Below the waterline - David Carpenter

This book follows the author through his experiences from the end of his apprenticeship in 1961 with The London Graving Dock Co. on the Isle of Dogs, now generally known as Canary Wharf, his time in the Merchant Navy as an engineer. Those were the days of what could be considered the last generation of 'hands-on engineers' who maintained the ships' engine rooms by the senses of sight, sound and feel, often with a bit of blood and always plenty of sweat. In those days the working conditions down below would have given today's 'health and safety' brigade apoplexy. However, it would be hard to find a ship's engineer from those halcyon times that didn't consider his time at sea as the happiest time of his life.