The crest and trough of a voyage

Lal Singh

WHILE taking delivery of the first Rafale aircraft for the IAF, our Defence Minster broke a coconut on the side of the plane. It reminded of my chief engineer’s coconut-breaking ceremony on our ship. When serving as the first engineer, a post next to the chief engineer, my wife had joined me for the first time after marriage. It was ‘a voyage to remember and forget’.

Our ship carried heavy-duty earth-movers from the Black Sea port of Odessa for India. Some were loaded on the open deck and covered with tarpaulin to protect against weather elements. The return voyage wasn’t an uneventful one. First, we had to return by a much longer passage via Cape of Good Hope, as the Suez Canal was closed. Our ship’s machinery was very old and running her was a challenge for the engineers. After a breakdown, the chief engineer told me to inform him when the ship’s engines were restarted.

After rectifying the fault, when the engines started, he was informed. He came to the enginers’room with a coconut and smartly hit it on the running engine. The engines probably didn’t like the assault on their dignity and stopped in protest. The main engines are controlled by a speed governor, a safety measure against over-speeding. As the coconut was inadvertently hit on the moving part of the speed governor, the engines stopped as if a sea storm had hit the ship.

While the ship was negotiating through the Bosporus straits and was near Istanbul, the main engines developed another snag. The duty engineer couldn’t restart the engines. I hurried and managed to start the engines. But in the intervening time, when the engines were powerless, strong sea currents took over control and the ship started drifting towards beaches, which was full of swimmers.

By the time the ship was brought under control, we felt a bump indicating that the ship had hit some under-water object. The ship was anchored for inspecting underwater damage, if any. Local agents in Istanbul were asked to arrange for a surveyor of the ship’s underwriters and divers for inspecting the hull.

The surveyor and divers arrived next morning and the inspection revealed no damage. But the local newspaper report was more damaging when it mentioned in bold print: ‘Indian ship carrying armament runs aground’. The local press had to be called to prove that the ship carried no armament and the tarpaulin covered items were huge earth-movers and not tanks as reported.

Since the ship’s grounding at Istanbul was reported, an inquiry was held. It was established that the ship’s machinery was too old and was begging for a change. At last, she was sold and taken to Alang, the last rest resting site for old ships, where they are broken up. Though it was my wife’s maiden voyage, she was an inspiration. With her passing away, I now feel as if an aged ship has found its resting place, never to sail again.

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