LONELY SAILOR

LONELY SAILOR It was on 17th January of 1998, our 38 thousand DWT M/V “Lake Mead” was on her way to Corpus Christi (USA) for load full cargo of aluminium. I dropped in the morning into bridge to see what is up, as usual. - Captain, I just had to call you, because I saw something strange on port side - reported me on good morning 3-rd officer. I saw through binocular jumping on the wave white speck - nor yacht, nor motorboat? - In fact it looks oddly, anyway it is still far away to affirm what is this. I checked position - we were about 100 miles west from Florida and Northwest from Cuba. They could not be Cubans refugees, because the current would drift them to Florida – in east direction. But it was also too far from land for a motor boat... Maybe there were drug smugglers? - It flitted through my head. - Maybe somebody need help? ... -Third! We will turn to port to get closer to him - I decided - We will see from close what is floating over there.. Weather after storm always is better and this way it was also today. After yesterday’s front wind remained only small swell, and sun was reflected into blue sea. Even we approached more and radar indicated distance 5 miles to disappearing on wave white speck, we still couldn’t recognize floating target. Suddenly we heard disappearing call on VHF: - Yacht calling ship!!! - I took VHF handset: - Replying ship "Lake Mead". Please give me your position? In VHF took control silence... I did not know if the call was coming from white speck or from another yacht, besides he did not call for help. From a distance 4 miles we saw already through binoculars, that our white speck is a yacht with broken mast. Then somebody wheezed on VHF again - very weak voice called: Yacht calling ship!!! - Replying ship. Please give your position - I shouted again. He answered - My position: 24 Degrees 33 minutes North and 085 Degrees 15 minutes west – answered weak voice (how from behind worlds). - Third! Check this position on chart?!!! – I ordered. - Captain, this is position in front of us- replayed third mate. - Oh! Dear friend, what happened to you? I see your yacht, we are approaching to you!!! Are you alone? - I am sinking. Can you help me? Yes I am alone! - I heard in answer. There was a yacht sinking ahead of us, and alone sailor was in ... I raised at once alarm "man over the board " and I began to slow down engine to stop our big ship proceeding with full speed. - What happens to your yacht, do you want me to try to save her? - I asked again. - Yacht gathers water very quickly; perhaps it will not let to save her!!!-he answered. - I sail to Corpus Christi, so I can take you on board! – I said - Please do it, it doesn’t matter where to!!! – shouted in VHF Sailor. We had stores crane on stern, so I thought, that maybe I could heave up a yacht on my deck... Our 200-meter vessel in a distance about 50 metres from sinking yacht and from very small pontoon, on which sailor slept yourself. Heaving line thrown from deck hit straight into pontoon and in the moment the sailor climbed our Pilot Ladder. Down on waves was rolling blue yacht s/y "INSPIRATION", on her deck laid her broken mast in bush of wires, lines and sails. Sailor drew in two modest bags saved property on ship 's deck, and alone climbed skilfully onto our main deck. - Sheisse!!! - He growled tramping leg and showing finger onto own yacht. - Dziękuja …- muttered after in Polish language, when he inquired, that Polish crew saved him. In a moment he went to the bridge and watched, with tears in eye how his yacht sank slowly. -Captain, it feels” like a half of my heart had sank”, I lost my sweetheart girl - in lonely cruise I was taking to her very often. -Chief!!! - I shouted onto deck - one should send two peoples onto this small pontoon on yacht and to see whether it does not have somebody there!!!? Boatswain Jasiu and A/B Bogdan rowed onto small pontoon, fighting with waves and attached to pontoon line. They reached happily to yacht and, didn’t find anybody – water were dikes almost under deck, and they managed to save from yacht only accordion. Yacht sank "on our eyes", and German sailor Horst Scholz wept on wing of our bridge. I offered Horst a glass of "Johnny Walker", and steward placed him in comfortable Owner’s cabin. Saturday evening, at barbecue, after some beers, sailor began to tell long tale about travel round the world. On save accordion was playing Chief Engineer and steward accompanied jerking strings of his electric guitar. We sang songs and thread of friendship tied between us. - You Know - he said - I left 1,5 year ago from Peenemünde, and I had only 2 years time, to sail around the world. - So you sailed almost whole the world, to meet us - while we live only about 200 kilometres from each other - I crack a joke. - I sailed 26000 miles already, I had only 5 000 miles left and in Europe I would finish the trip around the word. - Three years I was building this 8-meter Sloop, perhaps she was a bit too small for that travel. Besides I did not have good materials. You know how difficult it was to get best materials in East Germany during communist times. - Into last travel I sailed from island “Isla Mujeres” in Mexico, my intention was to reach Florida - only 3 days of sailing... - Suddenly in the first day mast already was broken. After all it was not strong storm, only waves were unpleasant, and just rusted mast did not hold on. - I jumped to water and I drew out this damned mast onto deck. All it was tangled, but I managed to set small sail. - When wind changed I could sail only of New Orleans direction. In night large ship m/v "ZEUS", and captain lit up me searchlight and I found that Captain was my countryman from former East Germany. He wanted to take me to Corpus Christi. I refused him, because I thought, that on this small piece of sail I would reach land and save my dear yacht... It was not successful, for three days the waves hit into yacht and cracked fastening screw of keel. She began to dike through keel... I tried to make watertight leakage, but I had no chances. - Through next twenty-four hours I was taking out water with a little pail and I called for help by my small mobile VHF, but nobody heard me. Large aerial from radio was broken together with mast. - I saw ships passing near, but nobody answered my calls - perhaps my small VHF was too weak... Besides my portable VHF batteries slowly got out... - I lit behind the board small motor, and on remains of fuel I tried to get closer to frequented ship’s rout. I sailed only 20 miles and fuel was finished, it lacked yet about 10 miles to rout - well, that you were a bit from her into side... - I decided next night to shot 10 red rockets, near ahead of passing ship. So great was my disappointment because ship passed and nobody saw my rockets... remained me two rocket and died VHF... - Then I began to pray... - Suddenly in the morning I saw, big ship turning into my side and heading straight to me... - I breathed with relief - Somebody in heaven heard my preys and sent me the ship !!! He broke here, and his eyepieces were wet of emotion... Thin, grey bearded man with earring in ear, clicking with pleasure tongue above chicken, and he resumed own story. - I commenced this cruise from Peenemünde, I reached Emden and dikes I put into port Ems onto river. I crossed all Europe by channels and rivers and I sailed on river Moiré out at sea near of Marseilles. I speak to you, this is beautiful rout, and I recommend you to choose there once. - I sailed inland, then on Mediterranean Sea many nice places. I spent few days on Capri and on Greek islands then I sailed through Suez Channel into Red Sea. - Dikes I dived - beautiful under-water views – only swimming alone is a bit fear, because round there are sharks... -It was very nice in Egypt and Eritrea. Bloody hot Eritrea, but near at hand, not far on beautiful plateau, temperature like in Europe. - It was difficult for me to sail from Red Sea to Indian Ocean - all the way against the wind and current. At last I reached beautiful Maldives, and I sailed from there onto Indonesia. - On middle of Ocean caught me strong storm and my autopilot was broken. - For the next 12 days (1000 mil) I had day and night to steer alone. I fell asleep at wheel for a few minutes and I woke up frightened, if there not happened anything bad?.. I tried to sleep dropping the sails, but waves wanted to shatter yacht, and inclinations threw out me from the bed.. - Anyway it was successful that I reached Djakarta, where I repaired my autopilot. - They were beautiful islands and girls on Further and Lombok... Many beautiful different small islets, until I reached New Guinea. I visited dikes of some splendid islets and somehow the wilds did not eat me... - On the way to Japan, I hid myself on Guam Island (where Americans have military base), escaping from typhoon. - How did you know, that typhoon comes? –asked our Radio Officer. - From clouds and barometer - I did not have more instruments to receive weather forecast - answered sailor calmly and he pulled own tale further... - On Japanese islands, I was hospitably accepted almost for month - it was sorrow sailed out, until at last I decided to jump through Pacific Ocean. - I arrived straight to Vancouver in Canada. This longest passage was without port - 48 days of shipping. I sailed high north - it was bloody cold! - I did not have heating on yacht... - It was Fear to sail in fog without radar - at times I heard only passing by ship’s machine engines rumble close. I prayed then and I counted on this, that they see me in own radars and it will not crash my small yacht... I had no money for best equipment on yacht, because of this I did not have also rescue raft, not even satellite's buoy... - So you had equipment almost like Columbus – joked Chief officer... - Somehow it managed to me to jump over Oceans and I came to beautiful Canada. - Again wonderful views of clean nature. - They were sweat and mad cities on American hole coasts: San Francisco, San Diego, Acapulco - it is not possible to tell itself this, what of dikes I lived... - Splendid Costa Rica and finally Panama - I was on the other side! - From here it is already only one jump through Atlantic and I would finish my ring round the world... - I wrapped up "Isla Mujeres" - onto Mexican island how the name shows full of beautiful women - I advise you to go there - our sailor smiled. - You know the rest already, because you saved me on the way to Florida. I sorrow my yacht, but I was always optimist, so I have hope, that I will build new and I will sail again through the Oceans, but this time for sure not alone... After two days of shipping we brought our sailor to Corpus Christi in USA. Suddenly world aroused for lonely sailor - appeared press, radio and television. Journalists outdistance themselves, in order to have obtained exclusive right to his story We appeared also together on two televisions' channels!!! The lonely sailor became famous suddenly - and we by the way. - You look like Polish Captain!!! - I saw you in Newspaper!!!- old man shouted on the street in Corpus Christi... Excited, jerking for sleeve of my uniform he asked: - Did you save this sailor?!!! - Yes I did - I affirmed proudly – I am just going to Television... - What’s a pity, that I do not have my camera!!! I could show you for all my Polish friends in Chicago... - I am Lithuanian, I live in Chicago, and I will tell all of them, that I met you!!! I speak a little “po polsku” – said old man very glad of our meeting.. The lonely sailor Horst does not sail alone any more, he visits me in Szczecin, where we sail on my yacht s/y "MAMUŚKA", also sometimes on Horst’s new yacht on beautiful lakes close to Berlin were he lives. Captain. W.Grycner