It's not Christmas, but you have a prreesent for me Captain?

[Colin Wood]

Hi JS, the charterers were far from having any principals. First trip loaded full cargo of rice in Canton, but ordered to Singapore by charterers for bunkers. on arrival and before we had anchored, a man with a yard stick measuring device boarded and with assistants, opened a hatch and weighed about 3 bags.
When master attended charterers office next morning he was advised that bags had been check weighed and were all heavier than that shown on tally sheets, hence would he go to bank, and sign new B/Ls for increased tonnage. He requested that he could go to owners agents office and phone head office. Initially he was told to return to ship and await further orders, which he did. Next day hre relieved orders from head office to sign new b?ls and proceed to discharge port which we did, after charterers handed over a large envelope for Master and Mate. NO problem at discharge port even though new tonnage shown on manifest would have had us several inches overloaded. At arrival at next loading port, master told to phone head office,which he did, and was advised that as 'Reputable' charteres there should be no problem issuing new B/Ls in Singapore. Very lucrative charter for master and mate, and also obviously owners.

[j.sabourn]

I can never remember signing a Bill of Lading as was is, was always saiid to be x tons weight. The said to be was my addition , I trusted no one. As we have just come off a bent post about a happy new year which diverted into a tragedy and New Years honours. When making private statements to the oil company who suffered the loss, and some one sitting taken notes, when these notes had been typed up and was asked to sign ,I made quite a few alterations , whenever dead bodies were mentioned among other things I crossed out and replaced with appeared to be dead or showed no apparent sign of life. When making statements ad lib they can turn around and bite you in the ass. I was caught out once trying to be helpful when a ship was sold to the Greeks. my helpfullness cost the owners upwards of 50,000 pounds , they never found out from me, it was me ,but it was a lesson well learned.
Cheers JS