Noumea was a French island north of Australia, don't ask, god only knows, in the mists of time of empire. Anyway, no harbour, just a buoy offshore. You pick the buoy up and secure to it, then pick up the pipeline to the shore. Connect up to our main line manifold and start pumping fuel oil ashore. The pipe line was about 24" in diameter and dissappeared over the side about midships. The water was so clear you could see about 100 feet down into the sea. Swe wing Wong, third officer out of Hong Kong, otherwise known on the ship as Susy Wong (you have to be advanced age to understand the reference) and myself decided to take advantage of the gloriouse weather and take a swim down the pipe. Over the side on a pilot ladder, spent a lovely afternoon bathing in the french colonial waters.
When we came out of the water we heard a lot of noise and excitment on the poop. By the time we got there the crew had already hooked about 12 sharks on hooks attached to the after winch. There was a frenzy over the after end. Sharks hooked with fish from our stores, pulled up on winch, fins cut off, rest of body dropped into sea at back of ship. The rest of colony shark were having a field day, about 50 yards from were I had been bathing. Susy had to pull be off the guy on the winch! About a month later, fins drying in the breeze, we had a delicious entree of sharks fin soup.
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