He, Was There as Well!

By Captain Douglas Harvey

Join with a rather unorthodox captain of a gas tanker about to arrive in Mexico, where those not involved in cargo handling were sent ashore to buy all the things needed for his antipiracy protection. Keeping a secret of just how much money he has in his safe, he was about to get another ship free after being hijacked. Going to a port that doesnt actually exist and realizing that this was an attempt at hijacking his ship, he foils it.
The voyage continues with more adventures on the way, including terrorism, finding precious stones, diverting to assist a ship in distress, and having more adventures in a port in Brazil. All the time, he has three stowaways on board and, eventually, more passengers, including the ships owner.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Aug 14, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504988544

Captain Douglas Harvey

The author was born in 1954 and went to sea at the age of seventeen, and after a few years, he learnt how to become an expert navigator. It was only during his cadetship that he realized that a navigating officer at sea became a deck officer when the ship was in port—no fancy uniforms involved. Steadily, eventually gaining his qualification as master mariner at the age of twenty-nine, he took command of one of many gas tankers at age thirty-one. He gave up sailing at age fifty, when he wrote and had published, Four Times a Scapegoat (ISBN No 1 905226 15 2). The book exposes the corruption and pollution that he was expected to comply with but getting the blame for others, including maritime fraud. He now lives quietly with his wife in his beloved Scotland. The book Where Did You, Come From? is a combination of nonfiction and fiction.

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© 2015 Captain Douglas Harvey. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/13/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-8853-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-8852-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-8854-4 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

By the same author.

Non-fiction.

Four times a Scapegoat.

Fiction.

Where did you, come from?

1.jpg

"J

ust what the heck are we going to need 2 chainsaws for, and 2 V8 scrap short engine blocks? On a ship off all things?"

The 2 plus 1 stowaways, Celia and Mario, now about to finding out just what being a stowaway actually incurred. The captain’s stowaway, Christine already knowing as she struggled with trying to steer a ship at 3 o’clock in the morning.

It’s half past three in the morning, the steward said as he switched on the cabin lights, and laid a cup of coffee beside her bunk. It being rather difficult to sleep through such an invitation, as her bathroom door was also clipped back and the shower turned on. Then the stereo system guaranteeing that Celia had to get up to switch it off. But she was at least, up. Wakening up, taking a little longer, as in rather a lot longer.

You’re expected on the ships’ bridge by 4 o’clock, as the steward poked his nose around the door as he left.

Getting Mario awake somewhat easier, as the captain had given him an alarm clock with the predetermined setting spinning off a little helicopter rotor with a piercing howl and the only way of shutting it off, was to get up and then try to find just where the damn thing had gone, so it could be replaced. Which rather unfortunately the steward was standing on as he brought him his morning coffee, before rather unsporting really, as it was slid under the rug with a deft move of his foot. No chance of taking the batteries out as they were already glued in.

You’re expected on the ships’ bridge by 4 o’clock, said the steward suppressing a grin as he left. That must easily be at least 6 by now. I must find out just where the captain gets these alarm clocks from, I could use a few myself.

Christine on the other hand was already on the ship’s bridge, despite her very best intentions of trying to make love once more, failing miserably.

So 3 stowaways about to find out, just what working their passage actually meant.

Right you two, get your night vision, Christine already has hers, because while it usually takes about 3 years to train up a deck cadet before he or she are let loose on a ships’ bridge, we are going to do it the express way, and as far as I know, this has never been tried before. We’ve got just one bit of a day before we arrive in Coatzacoalcos, where after we cool down our tanks, and loading, thereafter the Chief Officer is leaving.

You may have noticed by now that ships’ crews don’t actually stop working as the sun goes down, so from now on, well today at least the bridge part of a ship works around the clock. The engine bit, gives the engineers a sort of 8 to 5 day, as one of them at night have the luxury of his cabin, where all of the alarms wake him up, so this little button here, is what you don’t press, until its’ light stops flashing, thus confirming that the duty engineer has arrived in the engine room, then you press it, cancelling it out.

Two though mesmerised as to just how many lights just to keep the ship operating, although many of them dimmed down. And all of this in the dark, the only apparent noise, apart from that emanating from humans, being the quiet whine from the radars and the clicking from the gyro repeaters.

Got your night sight then Celia? Approximately 2 minutes later.

Any answer probably worthless, as she was still trying to wake up.

Right we’ll start with steering. We don’t as such have as you might expect, a steering wheel, just this little bit of stick, which does the same as a wheel, but as you can’t feel the ship as such, you have to really concentrate on all 3 things at the same time. Now the compass repeater works backwards, so when you think that the head, that’s the bit where we are going, should turn to starboard, you have to pull the stick to port to maintain the heading. It takes a bit of getting used to, as Christine has already tried it. Any order for when we are going into or out of port, has to be repeated and the 3rd thing is that you never doubt what you are told to do. Any questions?

It appearing as there were probably many, but none forthcoming, apart from one,

How did Christine get on?

Initially, terrible until the moon came up.

So how did she get better?

When it was explained to for, at least 3 times, that we have a right handled propeller, which when running tends to cant the bow to port, so to keep the ship straight, we need to keep a few degrees of starboard helm on.

Couldn’t we use the bow thruster, Doug to keep her on a steady course? One of my pals has one on his yacht? Said Celia, and her eyes not overly quick at accepting what she was trying to focus upon.

Well Celia, and you might have not noticed it yet, that his yacht comes in at about 5 tonnes, where as we, come in about 6500 tonnes, and bow thrusters are only really useful, for parking the ship or boat. Or getting it off again.

Although there is another reason why Doug cannot use the bow thruster, said Mike.

Which is Mike? asked Celia.

Because we haven’t got one.

Now do what he says, as initially it looks complicated, but when you balance your eyes between the compass repeater and something in the distance, such as the foremast, or in Christine’s case, the moon, then you’ll soon get the hang of it. Be careful though, the moon keeps moving, but it is enough for just the odd glance at.

This to the un-initiated, suggesting that this was completely bonkers but worth a go anyway, as this British Master had come across a few who from his native land, were even worse. Including the company’s personnel manager who had actually found a way of speeding up discharge operations, although the horse, when eventually recaptured, most certainly not in agreement with. Another story for another day!

Doug, before you go, how did Christine actually do?

Who said that I was going anywhere?

Well after the first round turn, and after we got the ship heading in the right direction once more, it suddenly clicked, and I think that after a few more hours practice she will be very good at it.

Now, it’s your turn, and your teacher is Christine, although I’ll be hovering around in the background. Think of it as the blind leading the blind.

You know Doug? said Mike quietly, I would never have thought of that, but it seems to be working.

Early days my friend, hand steering going in and out of port, or in a sea such as this, is easy, but when the weather gets bad, you need one hand to hold onto and the other doing the steering. Thank goodness for auto pilots.

Awake yet Mario? asked the captain.

Pretty pointless asking, he trying to overcome a hangover, but solved in a rather good way, the captain seeking a bit of the ships equipment, not normally used for curing hangovers but working amazingly well.

The glazed eyes also reacting rather well, as he was given instruction, now Mario, breathe in time with the regulator, it will only take a minute or so.

Which it did.

What did you give me? My hangover is gone!

"Pure oxygen but our supply is limited, now you are going to learn how to use the satellite navigation equipment, and how to plot it on a chart.

In the meantime, Abner will be showing Christine how to use VHF, she doesn’t have the qualification, but we’ll just overlook that bit and I’m pretty sure the Mexicans won’t know the difference between his and hers. Yes I know she is teaching Celia how to steer, but on a ship’s bridge there always more than one thing going on at the same time.

Right Mario, the top line of numbers are latitude, and those are the lines that go up the way from the equator, or down the way. The bottom set are for Longitude and they go round the way. The important bit, is the letters on the end, N is North, S is South, E is East and W is West. Get the right chart and where they cross is where we are? The only tricky bit is how you handle parallel rulers, and that is what you are going to do first. Good luck, I’ll check up on the girls. Abner will give you a hand if need be.

Which was why the ship had 2 lookouts, one on each bridge wing, as the most important thing was watching where the ship was intending to go, and this master hated single handed yachtsmen, or yachtswomen especially as to when he had in the past had to divert his ship after one broadcast a Mayday to go and rescue him. And it is not easy in The Middle of The Atlantic to stop a fully loaded gas tanker in a gale and get close to a small bobbing fibreglass yacht in this gale just to save the idiot who should never have left port in the first place, as you cannot sleep and watch where you are going at the same time. Mind though, the minor matter that he had actually lost his mast making it slightly easier without the aluminium pole and all of its ropes and wires getting in the way before he scrambled up the cargo net, doubled up from its usual role as the only thing improvised proving the safer option.

But then, his friend and also a shipmaster, Angus actually managed it a bit better, plus managed to lift this boat out of the water and secured it on deck. And with a fully loaded 250 000 tonne crude oil tanker. Only there were language difficulties, and it was not until the ship docked, that it was explained to Angus, that he had not only gotten the wrong yacht, but the single handed yachtsman didn’t want to be rescued in the first place.

Oops, took on a new meaning.

Excuse me captain, said a little timidly from the bosun, what do you want us to do to-day?

A somewhat odd question, as this was normally something to ask the Chief Officer for, but he had caused the crew to ‘lose face,’ and was leaving after the ship was loaded, so ship maintenance fell back onto the master.

Do you remember the 2 moorings ropes that fell out of a ’plane, a C130 Hercules I think, when we were in Corpus Christi and somehow uncoiled themselves on the way down before landing with a terrible thump on top of the compressor house?

The perplexed face only answering with, are you referring to the 2 mooring ropes that you and Celia stole one night and that I and the rest of the crew spent ages getting them on board, because you wouldn’t let us use a winch?

Oh do we still have them, I’d forgotten about them.

Not in the very least way, even beginning to be convincing.

"We are going to be in port tomorrow, starboard side alongside so prepare our moorings for that, and then stretch out one of two the ropes ‘from heaven’ on the port side, as after loading we are going to pass through piracy waters, only we’ll be ready for them. And our 3 stowaways plus Martin will be going ashore with rather a lot of the crew, yourself included, with rather a lot of US Dollars that, shall we say, sort of came down with the ropes."

This taking a second or so to sink in, before the question, How many US Dollars captain?

Well after you have found all the things on my shopping lists to fight off these potential pirates, then you can divide up the rest between yourselves, only don’t come back drunk, or come back with drugs, of any sort including Paracetamol. So get everything on my shopping lists first, and then go and have some fun as it will take us 2 days to cool our tanks down and as I am the only person on board who knows how to do it, so I’m staying on board.

Eh, with a little pause, how many US Dollars captain?

Get one of these two ropes stretched out first, then when we are cleared into port, I’ll give you the undeclared USD 22 thousand, 9 hundred and 90 dollars, only whatever you do, do not come back with any of it. Savvy?

Eh, not quite Captain, just where is it?

Let’s just say that a very good coating of barrier cream on your hands, wrists and up above your elbows, probably wise. It was counted before it went in, and no sniffer dog was ever going to find it. Might not be a bad idea to wear, shall we say, the very worst things that you can find. Or nothing at all really, but with more barrier cream.

This not solving anything, so countered with, it is hidden in the 25 litre paint drums in the paint store, only our delightful pickpocket, who we know as Martin, has gone and lost the list as to which one is which. And that was before the new paint was added in. So we, eh excuse me, you and with Martin and the rest are going to prise open the lids off nearly 100 drums to find the money, all nicely wrapped up in plastic, but if you do find any drugs, then just mix them up with the paint.

The ships’ bosun wondering if asking the captain what he and the crew were to do, probably something left for another day, and he had sailed with this master, well, not quite sailed with, but had just spent a lucrative month in Corpus Christi, Texas and had the shit scared out of him after they all went rattlesnake racing.

Called over his shoulder as he prepared to leave the ships bridge, and you can clear the anchors in the afternoon.

Speed building up nicely as the one on the steering handle starting to ‘getting the hang of it,’ although the ship not quite heading in the general direction of Mexico, which is a pretty big thing to miss.

Later, with many up to their elbows in paint, one cursing more than most as he had forgotten to take his watch off first, and the rest had found that barrier cream was not such a sissy thing at all. Going to be interesting though, just which colour the paint eventually actually was, as this was going to be nowhere near what it said on the drum. Just as well that the 2 part epoxy drums were in another part of the paint store. Ho hum! Just going to be used as primer as the ship had now rather a lot of it.

An even longer time later, with those with some sense steering well clear of those up to their elbows in paint, whose language could not be considered as anywhere polite.

Okay, have you found all of the money, and counted it out? asked the captain.

One did venture with, yes sir, we have and it comes to just under USD 23 000. Although some of it has been damaged by the paint, sympathetic eyes looking for an answer, but as they were now fast learning, this master had some very odd ways of doing things, which always seemed to work.

Right, get rid of the damaged bills first by going to the noisiest pub you can find, especially the back street one’s, where the light is rather dim, have a beer and after you get your change, down the beer and then get the hell out. Who cares about the exchange rate they give, because some of these US Dollars are counterfeit.

In the dayroom, the captain explained,

Now here are my shopping lists, take one each, take about an equal share, and whatever you do, go to the other side of the town from the noisy pub. And you will need to carry it all back yourself, so no taxis, but if you can get the driver to stop out with the line of sight of the main gate, then, okay.

There was a mad scramble for these lists before they were all reminded, first of all boys, we actually need to get this ship into port first. That’s if the bridge crew can find Mexico.

Arriving back on the ships bridge, the ship now roughly heading in the direction of the proposed loading port, met with Abner who came out with, Captain the next time you ask me to teach Mario how to use the satellite navigation system and then show him how to plot a position on a chart, could you get someone else to do it.

Why Abner, you can both converse in Tagalog, and English?

Because Captain, it has taken me over an hour explaining the difference between latitude and longitude, and he has now got me completely confused. Are you going to let him try steering, as I’ve only just got the ship positioned and pointing in the right direction?

No, we’ll do that after we load, as someone who hasn’t a clue how to steer actually useful for keeping the pirates at bay. So in the meantime before I start shutting the ship back to full ahead manoeuvring, you can get a hold of Christine, Celia, Martin and Mario and start teaching them how to understand The 1972 Rules & Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

After a rather long pause, you have got to be joking sir, it takes months to understand them, far less how to implement them.

They’ve got to start somewhere Abner, a couple of hours before we pick up the pilot, but make sure they understand Rule 2 (b) first.

Abner, now joined by Romero, the 2nd mate, sort of equally confused as they sought out a copy of The Rules. Whispered quietly between them, you know, I didn’t even think or know that Rule existed. The book quietly replaced on the bridge bookshelf, for a second or so as Abner remembered his damn difficult new task.

That afternoon, the just before lunch bit, it being explained just why it was necessary for the captain to ‘invent’ three extra crew over and above his three stowaways, the logic of which not having fully sunk in, and it could be a little while longer before it was fully understood.

Back on the bridge, with the stowaways, and Martin, who could not actually being determined as being anything other than very useful?

Romero, how far do we have to run? asked the captain.

After a check, about 30 miles sir, he replied.

Right Romero ’phone the engine room. End of passage now, turn the Load Control Computer down to 80% and get the crew to rig a pilot ladder on the starboard side, we’re going straight in, well maybe not quite straight in, a few bends first before we hook up with the tugs. And before you ask, I’m taking the console unit onto the bridge wing, and I am doing the steering, and control of the main engine. Or perhaps not as a female arrived. Fortunately as the VHF came alive,

Norgas Challenger, this Coatzacoalcos Port Control, do you receive me?

The captain confirmed, as he switched to VHF Channel 12.

Captain, we are not ready for you, please anchor and listen for more movement information on this channel.

Well, that is a bit of luck, after the master confirmed the message.

Why? Asked a few on his ships bridge, his officers included.

Because, I can now get rid of my three extra stowaways, who as you know, don’t actually exist. But the Mexicans don’t know that. Yet.

Don’t tell me, the Triple B system. Again! said Christine.

What’s the Triple B system? asked simultaneously by Martin, Celia and Mario.

Said a little wearily by Christine, Bullshit Baffles Brains! Or to put it another way, if you can’t dazzle them with brains, baffle them with bullshit!

Fortunate timing as the Chief Officer arrived.

After checking the chart to see where was a good place to anchor, and from the additional information supplied by The British Admiralty, said, Right Blackie, we’ll test the port anchor, don’t walk it out, let it go from the pip, and I’ll draw her up with a bit more astern power than I would normally use. It took us 2 full bottles of acetylene to get that top shackle free, in Corpus Christi. Bouncing it off the bottom should get rid of the remaining rust. Make it 5 on deck. Should be in position in about an hour.

Onto it captain, I’ve got a radio, as he left the bridge. The captain a little surprised at the jolly attitude, seeing as was going to be leaving the ship after loading it, and under a bit of a cloud under the circumstances.

Meanwhile, one certain Martin with his list and $900 nicely in his pocket, rather confused, he not involved in tying the ship up, as with wires and ropes potentially liable to take off a leg to those not watching what they and everyone else were actually doing. But a little confusion never going amiss as one ship-chandler, Mario just knew what the captain was up to, and taking a back seat with a rather sly grin on his face, Celia not having much of a clue either, but caught Christine’s wink, and a slight shaking of her head, suggesting now was not a good time to say anything. But listening intently.

Problem Martin? ventured Celia, said quietly with just a hint of mystique. She from previous experience knowing just how the captain could spin a yarn with a completely straight face and leading the target to reaching a conclusion totally devoid of what the truth actually was.

What the hell does he need 4, 25 ton lugless joining shackles for? I don’t even know what a lugless joining shackle actually is! said with a bit of mystery behind it.

Well, you’ll find out after we dock, and after you’ve searched most of Coatzacoalcos first, just steer well clear of the, ahem, noisy bar.

But how am I going to get them back to the ship, that’s 100 tons.

That’s your problem Martin, as the captain rescued you from The Sheriff.

How do you know about that? Said with a rather bit of a shock.

Martin, on a ship, there are no secrets. And as for getting 100 tons back to the ship, going to be interesting, seeing that you have only got $900 to start with.

A perplexed Martin heading outwards for some fresh air, well, not exactly fresh, just rather a bit hot with a high humidity.

It was Celia who asked first, Mario trying very hard to stifle a laugh, Christine deciding that now would be a good time to join her new love on the ship’s bridge-wing.

What’s so funny Mario? enquired Celia.

Because a 25 ton lugless joining shackle doesn’t weigh 25 tons, that is its Safe Working Load, they only weigh at most, 50 kilos, and if he had read his list would have noticed that the captain doesn’t want new one’s, any old one’s would do.

But why? asked Celia.

Mario just smiled, you just wait and see what he does with them, and pirates hate it, well the one’s that survive that is, the one’s who don’t not really in a position to argue, mostly because they are dead. A sort of legal way of killing people in a roundabout sort of way. Although the one’s with broken legs probably wishing they were dead. A bit hard to swim with broken legs don’t you think? Now Celia, what’s on your list?

Well, I’m not sure, I’ve got my $900, but it seems to be rather a lot, but like Martin, I’m a bit confused, why does the captain need 60 boxes of toothpicks, 30 packs of Blu-tac, whatever that is, and what the hell are 6 skeins of sail twine?

Mario just smiled, before adding, I think that you should team up with Martin, but if I were you, you’re going to need one hell of a big taxi. Blu-tac by the way is that soft putty sort of stuff that’s used to hold up pictures on a wall. It is bound to come, so quietly, get all of the shopping lists together."

Time passed fairly quickly as the power came off.

Okay people, shut up, from Doug, I’m just about to anchor her, and pretty close to that fishing boat, so kill the talk and don’t interfere.

Doug, ventured the most important stowaway, being Christine, can I steer her in?

What for? Now that the main power is off, we just let her run until the autopilot needs to be changed over. Oh I know, the bow will fall off to port, but when we go astern, and this is a right-handed propeller, she’ll come back to starboard, the knack is knowing when to stop the engine, and letting go of the pick.

Many even more confused, as English/American English, not quite in any way similar with Maritime English. What the hell is a ‘pick?’

As the captain selected half astern.

He wandering around the starboard bridge wing, just waiting until the astern wash started to come abreast of the main deck, before calling on the VHF Radio, Okay Blackie, let it go.

What now Doug? from Christine behind his right shoulder.

Where the wash is now, is where the ship is stopped, but we need a little bit more astern power, to get her to go, in your language, backwards, in mine, astern. The anchor needs a little bit of help pulling out the anchor cable, which you would mostly refer to as chain, as it is not the anchor that holds the ship at rest, but the weight of the anchor cable, which we refer to as the catenary. And we need it as straight as we can.

Four on deck captain, from the ship’s bow.

Thank-you, and selected Stop on his remote control manoeuvring console. As the power died away.

What next Doug? ventured Christine.

The last shackle takes the weight of the ship, and gets the anchor to bury itself, even deeper. When the straightened out length starts to recede, then, the ship is considered to be ‘brought up.’ Blackie will start the windlass and transfer the weight off from the brake and onto the windlass keepers.

To his bridge, navigation lights off, anchor lights on.

Well that looks easy enough, nothing much to it then is there?

Christine, anchoring a ship is the most difficult thing that a captain can do, and I am not the only master who has lost an anchor getting it wrong. Explaining it to the company even harder, which is why every ship has a spare anchor. And some weigh up to 30 tonnes, and there are more anchors on the sea floor than there are ships. The best one’s will never be found, as they are under the sea floor.

Got you so far Doug, but why anchor so close to a fishing boat?

Because that is where our 3 false stowaway’s are soon going to be a part off.

What do you mean ‘false stowaways’?

I had to declare three stowaways to The Mexican Authorities, so I can get the three of you in as legitimate crew. The false one’s, hopefully had escaped from Martin’s care, when he wasn’t looking, only I’m not too sure as yet as to his agreement, as he will need a cut to his head, with rather a lot of blood.

Do you mean, actually hitting him???????

"Oh goodness