Part 8..... Perth, a quick visit.

We pulled along side the Quay.
The mooring ropes were quickly handled and looped around the monstrous dual mooring bollards, found all along the quay, every 20 yards or so.
I could see the tall buildings of Perth in the distance, but unfortunately, I had very little shore side leave to visit Perth on this trip.

Although I managed to have a quick visit and walk around, I do remember Perth as being a very clean and beautiful city.
These are my words of how I saw the city in 1967.
Today, I imagine Perth as a huge beautiful sprawled out city, which yet I have to return and confirm my words.
Passengers disembarked here and Chusan took on more passengers for Sydney and various other ports.
SS Chusan took on provisions, fuel oil, so she could continue on her way to Sydney,
Next port of call.Adelaide..

Part 7.....The long haul towards Perth

After our visit to South Africa, Chusan sailed for Perth on the Western Australian Coast.
This is approximately an 8-10 days sailing, plenty of time to get to know the passengers,on board ship activity's, sun permitting if the activity's were outside on the various levels of ships decks.
For ourselves as Engineers, it was the ideal opportunity to shut down and do some minor maintenance on units that could be isolated or were not being used.

This distance from one Continent to another was, as I found in my trips to follow,
long and boring, especially if the weather was not favourable for shipboard activity's.
I remember this time well, for reading, studying, catching up on sleep, socialising, partying, just generally passing the days away until we arrived at Perth.

I must say that there were always the dolphins/porpoises that followed us, either side of the Chusans Bow (front end).
This was quite remarkable to see and gave me great pleasure, (being a person who appreciates natures in all it's wonderful, marvellous forms).

At the end of our 9th day at sea, I was off watch, late evening, I could could see in the distance, as dark as it was, shore lights.
This I thought, was the West Australian Coast and my first visit down under, (As it is known to us Pommy's).
Welcome to Perth, Paradise state of Australia, I have heard people say............

Part 6..... Capetown, South Africa

Table Top Mountain stares right down at you when you are at birth along the quayside, as flat as the postcards show it to be.
South Africa, I am here, you are as beautiful as everybody tells me you are, very scenic and very " grandiose ".
Well I managed to get some shore side time here, not much but enough for Capetown to make it's impression on me!!.
I went ashore with some of the other officers on the same watch as I.
We were all very curious to see this very well talked about country, if I remember correctly, it was President Jozua Francois Naudet who was in power at this time,I believe, (1967-1968).


The very first thing we noticed was the awful reality of what Apartheid was all about.
Seat benches, shops, train station quays, walk ways, bars, you name it....
For blacks only................Ditto for..............Whites only..
This shocked me coming from a democratic country ie: United Kingdom.

Ignoring what we saw, we looked, registered many thing mentally, but continued our walk around the city.
We visited the Park at the end of the main street,very interesting. I fed large numbers of tree squirrels there, cute little critters.
As a tourist visiting Capetown, my thoughts were deep. I couldn't live here, you could feel the civil tension in the air around you.
What if we made conversation with the blacks or coloured people as we know them today?
What would happen to us, it's hardly worth thinking about, you just don't do it.
Beautiful city, spoilt by inhuman Politics or Policies.................
That's my thoughts.

I managed to get to the top of Tabletop Mountain, by cable car, only to find it was not at all flat, but scattered with very large Boulders, so we went into the restaurant for a nice cup of tea and a sandwich, as every fine young Englishman should do.
An check out the scenery down below , after a nice "cuppa" from the local view point.

I think we were in Capetown for at least 2 days, refuelling,taking on provisions etc.
I had been perturbed a little about what I had seen here,
I did not like what I SAW IN FACT..
Segregation, in it's purest form, disgusting and inhuman...............
I thought about this a lot for a few days,,
Especially when we sailed for Durban and Port Elizabeth, where in fact I did not go ashore because of this Apartheid policy..

Part 5.....Crossing the Line Ceremony

En route to South Africa, means crossing the Equator, and that means fun for passengers if it's their first time..
Magical moments for children and adults to meet King Neptune, Master and Keeper of the High seas.
Which consists of a shaving, soapy suds and all, with a dipping and inauguration into the ships swimming pool, fun for all, including myself as it was my first time also.
The ships entertainment, 1st and 2nd class, were of high standard, especially as we were heading into the Southern Hemisphere , where the weather is of summertime temperatures.
Good entertainment all round, inside as well as outside on the decks.

My responsibility's as a junior engineer, were going well,
I was learning to handle the situation and responsibility I had been given to the best of my ability.
That's to say, as yet,no complaints from my Superior Officer.

So we continued to sail southward to Cape Town, 5 to 6 days at sea,
The ocean was calm, so no sea sickness felt by myself recently, although I have to be honest, I felt rough going across the Bay of Biscay where it's said, that many seas,oceans. meet and that's why this area is always fairly rough.

Part 4.....Disappointed

After a few days sailing, we arrived at Dakar, excited and curious, it was my first visit to Africa.
When we were tied up at the quay. I was fortunately off watch, so I took the time to go ashore and investigate, "AFRICA."

Well, to be honest I can not remember very much, so my first impressions must have been very disappointing, I do remember my shore side visit was short and very quick.
The quay was full of merchants selling wooden carvings etc, A tourist rip off if I had ever seen one.

In 1967, Dakar, as I found her, was very dirty, hardly any vehicles, dirty streets, not at all the place for a tourist drop off.
But for those people, like my self, it showed another part of the world that I had not seen before,
A very disappointing view.
I remember seeing the poverty in town, dilapidated buildings and all needing renovation, or a coat of paint, white seemed to be the colour of the day.

My visit was short so I returned to the ship for a shower and my next watch.
So Chusan left Dakar with her tourists some happy some disallusioned, I assume, like my self.
We left port about 12 hours after we arrived.
The next port of call being, Cape Town.

Part 3.....Southward Bound

Bunkering ( Refuelling Finished ) we left Cherbourg in the early hours and out into open sea, across the Bay of Biscay, known for it's hatred of ships.
In fact, the crossing was relatively calm and there was a call for Captains Cocktails, for all passengers,1st class one evening, 2nd class the following evening.
This was to welcome the passengers on board, those who embarked at Southampton and Cherbourg.

We as Officers, young, old, with or without seniority, queued up to be introduced to a family or individual passengers.
Known as, ( getting to know you )...........
My experience from this first Captains Cocktail party, happened to be a very nice family, mother, father and if I remember correctly 2 young daughters.

I was ushered over by a purser at the entrance of the ballroom, to meet the family, and then led away to a free spot on the dance hall area, where we were immediately approached by a waiter
offering drinks and nourishment of all kinds.
What so special about this meeting, is the following.

'' Pleased to meet you Sir, my name is Appleby, David Appleby", he said to me, priceless words I have never forgotten.
The very first time I had been called 'Sir', and the very first time I had met a complete stranger with his family, who, I found very interesting.
He explained to me everything about a simple coat hanger!!!. ( he designed them, all sorts!! )..
Mr David Appleby was taking his family on a world cruise, and a most interesting thing happened on board another ship that I was on with regards to this family, that I will explain later on.

I completed my first two Captains Cocktail party's, with a slight ignorance and inferiority, because of my young age, (21 years, approx. ) but I learnt many things during these few hours about human relationships.
Memories, never forgotten !!!

Chusan was en route for DAKAR,, our first call on the African Continent..................
Yes Sir, my very first visit to Africa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Part 2.....Sydney here I come

I think I was on board 2 days, then SS Chusan released her self from the Quayside, assisted by Tugs, pulling her into the middle of Estuary, then down to the English Channel towards the Isle of Wight.

During the 2 days at quay, I familiarized myself with the Refrigeration department, deep down in the ships Belly, underneath the cold stores,
This was divide into 2 sections, the first contained 2 enormous centrifugal steam turbine compressors, in which we used freon 22, a liquid gas used for refrigeration.
In the second section was around 6 V block compressors, motor driven, in which we used freon 12, also a liquid gas used for refrigeration.
We generated, cool air for the numerous cold rooms also for Chusans air conditioning system.

I was leaving Southampton on the 8-12 watch, In which I would hold until we arrived at Sydney.
This was not the ideal watch for socializing, as an Engineer Officer, we were permitted to go on decks, 1st as well as 2nd class to mix with the passengers.
But, being my very first trip, Deep Sea, One can expect this...............the 8-12 watch was the social life killer.
Work and sleep mostly, but that was OK, I expected this, seniority will come over time, then there will be another young Officer doing the social life killer watch, ie: 8-12.

I really don't want to go into detail about the work I did while on watch ( boring), but I remember the time as being very satisfying, also very hot and the 4 hours that each watch consisted of, passed very quickly.

Our first port of call was Cherbourg, this is where we did the (Bunkering) take on the fuel oil for the burners which heat the main Boilers, plus mail, food, freight etc.

This layover is normally around 24 hours, but maybe shorter in some other calls.

Southampton to Cherbourg was just a few hours sea time, but my dream was becoming a reality, soon the Deep Blue, en route to Capetown, South Africa,, WOW ,,,