Incidents on the Congo river I

August of 66 I was a cadet on a vessel called M.V. Mano, a tired old trooper of 4800 gross registered tons.  This ship could manage 11 knots with a following wind so what our gallant company thought they were doing sending her up the Congo is still a matter of some amusement even after all these years.  Our destination was the major Congo port of Matadi.  Now, the Congo runs quite quick and because of the hydrography of the river just off the port of Matadi there is a constant, large and violent whirlpool just off the birth.
The dear old Mano had struggled for about 12 or more hours, past the minor port of Boma, until we rounded the bend and confronted said whirlpool.  With max revs shaking the old ship in every frame the plan was to sail around the edge of the whirlpool and use the force of it to help the ship get alongside the quay, ropes ashore and hang on for dear life.  Well, when I tell you things sometimes happen quickly at sea this is nothing compared to the power of the Congo river in full flood.  We navigated around the top of the whirlpool only to be flung straight down the river again by the force of the current, goodbye Matadi, hello Boma.  Nothing to do but to navigate the river back down to Boma and attempt another try at Matadi the following day.  Master furious, cadets trying to keep a straight face.