The Four Lives Of Sinbad - Nov 16 2016

Port Said and the Suez canal was a fantastic experience for a young boy. 'Gamla Moses' a local
merchant came on board with his many sons, all clad in a red Fez and long white robes. All
their wares were displayed on the number four hatch, consisting of camel saddles, all kinds of
wall and floor carpets and souvenirs of all kinds. I did a good trade with my almost new tweed
overcoat which I exchanged for a pigskin suitcase and some wall carpets emblazoned with
camels and pyramids. (Ghastly) I don´t think my mother really believed my story as she
could not imagine a camel trotting Egyptian riding through the desert with my thick
'confirmation' overcoat. The adventure continued when we one dark night went solidly
aground on distant reefs 10 nm off Mombasa in Kenya, where we remained for almost four
weeks. Cement sacks were discharged overboard from the number one hatch in order to
lighten the ship´s bow, but resulted only in cementing the ship to the reef. At low water we
could walk around the bow on the cement sacks without getting wet. A large ship plus two
tugs, heaving on both anchors, finally got us off and in to Mombasa for an underwater survey
by diver. The refrigeration system on board was also way past renewing,which resulted in the
entire crew catching dysentery. Having missed the last ferry boat one evening, and having to
sleep on the wooden pier by the sea, was a great invitation to the local mosquitoes and I was
inflicted with malaria to boot. These are times I´d rather forget.
Mombasa at night was an exciting experience for a young man. I recall streets full of small
shacks made of bamboo and straw,all lit up with kerosene lamps and hardly any street lights.
A very special aromatic smell was in the hot evening air and the loud sound of singing crickets
and frogs. And the people appeared as if out of the pages of “Stanley and Livingston”.
The ship was also equipped to carry 12 passengers in 1 st class accommodation,the sleeping
cabins surrounding a large,central ,mahogany clad area with lounge furniture and a large
dining table. I remember we had a Norwegian missionary family of 4 on their way to
Madagascar ,as well as a munch in a violet gown,wearing sandals, of unknown religion.
While aground,we also encountered a storm,threatening a break-up of the ship. The
passengers were transported in to Mombasa in one of our lifeboats and the crew were
commanded to sleep on deck during the ravages of the storm with all the lifeboats ready for
launching. I was told by one of the engineers that sea water was squirting out from the seams
of the the riveted ship side. But all went well,and we survived.
My father was running a successful small engineering business where I also worked for a short
while, my father hoping I would eventually take over the business. He was a strict man and
told me there was no going back should I decide to go to sea. Coming from the same mould,
I too could be very stubborn,and, although there were many times during the voyage I was