DIARY — FIVE OCEANS 1

15th december 2013. Placentia is a beautiful place in Canada, surrounded by ice and snow. I am sitting in a local coffee shop “Tim Horton’s” pondering in my mind the events that have happened recently. The weather forecast announced that there will be a storm here tomorrow. It will snow even though all of nature is frozen.

The place is really beautiful, white crystal. I have no words to describe it. The hills are covered with pine forest and water below them. People are friendly, mostly tall and strong.

Being a Ship Captain, I have traveled the world several times. I have seen many beautiful places, but Placentia impressed me in some way. Again I don’t know what attracted me so much here.

Sailing around the world, I went through many storms and sea perils. I have been to tropical storms and typhoons many times.

Here in Placentia Bay I have experienced the biggest storm ever. We sailed from the port of Argentina on the third of December 2013. The wind was blowing through the harbor. We did not have a tug or a pilot. I believed the unmooring would be easy, but the wind posed a some danger.

Argentina is a former US Military base, which is now a trading port. It is very open, so the wind blows all over the harbour. This area is a really windy place in this world.

The surroundings of Argentina are very low and flat. A few distant hills are a weak shelter. The wind blows freely through the plain and the harbor.

Smaller container ships sometimes dock in the port. Sometimes fishing boats dock here to land the catch.

The port is about a fifteen minute drive to the town of Placentia. The small city is surrounded by green hills of pine forest, what leaves a very cute impression.

18th december 2013. I’m sitting at the Tim’s Horton coffee bar in Placentia again. It’s evening.

I took a look through the window. Several cars are parked along the road. The city is covered with snow.

When we came here Placentia was green. Now the place and nature are white. The view from the hill was extremely sweet. A little green town below you. A small port with fishing boats is located inside this place.

Now the place and the port are white. It is difficult to distinguish them from nature here. When you look at Placentia from the hill now, you can barely notice it. Everything is covered with the whiteness of the snow. The bay is icy and the surrounding hills are white.

I have met several people here. Most of them were friendly.

I’ve been to the “Twilight” dance floor a few times. The girls are very beautiful here.

The night of December 3rd was really hard. We were leaving the port. We let go the ropes. I opened the bow using a bow thruster. The engine was slow so slow. We couldn’t break away from the dock.

“Hard to starboard” and “Full ahead” but the vessel does not move. What to do? A strong south wind is blowing and the stern is near the dock. Does it touch the dock? I’m so scared. What about engine?

Chief Engineer came to the bridge. He called the officer in the engine.

The wind carries the ship ashore. Suddenly the ship moved. Inch by inch, foot by foot.

“Midship the wheel”. I am alone on the bridge console. Chief Mate is steering.”Full ahead”. “Midships the wheel”. I am crying. The vessel is moving foot by foot ahead.

The red light of the buoy in front of us is on the port side. Vessel is moving ahead. I am singing on the bridge. I am dancing. The night is hard and cold but I am happy. Vessel is proceeding.

I love Placentia in a way. I still can’t determine the feelings, but I love it. I loved it even though the snow has covered the houses and the surrounding nature, but there was something under the snow. Is that feeling hidden in the “Twelight” bar, in the “Tim Horton’s” coffee shop or somewhere else. I believe that special feeling is hidden somewhere here, shrouded in snow.

The ship is sailing, my God. Fox Island is on the starboard. I’m talking to Placentia Traffic.

This night is really hard. A strong south wind is blowing. The sea washes the main deck and hatches.

Here in Placentia life is different. “Tim Horton’s” cafe is a nice place. The coffee was good, as were the cakes I ate. I made twenty dollars in the lottery.

I danced all night, mostly with Ashley. The girl is very beautiful. It was really good in “Twilight”.

Morning of December 4, 2013. The vessel is proceeding in Placentia Bay, traffic lane on the south course, en route to the Atlantic Ocean.

Seas are rough. Southly winds. Vessel is pitching and rolling heavily. Sea water is washing main deck and hatches.

Now we are at sea, Placentia is far behind us, a lovely place trapped by ice. The bay is icy at this time of year but impressive.

I often think about my family. Christmas time is coming soon. They are now far away in Croatia, while I am here in Placentia Bay. Wind and seas are strong. Sky is grey and dark.

Break down of the engine. Morning in Placentia Bay. The generator failed.

Vessel is stopped. We are out of Placentia traffic separation, drifting in the sea. The sun broke out in between the clouds. The sea is dark and the waves are high.

Vessel is stopped. We are rolling so much. A few of us on the bridge are joking. The load of scrap iron is very heavy which causes rolling.

My thoughts are often in Dubrovnik. How are my grandchildren? I have four of them, one boy and three girls. Daniel is the oldest, eleven years old boy.

The vessel is rolling. We are drifting in the bay. The sky is gray and gloomy. From time to time the sun breaks between the clouds. The break down of generators is not a big deal. It will be repaired soon.

In the “Twilight” bar I first met Finky. She was a good dancer. We danced break dance that night. She was a lovely girl from Placentia.

It is cold at sea here. We have been stopped for a few hours. The seas are breaking on the main deck. How are the hach covers? Were they tightened?

The vessel is loaded to the mark. The freeboard is very low. We secured the vessel for the sea as best we could. The hatch covers are heavy. I believe they will withstand the storms of the Atlantic.

Engine is ready again. We are going to proceed on the voyage. I am handling the telegraph on the bridge. Dead slow ahead. I am steering. The steering lever is small, mounted on the maneuvering console.

We lost several hours waiting for the generator to be repaired. Now the vessel is steaming again. Placentia Bay is behind us and Atlantic is ahead. The weather forecast is very bad. High seas are expected tonight. The sun rises between the clouds. At least that makes us happy.

I would say Placentia is a really exotic place. The summer is very nice here. They fish for lobsters in the bay in front of the town. The fishing port is very impressive.

Now, it is just snowing here. “Tim Horton’s” cafe is well heated. People are friendly. I like to have a coffee here.

December 4 afternoon. The vessel is proceeding on her way to Atlantic. The sun is still showing among the clouds. The sea is rough, realy rough. The old lady “Navy Wind” is steaming. The speed is only five to six knots but she is steaming. The vessel is moving ahead on her way to Mediterranean.

This day is really hard. The vessel is thirty years old. She changed a few names. The last one was “Lady Remington”. She crossed so many seas, what I saw in the log book.

My thoughts are in Dubrovnik again. How is my granddaughter Ela. She is only five years old.

The seas are higher and higher. A strong wind blows, that plays music in the bridge wire stays or through door cracks. The wind is actualy singing. It is singing a song to us, seamen on board this vessel. How is the song? Is it sweet or sour? How is the music that wind is playing? Is it sweet? No…

The music, played by the wind is certainly not sweet. Not even its song. The wind plays and sings music for us. For the old lady “Navy Wind” and eleven seamen on board.

I wonder how it will be in “Twilight” tonight. Who will be there? The music there is realy good and customers are happy. I like to dance there, especially with Ashley. She is good dancer for sure.

The night falls on December 4, while the old lady “Navy Wind” is steaming ahead. Four knots per hour, three knots, two knots… The vessel is pitching and rolling heavily. We are shipping seas over main deck and hatches.

Dinner time was long gone. I decide to eat something. There is no one in the messroom. Chief cook brought me a plate of macaroni. I hold it in my hand as I eat. Anything on the table will run and break.

Bosun came to the dining room door, barefoot and wet pants.

-Water in the engine room, he said.

-How…?

-The sea comes through the fan duct, he explained.

I gave the dish to the chief cook. I immediately went to the engine room.

The top section of the engine room is wet. The electrical panel and all instruments are wet. Chief engineer is in front of the vent duct. He tries to close the ingress of seawater through the vent duct cover plate. The plate is almost one square meter, still a lot of sea enters the engine room. It sprays all around, to the switchboard and electrical instruments.

The entire top section of the engine room is wet. I went back to the messroom just to think over, what to do. What will happen if wet electrical instruments turn off the engine? There is a wild storm around us.

Soon a motorman appeared at the door of the messroom.

-Water ingress in the steering room, he said.

-How…?

-The sea comes from the deck, he added. — So much…

I went to the engine room again. Sea water floods the engine room, aft part.

-Where does the sea come from? I asked.

- From the main deck, someone said.

I immediately ran to the bridge. I have to change the course back for Placentia Bay. There is no shelter on the coast near us. Only Placentia Bay can save us. We must return immediately.

I spoke to shipowner on the telephone. He agreed to take shelter in the first possible bay. The old lady is pitching and rolling heavily. The speed is only one and half knot.

I took the steering handle in my hand. Five degrees to port. Easy. Degree by degree, the vessel is turning to port.

The vawes are breaking over main deck. The night is thick. The bridge doors are closed. Only the wind is playing the music to us. The vessel turns degree by degree to port.

A loud noise comes from the back deck of the superstructure. What’s happening? I forbade the outer doors of the superstructure to be opened.

I listen to the music of the wind coming from the back deck on the bridge. The wind sings a song to us, the sailors of the ship in the storm.

-What’s going on? I said. -Where does this noise come from?

Silence. Both deck officers are on the bridge. The vessel is in north east course. We are sailing back to Placentia Bay. The speed is one and half knot. The vessel is rolling heavily.

I turned course back to Placentia Bay at 20.00 hrs on 04th december 2013. I beleived that my decision saved the crew, the ship and cargo. It was the only possible decission, for sure.

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19th december 2013. I am sitting in the cabin. Here in Argentia the wind is blowing so hard. Last night was horrible. Here the port is open, especially for southerly winds.

Engine was on stand by yesterday due to strong wind. I am on the bridge now, looking at the sea. The wind is terrible here.

Forth december night. The vessel is proceeding to Placentia Bay. Ship’s speed is one and half knot only. I wonder how. It should be at least four or five knots.

Wind and seas are southly to southeasterly. Vawes are following the wessel. They flood poop, main deck and hatch covers.

The ingress of the sea water to engin room is constant. The main deck is constantly under the sea. On this ship the poop deck is a part of the main deck.

Seawater is constantly flooding the engine room, but the vessel is moving cable by cable on her way to Placentia bay. Both deck officers are on the bridge. They are very efficient.

We cannot walk on a bridge or alleys, but we can only sneak on the floor or hold on to some handles nearby.

It will be Christmas time soon. My minds are again with my doughter Mariana, who has two children, Daniel and Sara. What would she think to see me here now.

The ship sails foot by foot, mile by mile back to Placentia Bay. The night is thick. Seawater is spraying over bridge windows. Radar is our only eyes. The vessel is pitching and rolling heavily. The ingress of sea water into the engine room is permanent.

Who is tonight in Twilight bar? Is Finky there? She is a cute girl for sure. One can have a good time at “ Twilight” bar. Music is perfect there.

I was sailing on a ship when I was fifteen years old boy. Then I finished the first class of Nautical School in Dubrovnik. The ship was called “Dubrava” ex owned by British owener.

She had a steam engine. Deadweight of the vessel was about seven thousand metric tons. It was a summer school break. I joined the vessel at Dubrovnik anchorage in front of the island “Daksa”.

It was my first time climbing a ship’s ladder to the main deck. The ship was so high above the sea, in ballast condition. I wondered why she was so tall.

Her hull was painted in black. Our boat approached the ship. Name “Dubrava” was written on the bow in large white letters. As the boat docked with the ship I wondered how I was going to climb the ladders to the deck.

-Steering broke down, second officer advised.

The vessel cannot steer on automatic steering. What to do now? In fact, the gyro repeater blocked.

-Let’s try hand steering, I said.

The magnetic compass is far ahead. We cannot read it. We steer according to GPS. The course must be close to the one on GPS. The ship makes large bends behind her stern, but because of the darkness we cannot see them.

Fifth december 2013 morning. I am in the cabin, very exhausted. Officers Ionis and Mario are doing watches on the bridge. They steer by GPS. The vessel is pitching and rolling heavily. Sea water ingresses into the engine room. I am lying on the couch, actually on its transfersal part. It is the only way to lie in a storm like this.

Earlier, ships were built with transversal beds and couches. Today, they are mostly placed longitudinally, which is not good in bad weather, when the ship is rolling.

20th December 2013. I am sitting in the cabin. “Navi Wind” is moored in the port of Argentina.The day is sunny but cold. The snow covers shores and hills. The bay is beautiful today, lit by the sun.

A few days ago I walked here in Argentia for an hour. In some places the road passes right by the sea. A stone dyke protects the road from the waves.

I climbed the dyke a few feet and looked out to sea. The water was gray. Placentia Bay was in front of my eyes.

“Was this the same sea that wanted to kill me and the crew?”

The sea was so calm and gray. That seemed so friendly to me. Only a light swell moved the water. On the cliff I listened to a quiet song of the waves intended for me, a survivor of a storm in the Atlantic.

Fifth December 2013 morning. I lie completely exhausted in the cabin.The coast station calls me every fifteen minutes. They ask the position of the ship and the state of the sea flooding into the engine room.

Mario is resilient. He is the second officer here. The vessel is pitching and rolling heavily. Mario dressed immersion suit.

Vessel is proceeding on the speed of one to one and half knot per hour. The seas are following us. The sea water constantly flooding into Engine room. It is very dark outside. One off shore vessel is employed in the bay. We can see her on the radar. I wonder how she can work in this weather.

My thoughts are with my family again. How is my granddaughter Sara. She is only five years old child.

The wind plays dead music to us, which sounds like horrible drums are beating. Foot by foot, mile by mile “Navi Wind” is steaming back to Placentia bay.

I remember when I first climbed the ladder of the cargo ship “Dubrava” at the anchorage in Dubrovnik. When I got on deck I was amazed so much. Why is the deck red? Who are these people around me?

The steamer had wooden hatch covers covered with canvases and secured with wooden wedges. The navigation bridge and accomodation were situated at midship. The vessel was bound to Russian port Zhdanov in Azov Sea to load coal for former Yugoslavia. She received provisions at the anchorage in Dubrovnik.

Fifth december early morning in Placentia Bay. The vessel is pitching and rolling heaviy. It is still dark. I feel bad, luckily Chief Officer Ionis is good. He is steering by GPS. The day has not yet dawned. It is still dark. The sea waves are breaking on main deck and hatch covers.

I was born on October 31st, 1946 in Molunat, Croatia. My father was fisherman and farmer. He often worked alone in the field. My mother used to bring him food there.

We had a lot of olive trees on our land. He often dug around them and planted vegetables like beans.

The vessel is steaming slowly ahead, two knots per hour. The day is breaking. I am constantly in connection with Placentia Traffic Control. The sea water is permanently flooding in the engine room.

Stearing on GPS is hard. The vessel makes a spiral course. The wind howls and strong waves crash against the ship. The ship groans and creaks. The same noise is constantly heard, for which we cannot determine where it is coming from.

The day breaks out, gray and gloomy, as if it doesn’t want to light us up. The sea is horrible. Dark waves are high and dangerous. Last night we couldn’t see them in the right color and shape. They look like brown monsters beating on a ship. The sea spills over the deck in front of us and it covers the hatch cvers. It looks like the ship is completely under the sea. Our ship looks like a submarine, sailing a few meters below the sea. The impression is horrible, I would not wish it to anyone.

A helicopter appeared in the sky above us. A huge yellow machine. They informed us they wanted to get on board the ship. I wondered how we would receive it. The ship is still terribly rolling and pitching. The main deck is low to the sea. There is no helicopter reception area on deck.

They explained they had brought a pump to pump seawater out of the engine room. I found it impossible to receive a helicopter on the deck of this ship. First it is huge, and second the boat is still rolling a lot. After a while, the helicopter left.

21st December 2013. I am sitting in the cabin. It was snowing the whole night. The coast of the bay and the hills are white with snow. I cannot read the temperature because the thermometer outside on the bridge is frozen. The inside of the door, which closes the hallway to the outside deck is icy.

On the morning of December 5th, I refused help from the helicopter because the Chief Engineer informed me that he could take care of the seawater in the engine room, which had ingressed during the storm. I thought the ship was still safe in this weather.

We managed to get to the wings of the bridge. There is no stern crane, which was installed to lower the rescue boat. There is no boat in the berth . Oil barrels, which had been secured at the boat deck, were now scattered everywhere. I notice that we are pulling the wire rope behind us. Soon a few of us get down to the stern. I immediately realized we were pulling a crane behind the ship. That was the reason our speed dropped and we heard noise all the night.

The seaman brought an iron saw from the engine room. We managed to cut the steel rope.

The day is gray and cloudy. We are still struggling with a raging sea. Old lady “Navi Wind” and eleven of us on board. We are the crew of six Croats, five Greeks and one Slovene.

Placentia Bay is dark gray. Traffic Control calls me constantly. I am thinking about the possibility of anchoring somewhere in the bay or near the harbor. The day is really rough. Now the vessel is proceeding a little faster.

My thoughts are at home again. My youngest granddaughter is Stela. She is a one and a half year old child. When I left her, she was learning to walk.

I arrived by plane at Saint John’s, New Founland on October 30. A cab took me to the ship “Navi Wind” sometime around midnight. That was the first time I saw her black hull above the dock. Now she, I and the whole crew are struggling with the terrible sea and wind. I heard Chief Engineer feels good. He is very resilient to this terrible storm.

Vessel is pitching and rolling heavily. The seas are covering main deck and hatch covers. The sea is very dark and the wind is whistling across the bridge. It whistles to us eleven sailors on board the vessel on a gloomy day in Placentia Bay.

Gray morning in Placentia Bay. Gray and gloomy I cannot describe it. Chief Engineer is still dealing with the sea water in the Engine room. He wants to transfer it into ballast tank.

As a child, I grew up in Molunat, a fishing village near Dubrovnik. I fished on the rocks on sunny summer days. I would jump from rock to rock all day to catch some fish. I was restless as a kid, for sure.

The morning is gray and gloomy. The wind is whistling at us. The waves crash on the main deck and hatchcovers. Our speed has increased since we ripped off the stern crane. Now we sail three knots an hour.

We are steaming to Pilotage area at Placentia Bay. I want to drop anchor somewhere in vicinity of Argentia harbour. There are a few safe bays there.

Traffic control permanently supports us. Our speed increased to four knots. Chief Engineer organized transfer of sea water from Engine Room to starboard ballast tank. Seamen set fire hoses over main deck.

The day is gray. It is noon time. The vessel is approaching pilotage area. The power of the sea has dropped.

The vessel makes a good speed now. Traffic control advised me that Pilot will join at six o’clock pm. It is afternoon time.

Leady afternoon at Placentia Bay. The vessel is drifting, waiting for the pilot. Fox Island is visible to the naked eye. The sea does not spray over main deck any more. The water does not ingress into the engine room.

When I first joined steam ship “Dubrava” at Dubrovnik anchorage, we sailed for Black Sea. I enrolled in the ship’s roll as student in practice. The old steamer crossed the Aegean Sea on her way to Russia. The crew consisted mainly of old sailors.

We are still drifting in Placentia Bay, waiting for the pilot. The sea is much calmer now. The wind is still whistling to us through the cracks in the bridge doors.

My doughter Vanda has two children, Ela and Stela. Now they are often in my minds. Stela is very sweet baby. I believe she already can walk.

I am a child of Southern Croatia, born on the coast of Adriatic Sea. Our house was located above the bay “Lower Sea” in Molunat. My brother is younger than me. I fished every day on the rocks with friends.

Placentia Bay is still windy. The shores are visible now. We are still waiting at the pilotage area. Traffic control informed us that we had to dock at the port of Argentia. There is no any other shalter possible. The Coast Guard determined that we should be moored right in the harbor. They did not accept our ship to be anchored.

There is actually an internal anchorage in front of Argentia port, but two electrical cables run across the bottom. Ship’s anchor can easily damage them.

We are drifting and waiting for pilot to take us in Argentia harbour for shelter. We have to pump out the sea water from engine room and inspect all the damages on board. We lost the rescue boat and the crane.

I was asigned as a student on practice on board S.S. “Dubrava”. We are crossing Aegean Sea on the way to Dardanelles Canal in Turkey. I am first time on board cargo vessel. The crew is good, mainly old seamen. It is summer season. The sea is calm and so blue.

Here in Placentia bay is dark. The afternoon is passing slowly. Pilot will join us this evening. It is already dark here. The vessel is drifting.

I was born on the sunny shores of Adriatic Sea. My father was a farmer, who worked in the fields all day long. In addition, he was engaged in fishing. My mother was a housewife. She wore the folk costumes of Konavle.

Evening falls on Placentia Bay. The seas are still rough. Pilot calls us. We have to proceed to vicinity of Fox Island.

The vessel is steaming easily. The night is dark. Fox Island is at our port side. Pilot boat approaches us.

I joined this vessel at Saint John’s a lovely harbour on New Foundland. I spent several days there before sailing to Placentia. The bay is atractive and green. “Water Street” in the center of town is impressive.

We are stopped in front of Fox Island. The vessel is rolling. Pilot boat approaches us. We are steaming slowly.

The vessel stopped. The pilot boat is circling around our stearn. We slowly proceed into the bay. Fox Island is at our port side. The night is thick. A moderate wind is blowing through the bay.

S.S. “Dubrava” is crossing Aegean Sea on her way to Dardanellas. The copper sun paints the sea in hot colors. I am on deck, leaning against the railing. A few seamen are near me. We took a look at beauties of Aegean islands and the sea.

Pilot refused to come on board. He explained that our steering was incorrect. The ship makes

curves behind her stearn. He could see it from the boat.

My elder doughter Marijana was a beautifull child. Everyone looked at her with admiration. She was a brown-haired beauty as a child.

I have to steam back to Placentia Bay. Traffic control advised us that pilot will join tommorow morning. They will order two tugs for us.

We have to drift the entire night. The wind is still strong and seas are high. We use gps for steering. The ship is steering a winding course.

Molunat is realy lovely place. Its two bays are so beautifull. The inhabitants are mostly fishermen and peasants.

My childhood in Molunat was good. My grandmother Stane looked after me. My grandfather Pero passed away before I was born.

The ship returns to Placentia bay, to wait for morning. We are steaming on low speed of about one knot per hour. The seas are high. The wind whistles in the ship’s wires.

My younger doughter Vanda is a good girl. She looks a lot like me. Vanda is blonde and tall.

The night in Placentia Bay. The crew is recovering from a dangerous event last night. The ship encontered an extreme storm. The sea water ingressed in the Engine Room.

I have been a sailor since I was very young. I joined cargo ship “Dubrava” as fiftheen years old boy. We sailed to Black Sea and back to Adriatic.

Now here on the bridge I think about my life spent at sea. I graduated from the Nautical School in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

The vessel sails in southly course in Traffic Zone in Placentia Bay. We are waiting for the morning to take pilot and proceed to Argentia harbour.

The vessel is damaged in heavy seas. I saw the sea water in the engine room. Our situation is hard. After the storm on the night of the fourth to fifth of December, the crew is unstable.

Sixth December morning. Vessel is steaming in traffic Zone in Placentia bay. We are waiting for pilot’s advise.

Iam thinking of S.S: “Dubrava” my first ship. We sail the Aegean Sea towards the Dardanelles Strait. I am on the navigation bridge. The night is very dark. Vessel is drifting. The officer flashes Morse signals with an aldis lamp toward the approaching boat. It is a Coast Guard boat that will take our documents.

I steered the “Dubrava” on a large rudder, one meter in diameter, made of good wood and coated with varnish. These were my first steps on a cargo ship.

In Placentia Bay is dark. The waves are breaking on the deck. The speed is at a minimum of about one knot. We are waiting for the morning.

Today is 24 December 2013, Tuesday, Christmass Eve day. I am in the cabin, thinking about the events that have taken place in recent days.

It is very cold today. It snowed all night. The hills around the bay are covered with snow.

“Navy Wind” is drifting and steaming at minimum speed of one knot in Placentia Bay. We are expecting a pilot tomorrow morning.

It’s night. The wind is not as strong as yesterday. I think about recent events. The ship and crew were almost lost. If we had entered the ocean a little longer, we would have been lost.

We found 170 m3 of seawater in the engine room. What would have happened if there had been more. The shaft generator broke down.

If the engine had stopped, we would have been lost. The ship would be placed sideways on the waves. It would roll hard, until the waves opened the hatch covers. Seawater would flood the hold and the ship would sink. This ship had only one hold, which would be very dangerous in case of flooding with the sea.

Now we are drifting in Placentia Bay separation zone, waiting for the morning to enter the harbour. The night is still windy and the sea is rough.

I was twenty-eight years old when I married Vera. My wife is five years younger than me. It was in Dubrovnik on sunny october day. We married in a church in Cavtat the place close to Dubrovnik.

I was dressed in a fine suit and Vera wore a white wedding dress. Everyone were taking photos of us.

06th December morning in Placentia traffic zone. The vessel is steaming on low speed of one knot. We are waiting for informations regarding pilot.

It is cold on the bridge. Chief Officer Ionis is steering. Acording the latest informations from traffic control pilot will not join us at six a.m. as previously advise, but latter. The vessel is drifting in vicinity of pilotage area.

At 07.15 hrs Engine stopped due to break down of generator. The vessel is drifting at the upper area of Placentia bay close to the pilotage area.

When I was a kid in Molunat, I fished every day in a hot summer. Pero, Vlaho and I are oaring in a boat. We set up fishing tackles in the bay “Lower Sea”. In fact these are long cords with a hook at the end. Usually we put a smaller fish on the hook as bait, and throw it into the holes in the underwater rocks. The other end of the cord we tie to a rock on the shore.

This way we set up a few of these cords in the morning, and we come to pull them out in the afternoon. Sometimes we catch code fish of one kilogram or more, and most often “murina” up to two kilograms. “Murina” looks like a sea snake, but it is eaten.

In hot summer days the sea is enlightened by the sun. We often jump from rock to rock because we know where the fish can be. This species of fish lives in underwater rock holes near the shore.

In Placentia Bay the day is dark. The vessel drifts while the engineers repair the generator. Another unit was started to replace this one. The weather is still rough. Seas are moderate and wind is quite strong.

I was sailing on board S.S. “Dubrava” through the passage of the Dardanelles into the Sea of Marmara. Since I was in practice, the officers trained me to steer. I was able to keep a watch on the bridge and steer. At that time, two helmsmen changed at the helm every hour. While one seaman steered, the other stood on the wing of the bridge watching the ships nearby, and reported to the officer on duty.

Now we are drifting in Placentia Bay while the enginers repair the generator. Traffic control has

informed us that a pilot will be joining us soon.

I was twenty-eight years old when I married Vera. Our wedding was wonderful in the small town of Cavtat. We had lunch at a restaurant in Dubrovnik and dinner at our house in Lapad. The celebration lasted until late into the night.

Repairing the generator took quite some time. It is morning in Placentia Bay. Gray and gloomy morning. The sea is rough and the wind sings.

On sixth december 2013 at 1330 vessel is proceeding in direction of pilotage area. An hour later, a pilot boat arrived. Vessel is proceeding to Argentia port dock.

When I was a little boy, I worked with my father in the field. We built wals so that soil would not spill out of the gardens. I was bringing stones to my father, who laid them on the wall. Later we filled the

soil behind the stone wall of the garden.

The vessel is proceeding to Argentia port. A tug “Placentia Hope” is in front of us. The other tug is waiting in the harbour. “Fox” island is at our port side.

My first voyage was on the cargo ship “Dubrava” for Black Sea. We passed through the strait “Bosporus” during the day. The view of Istanbul is extraordinarily beautiful. City districts stretch on either side of the canal. The vessel is steaming between two shores of the town.

On the left side of the hill I see the old mosques “Hagia Sophia” and “Blue Mosque”.Vessel is proceeding through the canal, which separates Europe from Asia.

“Navi Wind” enters Argentia harbour. The tug “Placentia Hope“ fast foreward. The other tug “Wyatt M2“ fast aft. The vessel aproached Argentia harbour dock. We are mooring starboard side alongside. I was wondering if this was reality. Are we finely in the harbour?

The days in the harbor pass slowly. Today, December 25, is Christmas Day. We will celebrate it on board.

We will be flying home soon. All flights are booked due to Christmass holidays. The entire crew is still on board. Only Tomas, Slovene flew home before yesterday. He was with us in the storm on December 5th, when we nearly sunk.

When we leave, the Coast Guard will take care of the ship. They often visit and help us.

The swell enters the harbor and rolls the ship. That is why ropes often break. Coast Guard brings used ropes, which we fast with their help.

My decision to head back to Placentia Bay saved the ship, crew and cargo. It wasn’t the only decision of my life I made on board a vessel. I changed course and sheltered the ship from the storm many times.

It was really hard this time. The wind was so strong and dangerous. The waves were as high as skyscrapers, at least they looked that way to us. The local coastal radio station announced their height of seventeen meters.

Our problem was a seawater leak into the engine room. Schaft generator has broken down. All electrical instruments in the engine room were wet with the seawater. If the engine had stopped, the vessel would surely be sunk. Luckily we got back to the bay on time.

Today I received my flight ticket. I will fly home tomorrow. I will be in Dubrovnik on December 27, and see my family again.

In the afternoon I went for a walk by the harbor. The snow cover is so thick here. Cars are hard to drive on that.

“Navi Wind” is covered in snow. She looks completely different now, lying by the dock. Thick layers of snow covered her deck and hatch covers.

“Dubrava” sailsBlack Sea. I am a happy young seaman leaning against the railing of the ship.

Black Sea is not really black, but it looks a bit dark that way. So far I have not found anything about who gave it that name. This was most likely done by ancient sailors. The color of the sea is mostly determined by the sun and the atmosphere.

Today is 25th december 2013. We celebrate Christmas on board, actually in our little salons, where we eat every day. The chef prepared a roast goose for the celebration. In addition, we have sweets with food.

During my childhood Molunat was a small fishing village. There were only about twenty houses there at the time. Fishermen fished in two glittering bays.

Fisherman Tono came from Cavtat. He lived with his wife Marija in a small house. He mostly fished with traps, braided from wicker. He fished for lobsters and other fish that would enter the trap.

My grandchildren are often on my mind. Daniel is already a grown boy. His sister Sara is now five years old. She is still in kindergarten.

Here in Argentia it is extremely cold. A few of us tried to walk through the harbor, but we didn’t succeed. We soon returned back to the ship.

I hope to see my grandchildren soon. It will be nice to see them again, especially after this trouble we went through.

Molunat was a real paradise, so sunny and colorful in summer. In the winter it used to be quite cold, while the north wind “Bura” was blowing.

It’s really cold here in Placentia tonight. The dock is covered with a layer of snow about one meter thick. The hills around the city look beautiful, so white. The whole nature here is extremely impressive, especially now in winter.

“Dubrava” was the ship where I gained my first naval experience. She is named after the valley around the old city of Dubrovnik. The Slavs, who settled there in the seventh century, called the valley “Dubrava”.

We crossed Black Sea and took a pilot at the entrance to the Kerch Pass, which leads to the Sea of Azov. The voyage through Azov to the port of Zdanov in Russia was short.

Tonight I leave the ship. A taxi will take us to the hotel in Saint John’ s. Tomorrow is my flight home. I will see my family again.

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