First trip to sea (a tanker, 11 months) all the crew were Spanish and working with them all the time soon got a good working knowledge of Spanish and afterwards used to spend leaves in N. Spain with them for free. Great bunch of lads and that Spanish came in very handy except when I tried speaking Spanish to a stunner in Portugal, she slapped me across the face and told me in almost perfect English did I not know the difference between Spanish and portugese.
Felt quite humble after that.
rgds
JA