Mariners Nostalgia--all has to come to an end...

It all came to an end in 1975.

I was master on M.V.Chennai Sadhanai- a 42, 000 tonner Bulker on Japan -Australia run and the last year 1974-1975 was quite eventful -but we managed well.
Thanks to a wonderful team of officers and crew.

My wife Sudha was then  sailing with me (in fact since 1972) on ships and  was expecting in 5th month ..not too safe  to sail so had to sign off; mid April 1975 last date-signed off together at Kashima port , Japan and flew back to Madras via Mumbai on AI -707 jet.

Later it was not possible to continue the sea career as Sudha had serious health problems needing treatment  and so I settled ashore in a Port Trust job for a year and then got a post as a Marine Cargo surveyor  with firm of J.B.Boda Marine survey Co. -where I have worked the last 38 years till this date...now ona Administrative Retainer.. 

Sea life and the Shore Life has been .a great varied experience. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to gain all this and also now be able to recall and write about it. I sem to have exhausted all recalls and if this Blog is to go forward it can be only on experiences ashore in shipping as a Marine Cargo Surveyor....

Time flies and  I really miss those sea days- 

Cadet on mv Jag Laxmi 1965

3rd mate on Jag Laxmi

3rd / 2nd mate on Jag Laxmi 1967- 68-

Ch Officer on Chennai Ookkam in Sisco

I have been writing for many years and perhaps it is time to close this Blog and when writing I had several things in my mind-viz: 
1) Happy recalls of a different era long before Sea Life came down to just Freights and Tonnes or just plain business only.
2) Life was hard work, but simple.
3) Wages were low, but life was far simpler and more of an adventure and not a business.
4) I hope this blog records of a life lived at Sea will be found of some interest   --
it was definitely much happier way of work, earn, travel & Learn--
5) I sincerely hope that some day hopefully younger persons may some day read this.Thank you God

-I will conclude with a Poem and a Prayer :

Leisure by William Henry Davies

What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. No time to stand beneath the boughs And stare as long as sheep or cows. No time to see, when woods we pass, Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass. No time to see, in broad daylight, Streams full of stars, like skies at night. No time to turn at Beauty's glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance. No time to wait till her mouth can Enrich that smile her eyes began. A poor life this is if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. William Henry Davies

 PRAYER & THANKS GIVING TO THE SEA LIFE

God is no stranger in faraway places, He's as close as the wind that blows on our faces. It's true we can't see the wind as it blows, But we feel it around us and our heart surely knows, That God's mighty hand can be felt every minute. There is nothing on earth, that God is not in. The sky and the stars, the waves and even the sea, The dew on the grass, the leaves on a tree, Are constant reminders of God and His nearness, Proclaiming His presence with crystal-like clearness So how can we think God was far, far away, When we feel Him beside us every hour of the day? We have plenty of reasons to know God's our friend And this is one friendship that time cannot end! (Author Unknown)

TR/ MARINE RECALLS 

On Social and Reading habits in earlier times-60s-70s.

Social and Reading habits in earlier times-
Reading was a great hobby & pastime with most of our generation  in the 50s, 60s, 70 -80s especially.
I was usually able to get the honorary post of Ship's Librarian on most of the ships that I worked on. In any case, I really depended on Reading to spend my  spare time-after duties s we had long voyages of 32 days some times-and sailing was for a full year. before leave was sanctioned..Recreation on open sea passage,  was then very limited to a few deck games in good weather only; mostly only Chess, draughts (checkers), or cards (bridge, rummy, teen patti-  with a select few.Can you ever imagine playing Carroms in rough seas on board a ship tossrd about with  men & equipment ? A guitar or mouth program made all the difference at social meets. 
The Radio was only good for local or coastal areas and any Broadcast was limited ;did not reach out seawards to  the open sea. -The alternatives were few and we did not have any music system like Cassettes -Videos- TV-DVDs/CDs or any Music even in 60s.Tape recorders of spool type lke SONY TC 250,   a great buy, came  in only around 1969-70 , but  weighed a Tonne!!When I purchased one and brought it home, the whole neighbour hood came to see it for  a great mind blowing event viz. A "Sony Music Sound Demo"-an event in 1969-on TC 250 with Chai or Lime juice!!. (Portable Cassette tape recorders came in by 1972 and were a blessing).
So Books & Magazines it was mostly -Time, Newsweek, Readers Digest, Film fare,illlustrated Weekly, Sport & Pastime and a few more, would be purchased in ports before sailing out of India to last the  voyage-or next port where it was available. (Singapore, US ports only on my route in GESCo.) Add in select novels and we had quite a range to select from Fiction inc. thriller, detective, adventure and all from those wonderful writers of the 60s-ad 70s.These publications had a budget, but as we pooled in,  managed well.I would go ashore and  purchaseand stock the ships Library. In some cases the selection was 2 copies of each and  then to circulate them.
Readers Digest -a magazine that nurtured us all in youth, with such a good choice of Reading- was  much loved and for the whole year treasured; Old copies would be read over and over again till it was dog eared, tattered and torn and often stapled in parts, in bits to be read by us. A condensed book series in every copy  was like a reading a novel itself. Humour, Quotes, lessons on Life , adventure, Drama in Real Life, Quiz etc was all much appreciated.(I was saddened when the Readers Digest ran into financial difficulty, a few years ago;Why- I never will understand). Since then I do not subscribe also as the print is small and I have limitations -but it us now said to be available On line later.

It was all a  part of the ship's recreation and ship board culture then.
Readers Digest's  brilliant series titled  "Lives like That"-actually connected people and places before Social networking like Facebook, Blogs, Twitter etc  came. This recall idea came to my mind on seeing the advert on I-Phone and on line Reading and esp --seeing Books-Browsing today at Book Fairs -now in Chennai too in January each year.
Rgds
TR

Pic of Jag Laxmi, GESCO, 1965-68