R I L Post - Varen Is Fijner

( contd.)
28
. . . learned we had to call at Gan.
. .. cried in vain co make contact ...
" We all entered into this thing with
the spirit it required. While at Durban,
purchases were made for items
not usually found in a cargo-vessel's
stores (peaches, lobster tails, ginger
from Lourenco Marques), and Messrs
Dusty Miller at Durban provided a
packing-case. (Other items were
whiskey, cognac, Bokma, Gouda and
Edam cheese, chocolates, sweets,
smoked sausages and Dutch cigars).
ETA at Gan was established at 0700
on 11th December. Radio Officer R.A.
van der Made tried in vain to make
contact w ith Gan direct, but succeeded
at last via Mauritius and we
arranged to rendezvous with an RAF
launch outside the Gan Channel at
0710.
The packing-case turned out to be
too bulky for landing on to a launch
and we had to look round for other
means: used tea chests proved to
be a better proposition, but packing
presented some problems. With
careful stowing, the problem was
solved in just three cases. These
were wrapped in Sisalcraft Paper
and finally strapped with band-iron.
Chief Steward SG Sin King Fai, Store
Attendant Wan Fuk Lun and Cassab
. . . succeeded at last .. .
Lo Man had a busy time. Packing
started on the 1Oth and perishables
were kept in cold storage until the
rendezvous.
VHF contact was established at 0600
on 11th; the weather was fine w ith
a freshening westerly breeze and the
sea becoming a little choppy. We
arranged that we would make Icc
on our portside and that the launch
would come alongside, next to No. 5
hold. Manoeuvring started at 0711 :
we turned to starboard, while the
launch closed in on the portside. The
cases which had been brought up on
deck were placed in a store-loading
tray, and Managing Directors' letter
was attached.
Boatswain Leung Kui Hung on deck
and Cassab Lo Man in the crane on
No. 5 hatch busied themselves under
the instructions of Chief Officer H.V.
Lijding to lower the tray safely on the
foredeck of the launch. Due to the
different movements of the launch
and ship, this proved to be not as
easy as it looked, but after one or two
attempts they were successful. The
packages were offloaded and the tray
hoisted back. 'Finished manoeuvring'
at 0726."