'Pentakota' loads for Aussie.

From Cochin we made haste at our full 10 knots or so to Abadan to load 4,000 tons of bitumen in drums for various ports in Australia and New Zealand. After Abadan we were due to load 3,000 tons of barytes (barium sulphate) for Port Moresby, and a lot of Officers were hoping to get shifts in Bombay, as there were strong rumours that the vessel was going on Home Line articles after discharge, and return to the UK to be converted to oil fuel. Home line articles meant a drop in salary and a good chance of having to pay more income tax.

'Pentakota's funnel and luffing lifeboat davit.

'Pentakota' looking forward from the mainmast

Abadan was cold, and we were in blues. Some ice could be seen on deck, early morning, although it quickly warmed up as the sun rose. There was an all pervading smell of oil in the air. On Friday 20th January at 0500 the 'Dara' berthed immediately astern of us in berth 7c (we were in 7b). The three Cadets from 'Dara' came over to see us and have a yarn. They were Shaw, Kros and Lorent, and I heard that half a dozen or so Cadets had been packed off to the UK to join the Cadet ship (Chindwara). My diary for Saturday 21st January reads thus;

'Spent today getting over last night. Party on 'Dara' with the Cadets over there. Took 11 chips, went across with Davies. Kros has nice radio - RCA Victor. Bottle of gin, bottle of whisky, Cardinal Puff, felt fine. Finished off drink and then had a fight with a Dara Cadet. Hazy, remember going off 'Dara' back to 'Pentakota'. Sick. Bit of a row. Not too good. On night work. Felt pretty rotten all day.'

I was glad to see 'Dara' leave, but was hoping we'd see her in Bombay because I had left my good fountain pen behind.

'Pentakota' at Abadan, January 1950. Drums of bitumen arriving on the quay. The conveyor belt was half a mile or so in length, and went under roads and over bridges. The job of the three men leaning against the rail was to kick the drums off opposite the appropriate hatches.