🙋‍♂️Passing Ships

By Biswajit Basu: 

In the vast oceans of the world, it is rare to find a relative on a ship near yours. In my years at sea I only had one such occasion.

Every ship has what is called a VHF (Very High Frequency) radio which permits ships close by to talk by voice (as contrasted to the Morse Code main radio).

The VHF permits normal talk on many channels.  You keep it tuned to Channel 16 which is the common channel used by all ships to make initial contact before you switch to another free channel to continue and  avoid interference.

Somewhere in 1976, I was on the Jaladhruv on our way to the Great Lakes (USA & Canada) and we were anchored in the Great Bitter Lake (neither a lake nor bitter!) awaiting our turn to enter the Suez Canal. I was enjoying a glass of chilled beer in my cabin when the phone rang.  It was the Captain (I was the Chief Engineer) who said curtly "Please come to the bridge" and put the phone down before I could say anything.  Oh no! I thought.  Is the Anchor Windlass giving trouble again!  I rushed up to the bridge and the captain (Hegde was his name) pointed to the VHF handset lying on the desk and said "SURPRISE".  I was intrigued wondering who the hell would call me (must be a ship from our company wanting some spare parts, I thought.  "Hallo", I said gingerly.

Hello came the reply and the voice was familiar.  It was Shibesh! He had found out that my ship  was on the Great Bitter Lake too and decided to call me .

It was really grand talking to him as I had not spoken to him for over a year.  Piya had just been born and had even come on board when the officers had taken turns to take her on their lap.  Anyway, we spoke for a good half an hour about family and friends.  Soon it was our turn to enter the Suez Canal and we had to reoperationalise and start on this dangerous part of our voyage.

This was the only occasion when I was able to talk to a relative out at sea!

_{(Ships waiting on the Great Bitter Lake, to enter the Suez Canal. Pic by NASA Earth Observatory)}

45 years later...

(March 25, 2021)

Biswajit Basu: “Do you recall this? I cannot remember the ship you were on.😊”

Shibesh Ghosh: “I was on Jala Mani I think. Yeah those were the days indeed. Always brings a smile.🙂🙂🙂”