Surprise

Had an amazing surprise Friday just gone,  a telephone call from a ex shipmate from 40 years ago.  Steve was a Steward on m.v.Rowanmore during the three trip I did on her back in 1971 / 1972.  I have been absolutely knocked out by his memory and his recollections of those three trips.

I kept lists of other officers I sailed with, now this may sound awfully snobby and elitist, but I didn't keep track of the many and amazing crew lads.  I have been trying to recall as much as possible of that time,  for Rowanmore was without doubt the happiest ship of all the ones in which I sailed.  I am currently making pencil notes and will publish the Rowanmore papers fairly shortly.

Meanwhile a couple of photographs I have found.  The first one is Albert, the ships cat.  He was rescued from the water after a couple of young thugs threw him into the sea from a great height,  while we were docked in La Guaira, Venezuela.  At great risk one of the lads managed to get him out of the water onto a floating pallet by the stern. He was a very young cat at the time.  I seem to remember the 'Old Man'  Capt David Houghton, threatened us all with a good flogging if we brought the cat aboard his ship.  Later that night it was the Old Man himself who took pity on Albert and brought him aboard.

 Albert sat on my Radar, blocking the view as usual.

This is another picture of Rowanmore, docked in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  If the scene looks familiar, that complex was used in a couple of scenes of the James Bond movie - Dr No.

Lets pause for a few moments and picture the wonderful Ursula Undress (sic) in that  bikini, emerging from the waves.....................................................