The Drama at Sea: A Sailor's Confession

By Moinuddin Mansoori

About the book:
When someone hears the word sailor what does come to your mind? money, glamour, travel, pirates however there are many serious issues at sea which most of the responsible authorities tend to neglect. There are a whole lot of untold stories of life at sea. Get ready to sail away with me on a journey of seven months at sea full of action, crew politics and drama. This journey will take you from Egypt, Italy, Lebanon, Slovenia, Turkey, Croatia, France, Tunisia and Greece. Experience the storm and the beauty of the sea all at once in this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pencil
• Release date: Mar 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9789356105577

Book preview

THE DRAMA AT SEA

A sailors confession

BY

Moinuddin Mansoori

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pencil-logo

ISBN 9789356105577

© Moinuddin Mansoori 2022

Published in India 2022 by Pencil

Contributors:

Editor: Syed Awais Ahmed

Editor: Nihar Syed

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All rights reserved worldwide

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Any person who commits an unauthorized act in relation to this publication can be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. The opinions expressed in this book do not seek to reflect the views of the Publisher.

Author biography

Authors note

  Thank you for your purchase of this book. It's my first book, and It took me around seven months to complete it. This book was released on August 28, 2020, which is my 23rd birthday. This book's major purpose was to raise public awareness about life at sea. I learned one thing from my time at sea. To live, you don't need designer clothes, high-end accessories, or a spectacular lifestyle. To survive, you only require a roof over your head, food on your plate and your loved ones with you.

 People nowadays complain that our lives are depressing, and they seek enjoyment in things like money, girls, alcohol, and drugs. These things will always take you down a path that is forbidden. Our hearts will stop beating one day, and we shall be buried in the ground, only to awaken on the Day of Judgment. Your death does not mean the end of your life. People who believe they can get away with doing whatever they want are mistaken. Be aware that you will have to stand in front of God and have your entire life read aloud to you. Please don't stray too far from God. God is the most merciful of all beings. Satan is the one who pulls you away from God. It's never too late to make the right decision.

Contents

⚓ Chapter 1 The rise of a Sailor ⚓

⚓ Chapter 2 The tragedy ⚓

⚓ Chapter 3 Alexandria, Egypt ⚓

⚓ Chapter 4 MV Flying Angel ⚓

⚓ Chapter 5 Greece ⚓

⚓ Chapter 6 Captain Alexander ⚓

⚓ Chapter 7 Rijeka, Croatia ⚓

⚓ Chapter 8 The Crew ⚓

⚓ Chapter 9 Koper, Slovenia ⚓

⚓ Chapter 10 Captain Ralph ⚓

⚓ Chapter 11 Lebanon ⚓

⚓ Chapter 12 Chief Charles ⚓

⚓ Chapter 13 Turkey ⚓

⚓ Chapter 14 HOGO ⚓

⚓ Chapter 15 Ortona, Italy ⚓

⚓ Chapter 16 Chief Engineer Pedro ⚓

⚓ Chapter 17 Nemrut, Turkey ⚓

⚓ Chapter 18 where we all fell sick ⚓

⚓ Chapter 19 Marseille, France ⚓

⚓ Chapter 20 Customs raid in France ⚓

⚓ Chapter 21 Sousse, Tunisia ⚓

⚓ Chapter 22 Arrested in Frela, Efrox ⚓

⚓ Chapter 23 Split, Croatia ⚓

⚓ Chapter 24 The Storm ⚓

⚓ Chapter 25 Alexandria, Egypt Dry Dock ⚓

⚓ Chapter 26 Chef Abo ⚓

⚓ Chapter 27 Port Said, Egypt ⚓

⚓ Chapter 28 Turkey anchorage ⚓

⚓ Chapter 29 Stranded at sea ⚓

⚓ Chapter 30 The Escape Plan ⚓

⚓ Chapter 31 The drama at sea ⚓

SHORT FICTIONAL

Epigraph

Becoming a sailor was my passion

Thank God for making it happen

Wanted to find peace in life

This is what the sea gives me day and night

It is not easy to be a sailor

It requires many sacrifices

Hard work and strong willpower

However, in the end, you go home and enjoy every hour

Moinuddin Mansoori

Preface

Oh! Son of Adam

Politics is corrupt

No unity in people

Media is misleading

And foolish is the citizen

Smiles are fake now

Happiness is less often felt

Sadness is everywhere

Love can be seen nowhere

Peace is destroyed

War is the new language

There is no more difference

Between animals and humans

The faith is dead

Belief is fading

Humans are turning

Religions are disappearing

The angels are now called back to heaven

Because the devil rules now

Oh! son of Adam

You just booked yourself a ticket to hell now.

Moinuddin Mansoori

Acknowledgements

Mom, without your support this would have never been possible.

Editors

Syed Awais Ahmed & Nihar Syed

Special Thanks

Kayshu Grover and Madiha Khan

⚓ Chapter 1 The rise of a Sailor ⚓

 My dream was to become a sailor after graduating from high school, but Dad was against it. Being an average student obsessed with computers, I ended up doing programming at the age of fourteen. However, my intentions were never to make a career in IT. I had no other alternative besides to embrace engineering, even though it was beyond my aptitude.

 On the first day of college, I met Ubai. Ubai's father was a merchant ship’s captain. We both barely attended college for a week and later began skipping lectures, spending the majority of our time at movies or simply wandering around. He was excellent in studies but he had no passion for engineering. We used to trick the college staff and never let a single call reach our home. One day, Ubai's father suspected that Ubai was skipping lectures with me. He said to Ubai, Both of you may feel that you are deceiving everyone, but you are simply misleading yourselves. We both failed our exams and dropped out of college. Our families were disappointed in us.

 My father was a small businessman. He was a religious and respectful person. He never compelled me to do anything against my will. He provided us with a very comfortable life. He wanted me to be active and pray salat (the ritual prayer of Muslims) on time. However, I was very lazy and I always skipped prayers. We hardly spoke to each other. My father knew that I was skipping lectures. When I showed him the report card, he was not surprised. He already knew that I would fail, so instead of shouting like other parents who fail to understand their kids, He took me on a drive and asked me.

Father: Why do you want to become a sailor? You know, it is not an easy life, and from where did you get this idea?

Me: Life on land is awful and I don't know from where it came to my mind, but I can feel the sea is calling me.

Father: You don't need to worry about the money. You don't have to work as long as I'm alive.

Me: It is not about money, Abba (father), it is my passion, my dream.

Father: I don’t want my child to be working in the middle of the sea away from his family for months. If you want to start a business, I will help you financially with the setup of the business.

Me: I hate my relatives and I hate this society in which we are living. I hate it when these relatives compare my grades with their kids. I cannot be like them, and I don’t want to be. I cannot travel to work every day and sit behind a desk staring at a computer from nine to five.

Father: You can stare at the computer for hours playing video games. I thought you loved computers and technology. You cannot travel every day, but are you ready for the hard work at sea?

Me: I am ready. I don't want an office job. I want to travel the world and meet new people, explore their culture and share my culture with them.

Father: So, have you already made up your mind?

Me: I am only asking for your support. This career has everything that I need. Please, Abba.

Father: Where is the academy? Let's go tomorrow

Me: Seriously? (I was bursting with joy)

Father: Yes, for my dreams, I gave up everything. I know how it feels to not be able to fulfil one's dreams. Always remember, family comes first. When you get married, look for shore jobs in the shipping industry.

 As we drove, I looked out the window. There was a feeling of guilt towards my dad as I realised that I was blessed with the best father one could have. It was the day I realised how ungrateful I am. Soon I tried to change myself. It was the first time I ever spoke to my father about my feelings. He always wanted me to speak to him, share with him the things going on in my life. My dad wanted to become a cricketer. He gave up his studies and put his whole effort into becoming a cricketer. He reached the state level. I still have his newspaper cuttings. Unfortunately, safety gear like helmets was not that good in those days as compared to today's gear. While he was on strike, the bowl directly hit his right eye and he lost his vision. But after proper treatment, his vision was back.