[esteem_lover]

Gripping narration, deky. Hope no one steals this one from here. One of the best i have read in a long time. You are a natural. cheers

[santhosh_kumard]

This is just awesome.
Thank you for allowing us to "live through" your experience without getting my feet wet . Cheers!

[rjstyles69]

deky thanks for that excellent experience that you penned here. Made for a wonderful read and I was waiting for you to complete it so that I could comment.

I have read this whole experience of yours for the 4th time today. Kudo's man !! My compliments to you for putting up the whole episode here. It takes a lot to put it in words and everyone cant do it.

[deky]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Dhiraj, what can I say?! Hats off to you!!

Having served 31 years on merchant vessels, all I can say is, thank God I never had to face what you have been through. The way you have narrated the whole episode is simply brilliant! I can identify with what you went through.

Wow, Mr. Mathur 31 years is a long time, hats off to you as well Sir. I am sure, while at sea you had your moment's too; would be seriously interested to know that one moment of your shpping career that has been etched in your memory.

Another one I had was a pretty bad one too, but ended up being quite a hilarious one (well atleast for the crew as we hated the Captain). It happened in Cozumel (Mexico), while reversing the ship in the docks, the Captain hit the pier and broke one of the ships propellor. That resulted in an oil slick, and on top of that the Greek Captain tried to run away, but the ship was finally arrested and the company had to pay massive fines. But Thank God, we got rid of the Captain

[PVS]

That was a well written travellogue - very gripping indeed; Yes, the captain's and the crew's presense of mind ensued that no lives were lost.

Amazing travellogue Dhiraj - never read anything like this before, at least in Team BHP.

Thanks for sharing it with us.

[DKG]

To experience a calamity of this magnitude and live to tell the tale means you along with all the others were truly blessed that day.

Its so sad that your ship went down. Its painfully sad. Ships are such magnificent creations. They have distinct characters and personalities. Man's home at sea. Losing a ship is like losing one's home. I'm sorry you lost such a lovely home.

These are without a doubt life altering experiences. You could perhaps write a book about this someday. That's more drama than what most fiction writers can ever cook up in an entire lifetime!!

I remember as a kid I used to be fascinated by the adventures of the Cutty Sark and many other magnificent ships that used to race the oceans ferrying cotton (or tea?) from Australia to England. Such powerful stories, so much character to these ships.

I also believe that a ship leaving port is one of the most beautiful and romantic moments one can experience. There's something so extraordinarily beautiful about the emotions you experience as you pull away from a city.

Thanks for sharing and wish you the very best

[gods-envy]

deky, too good, great narration

Glad that all of you are safe.
thanks to the effeciency of you and your team

[MaserQ]

Beautifully told. The bit from where the 19 crew stayed back on a tilting/sinking ship till you abandoned the cruise liner was spine chilling to say the least! It is the little details that make your story stand out. Thank You Dhiraj, for sharing your story. Bravo!

P.S - Shall heed your advice of listening in on the safety briefing if and when I board a ship.

[Surprise]

Thats easily the best read in Team-Bhp till date for me. Perfectly narrated and does not miss my turn of 5 star rating.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS.

[TrueDreamer]

Thanks for sharing the experience. It was wonderful reading it all and thank god you all are safe. Hats off to your crew.

[deky]

Originally Posted by DKG

Its so sad that your ship went down. Its painfully sad. Ships are such magnificent creations. They have distinct characters and personalities. Man's home at sea. Losing a ship is like losing one's home. I'm sorry you lost such a lovely home.

I also believe that a ship leaving port is one of the most beautiful and romantic moments one can experience. There's something so extraordinarily beautiful about the emotions you experience as you pull away from a city.

Thanks for sharing and wish you the very best

My cabin on the ship was indeed the best place on the ship for me. After working for 13-14 hrs a day, the cabin is just like home, where you long to go and relax. Infact one of the three things apart from clothes, I had on me after the ship sank was my cabin key. The other where my cell phone and my life jacket.

Lol, i still have the key to my cabin, maybe one day ill dive down there 200 feet and see how the cabin looks now

DKG, You absolutely right about ships having distinct charachters and personalities. Infact, I believe that each ship is totally different than the other. The feel, the character and even the vibration you get in one ship would be diferent than the other ship, just like a car

There is a photograph just for you, with one of my ships pulling out of Flam (pronunced Flum) in Norway. The photograph has been taken from the Deck. Hope you like it.

P.S. Also, watching sunsets IMO are phenominal

SHIP PULLING LEAVING THE PORT OF FLAM, NORWAY (PIC)

[bonobashi]

Originally Posted by DKG

I remember as a kid I used to be fascinated by the adventures of the Cutty Sark and many other magnificent ships that used to race the oceans ferrying cotton (or tea?) from Australia to England. Such powerful stories, so much character to these ships.

Just a few insights into this class of ship:

1. The Cutty Sark was a clipper originally built for the tea trade, to bring home the perishable commodity from Canton to London;
2. She was best remembered for her duel with the Thermopylae, another clipper, which she narrowly lost by a couple of days (maybe slightly more; can't remember offhand) even though she lost her rudder!!!
3. Later, after the peak of the tea trade had passed, she did the wool run from Australia to England, which is probably what you may have read about.
4. These clippers were built for speed, and were the last expression of sailing ships building before steam took over. They had truly beautiful predecessors, the Baltimore clippers, which were originally schooners built for extreme speed. There is also some inheritance from Bermuda sloops. But the tea clippers were the extreme development of the sailing ship, then and forever.
5. It might amuse you to find out what Cutty Sark originally meant! Moderators, I didn't actually say anything, only suggested people look it up.

bonobashi

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by deky

My cabin on the ship was indeed the best place on the ship for me. After working for 13-14 hrs a day, the cabin is just like home, where you long to go and relax.

Lol, i still have the key to my cabin, maybe one day ill dive down there 200 feet and see how the cabin looks now

OK, Dhiraj, just to give most folk a wee idea of how it looks, I'm posting a few pics here. With your permission, Sir!?

[DKG]

Originally Posted by deky

one of my ships pulling out of Flam (pronunced Flum) in Norway. The photograph has been taken from the Deck. Hope you like it.

P.S. Also, watching sunsets IMO are phenominal

Lovely shot. I agree on the sunsets having seen the skies over western US explode with a myriad hues of orange. I can never forget those sunsets.

Originally Posted by bonobashi

The Cutty Sark was a clipper originally built for the tea trade

Wonderful. Do please consider starting a thread on old ships, and the amazing stories to tell. I remember the excitement I encountered as I read those stories was almost like I was there on the ship during those races. Amazing tales.

BTW wasn't the Cutty Sark damaged a few years back due to a fire?

Originally Posted by anupmathur

OK, Dhiraj, just to give most folk a wee idea of how it looks, I'm posting a few pics here. With your permission, Sir!?

Ah since we have two shippies can we have some more pictures of the engine rooms, the tower and also of seas in varying moods with all the tales you guys have to tell. It would be a delight to hear your stories. I know there will be many

I remember I was really amused with the way a ship is steered. Something like you start planning a km ahead?

[meghan]

Excellent narration and thanks for sharing it with us!