Merchant seamen's tickets.

[KTL16825]

Attached is a copy of a ticket issued to my great great grandfather Christopher Wood in 1845. I understand that the previous registration system (second register of seamen) was replaced between 1845 & 1852 by a ticketing system for seamen leaving UK waters.
Does anyone know how to interpret the figures in the Reported Voyages columns? The lower sets of figures (12 45, 6 46 & 12 46) are presumably month and year, but what about the higher sets? Could the left hand column be days at sea, or number of voyages, in a six-month period, and the right hand column the port to which the vessel returned, given that Lynn was 68?
Any help would be much appreciated.

[EWW]

I have not had much luck searching but still have the IWM RN section to try and fathom out. Will keep trying unless you have tried there.

[KTL16825]

I haven't found anything relevant at the IWM, but it's not an urgent query, and I'm sure someone will come up trumps in due course. Thanks for looking anyway.

[KTL16825]

The TNA web site has an annotated example. The entries on Christopher Wood's ticket for 1845 & 1846 are for voyages in home waters: the dates refer to when the crew lists were filed, either in June or December of each year; the out column gives the port rotation no. and the home column the ship's port of registry. So the ships in which he sailed were registered either in Lynn (68) or Bridlington (16). Where home trade voyages are concerned, the ship may have been on several trips, and the seaman may have been engaged for some or all of the six-month period; there is no way of telling from the records. Entries for foreign trade voyages, however, refer to a single trip at a time.

According to TNA, whilst a port rotation number was used as a unique ID no. within the ship's port of registry, "no key to these numbers has been discovered". As far as I can ascertain, a port rotation no. in current usage is given to a ship by port authorities to indicate the ship's turn to berth for loading or discharging its cargo.

[EWW]

I am wondering if the pilots office in Lynn could shed any light on the figures. Attach said record to and email to them and see.

https://www.kingslynnport.co.uk/contact/

[KTL16825]

Good suggestion, EWW. I'll give it a try.

[KTL16825]

I've had a reply from the KLCB this morning. Their records begin in 1898, so they are unable to help, but suggest Lynn Museum, the NRO or the National Maritime Museum as options to explore.