Events you incurred while in another country

[Robert George Young]

Just wondered what momentous events happened in the country you sailed to whilst you were there?

[J Gowers]

In 2004, I was working on a drilling rig offshore Equatorial Guinea when there was an attempted coup, the one Mark Thatcher was involved in along with a load of South African mercs. It never made any difference to us though still no probs going through Malabo airport only thing that affected us was that any South Africans working on the rig were told to leave thecountry and not come back.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Equatorial_Guinea_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_attempt

[John Arton]

Paid off a ship in the cape Verde Islands on the day they got their independence from Portugal. Took us three days to get off the island before we could get a flight off the island's. Next stop was Lisbon, country on strike with tanks and the army on the streets, further two days in Lisbon before we could get a flight out to London.
On a personal note, a night out in Tampico ended up with myself and sparks being thrown into jail at gun point, took 12 hours or more before we could get out when the 3rd mate along with a Mexican lecturer from the local nautical college eventually found us and got us released. Actually got a letter of apology from the chief of police over the misunderstanding that had been the cause of the arrest, this after the Mexican guy found out why we had been arrested and demanded the apology from the police.
Rgds
J.A

[Graham Payne]

On the "Oronsay" 1 day away from docking at Fort Lauderale, Miami.
When President Kennedy was shot.

[J Gowers]

Almost forgot I was in Baltimore the day John Lennon was shot, 8th Dec 1980, we were there for two weeeks discharging sugar, should have gone a lot quicker but there was a rail strike so the rail waggons were slow coming in. All the local record shops sold out of all the Beetles albums in one day.
I was on the Wellpark and it was the only ship I was on where someone phoned the local nurses home and a few came on the ship for a party and a good time was had by all. I flew home from there and had my pocket picked in the airport wallet gone but still had my ticket and passport and some cash in my pocket enought to buy a few, if I remember right it was a direct flight Baltimore-Glasgow and I had to get my dad to pick me up from the airport.

[j.sabourn]

Sitting in a bar in Hawaii when they landed on the moon in 1969, watched it all happening on tv. Wasn’t drunk either. JS.

[Doc Vernon]

While at Sea on the Warwick Castle, 3rd February 1959 the sad news was heard about the Disaster of the Plane Crash that killed three Noted Musicians namely

Deaths of rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper or J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, in a The Day the Music Died called plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.

All three i liked but Buddy Holly was my all time favourite in those days along with Roy the Boy Orbison!
It was rather a sad Ship after this News got amongst the Crew!
Cheers

[Des Taff Jenkins]

My mate and I were walking ashore in Malaya when these British soldiers came dashing out of the jungle and raced into the same on the other side, then a jumped up officer screamed at us ,"What the hell," or words to that effect, "do you think you are doing here?" We said, " Going for a drink."
"Christ"! he said, "We are chasing bloody terrorists here." and with that he was off. We carried on up to the small town for a drink, we thought they were just playing soldiers
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

At sea when we heard of the Kennedy assassination and also when the Cuba crisis began.
We were at one point told to drop bloods off at nearest port and head back to UK.
But next day told stay on course.

then many years later on a cruise got caught in an earthquake in NZ.

Back in Dec 2022 on a cruise to NZ the ship had to change course in an attempt to find a yacht lost on the Oz to Tassie yacht race.
Then today in late evening the same ship, Grand Princess, was called upon to pick up two people from a small boat.
It had run aground on rocks not far from land south of Melbourne.

[john walker]

On The Tintagel Castle. We were berthing late afternoon at Avonmouth after a 4 1/2 month voyage around the Indian sub Continent and a long trip home via the Cape. All the crew were paying off on arrival, most of the guys had the channels. When the second cook said to me that the Americans had landed and that they were at that moment walking on the moon, I told Him not to be stupid. He insisted that it was true until I eventually believed Him.