Twenty Years Before the Antenna Mast

Trip: Forty Three

Call Sign:

Company: CP

Specs: 17281 GRT 13100 BHP

Rank: R/E/O

Joined: Fukuyama Japan 9/4/84

Departed: Vancouver BC 16/8/84

I flew from Strasbourg to London where I should have met up with some other officers and all traveled out to Japan together. This never worked out, as I was never given any names or means of identifying them. As it was I boarded the plane for Osaka without knowing if I was alone or not.

We should all have been met on arrival at Osaka Japan, but due to some misunderstanding by the agent, it was not known that I was coming. The other officers on the aircraft (unknown to me) got off first and they were met and escorted to Kobe without pause. There I stood with no one to meet me, no Japanese money, no Japanese language ability and the airport was closing for the night. It was (as is always the case) a week end and even after I managed to make a collect call to England, no one was at the office in London.

Plastic money was a Godsend. I waved my American Express card at a taxi driver and said about the only word of English he knew - "Hotel". He took me to the biggest most expensive hotel in Osaka called the Royal. They paid him (and put it on my bill of course) and gave me a room. Now with an international phone connection, a roof over my head and the hotel able and willing to help, I was all set up. I just hoped the company would pick up the bill, as it was costing around 150 Dollars a day! After several days I managed to sort things out.

After 2 weeks in Osaka, the agents suddenly informed me there were some other officers staying at a hotel in Kobe and would I prefer to go and stay with them. At first I got a bit upset that it had taken so long for them to tell me I was not alone but such is life. As I had done virtually everything I wanted (or could afford) in Osaka, I agreed and a taxi took me to Kobe, about an hours drive away. The other three officers and I then had a further 2 weeks at a hotel in Kobe.

We all played tourist again, seeing as we could be waiting an indefinite time, we thought we should use what we had. It must have cost a fortune in hotel bills! I visited a model European style farm, which was unusual. These have been set up outside some big cities so as to let people see where their food comes from. The majorities of Japanese children have never seen a live cow or a pig and probably think that milk is produced in a milk factory! It made a good day out for city dwellers and school classes. Again, I met some very friendly Japanese Radio Amateurs in Kobe. I had previously contacted a Japanese amateur from home and he mentioned someone in Kobe I should contact. As is usual, I had forgotten all about it.

I was walking around an Amateur Radio Emporium on the Motomatchi (a huge shopping arcade) in Kobe when I got speaking to a very well dressed elderly Japanese gentleman. He spoke excellent English, and after a while, it turned out he was the one I had been told to contact! It's a small world. I was invited to his home, met his wife and generally had a great time. He was a businessman with his own company making sportswear, and had traveled to Europe quite a bit. He then introduced me to quite a number of other local amateurs.

The ship did finally arrive after over 4 weeks delay in Russia. Apparently there was no working telex connection from the Russian port and they were not allowed to use the ships radio to give information. So, after a paid Japanese holiday of around 4 weeks, we waved goodbye to Japan.

The ship loaded timber at New Westminster (Vancouver) where I met up with some Canadian friends who used to be stationed at the big NATO base at Lahr in Germany, then across to Tacoma Washington and down to Newport Oregon. This was a very small quiet town, but once a year it came alive when it had its "Navy Days". The Coast Guard was invited, and all ships in their small port were dressed with flags. Everyone had a jolly good time. As we were there at just that time, we were also heartily invited. Our Captain, Chief Engineer and Chief Officer were invited to all the official celebrations, together with the senior American Coast Guard officers.

We were very welcome, as the mainstay of the local economy was logging and exporting timber and timber products. As not many large ships called, it was a major event us being there at all. The US Coast Guard asked if they could take our berth, and move us to a less favorable one. The one we were using was right in the center of town and a prime site for the celebrations. The local authorities refused with the excuse that our deeper draft would not allow it. Actually we think it was because they did not want to disrupt the cargo operations too much. If no ships called, and the shore storage facilities were full, then the local workers were out of work until a ship called. This sometimes caused considerable hardship, and every timber ship was made welcome by the townspeople.

We used to flash messages to a Coast Guard ship moored at the next berth using our Aldis signaling lamp. This generally took place later in the evening after a good session in our bar. We had great fun sending coded messages from the international codebook and seeing if they could read them. Some of the messages were somewhat "blue tinged"! It was extremely interesting to see what could be sent using the stilted phrases supplied and a bit of imagination. Unfortunately we never got to meet them, as they sailed shortly after but we all had great fun.

I managed to hire a car (It was not that easy being as there was no car rental agency around), and drove around the area. It is a beautiful part of America. The main highway runs north/south, parallel to the coast. On one side is continuous forest, and on the other beaches and rocky headlands. It is virtually deserted with no sound apart from the wind in the trees and the Pacific Ocean rollers breaking on the beaches. I would pass the occasional car, and through the occasional small coastal settlement. It was however, profoundly peaceful. I would stop at a small pull in and go for a walk along the Pacific Ocean shore taking in the peace and solitude.

Another unforgettable experience was phoning home from a call box on the beach next to the rolling Pacific Ocean. First having to feed the phone with quarters (25cent pieces) during which time my wife Christine could hear me counting out the coins, muttering to myself, and making comments to the operator. I had made a special trip to several shops and a bank in order to collect a whole pile of these coins, enough for the initial 3minute call. When the time was up, she said she would ring me back. I stood there, facing the wide Pacific Ocean, waiting for the phone behind me to ring. A few minutes later it did. It was strange to just pick up the phone and speak to Germany, half a world away, from a call box on the rim of the Pacific.

As the coastguard ships left, they played patriotic music from their PA system whilst passing under the bridge and until clear of the harbor. It sounded very rousing. Not to be outdone, as we left, we played "Rule Britannia" through our loud hailer system with around 100 watts of noise. It sounded great too!