Magic Moments at Sea
 

1. At anchor off Lae circa 1973 waiting for alongside berth. Anchor watch 0000 to 0400, humid and warm, heavy rain, gentle rolling, watching the rain falling on the fore deck glistening in the deck lights and running in torrents to the scuppers, the lights of Lae in the distance, sitting in the pilot's chair and just taking it all in and being glad I was alive and able to appreciate the wonderful work that nature does.

2. Leaving various Queensland ports with a full load of sugar knowing that cargo care would be a simple exercise. No ventilation, no lashings - just batten down and enjoy the passage whether it be Singapore, Penang or UK. Lovely stuff!

One of the most memorable was:

Having done Stand By coming into Panama anchorage, eastbound, and being slated for night passage/canal transit stand by, retired to the bar for a couple of beers with the intention of grabbing a few "Zees". Radio officer came into the bar and started telling me about the dolphins at the bottom of the gangway. Off we went with a few cans in hand. No, I didn't get any sleep, nearly five hours chatting and watching the dolphins hunt the flying fish, attracted by the cargo light! Finally shook from my reverie by a walkie talkie request for me to go to the ER!

Rgds.
Dave

Those dolphins at Balboa were a real delight. There used to be a pod which would follow the ship as we slowly approached the anchorage and gather around the bow as we stopped waiting for the anchor to drop, then all dive down together chasing it to the bottom. Great game! That was over 45 years ago----I wonder if they still do it.

During my time with Ellermans, I always found that long leg from Conakry to Cape Town (I believe the course was 142(T)) really brought home how lucky I was to be at sea. After a hectic Coast around the UK/Continent and the fickle weather of Finesterre, it was a week of good weather and enjoyable watchkeeping. This, we told ourselves, was "what we signed on for". The ship seemed to have a happier atmosphere about itself and its crew more sociable.

On the return leg, (322(T), usually fully loaded, a week to look back on the voyage and look forward to the passage home and leave that would follow.