Re-joining A Ship

On completion of studies at the INC, I returned to London. It was the month of December, and the Christmas feeling was setting in.

I had a good Christmas in London with relations and friends. There were parties almost everyday! In February the following year I was informed by the company where I had my onboard training, to be prepared to re-join.   

I left London on the 14th of March 1979, and arrived in Venice after about three hours of flying. On arrival at the Venice Airport, our local agent was there to meet me. After completing arrival formalities, the agent took me to the ship. Prior to leaving, I was made to understand by our London office that most of the officers including the Captain were from the Philippines. It was the first time that I was going to work with them. When I went on board the Captain was not present. Therefore, I reported to the Chief Officer. Fortunately for me the Purser was a Sri Lankan. He had a long name, and hence all officers called him Thanam.

Thanam was very happy to have me on board as he was the only Sri Lankan on that ship prior to my joining. He immediately ordered the Chief Cook to prepare some dinner for us and showed me my cabin. The ship did not have a Second Officer when I joined. The Third Officer had been doing the second officer’s duties while the Cadet had been doing the third officer's duties. Therefore, my cabin was vacant and ready. After a few drinks, Thanam and I had dinner and went to sleep.

In the morning I went up to see the Captain and he was in a very bad mood. He was very rude to me but I remained calm and handed over my appointment letter to him. I immediately understood his attitude and also thought that I was going to have some rough weather, on board, for the next few months. That's a seafarers life!

However, our relationship improved with time, and it was not as bad as I thought. From Venice the ship sailed for Koper in Yugoslavia. On the first night there, the Chief Officer joined Thanam and me to go ashore. Three of us went into a night club and had a good time. Thereafter, Rudolfo T. Nunez, the Chief Officer, became friendly with me and was good company, too.

Photo of the ship

Photos of old port of Venice

Shifting from London to Cork, Ireland

Towards the end of Summer holidays that year, I shifted to the Irish Nautical College and continued with the rest of my Nautical studies. INC was a part of the Cork regional Technical College at that time.

According to my study program, I had to do some short courses, as well. I left London for Cork, and went to Swansea by train and took the cross channel ferry from there. Prior arrangements had been made for me to stay with an Irish family as a paying guest. I knew in advance I had a place ready for me in Cork.The ferry arrived in Cork and berthed alongside around 8.00 a.m. that morning. At the ferry station, I boarded a shuttle service coach and came into the city, and I took a taxi from there to where I was going to live during my sojourn in Cork -- Crowley’s place. When I arrived at Crowley’s place in Bishop’s Town it was about 9.30 a.m. On arrival at the address, I rang the doorbell. A very pleasant looking lady, possibly, in her mid-fifties opened the door and greeted me. It was Mrs. Patricia Crowley. While I was paying the taxi driver she had already moved my bags into the house.

Thereafter, both of us had tea and a very long conversation during which time we exchanged a lot of information. Patricia Crowley, told me that her husband, Michael, was away in their farm in County Kerry. Usually, he left home on Monday mornings and returned either on Thursday or Friday. They had a son and a daughter, who were both married and settled down in the U.S. She went on to say that it was more for company than money that she and Michael decided to register with the College to have a paying guest from time to time. She knew well in advance of my visit and was looking forward to my arrival.

Michael Crowley came home that evening. On my first meeting with him I thought that he resembled the famous film star, Humphrey Bogart. I told them that I would like to go to the "Anchor House," that evening, the only social club that I knew of in Cork. Immediately Patricia told me that they had already planned to take me to the Country Club, which was a very exclusive place and reservations had already been made. I changed my mind and joined them. As time passed by both of them started to treat me as one of their own. Although according to my agreement I had to pay them 18 pounds a week, a few days later Patricia told me to only pay 8 pounds a week. She helped with the laundry, ironed my clothes and also gave me sandwiches to take to College. In short, they treated me like their own child. From the Crowley’s place to College there was a good ten-minute walk. Pat (Patricia) one day, told me to take her car as it was not used much. I politely declined the offer as I did not have a driving license.

God is so great for getting me to live in Cork with a family like the Crowley’s. This, I will always remember. 

Photo of a house similar to that of the Crowley's

Photos of Cork Regional Technical College

Rogue Waves Associated with Agulha Current

Rogue waves

The south-east coast of South Africa is on the main shipping route between the Middle-East and Europe/the U.S. and several large ships sustain major damage because of rogue waves in the area where these waves occasionally can reach a height of more than 30 m (98 ft). Some 30 larger ships were sunk by rogue waves along the South African east-coast between 1981 and 1991

Agulhas Current - Note One

The sources of the Agulhas Current are the East Madagascar Current, the Mozambique Current and a recirculated part of the south-west Indian subgyre (a smaller circular current within a gyre)south of Madagascar. The flow of the Agulhas Current is directed by the topography. The current follows the continental shelf from Maputo to the tip of the Agulhas Bank (250 km south of Cape Agulhas). Here the momentum of the current overcomes the vorticity balance holding the current to the topography and the current leaves the shelf.

The core of the current is defined as where the surface velocities reaches 100 cm/s (39 in/s), which gives the core an average width of 34 km (21 mi). The mean peak speed is 136 cm/s (54 in/s), but the current can reach 245 cm/s (96 in/s.

As the Agulhas Current flows south along the African east coast, it tends to bulge inshore frequently, a deviation from the current's normal path known as Agulhas Current meanders (ACM). These bulges are occasionally (1-7 times per year) followed by a much larger offshore bulge, known as Natal pulses (NP). Natal pulses move along the coast at 20 km (12 mi) per day. An ACM can bulge up to 20 km (12 mi) and a NP up to 120 km (75 mi) from the current's mean position. The AC passes 34 km (21 mi) offshore and an ACM can reach 123 km (76 mi) offshore. When the AC meanders, its width broadens from 88 km (55 mi) to 125 km (78 mi) and its velocity weakens from 208 cm/s (82 in/s) to 136 cm/s (54 in/s). An ACM induces a strong inshore counter-current.

Large-scale cyclonic meanders known as Natal pulses are formed as the Agulhas Current reaches the continental shelf on the South African east-coast (i.e. the eastern Agulhas Bank off Natal). As these pulses moves along the coast on the Agulhas Bank, they tend to pinch off Agulhas rings from the Agulhas Current. Such a ring shedding can be triggered by a Natal pulse alone, but sometimes meanders on the Agulhas Return Current merge to contribute to the shedding of an Agulhas ring.

One Very Unplesant Incident

Ship’s Radar Observer’s course was a part of our study program. We did this on board our training ship "Sir John Cass". The training ship was berthed in Rotherhithe. Another Sri Lankan student joined our batch only to follow the Radar Observer’s course. It was a two-week course, and every morning by 9.00 a.m. we were all on the ship. Soon after that, the ship left the berth and proceeded down the river Thames and returned only by 5.00 p.m.

On Friday of the first week of the Radar Observer course, the Sri Lankan student, Ram, and I boarded the train at Rotherhithe to come to central London. There were a few dock workers in the train and they were drunk. One of them came close to us and said "You black bastards you are smelling!" I understood the situation and I just kept quiet. Ram was new in London and retaliated with some harsh words. I tried my best to advise Ram to be quiet but he would not listen. At this time, two others joined and started assaulting both of us. I pulled Ram and jumped out of the train when it stopped at the next station. Those men also jumped out and continued to hit us. Ram was bleeding from his nose. So many people passed by and nobody, repeat nobody, even turned to look at what was going on. A Chinese gentleman came to our rescue and then those three men moved out. We thanked him and thanked God for sending him. Ram was trying to maintain a very brave face but I knew that he was in pain. There was blood all over his shirt. He was staying in Wembley park and he took the train in that direction while I boarded the train that brought me to Finchley Central. That was one very unpleasant incident that took place during the time I was studying in London.

                                   Section of the Rotherhithe Underground Station in London

The First Phase of Academicals

Highest sea-going qualification for the deck officers is the Master mariner. The Extra Masters which is like a Ph.D. is more of an academic qualification which was highly recognized, worldwide.

For Merchant Navy Officers there are phases of academicals for which we must enter a Nautical College. During our time, the first phase of studies was to prepare us to sit the exam to obtain the Second Mate Foreign Going Certificate. From the time I joined my first ship as an Officer cadet, I had accumulated sea time of about three and a half years which enabled me to enter college for the academicals. The required sea time was three years and three months. After looking at many options, I, finally opted to do my studies at Sir John Cass College in London and also at the Irish Nautical College in Cork, Ireland. During the time I worked on board I saved some money for my studies. But, later I found that was not enough and my parents and some friends helped me with the finances from time to time while I was studying in London and in Ireland. 

I joined Sir John Cass College in February 1978. During the time of my studies in London, I lived with some of my cousins in Finchley Central. We shared an apartment, cooked our meals and managed our lives.  During the summer holidays, I worked in a bakery in the Wembley area. I could not save much from what I earned because with that money I had a good summer with my cousins and friends.

It took around ten months for me to complete the first phase of my studies and sit the exam.

I passed my exam on December 16^th that year. It was great because it was two days before my birthday. Soon after I passed the exam, I was offered a job with a British Shipping Company but since my Visa was only for the purpose of studies in the UK I was unable to join. After spending Christmas and the New Year with my relations and friends in London I flew to Venice to join a ship owned by the company that I had my training.  

                                                  Sir John Cass College in London

                                               Photo of Sir John Cass Training ship.

Marine Sextant

With the sextant for determining latitude and the chronometer for longitude, sailors by the 1800s were able to navigate the high seas with great precision.


For millennia, as sailors from the Phoenicians to the Polynesians knew, the heavens remained the best way to find one's north-south position. Increasingly sophisticated devices were designed over the centuries to measure the height of the sun and stars over the horizon. The gnomon or sun-shadow disk operated like a sundial, enabling the user to determine his latitude by the length of the sun's shadow cast on a disk floating level in water. The Arabian Kamal was a rectangular plate that one moved closer or farther from one's face until the distance between the North star and the horizon exactly corresponded to the plate's upper and lower edges. The distance the plate lay away from the face—measured by a string tied to the center of the plate and held at the other end to the tip of the nose—determined the latitude.

In the Middle Ages, sailors relied on the astrolabe, a disc of metal that one held suspended by a small ring. The disc had a scale with degrees and a ruler for measuring the height of an astronomical body. Other medieval mariners preferred the cross-staff, a T-shaped device whose base was held up to the eye. One measured the sun's height by pulling the slid able top of the T toward one's eye until the sun lay at the top and the horizon at the bottom. Since blindness resulted from frequent use, the explorer John Davis invented the back-staff in 1595, which enabled one to get the same measurement with one's back to the sun. The sextant was the most advanced of these devices, allowing users to determine their latitude to within a sea mile or two, even from a swaying deck.

In the years after the sextant was invented in 1731, many held out hope that it would aid in east-west navigation as well—that is, in finding longitude. Sailors could employ the sextant to figure longitude using the lunar-distance method, but with the astronomical tables of the 18th century, the process could take several hours to work out one's position—not remotely good enough for sea travel. In the end, it was the dogged clockmaker, John Harrison, who solved the longitude problem with his chronometers. And today, the precocious step-child of these highly accurate clocks, the Global Positioning System, has finally proved the Roman dramatist Seneca right, when he wrote in the first century:

 There will come an age in the far-off years

When Ocean shall unloose the bonds of things,

When the whole broad earth shall be revealed....

Dead Reckoning

This ancient form of navigation known as dead reckoning begins with a known position, or fix, which is then advanced, mathematically or directly on the chart, by means of recorded heading, speed, and time.

The navigator finds a position by measuring the course and distance they have sailed from some known point. Starting from a port, the navigator measures the distance from that point on a chart. Each day’s end position would be the starting point for the next day’s course and distance-measurement.

The navigator plots his 9am position, indicated by the triangle, and, using his course and speed, estimates his position at 9:30am and 10am.

Without an accurate way to tell time, dead reckoning was notoriously inaccurate in the open ocean, making Columbus’s feats all the more remarkable.

Combating depression in seafareres

Even though we don’t always like to talk about it, depression is a very real condition that can affect the way you live. It can have an impact on your work performance, your mental and physical health, and your relationships.

For seafarers, depression can be especially prevalent, due to the long periods at sea, loneliness, and separation from loved ones. The stigma associated with depression and other mental illnesses is finally fading away, and there is no shame in seeking help. There are a few things you can do to help combat depression on board when outside counseling and guidance are not available.

1. Recognize that it can be difficult to live, work and relax in the same space

Living in close quarters is difficult, no matter who is involved. When you live, work, and relax in that shared space, finding time for yourself can be a challenge. Tempers may flare, frustrations may arise, and small problems can seem like big ones. Take a moment to recognize that what you’re doing is hard; there’s no way around it. Cut yourself a break when you need it.

2. Find healthy outlets for your emotions

As emotions build among crew members on a ship, it’s easy to manifest these feelings in unhealthy ways. Although it can be cathartic, fighting, shouting, throwing objects, and losing your cool isn’t a manageable way to function. Neither is keeping your emotions bottled up inside, which can put a strain on your mental health.  Look for healthy outlets like writing down how you feel or channeling your emotions into exercise.

3. Seek out someone to talk to when you’re onshore

Many ports have resources for seafarers who need someone to talk to.  Seek refuge in these facilities, where you can talk to a minister, counselor, or even a fellow seafarer. At Port Everglades, we offer multi-faith ministry services that can lend an ear to your feelings.  You do not have to be religious to seek the help of ministry services, we counsel and support mariners of all different faiths and backgrounds. Talking out your emotions can be a healthy way of dealing with them, and can better prepare you for the next time you feel low while at sea.

4. Take every opportunity to communicate with friends and family

Time is a precious commodity, so use it well. Regular communication with the ones you love – and who love you – can help keep you in a positive frame of mind. When possible, schedule these conversations ahead of time so you have something to look forward to. Use whatever form of technology is available to you, from a phone call to a video chat or even a simple email. Even a brief conversation can have a lasting positive impact on your emotional state.  

Reposted From Seafarers' House at Port Everglades.org

Ship called at the port of Palermo

The ship called at the port of Palermo. Patrick being a die hard Catholic wanted to visit some old churches and I joined him. One of the churches we visited was the Cathedral of Palermo.

The stay in the port of Palermo was not long but a good one. As it was walking distance to most parts of the main city, every evening Patrick and I went out and enjoyed an Italian cuisine for dinner.

                                                                     Port of Palermo           

                                                                 Cathedral of Palermo