'Pentakota', to Colombo - and beyond!

We left Bombay at 0900, Saturday 4th February 1950, bound for Colombo, and with the knowledge that 'Pentakota' was going to return to the U.K. via the Panama Canal.

Brian Davies had been over to 'Dara' on the Friday, and had retrieved my pen. He had been told by Kros and Shaw that they had been sick as dogs that night in Abadan, all over the decks and in the scuppers, and somehow that removed the guilt feeling I'd had about that night. I had sent my apologies ref. my behaviour.

I had enjoyed Derek Slope's company - he had a similar sense of humour to my own, and made me laugh with his various expressions such as 'Up your end a bit, Charlie', 'From me to you, Henry' and 'I'll have to fill him in'.

In my personal diary I had summed up Bombay thus: Breach Candy, the Mission, Niggers' Ball, Ballard Pier, Grant Road, Flora Fountain, Regal, Eros, Metro, Strand, Post Office, beggars, dust, heat, Indians, signalling school.

Calcutta? I had only seen it in the dark, but thought it more 'Eastern' than Bombay. The river banks had a magical mystery. That new house at Matiah Bruj where a party was going on. The other side of the river, with the Botanical Gardens. The Coal Jetty, BI ships, chains to buoys fore and aft, the Harbour Master [Popplewell, whose brother was BI] who had once played the Wandering Minstrel for the CATS when he was a Leadsman, the Midan, separating the city from the river, Chowringhee, what names. Crossing the Midan at night, you can see all the lights of the town, and it looks lovely; but then, when you get to Chowringhee, you can see what it really looks like.

Abadan? machinery, endless conveyor belts, endless pipes, endless fires, endless work, endless boredom, petrol, oil, bitumen, smell, Bawarda, tankers, cracking plants, tank farms, all painted silver.

Pondicherry? A roadstead anchorage, careful Bob Martyn who was required by the Agent to weigh anchor and move further inshore four times before the country craft came out to us. A crowd of us peering though Bob's powerful binoculars at two European women on the beach.

Come to think of it though, I always felt safe when ashore in India.

Bombay and Calcutta were really at the heart of the B.I., even in 1950. It must have been more so in the days gone by, in the days of the famous parrot at the Calcutta BI club, whose apt expressions were so often quoted by the old guard.

One of the first people to board on arrival at Bombay would be Moussa or one of the other 'tailors to the gentry'. He was on good terms with the Babu in Head Office and could often tip you off about a coming 'shift'; he would also know all the BI ships in port, when they arrived and when they would leave, which ships were due, who had been 'shifted' etc. He also knew the names of the officers on board these various vessels. His thick note book would have details of your measurents from past orders, (mainly uniform shorts & shirts, also 'Bombay Tartan' shirts for going ashore in.) He would also ask after Officers who still owed him money.

The 'Pentakota' was leaving all that behind. We would meet very few other BI ships on our intended voyage.

Here we were, deeply laden; it took 'Pentakota' some time to get up to her ten knots, but like all those steam driven, slow cargo ships, she was marvellously quiet and comfortable, especially now she was down to her marks. Stress free days indeed.

We arrived at Colombo for bunkers on the 8th February, passing 'Itinda' coming out, on her way to Adelaide non-stop. We berthed at No.31 and the bunkering commenced, the coal being loaded by hand through a port in No.2 bridge space, and with derricks through No. 3 hatch. When we left Colombo on 10th February we passed 'Itria' coming in. When passing another BI ship we dipped ensigns. It was necessary to know the seniority of the Masters, as the junior Master dipped first!

It took us ten days to get to Surabaya, with its fairway still bounded by minefields, and with shipwrecks on either side. A few of the pilots were still Dutch, and there were Dutch troops billeted on the wharf.

Another eight days at sea, and we arrived at Thursday Island on the 2nd March, flying QQ because one of the crew was ill. This meant a visit by the Doctor who inspected everybody, including the sick crewman. Then the Pilot Mr. Clay boarded and we went on our way to Port Moresby where we arrived on Saturday 4th March and were given another going over by the Port Health people.

Port Moresby, I think, with 'Pentakota' alongside

I wrote of Port Moresby that it wasn't exactly the land of my dreams, but green and hilly, with one pier, a lot of 'fuzzies' (Papuans, as opposed to New Guinea men), plenty of whites, and lots of sharks in the harbour. One cinema (the Papua) and one main street. I went for a sail in a lakatoi with a beachcomber type - it was a 'very novel experience', I wrote.

As I recall, a lakatoi's mast was in the centre, and had a bow (and stern) at either end. A flimsy outrigger extended from one side, which was always the lee side. One went to one's destination, and when it was time to return one turned the sail round and steered from the other end. Gybing was out of the question. Sharks abounded, and I was told they were a bit picky, who they ate and who they would leave alone.

Brian and I had moved to the spare cabin on the Captain's deck while we painted out cabin white. While that paint was drying we painted the inside of the wheelhouse stone colour.

We spent the last two days our in the stream, discharging into small cargo vessels before leaving on Sunday 11 March 1950 for Bowen.