I've been around the world

[John Arton]

In 41 years sailing I managed to visit ports in North and south America, central America, south Africa, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, north Africa, Scandinavia, north Europe, the Mediterranean and the U.K.
The only regret I had was missing out on a voyage through the straits of Magellan.
The one plus was I avoided India and after visiting Karachi wished I had never set eyes on the place.
Rgds
J.A.

[Tony Taylor]

You were lucky John, in 1970, my first trip as junior eng. started with a 7 day stay in Bombay at the seamen's' club where I met an old hand C/E who was with British India, he could speak the language fluently and he showed me round Bombay, really opened my eyes.
Then spent 2 months on the Indian coast, an experience I did not wish to repeat.
I finished that trip after 6 months and paid off in Yokkaichi and flew back the long way round, Hong Kong, Calcutta, Karachi. On taking off from Karachi one of the engines packed up (707) so we stooged around over the sea for half an hour dumping fuel then landed back. After an hour in the terminal (concrete block house) we were shipped off to the BOAC rest house for 9 hours with a free bar! After a very merry day we returned to the airport to join a flight coming in from Australia as they could not fix the engine.
Eventually got home 24 hours later than scheduled.

I went back to India in 2012/13. This time to New Delhi and some place in Uttar Pradesh (chemical plant) I cant remember the name of .
Basically there were more modern buildings, cars, motorbikes etc. other than that, the utter squalor and filth and abuse endured by the lower echelons of society had not changed one bit.

[Keith Tindell]

In April 1960 i joined a ship the Jalasilton hall, she was on charter to an Indeian company, hence the prefix Jala. I can recall coming into Bombay to moor up, and it was a biblical scene , i looked in horror, i was 19 years of age, and had never seen anything like it, the quay was covered in beggars, maimed in all sorts of horrible ways, some could only pull themselves along on a skateboard type of homemade cart. The smell was atrocious , and they were just baying for food. Certainly a sight i will never forget. I posted some time ago, i was 7 months on that coast, started in Karachi, and right round to Calcutta, mostly 2 beers a night max in the mission . Later round the coast we were anchored out, so could have our beer issue onboard, and sitting on he stern yarning, and slinging the empties over the side, someone mentioned where the empties had gone, so we slung one over the stern and watched, and i kid you not, it was the sharks, a little snuffle and gone. we had been working over the side on stages, so the bosun was called as witness, and that was the painting finished. I would have hated to fall in there, would not have been long, kt

[Des Taff Jenkins]

You would have ended up draining the dregs, in a cosy belly .
Me and my mate commandeered a Garry in Calcutta, the driver pointing the way to the wharf we were on, one thing I remember is the smell, and like you the beggars, was on the cost I think only about a month thank god, dropping and picking up cargo. Now all part of the memories.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Only once in India flying between Oz and UK.
Stopped in Deli and remember looking at the 'shanty town' below as we flew in.
That was enough to make me realize this is not the best place to be.
Terminal had a fire so no one ashore, every bloody fly in the country came on board as the doors were left open.
Can only be described as a s**t hole of the lowest kind.

[Colin Wood]

My introduction to India was on the British Prince which had been renamed Manadagala on put on time charter to Brocklebank. The hong Kong malay crew had been replaced by Indians who turned out to be the laziest mob I have ever met at sea. Made ozzie wharfies look very industrious. Had i run ashore in Calcutta to the club. Mate had had few before we went ashore and locl brew did not agree with, so he filled 4 pint pots up and not a drop on carpet or table. Discharging in UK we were supposed to go to Manchester but got fog bound at Runcorn and discharged there. A couple of good nights in local pub and some of the worst members of the deck crew had the temerity to go to same pub. Fog must have been thick as 3 of them walked into doors and got black eyes and split lips. Very quiet after that.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Look on the bright side re Karachi, you guys only visited, I lived there for nearly four years in the early 1970's as Marine Supt and General manager for a Swiss shipping company. Count your blessings. Fortunately my spheres of operation also covered India (a small step up!) Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Australasia. After Australia and fighting the WWF I was glad to get back to Karachi the bonus of course being that my wife was there.

[j.sabourn]

I worked for Chowgule of Marmagoa , on the Maratha Endeavour and Maratha Envoy , both ships on over a year. The owner himself Chowgule lived in Switzerland I don’t blame him. JS

[j.sabourn]

#3. I was in the Bombay seamans club one time cannot at moment remember the year, think have mentioned before , Captain Carlson of flying enterprise fame was there with his two bottles of beer as well.His ship was the Flying Enterprise 2. The two being in Roman. Numerals. Am sure it wasn’t eleven. JS

[John Gill]

In 41 years sailing I managed to visit ports in North and south America, central America, south Africa, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, north Africa, Scandinavia, north Europe, the Mediterranean and the U.K.
The only regret I had was missing out on a voyage through the straits of Magellan.
The one plus was I avoided India and after visiting Karachi wished I had never set eyes on the place.
Rgds
J.A.

John. You referred to the Straits
Of Magellan in your interesting tale. My father Thomas Gill was bosun with Ct Bowring most of his later employment. Hardly discussed his time afloat especially the convoys and the Murmansk run. Which i found later after his death. He told.me a tale about a skipper, who, to save the company and himself the expense of navigating the Panama canal decided to use the Magellan route instead. He told me it was the worst experience he'd ever had. Shipping them green was the least of it. She almost foundered he told me. So perhaps your regret about not going ' south about' maybe make you feel better.