AN ODE TO SEAFARERS

                                  

It was the year of 1986. I was the mate officer in INS Vikrant, the air craft carrier. Since 15^th August was approaching fast, all were engaged in preparations for a grand celebration. Musical rehearsals synchronized with rhythm of waves were a treat to the soul. The rehearsals proved exciting enough to give goose bumps to every spectator. Our ship was heading towards base when suddenly we received a message that a merchant ship has sunk near Vishakhapatnam due to a fierce storm. Within minutes all the aircraft squadrons were alerted and a search operation started. Aircrafts and copters circled and hovered around the area, but spotting any human body between the roaring blues, opaque lather and challenging storm was far too difficult. Rescue operations ran round the clock, but there was no clue of any sign of life. After exhausting two days when almost all our attempts went waste and the search operations were about to call off, we received a message at night from one of our search parties that they spotted a body floating in water. A rescue team with few helicopters rushed to the spot quickly. Huge spot lights were focused on the sea to spot the floating body. It was found that the person was alive; he was waving his hand. Then a helicopter lowered and dropped a rope to the person, rising up and down with giant waves. After several futile attempts, he succeeded to catch the rope but was not willing to come up. He was still signaling something which we failed to understand. We didn’t want to lose much time as a big wave can strike at anytime which may drown him away. So we lifted him by pulling the rope.  We noticed that he was holding something with his right hand which slipped out the moment he was lifted. When he was almost half way to the helicopter, a bag full of currencies that he hid inside his boiler suit slipped, flew down and moved with the current.

Atlast he was hauled up and was transferred to our ship where he was admitted in the sick bay. “Christiana”, he blabbered and fainted. After providing glucose and carrying out some primary treatments, he came back to his sense. We were happy to see him conscious but he burst out to tears soon. He was trying to convey us something. In the mean time we received another message that our team had found a bloated dead body of a woman. The moment he heard this news, he started weeping again. He was acting like a lunatic. He was trying to stand up. We held him tightly and convinced him. After few minutes he calmed down but he was crying out the same single word “ Christiana” . we asked him about what happened and he narrated the story of that fateful night, “Cristiana is my wife. We got married only a couple of months ago after having a courtship for over six years.  I didn’t want to miss her in my voyage and she too compelled that she cannot stay without me. So I took her along for sailing. It was our honeymoon trip. Our ship was coming from Singapore with goods and we were heading towards Bombay, my home town. I was in the main engine room when the storm struck. So, I was unaware. When I came up to the deck, I came to know that the captain had already declared to abandon the ship and almost all had escaped except my wife who was lying down holding a piece of broken rod near the hull. I couldn’t find any life jacket . So to save ourselves, I tied the ends of my suit and inflated it up. I carried my wife and jumped into the sea. Using one wooden log, I swam through the storm and massive waves. She was very confident and was responding to me constantly but after a day she turned silent. I was exhausted and she was not good at swimming too. I could see that but I was helpless to save her. I was only encouraging her that we would be saved. She was fighting for her life but at last her body turned pale and she stopped breathing.

-Cdr. K.Ravi (Rtd.)

  Indian Navy

The stern tube was leaking badly. It was unsafe for us to start the voyage before repairing it. So, workshop experts were called to attend the problem. The ship was still in floating condition. They made a wooden staging near the propeller to carry out the repair work. Being the chief engineer of the ship I had to inspect the work. I had to approve before starting the main engine to check the propeller rotation. When I was climbing up the platform to reach the stern tube, where the repair work was being carried out, the wooden planks started cracking. I gathered all my courage and climbed up. But within minutes as I reached on the top, the whole wooden staging collapsed. The steady platform started inclining completely. I was sliding down. I found nothing even to grab on to and hold to save myself. I started screaming aloud when I realized that the violent waves are waiting beneath to take me away. The thought of getting churned by the twisting waves sent sparks of terror through my spine. All the workers were stunned and stood agape. None had any idea of what should be done to save me. All were sliding down with the wooden planks into the sea. The waves appeared like a beast opening its mouth and waiting for it’s prey to fall into it. The salivary glands of the beast were pumping out salty waters and its stomach was pulsating, getting ready to digest me.  Everything was getting dark infront of me, my eyes closed to half mast. I saw my wife and my kids standing with wet eyes far away in the horizon. My dreams were tumbling down. I was about to fall into the sea, when suddenly a small motor boat rushed in. The boatman was an expert. He positioned the boat exactly at the place where I was going to fall and rescued me.

- Mr. Mathew Jacob

   Chief Engineer 

   Merchant Navy

In my thirty eight years of sea service I had never faced such a calamity. Yes, it was such a catastrophic incident that I have never faced in my life at sea. I was carrying out the routine watch keeping, examining and surveying all the marine auxiliaries and the main engine. After checking the two-stroke main engine and noting down the important readings, when I turned and just took a step or two forward, something exploded making a huge noise. The root blower of the two-stroke engine exploded and the trunking burst into pieces. The explosion was so strong and violent that it threw me few meters away. But I was saved by just two steps and few seconds. A few micro seconds of delay possibly could have killed me.

- Mr. Kamlavanan

   2nd Engineer

   Merchant Navy

Sailing expedition was being conducted by Maersk shipping company from Bombay to Goa for Naval NCC cadets. About twenty six boats with cadets hailing from almost all the corners of India participated in that competition. I was in INS MATANG, a safety ship. We were escorting the boats to their destination. It was a very adventurous expedition as all the boats were being sailed by wind and none had motors installed to drive them. INS MATANG is actually a tug ship and we were enthralled with the responsibility of the safety of all the cadets who participated in the expedition. All the boats were sailing smoothly when one of the boats capsized at about 2 o’clock in the morning. The crew slipped into the sea when their boat turned upside down. All the young cadets were drowning in water when we reached at the place of mishap. Our expert swimmers jumped into the water as soon as possible and all the crew of INS MATANG were alerted to carry out the rescue operation. Within few minutes, we pulled all the cadets out of the water and shifted them to our ship. All were saved and there was no casualty.

- Cdr. Gopinath ( Rtd.)

   Indian Navy

Life at sea is always unpredictable, full of risks but the upsurge of the violent waves never succeeded in frightening a mariner from carrying out his responsibility. A mariner tames the fierce waves and makes his way through them. As a part of Indian Navy he fights for our country and when he is a part of Merchant Navy he carries out the trade, leading to the economic development our country. A mariner has to remain away from his beloved ones for months, but he has no complaints. He never complains when his girlfriend ditches him and runs away with someone else. He always values relations, never cheats anyone, remains loyal. Only an understanding woman deserves to hold the pride to be a mariner’s girl. We party hard, dance on the rough seas, stay away from home for months but amidst all this we never forget the person we love, we never betray the person who has faith on us, we never leave the hand which we held once.

WE BELIEVE THAT THE WAVES WHICH CARRY OUR SHIP RACE TO THE SHORE TO KISS THE FEET OF THOSE WHO WAIT FOR US WITH HOPE ON LAND. SEA IS LIKE OUR MOTHER. SHE WASHES AWAY OUR TEARS WHEN WE WEEP…CARESSES US WITH HER WAVES.ALL MARINERS ARE DAMN PROUD OF THEMSELVES OF WHAT THEY ARE. WE LOVE EACH WAVE LIKE OUR HEARTBEAT. WE ALWAYS WALK DOWN WITH DIGNITY.                                  

                                      

                                      I sailed, sailed and sailed

                                      I sailed through the storms,

                                      I sailed when my ship rolled and pitched,

                                      I sailed when my sister got married,

                                      I sailed when my brother got a new job…

                                      I missed onam, id, diwali,

                                      I missed Ramzan and holi,

                                     I missed Christmas, pongal and lohri,

                                     But I sailed, sailed and sailed……….

                                     I was not there when my old sick mother needed me

                                     I was not able to extend my hands,

                                     When my father’s walking stick broke…

                                    Though I gave them huge amount of money,

                                    But I didn’t give them the son they needed…

                                   I was not there with my pregnant wife,

                                   When she was yelling 

                                    and desperately wanted me to hold her hand…

                                  Today my son recognizes me as an ATM,

                                  Knows me by the account number

                                  from which he can draw his fortune…..

                                  But I sailed, sailed and sailed………