A Shower of Fish (Ask and it shall be given)
By: Adelino L. Masigla
(Chief Marine Officer On Board Motor Tug "ALICE-D" )
The two portable 30 cubic feet each deck mounted cold storage broke down one after the other, first at day-11 and the
second at day-15. The 10 cubic feet service freezer has not been working since we left Singapore and that prompted
the company to install another 30 cubic feet on boat deck. The two 30 cubic feet were sufficient to hold our frozen food
supply enough to last for the whole voyage at normal consumption which period maybe stretched by 20 percent or more
at controlled rate. We estimated to cover the 3,652 miles voyage in 45 days running at least 3.5 knots including
refueling at sea, however, our speed was held down to an average of 1.6 knots due to adverse weather brought about by
the prevailing cyclone as we entered the Bay of Bengal from Malacca Straits. This only meant that our estimated 45
days voyage to Al Manama, Bahrain maybe extended to twice as much should the weather remained at gale force all
throughout. Since day-5 when we started to encounter rough weather the cook was instructed to implement an
enhanced kitchen discipline. The rough seas and adverse weather in the Bay of Bengal had given the small tug and her
crew a hell of a time. At one instant the cook was scalded with boiling water while in another the 2nd engineer suffered
an extreme stomach pain which he endured up to the destination.
I joined the Singapore Flag “Motor Tug Alice-D” as Chief Officer sometime in July 1969 while in port Singapore. She
was a conventional single screw 600 horse power motor tug, fully air-conditioned accommodation, acquired by D’Long
Corporation for the purpose of towing the company owned barges between Singapore and Indonesian ports. D’Long
Corporation was yet to engage in the construction of removable piers for several logging interest in Indonesia. After
making a number voyages to several Indonesian destinations, we were tasked to prepare for a trip to the port of Al
Manama, Bahrain to deliver two 4000 dead weight tons (DWT) deck barges half loaded with steel piles, and on our way
back, to tow one empty 2000 DWT barge.
The Alice-D was manned by 9 crew members: Capt Wilfredo Sevilla as Master and me as the Chief Officer; Rogelio
Gentilizo, Chief Engineer and another 2nd Engineer, 3 deck hands, 1-oiler and a cook. Though she was not designed
for long international voyage due to limited fuel tank space we were obliged by the circumstances to store our fuel and
water supplies on board the first barge in tow and pump to the tug occasionally while at sea.
My daily routine includes celestial fixes dawn to twilight as well as solar running fixes and chronometer's daily time
ticks. I have to act as the radio operator and recorded the daily weather reports in morse code from the weather
stations then replay back while being decoded. It was difficult at first but I got used to it after few days.
As soon as the last freezer broke down the crew tried to save as much contents as possible but after a week or so they
started to emit foul odor and were thrown overboard. By the time we entered the Indian Ocean at Day-36 the weather
subsided. Nevertheless, the dry food supply was already low except for rice, sugar and salt and other bottled table
condiments. The tinned and canned goods were practically consumed. For several days two nylon fishing lines with
hooks and lures were laid out and trolled but unfortunate caught nothing. We had been subsisting with rice and salt.
Others, satisfied themselves with rice and catsup or kikoman soy sauce. At any rate, one of the freezers was repaired
at about day-40 and though remained empty was kept continuously running. Anyway, as everyone were supposed to be
seasoned tug crew we threated the situation as part of the job and there was nothing to complain about since we all
knew what happened. The only thing we can do, which I was sure we each did in a manner only ourselves knew, was
pray each time and wish for the situation be eased. Days passed by while everything went normal except for our food.
At Day-49, after the celestial observation and establishing a fix twilight position I adjusted the auto steering course and
made a round aft at the towing winch room to check on the tows. Few minutes later, I returned to the bridge, made
myself a cup of coffee and sat for awhile on the captain's chair while examining the horizon with a pair of binocular. The
sea was smooth and the night was starry and the tug was making good at 3.5 knots. Just before 2000H I instructed AB
on duty to hold on with the binoculars and watch over horizon and call on me upon seeing anything around. I noted in
the log book: “dark night, smooth seas, wind blows gently from the starboard" and, "everything seems okay” then went
to bed and continued reading a pocket book. At about 2130H while in the middle of a chapter and nearly asleep the AB
on duty knocked on my doors and asked me to peep out of my port holes. At first glance I thought it was raining until
something hit the thick port hole glass. Somewhat confused, I ran to the navigating bridge and asked AB on duty to
switch on all the deck lights as well as the search lights. The more bulbs were turned on the more the unexpected
guests flew in against the direction of the lights. I did not believed what was happening at first, it was practically raining
fish within the area as far as the search lights could reach. So much had already landed on deck.
“Those are flying fish” I told the AB on duty. “Its' a miracle sir” ---he replied. I asked him to call all hands on deck and
scoop with the net those close by. We only have one small scooping net however the engineers quickly managed to
make another two larger pieces out of the mosquito net’s corner. Within an hour or so the crew members, just in time
for the school to disappear, were able to fill the main deck with over 12 inches thick of flying fish.
Thanks to the Lord above, we finally had a nice meal after almost a month of tough kitchen discipline.
Part of the catch was stored full in the 30 cubic feet freezer. The rest were sliced in halves and sun dried the following
day. Several big baskets filled with dried fish were later kept in the dry goods locker. The stocks endured up to Bahrain
on day-63. Few more big baskets full of dried flying fish remained until the Alice-D returned back to Singapore another
35 days later.
The other freezer was repaired while in port at Al Manama, Bahrain where we replenished our stocks.
§
By: Adelino L. Masigla
(Chief Marine Officer On Board Motor Tug "ALICE-D" )
The two portable 30 cubic feet each deck mounted cold storage broke down one after the other, first at day-11 and the
second at day-15. The 10 cubic feet service freezer has not been working since we left Singapore and that prompted
the company to install another 30 cubic feet on boat deck. The two 30 cubic feet were sufficient to hold our frozen food
supply enough to last for the whole voyage at normal consumption which period maybe stretched by 20 percent or more
at controlled rate. We estimated to cover the 3,652 miles voyage in 45 days running at least 3.5 knots including
refueling at sea, however, our speed was held down to an average of 1.6 knots due to adverse weather brought about by
the prevailing cyclone as we entered the Bay of Bengal from Malacca Straits. This only meant that our estimated 45
days voyage to Al Manama, Bahrain maybe extended to twice as much should the weather remained at gale force all
throughout. Since day-5 when we started to encounter rough weather the cook was instructed to implement an
enhanced kitchen discipline. The rough seas and adverse weather in the Bay of Bengal had given the small tug and her
crew a hell of a time. At one instant the cook was scalded with boiling water while in another the 2nd engineer suffered
an extreme stomach pain which he endured up to the destination.
I joined the Singapore Flag “Motor Tug Alice-D” as Chief Officer sometime in July 1969 while in port Singapore. She
was a conventional single screw 600 horse power motor tug, fully air-conditioned accommodation, acquired by D’Long
Corporation for the purpose of towing the company owned barges between Singapore and Indonesian ports. D’Long
Corporation was yet to engage in the construction of removable piers for several logging interest in Indonesia. After
making a number voyages to several Indonesian destinations, we were tasked to prepare for a trip to the port of Al
Manama, Bahrain to deliver two 4000 dead weight tons (DWT) deck barges half loaded with steel piles, and on our way
back, to tow one empty 2000 DWT barge.
The Alice-D was manned by 9 crew members: Capt Wilfredo Sevilla as Master and me as the Chief Officer; Rogelio
Gentilizo, Chief Engineer and another 2nd Engineer, 3 deck hands, 1-oiler and a cook. Though she was not designed
for long international voyage due to limited fuel tank space we were obliged by the circumstances to store our fuel and
water supplies on board the first barge in tow and pump to the tug occasionally while at sea.
My daily routine includes celestial fixes dawn to twilight as well as solar running fixes and chronometer's daily time
ticks. I have to act as the radio operator and recorded the daily weather reports in morse code from the weather
stations then replay back while being decoded. It was difficult at first but I got used to it after few days.
As soon as the last freezer broke down the crew tried to save as much contents as possible but after a week or so they
started to emit foul odor and were thrown overboard. By the time we entered the Indian Ocean at Day-36 the weather
subsided. Nevertheless, the dry food supply was already low except for rice, sugar and salt and other bottled table
condiments. The tinned and canned goods were practically consumed. For several days two nylon fishing lines with
hooks and lures were laid out and trolled but unfortunate caught nothing. We had been subsisting with rice and salt.
Others, satisfied themselves with rice and catsup or kikoman soy sauce. At any rate, one of the freezers was repaired
at about day-40 and though remained empty was kept continuously running. Anyway, as everyone were supposed to be
seasoned tug crew we threated the situation as part of the job and there was nothing to complain about since we all
knew what happened. The only thing we can do, which I was sure we each did in a manner only ourselves knew, was
pray each time and wish for the situation be eased. Days passed by while everything went normal except for our food.
At Day-49, after the celestial observation and establishing a fix twilight position I adjusted the auto steering course and
made a round aft at the towing winch room to check on the tows. Few minutes later, I returned to the bridge, made
myself a cup of coffee and sat for awhile on the captain's chair while examining the horizon with a pair of binocular. The
sea was smooth and the night was starry and the tug was making good at 3.5 knots. Just before 2000H I instructed AB
on duty to hold on with the binoculars and watch over horizon and call on me upon seeing anything around. I noted in
the log book: “dark night, smooth seas, wind blows gently from the starboard" and, "everything seems okay” then went
to bed and continued reading a pocket book. At about 2130H while in the middle of a chapter and nearly asleep the AB
on duty knocked on my doors and asked me to peep out of my port holes. At first glance I thought it was raining until
something hit the thick port hole glass. Somewhat confused, I ran to the navigating bridge and asked AB on duty to
switch on all the deck lights as well as the search lights. The more bulbs were turned on the more the unexpected
guests flew in against the direction of the lights. I did not believed what was happening at first, it was practically raining
fish within the area as far as the search lights could reach. So much had already landed on deck.
“Those are flying fish” I told the AB on duty. “Its' a miracle sir” ---he replied. I asked him to call all hands on deck and
scoop with the net those close by. We only have one small scooping net however the engineers quickly managed to
make another two larger pieces out of the mosquito net’s corner. Within an hour or so the crew members, just in time
for the school to disappear, were able to fill the main deck with over 12 inches thick of flying fish.
Thanks to the Lord above, we finally had a nice meal after almost a month of tough kitchen discipline.
Part of the catch was stored full in the 30 cubic feet freezer. The rest were sliced in halves and sun dried the following
day. Several big baskets filled with dried fish were later kept in the dry goods locker. The stocks endured up to Bahrain
on day-63. Few more big baskets full of dried flying fish remained until the Alice-D returned back to Singapore another
35 days later.
The other freezer was repaired while in port at Al Manama, Bahrain where we replenished our stocks.
§
| Motor Tanker "LSCO Transpacific" Click image to enlarge |
TRUE TO LIFE STORY
masigla.com
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