After Noumea we sailed to Australia. Chinese did not like Australia, no whores, and even if there were they would not go with Chinese. As a consequence, BP, our charterer awarded the ship with a plaque for the fastest turn around on the Aussie coast! Headed back to gulf and thence to South America with fuel oil. Buenos Aires, the chinese favourite port, lovely ladies of the night, convivial bars and only the odd incursion by rebel forces.
Let me explain about Buenos Aires. As you approach the port you change over from low to high water intake for the boiler, the estuary being very muddy. Too much mud in the boiler tubes and ze boiler stops working. The chinese had managed to knacker the boiler on our last trip and got a stay of about four days. This time the chief engineer was ready, he and the second engineer, an Indian gentleman who should have been a prof in a university. Chinese outflanked both and bollocked the boiler once more.
Chinese refused to work on boiler in port, captain forced to hire shoreside labour to clean caked mud out of boiler tubes. Next thing we know, no chinese crew or officers on board ship. Suspicion is that they are all up in local bordello. 2nd officer sent to get them back to ship. One week later, 2nd officer had crisis of conscience and went back to ship. Ship ready to go. Back to bar, get Susy to pursuade chinese to come back to ship. As we left the harbour we could hear gunfire, rebels must be at it again.
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