August 66, back up the river next day, Chief and engineers on full alert that Captain wants max power from the old tub. We shake our way up river and eventually turn the corner and see our nemesis churning away straight ahead. This time the old ship crawls her way around the edge of the whirlpool and the Captain takes no chances this time but aims her straight at the quayside. Now the former Belgium colonists had constructed a splendid reinforced cement quayside in Matadi. This quay was supported by a complicated array of piles and cross braces to prevent the river washing it away.
M.V Mano, now released from the grip of the whirlpool, and travelling at her full speed, was now on a direct collision course with the concrete quayside. Now, employers in Africa, whether white or black have always shown a reluctance to offering their employees decent washing or ablution facilities. Consequently, your native african takes his ablutions and washing facilities wherever he can find them, the aforementioned quayside, with its wide cross members being absolutely ideal.
As we plunged towards the quay faster than the old carthorse had ever travelled you could see the realization dawn slowly on the many workers taking their comfort break. Then pandamonium ensued as they tried to climb out of the way or in the case of many just dived into the maelstrom.
The Mano ploughed into the quay, bow first and made a sizeable V shape into the roadway. Elder Dempsters had never stinted when they built their ships, so old as she was the Mano was built like a tank. Bit of an indent in bow and a rather large hole but the chippy (carpenter) and cadets soon fixed that with a cement box. Tight enough for the voyage home. It still shames me to think I never asked if any workers lives were lost.
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