck”? Considering what sort of fighting could break out with one woman and a hundred men, probably true. While I’m no expert, I did do a little research on this for an undergraduate project. I never found any evidence to suggest that women were considered to be bad luck on a ship. In fact, in the 19th century it wasn’t uncommon for the captains of some merchant vessels to have their wives and daughters aboard ship. David Cordingly’s “Women Sailors and Sailor’s Women” is a pretty good book that might interest people here. Odesio ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/31 "2010-02-27T20:46:31Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > While I’m no expert, I did do a little research on this for an undergraduate project. I never found any evidence to suggest that women were considered to be bad luck on a ship. In fact, in the 19th century it wasn’t uncommon for the captains of some merchant vessels to have their wives and daughters aboard ship. > > David Cordingly’s “Women Sailors and Sailor’s Women” is a pretty good book that might interest people here. > > Odesio “Bad luck” may be the wrong term. The sailors who aren’t getting any action deeply, deeply resent the sailors who are, adversely affecting morale on the ship. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/32 "2010-02-27T21:13:54Z")
I was just reading how pregnant women aboard ships during the Battle of the Nile went into premature labor from the concussion of the guns. One of my favorite short story ending sentences is in “Bottle Party,” by John Collier. A man is tricked by a genie into being trapped in his bottle: “In the end, some sailors happened to drift into the shop, and, hearing that this bottle contained the most beautiful girl in the world, they bought it up by general subscription of the fo’c’sle. When they unstoppered him at sea and found it was only poor Frank, their disappointment knew no bounds, and they used him with the utmost barbarity.” ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/33 "2010-02-28T12:51:30Z")
In the 1980’s while traveling in Malaysia, with another girl, we caught a ride down the coast on a Malay Police/Coast Guard vessel. It was a large ship, over 90 sailors on board, and anti aircraft guns on both sides. We were not stowaways, though. We were guests of the Captain and Firstmate who befriended us, on an island off the east coast. While we were ‘guests’ I’m pretty sure it’s not standard operating procedure to offer rides, down the coast, to tourists. We had full run of the ship, (very interesting!), played cards with the officers, and had crab, (liberated from nearest fisherman), for lunch! We were on the boat only for an afternoon, but had a blast! ---
**Author:** ![Zoinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zoinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoinks)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/34 "2010-02-28T19:01:30Z")
> [@si\_blakely](#): > > I was going to mention the Ingham twins - not only did they stow away with the crewmember (only one of the twins was involved with him, allegedly), but when they were discovered by the Master, they escaped from a locked cabin and jumped from the ship off the Queensland coast wearing lifejackets. They made it through the salt water marshes (and the salt water crocs) to land and were found a few weeks later. > > Absolute nutters. > > Si > [@Princhester](#): > > Does it happen? Back in 1997 a couple of NZ teenage twin girls managed to end up on a Malaysian vessel that called here. They were on board for a couple of months before the Master realised. An unknown number of the crew knew. We never did get to the bottom of the story but they seemed to have a relationship with one male crewmember (Twin teenage girls! Impressive. Bet he had trouble keeping his eyes open when on watch. Boom chicka chicka wow wow etc etc). You don’t believe me? Check [this](http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19970508&id=ynAWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HRUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2817,3931655) and [this](http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-17287494.html) out. What happened to the dude? The first article says the sisters scarpered with him and some life jackets but then it only says the twins were found by the local Aboriginal community later. > [@elbows](#): > > We had full run of the ship, (very interesting!), played cards with the officers, and had crab, ( **liberated from nearest fisherman** ), for lunch! We were on the boat only for an afternoon, but had a blast! So wait, they stole some fisherman’s catch? What a bunch of dicks. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/35 "2010-02-28T21:02:09Z")
> [@Zoinks](#): > > What happened to the dude? The first article says the sisters scarpered with him and some life jackets but then it only says the twins were found by the local Aboriginal community later. Well, I think he was there or maybe found a bit later - the reports were pretty contradictory for a while. Eventually both the twins went to Malaysia, married (one of them to the aforementioned crewman), converted to Islam and had babies. They blame drink for their youthful indiscretions. Si ---
**Author:** ![Zoinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zoinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoinks)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/36 "2010-02-28T22:01:49Z")
Cool, thanks. I assumed bad things happened since the article specifically named the guy but rather suspiciously didn’t mention what happened to him. By bad things I mean I imagined either the twins killed and ate his corpse or he got separated and was found half-eaten by dingoes yet was still alive. You know, stuff the twins might not want to mention to the authorities. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/37 "2010-02-28T23:05:28Z")
> [@Zoinks](#): > > What happened to the dude? The first article says the sisters scarpered with him and some life jackets but then it only says the twins were found by the local Aboriginal community later. He was there. It’s just that he’s some seafarer guy from some 2nd world nation and they are female teen twins from New Zealand. One is news, one isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/38 "2010-03-01T16:38:05Z")
"So wait, they stole some fisherman’s catch? What a bunch of dicks. " To be honest, it would have been hard for me to determine, if the inquiry concerning the fishing boats morning catch produced ‘liberating’ or ‘proffering’ of crab for lunch. As a guest, I was hardly in a position to pursue it. A poor fisherman, kicking back a little crab to the police/naval ship might well be standard operating procedure, for all I know. I was led to believe we were surrounded by fishing vessels as it is just plain safer to ply your trade in sight of a police/naval ship, as these could be dangerous waters. At the time, I was told, the threat was Indonesian pirates. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/39 "2010-03-01T18:16:56Z")
We had one on my ship in the U.S. Navy once back in the last 80’s. She was found in about 3-4 days. The big issue was that as more and more guys found out she was there, the ahmmm, demands on her time if you will, grew and she came out in the open. The ship turned around and took her back to the UK. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423/40 "2010-03-01T18:49:28Z")
Name and hull number of the vessel, please. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-taking-women-on-ships-as-stowaways/530423.md?page=3)