The primary reason I opted for a seagoing career was because I wished to be in a service where one wears a uniform which is highly respected, and there is a huge sense of discipline.
I joined The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) as a trainee purser officer and was posted on a passenger ship which was operating between Chennai, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore, a round trip of 16 days with a four day stay in Chennai and Singapore respectively. The reason we as trainees were posted on passenger ships was to give us an overall exposure to handling immigration, customs and port formalities, as also all aspects relating to passenger traffic and management. Such training is very crucial and a necessary part of our job. I remember, as juniors we also used to have our share of free time, allowed to go on shore leave on our own and also occasionally accompany passengers on sightseeing trips.
The following year I was posted on an OBO (ore bulk oil) ship which was on a global run. Here I was the lone man in-charge and had to be doubly sure of my work as that would reflect on the smooth entry and exit of the ship from a port, adhering to all port formalities.
A loner’s life
I had also suddenly landed on a ship where there were very few people (crew), long months of sailing with no contact with family and the outside world, and I had to come to terms with the loneliness which is a big part of this job. All seas are not the same and there were many occasions for days on end we used to negotiate dangerously rough seas (the ship is just like a toy tossed around in belligerent weather conditions), left to plod on as we had to reach the next port with our cargo.
To continuously face this kind of life, to keep fit, eat well without throwing up and remain seaworthy myself, it quickly dawned on me that all this was only possible with a regular dose of some scotch on the rocks!
The fair weather food
The food on the ship depended mainly on weather. Fair weather always meant we would have a seven course meal, catering to both the vegetarians and the meat eaters. The quantity never being a problem, the quality and taste depended mainly on the ethnicity of the cooks and which part of our nation they hailed from! During rough weather there was only khichdi and rasam as no vessel could stay steady on the hot plate of the galley (the ship’s kitchen).
Meanwhile, during the long sailing months, work was more of a routine for me as I had to maintain a ship’s office with all important documents, certificates, accounts and preparing the vessel for port formalities. In a designated port, I also had to pay every individual an advance against his wages (salary) in the local currency (usually American dollars). This currency is normally brought by the local agent upon receiving prior radio message from our ship. I had to record and account for the entire monies and maintain each and every crew account. I also had to send weekly, monthly, quarterly, half yearly and yearly financial documents as per the rules laid down from time to time by the company.
Now you may be startled when I say that the various officials who used to board the ship like the immigration, customs and port health officials, never ever did their own work of signing and clearing the ship in and out of ports without getting something “underneath the table” in the form of cash, whisky/cigarettes and even food rations (only of the expensive kind). Basically, a bribe!
The family perk
Once I attained a level of seniority, I was allowed to take my family on board, of course subject to similar requests from other officers. This, I must admit was the sweet part of my career, as we could travel to places around the world as a family. Ships with families on board always bring a lot of cheer to everyone, in an otherwise work filled monotonous life.
One quickly learns from day one that a person on ship has to be efficient in his work, amiable, respectful, maintain decency and decorum, adhering to hierarchy.
At the end of my 35 years long sea career, there is one thing I would like to stress on. In so many years, I have seen death staring at me from close, learnt immensely, met, sailed and lived with some of the most intelligent and beautiful humans in this world. Many of them are still in touch with me including their families and I feel this is my biggest reward and take away.
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Ramesh Narain Kurpad
The writer is a retired Mercantile Marine Officer, having served The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd for 35 years in the capacity of a Senior Purser Officer. He retired in the year 2011 and is a native of Bangalore in South India. His family consists of his wife and daughter.[/column]