Mayday m/s "Niewiadów"

Mayday m/s "Niewiadów" Captain!!! Ship is overturning!!!- Shouted in loudspeaker over my bed Chief Officer. I jumped from bed to window - in fact we were listed to port side. - Steady on the wind! – I shouted to loudspeaker. I put on trousers and ran on bridge. It was five o’clock in the morning, dark, autumn, and as usual stormy weather. I caught a telegraph and reduced speed, same time giving orders to helmsman. - Steady on the wind. Ship already turned towards the wind. Constant list was about 5 degrees and was deepening every minute. Nobody knew why. I thought intensely what happened, what to do? - Chief, take boatswain and look on deck, what happened?!- I ordered. I phoned to engine room. - Second, look in engine for water of leakages, ship is listing to port side, we do not know why?... After few minutes constant list reached 10 degrees, when onto bridge ran electrician and few seamen. - What happened Captain?!- everybody asked. - I do not know, ship is listing, wake up all crew for boat alarm, meeting at lifeboats. I did not like to sound bells in the night and panic crew. Calmly awake seamen in few minutes were standby at lifeboats and they waited my orders. -Bridge! Captain in engine we have no water! Here all is okay! –shouted in phone second engineer. -Okay! Pump out port side ballasts! We have to check if there is water!?, - I ordered. These were longest minutes in my live. Standing at telegraph (pitch propeller) I was adjusting speed and giving orders. I thought - this is impossible, my ship cannot sink. Damn it what’s happening? After 10 minutes constant list reached 15-here degrees, but she was rolling up to 30 degrees then half of hatch covers were under the water. All port side ballast air vents were all time under the water- maybe there was water leaking to the ballasts? I was steering across the waves and adjusting the speed I tried to reduce rolling. - Third! Make position! –I ordered - Second! Prepare with radio officer Mayday, we ask for assist. Then after 5 minutes breathless Chief officer ran on bridge. -Captain! We found it! Water coming to hold number 2 through damaged water doors, to the manhole - Is it possible to repair these doors? - I asked. - We’ll try, bosun is already trying. Engineers reported: - We stripped port side ballasts, but there were only rests and there is no more suction…. - Strip them every 15 minutes, because all ballast vent pipes are under the water and we have to know, whether balls in pipes are holding. We have water in hold number 2, so pump out also hold’s number 2 bilge. - Okay! Don’t forget about us, we are down with Third engineer. - Don’t worry I remember, when will be necessary to escape, I’ll call you. Will they have enough time to run away from engine room? – I thought. Mayday report was prepared and I ordered to send it, we asked for assist. - Captain, are we sinking, or not ? -nervously asked me second officer. - Damn it! We are not sinking! –I could not give another answer; even I really didn’t know that. - Third -, check, whether all crew is standby at lifeboats. All crew, dressed in immersion suits waited my orders, only five of them on bridge and two in engine chosen by me, could not wear suits, because it was impossible to work wearing it. I almost could feel glance of crew watching me- if I will put on this protective suit, it could mean for them that we going to abandon the ship. . Inside I was boiled; outside I tried to be cold and concreted. - Captain! This fucken doors are repaired, nearly watertight…leakage is very small now - reported breathless Chief officer. ‘’Stone felt from my heart’’, only small water leaking to the hold. Ballasts and bilges are empty; spheres in vents are working okay. Now – I thought- I have to reduce the list, water should not be on hatch covers - maybe they are not watertight? - Second Engineer! Pump out fresh water from port side. Transfer also fuel from port side to central tanks- I ordered through phone. OK! Captain, but we have now leakage of oil on main engine and we have to stop it, otherwise we have to stop the engine –replayed second engineer. Again my heart came up into my throat, why it never rains but it pours? Brave engineers stopped engine leakage with wooden pin, engine was running. They pumped all ordered and constant list was no more deepening. Third officer reported, watching clinometers: -Constant list 15 degrees, maximum 25 degrees. And suddenly came from port side, high swell and listed the ship deeper on port side. I watched frozen, how ship gets up slowly, but now with bigger list about 20 degrees. Ohh God! – In thought - what happened, I hopped that I already could control her? Am I loosing this ship? No! This is impossible! - Chief, you have to enter with bosun hold 2 and check how much water is there and what it’s look like. I knew that this is dangerous for them, they could not run away, but it was only way to know, what to do... After 15-minutes brave Chief officer and boatswain reported: - Captain! Cargo (anthracite in bulk) is under the coaming shifted by water on port side. In center is big crater done by water, but water already drained and coal surface is hard. This was what I wanted to know, if no more water enter the hold, then the coal will not shift any more. Engineers were slowly stripping hold’s 2 bilge. We quickly calculated, how much water could be in that hold, according calculation it should be no more then 60 tones. Only big waves could damage fucken doors again, or water could leak through not watertight hatch covers. Then I decided fill up starboard side ballast, to pull up port side from the water. This was dangerous, it was such a possibility, that ship will overturn through starboard side and then will have bigger list. I explained myself, that the coal is already hard on surface and should not shift on starboard side. Anyway I sound boat alarm and we commenced pumping starboard side ballast. The rescue operations go on already over hour, and I tried to keep courses and speed against the waves controlling ship’s rolling and reduce shipping water on hatch covers. Slowly port side came up from sea and constant list reduced to about 12 degrees on port side. Then I said to myself: now you are mine. We were sailing slow ahead against the waves, in only possible direction- to port of Riga. Baltic Sea in autumn can be very dangerous; all crew knew that not far from our position, in similar circumstances sunk first from this series, bright new sister ship-m/s "Koronowo”. On VHF and in radio station Radio Officer kept constant contact with ships coming to assist us and with centre of rescue co-ordination in Stockholm. After two hours first arrived Russian tug boat "Captain Fiedotow". I asked him to cover us from starboard sides and we sailed calmly together. Early morning how arrived 2 Swedish helicopters and proposed me to take part of crew on shore. I thank you them: - Thank you, but at the moment I am okay and I have nobody to abandon. - I answered to helicopter. Then one from them flew in direction of coming to us m/s "Kopalnia Walbrzych" and showed them our position. When "Kopalnia” commenced to cover us from waves, I thanked to helicopters and they flew away, wishing us success. - Captain! Could you adjust your speed to my? - asked on VHF - captain from "Kopalnia”- because I have trouble. -Captain! Who is sinking, you or I? - I asked him. After few moments he adjusted his speed and covered me from the wind - as I asked him before. Wind increased and reached 9 in Beaufort scale, we were fighting already 15 hours, approaching to Gulf Riska (in Russia). Suddenly I saw big Ro-Ro ship (Borodino) heading same direction. Captain Frenchman, at once agreed to cover us from waves to Riga and he did it perfectly. As I had such a big ship from covering me from my starboard side, so I thank to Russian tugboat and our m/s "Kopalnia Walbrzych"(whose captain could not wait, when I let him free). Frenchman covered us magnificently, showing great knowledge of profession. We were sailing very close in distance about 100 metres, and all turns we were doing 5 by 5 degrees, steering in darkness and storm watchfully, avoiding collision. Happily, after 24 hours fighting with storm, we reached Riga. Pilot board the ship, and 2 strong tugs started to tow us dangerously. -Fore and aft let go tug boats-I ordered- because they will overturn us! - I shouted through VHF. We let go dangerous tugs, and overtook command from pilot doing manoeuvres alone and we safety berthed. Then I really become tired. Funny thing, but before during 24 hours of fight I did not feel tired. On arrival welcomed us of course "Black custom gang”. - Sir, we nearly sunk, and you want to search us? - I ask custom officer with incredulity in voice. -Captain, we apologize, we did not know that - at once we stop searching - said officer, wishing me of pleasant stay in Riga. So we went sleep calmly, and in next day, through nobody checked (perhaps customs officers gave such recommendation) we carried out through main gate to the city remained business and went to the pub. Toasts were constantly raised. I drunk to crew, they toast to me – everybody happy that we are still alive!!! Wet coal was discharged, and water form hold 2 pumped into the barge. Then same coal again was loaded. In local court I declare " Sea Protest". Damaged watertight doors to the hold 2 were repaired and we were ready to sail, when suddenly Port Captain brought me to sign salvage agreement. - What! Did you save us? - I was surprised sincerely. - Yes Captain, without our help you couldn’t go out from this port, we discharged your coal and pumped out water- so now you are ready to sail. - But I could drop anchor on the road and other Polish ship could discharge my cargo. - No you couldn’t do this, because I wouldn’t allow for this - he cut discussion. Finally after negotiations, in which I involved Ship owner, we paid only fore cargo operations and water discharge. My wonderful crew bought for me in the town big ‘’samovar’’ with engraven plate - ”For Captain with thanks for salvage - crew”. We sailed again to England, although again was stormy- 9 in Beafourt. From beginning crew feelings were mixed -in style latter A/B Michel’s answers on Sea Court Room: -It was storm - continued own story Michel. - But on beginning wind was only force 7 -stopped him Delegate of Minister - this is not storm... - For Niewiadow this is storm – shortly cut Michel. - Mr. A/B then what is when force 9 is blowing? – bored Delegate. - Ouch! Then ship should find safe place!!! - So, what to do when is force 12? - Ohh! Then one should pray- said with all dignity Michel... - Captain! Maybe it’s better to drop the anchor and wait a little for passing this storm? - seamen talked to me on departure from Riga... -Gentlemen, this is autumn-stormy time; we cannot wait here for summer!!! We have to sail!!! –I answered. Then we sailed- we were storming little bit and crew convinced, that our small ship can sail also in a stormy weather... A ship is not a slave. You must make her easy in a seaway. You must never forget that you owe her the fullest share of your thought, of your skill, of your self-love. If you remember that obligation, naturally and without effort, as if it were an instinctive feeling of your inner life, she will sail, stay, run for you as long as she is able, or like a sea-bird going to rest upon angry waves, she will lay out the heaviest gale that ever made you doubt living long enough to see another sunrise. To those who believe no explanation is necessary. To those who do not believe, no explanation is possible. I would like always to sail with such a brave sailors, whose courage were even appreciated by Sea Court - by approves life-saving, and by authorities with Honourable Medals "For Courage in saving of lives and properties ”. CAPTAIN W.GRYCNER