New Ventures

Following the bad experience I had on the earlier ship, I was fortunate to command two ships of better condition and management. After about two years, I decided to find work ashore and a Captain who had a marine survey company offered me a job. I gladly accepted it. 

I joined the company and started work as a trainee marine surveyor. I enjoyed the work very much. About six months later, I was made permanent and started to work as a marine surveyor. It was not an 8-5 job and as such, we had to be prepared to work anytime, any day. 

There was one job in particular that I remember to this day. I attended a ship that was brought in for repairs to the Colombo dry docks, on behalf of the owner's hull insurance. The vessel was damaged in way of the engine room on port side that had allegedly been caused by colliding with a fishing trawler in South Atlantic Ocean. I surveyed the vessel and recommended the necessary repairs.

I attended the same ship on behalf of the owner's protection and indemnity club.    

While doing this survey, I recommended that most of the ladders going up to the masts as well as most parts of the vessel's Christmas tree, be cropped and renewed because they were heavily corroded, making it unsafe for the crew to go up and down them. The dockyard engineer in charge of the repairs suggested the whole thing be cropped off. They cropped the Christmas tree of the ship and removed and placed it near the main office of the dockyard. 

It was Christmas time. One morning when I was in the dockyard, the manager met me and jokingly said, "Hey, you are a Christian aren't you? Why are you leaving it here without taking it home?" I replied, "Sir, unfortunately it is too big for my house. We'll have to find some other place." We exchanged some much needed pleasantries. 

Jokes aside, the manager thanked me for recommending it to be removed, for it would have anyway come off from its base or part of it under bad weather conditions. 

Image: Christmas Tree of A Ship

Ref: https://www.marineinsight.com/marine-electrical/how-maintenance-of-navigation-lights-is-done-on-ships/

Vessel Heading For Final Destination

The vessel sailed from Dar-es-Salaam to Madagascar. During the voyage I found out from the Radio Officer that there was hardly any provisions for the crew. When I went to check the provisions store and the cold rooms, the provisions we had would have lasted only a week.

The Captain whom I helped, told me there was enough provisions to last a month and showed me proof of bills at the time of taking over command. It appears, however, that he had taken the money but had not actually ordered provisions prior to leaving the vessel. Now I was in great trouble.

When the vessel arrived in Mahajunga, Madagascar I put my own money and some from the Radio Officer and Chief Officer who were kind enough to offer their assistance, and went ashore to buy provisions which we estimated, according to the cook, to last three weeks.

Thereafter, there were a myriad of problems and I informed the owners that I needed to be relieved as soon as possible.

Finally, I told them, "Your ship cannot sail under these conditions." After I pressurized them, they did some temporary repairs to the hull and machinery and paid the crew their wages up to date.

I was glad when the owners finally decided to scrap the ship. After discharging the cargo we loaded in the Port of Mahajunga in Tuticorin, India, the vessel proceeded to a port in Iran and loaded Sulfur in bulk for Mumbai, India. As the cargo was being discharged, the owners sent some people to remove all good mooring ropes from the ship since upon completion in Mumbai, the vessel was headed to Mangalore, India to beach for demolition.

I advised them to keep at least four good mooring ropes, instead of taking them all. The end result was, while leaving the Mumbai harbor, the rope given to the tug parted as it was being pulled out of the dock. The ship went and contacted the pedestal of the gantry crane. The gantry started to shake, and due to this reason the lifting wire rope of the same parted from the top. There was a big damage. The ship was detained in the Port of Mumbai and the owners had to pay a very big amount as compensation.  

After all these episodes, the vessel finally proceeded to Mangalore and was beached for demolition.

I Went To An Unknown Destination

We returned to a warm Christmas spirit in Sri Lanka after having spent an enjoyable vacation in India. Christmas and New Year celebrations were wonderful to say the least, but now, it was time to get back to work. For me to get a re-appointment on my earlier ship I had to wait till about April. I couldn't wait that long and was on the hunt for a job.

It was around this time, a friend of mine, also a Captain, called and asked if I could take over command of a ship which they were managing, as the Captain currently onboard needed to return home as soon as possible to attend to an urgent domestic matter.

I agreed to take up the job and left Sri Lanka to join the ship in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. After I went on-aboard I realized that I had come to take over a ship in very bad condition, in every which way. The ship had no proper trading certificates and had a lot of administrative and mechanical problems. The crew had not received their wages for about four months and the main and auxiliary engines were in a dilapidated state. The Captain pleaded with me to help him by taking over command of the vessel, so that he could leave to attend to a very urgent family matter.

On the assurance given by the owners that the trading certificates would be put in order prior to departure from Dar-es-Salaam, and the crews wages will be paid as soon as possible, I agreed to take over command and relieve the Captain on-board.

Three days later, the valid trading certificates were placed on-board and I took command of the vessel.

My Vacation in Mumbai

Few days after I signed off the ship, We visited Mumbai. It was to spend a holiday there meeting my friends and teachers at Lal Bhadur Shastri Nautical & Engineering College. While we were in Bombay I visited Capt. Subramaniam and his family. When I was there he invited me for the passing out parade of the cadets of T.S. “Rajendra” and for lunch thereafter. At that time, he was the Captain Superintendent of the ship. I was privileged and honoured to be an invitee for such an important event.

T.S. (Training Ship) “Rajendra” was the training ship of that kind after the famous “Dufferin.” The cadets who passed out of those training ships were considered the cream of Indian Marine society and, there was no doubt about it. Merchant Navy cadets not only from India, but also from countries which includes, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Iran, etc. were also trained.

Many of the top people in the Sri Lankan shipping circle are also from the aforementioned training ships. The passing out parade was spectacular. There were many Extra Masters of India who attended the ceremony.

The Extra Master qualification is the highest qualification in Merchant Marine. With that qualification, one could work as a lecturer in a nautical college, an examiner or as a nautical surveyor. 

                                                          

At lunch I was glad to meet many of these distinguished persons in the Indian Merchant Marine. Some of them had been my teachers while others had been my examiners. There was a very common question; Why did you go to Australia for your Masters???

I am forever grateful to the Government of India for educating us Sri Lankans and for not burdening us with heavy College fees. We were only charged a capitation fee of Indian Rupees five hundred, the only extra charged levied on us.