[Goanet]Queries on the Goa-Bombay steamer that was...

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.

It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.

One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]

It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.

It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
ever-articulate ever-accessible former seminarian had a rememberable quip:
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.

[Cecil Pinto]

I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.

- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the not-so-desirable spots.

- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
depressions.

- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.

- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters) too.

- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.

- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.

- The casual friendships made.

- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row boat would get
passengers on/off.

- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights on
the dark shore.

.....

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Cecil

====

[Seb dc]

Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.

Seb:
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??
|
| .....
|
| Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
|
| Cecil
|

Uuuuhhhhh!

Seb

[Eddie]

The steamer service was the cheapest to get into Bombay/Goa. A lot of people
travelled ticketless, some paid Rs 50/- to the TC. No wonder the company
suffered huge losses. Feni was smuggled into Bombay thru these steamers.

The only entertainment on board was 'Tambola' housie....:).....missed that
Cecil!

Rgds
Eddie Verdes
Jeddah/KSA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Seb dc" <sdc at upcdubai.com>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>

Post by Seb dc
Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??

[Eddie]

The steamer service was the cheapest to get into Bombay/Goa. A lot of people
travelled ticketless, some paid Rs 50/- to the TC. No wonder the company
suffered huge losses. Feni was smuggled into Bombay thru these steamers.

The only entertainment on board was 'Tambola' housie....:).....missed that
Cecil!

Rgds
Eddie Verdes
Jeddah/KSA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Seb dc" <sdc at upcdubai.com>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>

Post by Seb dc
Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??

[Eddie]

The steamer service was the cheapest to get into Bombay/Goa. A lot of people
travelled ticketless, some paid Rs 50/- to the TC. No wonder the company
suffered huge losses. Feni was smuggled into Bombay thru these steamers.

The only entertainment on board was 'Tambola' housie....:).....missed that
Cecil!

Rgds
Eddie Verdes
Jeddah/KSA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Seb dc" <sdc at upcdubai.com>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>

Post by Seb dc
Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??

[Eddie]

The steamer service was the cheapest to get into Bombay/Goa. A lot of people
travelled ticketless, some paid Rs 50/- to the TC. No wonder the company
suffered huge losses. Feni was smuggled into Bombay thru these steamers.

The only entertainment on board was 'Tambola' housie....:).....missed that
Cecil!

Rgds
Eddie Verdes
Jeddah/KSA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Seb dc" <sdc at upcdubai.com>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>

Post by Seb dc
Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??

[Eddie]

The steamer service was the cheapest to get into Bombay/Goa. A lot of people
travelled ticketless, some paid Rs 50/- to the TC. No wonder the company
suffered huge losses. Feni was smuggled into Bombay thru these steamers.

The only entertainment on board was 'Tambola' housie....:).....missed that
Cecil!

Rgds
Eddie Verdes
Jeddah/KSA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Seb dc" <sdc at upcdubai.com>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>

Post by Seb dc
Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??

[Eddie]

The steamer service was the cheapest to get into Bombay/Goa. A lot of people
travelled ticketless, some paid Rs 50/- to the TC. No wonder the company
suffered huge losses. Feni was smuggled into Bombay thru these steamers.

The only entertainment on board was 'Tambola' housie....:).....missed that
Cecil!

Rgds
Eddie Verdes
Jeddah/KSA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Seb dc" <sdc at upcdubai.com>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>

Post by Seb dc
Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??

[Eddie]

The steamer service was the cheapest to get into Bombay/Goa. A lot of people
travelled ticketless, some paid Rs 50/- to the TC. No wonder the company
suffered huge losses. Feni was smuggled into Bombay thru these steamers.

The only entertainment on board was 'Tambola' housie....:).....missed that
Cecil!

Rgds
Eddie Verdes
Jeddah/KSA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Seb dc" <sdc at upcdubai.com>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>

Post by Seb dc
Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??

[Seb dc]

Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.

Seb:
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??
|
| .....
|
| Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
|
| Cecil
|

Uuuuhhhhh!

Seb

[Seb dc]

Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.

Seb:
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??
|
| .....
|
| Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
|
| Cecil
|

Uuuuhhhhh!

Seb

[Seb dc]

Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.

Seb:
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??
|
| .....
|
| Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
|
| Cecil
|

Uuuuhhhhh!

Seb

[Seb dc]

Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.

Seb:
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??
|
| .....
|
| Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
|
| Cecil
|

Uuuuhhhhh!

Seb

[Seb dc]

Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.

Seb:
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??
|
| .....
|
| Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
|
| Cecil
|

Uuuuhhhhh!

Seb

[Seb dc]

Cecil Pinto
| I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
| steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
| a young adult with nostalgia.
|
| - The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
| depressions.
|
| - The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.
|
| - The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters)
too.
|
| - The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.
|
| - The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
|
| - The casual friendships made.
|
| - The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights
on
| the dark shore.

Seb:
For all this filth, and yet Cecil!
As a child i can understand u taking the trip!! but as an adult!! hard to
digest. or was it quarter rummy friendship??
|
| .....
|
| Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
|
| Cecil
|

Uuuuhhhhh!

Seb

[John Eric Gomes]

Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG
From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <fred at bytesforall.org>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>
Cc: "John Eric Gomes" <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 2:59 PM
Subject: [Goanet]Queries on the Goa-Bombay steamer that was...[Scanned]

Post by Frederick Noronha (FN)
A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.
It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.
One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]
It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.
It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.
From steamers to politics to assaults... one strays. But does anyone have
the information needed below? FN
---------- Forwarded message ----------
... questions I have about the factual/history background of the steamers
Konkan Shakti and Konkan Sevak. I have scoured the Internet but have not
had much luck and now need the help of knowledgeable Goans...
The name of the shipping company that operated the steamers - was it SCI
or Chowgule's or Scindia?
In what year were the two vessels built?
Who/which company built them?
What was the size of the vessels - tonnage?
What was the capacity - how many passengers could each carry?
What was the speed - in knots?
In what year did the two vessels begin plying the Bombay to Goa route?
How many stops did the vessels make en route to Goa? I remember Ratnagiri
and Raigad? What were the others?
In what year were the vessels retired?
On what date was the last voyage for each vessel?
What is their fate today? Have they been scrapped?
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[Nagesh Bhatcar]

If I remember correctly, the original names of the 3 ships launched
by Chowgules were Konkan Sevak, Sarita and Rohini. I think Rohini
ran aground near Ratnagiri. The other two were taken over by SCI.
I think it was a money losing venture, until they were taken out of
service and used to ferry the IPKF forces to Sri Lanka.

Nagesh Bhatcar
sgbhatcar at hotmail.com

From: John Eric Gomes <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 23:28:55 +0530
Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should
be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG

[Marlon Menezes]

I had a very positive experience travelling on the
ship (Konkan Sevak?), in the mid 1980s. But then
again, I was a starving student visiting Goa from
boarding school in Rajasthan.

Just the option of getting fish for a meal felt like I
was in the midst of a feast of the gods. I did not
notice the vomit in the toilets, but then again, our
toilets in boarding school had more than vomit
covering their walls (dont ask).

All in all, the trip was very comfortable and relaxing
and definately far better than the catamarans I took
later.

Marlon

Post by Cecil Pinto
I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries
about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a
child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.
- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer
in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a
bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did
this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over
the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the
not-so-desirable spots.
- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium
(?) 'plates' with
depressions.
- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent
smell of vomit.
- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and
alcohol (quarters) too.
- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to
deck.
- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
- The casual friendships made.
- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row
boat would get
passengers on/off.
- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant
barely visible lights on
the dark shore.
.....
Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Cecil

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.

It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.

One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]

It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.

It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
ever-articulate ever-accessible former seminarian had a rememberable quip:
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.

[Cecil Pinto]

I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.

- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the not-so-desirable spots.

- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
depressions.

- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.

- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters) too.

- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.

- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.

- The casual friendships made.

- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row boat would get
passengers on/off.

- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights on
the dark shore.

.....

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Cecil

====

[John Eric Gomes]

Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG
From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <fred at bytesforall.org>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>
Cc: "John Eric Gomes" <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 2:59 PM
Subject: [Goanet]Queries on the Goa-Bombay steamer that was...[Scanned]

Post by Frederick Noronha (FN)
A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.
It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.
One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]
It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.
It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.
From steamers to politics to assaults... one strays. But does anyone have
the information needed below? FN
---------- Forwarded message ----------
... questions I have about the factual/history background of the steamers
Konkan Shakti and Konkan Sevak. I have scoured the Internet but have not
had much luck and now need the help of knowledgeable Goans...
The name of the shipping company that operated the steamers - was it SCI
or Chowgule's or Scindia?
In what year were the two vessels built?
Who/which company built them?
What was the size of the vessels - tonnage?
What was the capacity - how many passengers could each carry?
What was the speed - in knots?
In what year did the two vessels begin plying the Bombay to Goa route?
How many stops did the vessels make en route to Goa? I remember Ratnagiri
and Raigad? What were the others?
In what year were the vessels retired?
On what date was the last voyage for each vessel?
What is their fate today? Have they been scrapped?
##########################################################################
# Send submissions for Goanet to goanet at goanet.org #
# PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts #
# More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ #
# Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others #
##########################################################################

[Nagesh Bhatcar]

If I remember correctly, the original names of the 3 ships launched
by Chowgules were Konkan Sevak, Sarita and Rohini. I think Rohini
ran aground near Ratnagiri. The other two were taken over by SCI.
I think it was a money losing venture, until they were taken out of
service and used to ferry the IPKF forces to Sri Lanka.

Nagesh Bhatcar
sgbhatcar at hotmail.com

From: John Eric Gomes <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 23:28:55 +0530
Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should
be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG

[Marlon Menezes]

I had a very positive experience travelling on the
ship (Konkan Sevak?), in the mid 1980s. But then
again, I was a starving student visiting Goa from
boarding school in Rajasthan.

Just the option of getting fish for a meal felt like I
was in the midst of a feast of the gods. I did not
notice the vomit in the toilets, but then again, our
toilets in boarding school had more than vomit
covering their walls (dont ask).

All in all, the trip was very comfortable and relaxing
and definately far better than the catamarans I took
later.

Marlon

Post by Cecil Pinto
I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries
about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a
child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.
- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer
in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a
bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did
this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over
the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the
not-so-desirable spots.
- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium
(?) 'plates' with
depressions.
- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent
smell of vomit.
- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and
alcohol (quarters) too.
- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to
deck.
- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
- The casual friendships made.
- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row
boat would get
passengers on/off.
- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant
barely visible lights on
the dark shore.
.....
Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Cecil

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.

It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.

One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]

It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.

It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
ever-articulate ever-accessible former seminarian had a rememberable quip:
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.

[Cecil Pinto]

I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.

- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the not-so-desirable spots.

- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
depressions.

- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.

- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters) too.

- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.

- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.

- The casual friendships made.

- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row boat would get
passengers on/off.

- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights on
the dark shore.

.....

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Cecil

====

[John Eric Gomes]

Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG
From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <fred at bytesforall.org>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>
Cc: "John Eric Gomes" <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 2:59 PM
Subject: [Goanet]Queries on the Goa-Bombay steamer that was...[Scanned]

Post by Frederick Noronha (FN)
A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.
It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.
One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]
It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.
It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.
From steamers to politics to assaults... one strays. But does anyone have
the information needed below? FN
---------- Forwarded message ----------
... questions I have about the factual/history background of the steamers
Konkan Shakti and Konkan Sevak. I have scoured the Internet but have not
had much luck and now need the help of knowledgeable Goans...
The name of the shipping company that operated the steamers - was it SCI
or Chowgule's or Scindia?
In what year were the two vessels built?
Who/which company built them?
What was the size of the vessels - tonnage?
What was the capacity - how many passengers could each carry?
What was the speed - in knots?
In what year did the two vessels begin plying the Bombay to Goa route?
How many stops did the vessels make en route to Goa? I remember Ratnagiri
and Raigad? What were the others?
In what year were the vessels retired?
On what date was the last voyage for each vessel?
What is their fate today? Have they been scrapped?
##########################################################################
# Send submissions for Goanet to goanet at goanet.org #
# PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts #
# More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ #
# Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others #
##########################################################################

[Nagesh Bhatcar]

If I remember correctly, the original names of the 3 ships launched
by Chowgules were Konkan Sevak, Sarita and Rohini. I think Rohini
ran aground near Ratnagiri. The other two were taken over by SCI.
I think it was a money losing venture, until they were taken out of
service and used to ferry the IPKF forces to Sri Lanka.

Nagesh Bhatcar
sgbhatcar at hotmail.com

From: John Eric Gomes <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 23:28:55 +0530
Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should
be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG

[Marlon Menezes]

I had a very positive experience travelling on the
ship (Konkan Sevak?), in the mid 1980s. But then
again, I was a starving student visiting Goa from
boarding school in Rajasthan.

Just the option of getting fish for a meal felt like I
was in the midst of a feast of the gods. I did not
notice the vomit in the toilets, but then again, our
toilets in boarding school had more than vomit
covering their walls (dont ask).

All in all, the trip was very comfortable and relaxing
and definately far better than the catamarans I took
later.

Marlon

Post by Cecil Pinto
I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries
about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a
child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.
- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer
in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a
bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did
this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over
the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the
not-so-desirable spots.
- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium
(?) 'plates' with
depressions.
- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent
smell of vomit.
- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and
alcohol (quarters) too.
- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to
deck.
- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
- The casual friendships made.
- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row
boat would get
passengers on/off.
- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant
barely visible lights on
the dark shore.
.....
Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Cecil

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.

It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.

One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]

It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.

It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
ever-articulate ever-accessible former seminarian had a rememberable quip:
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.

[Cecil Pinto]

I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.

- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the not-so-desirable spots.

- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
depressions.

- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.

- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters) too.

- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.

- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.

- The casual friendships made.

- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row boat would get
passengers on/off.

- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights on
the dark shore.

.....

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Cecil

====

[John Eric Gomes]

Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG
From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <fred at bytesforall.org>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>
Cc: "John Eric Gomes" <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 2:59 PM
Subject: [Goanet]Queries on the Goa-Bombay steamer that was...[Scanned]

Post by Frederick Noronha (FN)
A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.
It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.
One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]
It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.
It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.
From steamers to politics to assaults... one strays. But does anyone have
the information needed below? FN
---------- Forwarded message ----------
... questions I have about the factual/history background of the steamers
Konkan Shakti and Konkan Sevak. I have scoured the Internet but have not
had much luck and now need the help of knowledgeable Goans...
The name of the shipping company that operated the steamers - was it SCI
or Chowgule's or Scindia?
In what year were the two vessels built?
Who/which company built them?
What was the size of the vessels - tonnage?
What was the capacity - how many passengers could each carry?
What was the speed - in knots?
In what year did the two vessels begin plying the Bombay to Goa route?
How many stops did the vessels make en route to Goa? I remember Ratnagiri
and Raigad? What were the others?
In what year were the vessels retired?
On what date was the last voyage for each vessel?
What is their fate today? Have they been scrapped?
##########################################################################
# Send submissions for Goanet to goanet at goanet.org #
# PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts #
# More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ #
# Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others #
##########################################################################

[Nagesh Bhatcar]

If I remember correctly, the original names of the 3 ships launched
by Chowgules were Konkan Sevak, Sarita and Rohini. I think Rohini
ran aground near Ratnagiri. The other two were taken over by SCI.
I think it was a money losing venture, until they were taken out of
service and used to ferry the IPKF forces to Sri Lanka.

Nagesh Bhatcar
sgbhatcar at hotmail.com

From: John Eric Gomes <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 23:28:55 +0530
Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should
be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG

[Marlon Menezes]

I had a very positive experience travelling on the
ship (Konkan Sevak?), in the mid 1980s. But then
again, I was a starving student visiting Goa from
boarding school in Rajasthan.

Just the option of getting fish for a meal felt like I
was in the midst of a feast of the gods. I did not
notice the vomit in the toilets, but then again, our
toilets in boarding school had more than vomit
covering their walls (dont ask).

All in all, the trip was very comfortable and relaxing
and definately far better than the catamarans I took
later.

Marlon

Post by Cecil Pinto
I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries
about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a
child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.
- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer
in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a
bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did
this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over
the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the
not-so-desirable spots.
- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium
(?) 'plates' with
depressions.
- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent
smell of vomit.
- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and
alcohol (quarters) too.
- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to
deck.
- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
- The casual friendships made.
- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row
boat would get
passengers on/off.
- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant
barely visible lights on
the dark shore.
.....
Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Cecil

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.

It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.

One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]

It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.

It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
ever-articulate ever-accessible former seminarian had a rememberable quip:
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.

[Cecil Pinto]

I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.

- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the not-so-desirable spots.

- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
depressions.

- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.

- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters) too.

- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.

- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.

- The casual friendships made.

- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row boat would get
passengers on/off.

- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights on
the dark shore.

.....

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Cecil

====

[John Eric Gomes]

Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG
From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <fred at bytesforall.org>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>
Cc: "John Eric Gomes" <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 2:59 PM
Subject: [Goanet]Queries on the Goa-Bombay steamer that was...[Scanned]

Post by Frederick Noronha (FN)
A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.
It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.
One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]
It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.
It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.
From steamers to politics to assaults... one strays. But does anyone have
the information needed below? FN
---------- Forwarded message ----------
... questions I have about the factual/history background of the steamers
Konkan Shakti and Konkan Sevak. I have scoured the Internet but have not
had much luck and now need the help of knowledgeable Goans...
The name of the shipping company that operated the steamers - was it SCI
or Chowgule's or Scindia?
In what year were the two vessels built?
Who/which company built them?
What was the size of the vessels - tonnage?
What was the capacity - how many passengers could each carry?
What was the speed - in knots?
In what year did the two vessels begin plying the Bombay to Goa route?
How many stops did the vessels make en route to Goa? I remember Ratnagiri
and Raigad? What were the others?
In what year were the vessels retired?
On what date was the last voyage for each vessel?
What is their fate today? Have they been scrapped?
##########################################################################
# Send submissions for Goanet to goanet at goanet.org #
# PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts #
# More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ #
# Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others #
##########################################################################

[Nagesh Bhatcar]

If I remember correctly, the original names of the 3 ships launched
by Chowgules were Konkan Sevak, Sarita and Rohini. I think Rohini
ran aground near Ratnagiri. The other two were taken over by SCI.
I think it was a money losing venture, until they were taken out of
service and used to ferry the IPKF forces to Sri Lanka.

Nagesh Bhatcar
sgbhatcar at hotmail.com

From: John Eric Gomes <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 23:28:55 +0530
Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should
be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG

[Marlon Menezes]

I had a very positive experience travelling on the
ship (Konkan Sevak?), in the mid 1980s. But then
again, I was a starving student visiting Goa from
boarding school in Rajasthan.

Just the option of getting fish for a meal felt like I
was in the midst of a feast of the gods. I did not
notice the vomit in the toilets, but then again, our
toilets in boarding school had more than vomit
covering their walls (dont ask).

All in all, the trip was very comfortable and relaxing
and definately far better than the catamarans I took
later.

Marlon

Post by Cecil Pinto
I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries
about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a
child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.
- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer
in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a
bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did
this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over
the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the
not-so-desirable spots.
- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium
(?) 'plates' with
depressions.
- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent
smell of vomit.
- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and
alcohol (quarters) too.
- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to
deck.
- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
- The casual friendships made.
- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row
boat would get
passengers on/off.
- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant
barely visible lights on
the dark shore.
.....
Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Cecil

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.

It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.

One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]

It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.

It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
ever-articulate ever-accessible former seminarian had a rememberable quip:
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.

[Cecil Pinto]

I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.

- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the not-so-desirable spots.

- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
depressions.

- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.

- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters) too.

- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.

- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.

- The casual friendships made.

- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row boat would get
passengers on/off.

- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights on
the dark shore.

.....

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Cecil

====

[John Eric Gomes]

Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG
From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <fred at bytesforall.org>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>
Cc: "John Eric Gomes" <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 2:59 PM
Subject: [Goanet]Queries on the Goa-Bombay steamer that was...[Scanned]

Post by Frederick Noronha (FN)
A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.
It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.
One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]
It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.
It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.
From steamers to politics to assaults... one strays. But does anyone have
the information needed below? FN
---------- Forwarded message ----------
... questions I have about the factual/history background of the steamers
Konkan Shakti and Konkan Sevak. I have scoured the Internet but have not
had much luck and now need the help of knowledgeable Goans...
The name of the shipping company that operated the steamers - was it SCI
or Chowgule's or Scindia?
In what year were the two vessels built?
Who/which company built them?
What was the size of the vessels - tonnage?
What was the capacity - how many passengers could each carry?
What was the speed - in knots?
In what year did the two vessels begin plying the Bombay to Goa route?
How many stops did the vessels make en route to Goa? I remember Ratnagiri
and Raigad? What were the others?
In what year were the vessels retired?
On what date was the last voyage for each vessel?
What is their fate today? Have they been scrapped?
##########################################################################
# Send submissions for Goanet to goanet at goanet.org #
# PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts #
# More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ #
# Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others #
##########################################################################

[Nagesh Bhatcar]

If I remember correctly, the original names of the 3 ships launched
by Chowgules were Konkan Sevak, Sarita and Rohini. I think Rohini
ran aground near Ratnagiri. The other two were taken over by SCI.
I think it was a money losing venture, until they were taken out of
service and used to ferry the IPKF forces to Sri Lanka.

Nagesh Bhatcar
sgbhatcar at hotmail.com

From: John Eric Gomes <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 23:28:55 +0530
Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should
be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG

[Marlon Menezes]

I had a very positive experience travelling on the
ship (Konkan Sevak?), in the mid 1980s. But then
again, I was a starving student visiting Goa from
boarding school in Rajasthan.

Just the option of getting fish for a meal felt like I
was in the midst of a feast of the gods. I did not
notice the vomit in the toilets, but then again, our
toilets in boarding school had more than vomit
covering their walls (dont ask).

All in all, the trip was very comfortable and relaxing
and definately far better than the catamarans I took
later.

Marlon

Post by Cecil Pinto
I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries
about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a
child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.
- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer
in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a
bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did
this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over
the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the
not-so-desirable spots.
- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium
(?) 'plates' with
depressions.
- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent
smell of vomit.
- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and
alcohol (quarters) too.
- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to
deck.
- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
- The casual friendships made.
- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row
boat would get
passengers on/off.
- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant
barely visible lights on
the dark shore.
.....
Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Cecil

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.

It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.

One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]

It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.

It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
ever-articulate ever-accessible former seminarian had a rememberable quip:
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.

[Cecil Pinto]

I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.

- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the not-so-desirable spots.

- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium (?) 'plates' with
depressions.

- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent smell of vomit.

- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and alcohol (quarters) too.

- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to deck.

- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.

- The casual friendships made.

- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row boat would get
passengers on/off.

- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant barely visible lights on
the dark shore.

.....

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Cecil

====

[John Eric Gomes]

Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG
From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <fred at bytesforall.org>
To: <goanet at goanet.org>
Cc: "John Eric Gomes" <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 2:59 PM
Subject: [Goanet]Queries on the Goa-Bombay steamer that was...[Scanned]

Post by Frederick Noronha (FN)
A friend was keen to have the answers to some of the queries below. I
don't know much, other than (if not mistaken) the vessels were run by the
Shipping Corporation of India, and that the last straw was the decision to
deploy the vessels for the so-called Indo-Sri Lanka Peacekeeping Force
(IPKF) after which they were scrapped. That must have been somewhere at
the end of the late 'eighties.
It was also said that the inexpensive vessels run by the state were
fairly inefficiently run (as far as finances go), meaning that the
vessels were suffering a huge loss and there was a low incentive to ensure
that keep the vessels going. Goa should have been more assertive in
ensuring the service continued.
One of my recollections goes back to 1990, when George Fernandes came down
to Goa to reinaugurate the earlier-cancelled service. It was the
hunky-dory time of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) government
headed by Churchill Alemao/Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. [It's uncanny the way
the Goa tail wags to the tune of the Delhi dog -- whenever a certain
political party is in power there, a shadow of the same gets resurrected
in Goa. Or is it just that the exercise of defections we've been seeing
needs the crucial go-ahead of the Governors? ]
It's ironical that, at that time, a small group of BJP protesters --
including some of the party's today's leaders -- went ahead at the Bombay
Steamer Jetty and tried to physically manhandle George Fernandes, who was
then a minister in the non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.
It's another fact that George Fernandes went on to become one of the main
troubleshooter and supporters of the BJP-dominated NDA government at the
Centre. Notwithstanding the post-Godhra Gujarat genocide, the Tehelka
military purchases scam, et al, the former socialist from Mangalore stood
firm by the BJP. We asked him some question (forget what it was) and the
"Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future," he told us
journalists waiting for a comment, moments after the assault and
fisticuffs.
From steamers to politics to assaults... one strays. But does anyone have
the information needed below? FN
---------- Forwarded message ----------
... questions I have about the factual/history background of the steamers
Konkan Shakti and Konkan Sevak. I have scoured the Internet but have not
had much luck and now need the help of knowledgeable Goans...
The name of the shipping company that operated the steamers - was it SCI
or Chowgule's or Scindia?
In what year were the two vessels built?
Who/which company built them?
What was the size of the vessels - tonnage?
What was the capacity - how many passengers could each carry?
What was the speed - in knots?
In what year did the two vessels begin plying the Bombay to Goa route?
How many stops did the vessels make en route to Goa? I remember Ratnagiri
and Raigad? What were the others?
In what year were the vessels retired?
On what date was the last voyage for each vessel?
What is their fate today? Have they been scrapped?
##########################################################################
# Send submissions for Goanet to goanet at goanet.org #
# PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts #
# More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ #
# Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others #
##########################################################################

[Nagesh Bhatcar]

If I remember correctly, the original names of the 3 ships launched
by Chowgules were Konkan Sevak, Sarita and Rohini. I think Rohini
ran aground near Ratnagiri. The other two were taken over by SCI.
I think it was a money losing venture, until they were taken out of
service and used to ferry the IPKF forces to Sri Lanka.

Nagesh Bhatcar
sgbhatcar at hotmail.com

From: John Eric Gomes <ericgo at sancharnet.in>
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 23:28:55 +0530
Chowghules were the agents if I remember rightly.Their head office should
be
able to dig up all the particulars easily.Maybe Captn of Ports panaji has
some records.........................JEG

[Marlon Menezes]

I had a very positive experience travelling on the
ship (Konkan Sevak?), in the mid 1980s. But then
again, I was a starving student visiting Goa from
boarding school in Rajasthan.

Just the option of getting fish for a meal felt like I
was in the midst of a feast of the gods. I did not
notice the vomit in the toilets, but then again, our
toilets in boarding school had more than vomit
covering their walls (dont ask).

All in all, the trip was very comfortable and relaxing
and definately far better than the catamarans I took
later.

Marlon

Post by Cecil Pinto
I don't have the answers to Fred's friend's queries
about the Goa-Bombay
steamers but I do recall the few trips I made as a
child and then later as
a young adult with nostalgia.
- The mad scramble in which you boarded the steamer
in a tearing hurry to
reserve a decent sleeping spot (by spreading out a
bedsheet brought along
just for that purpose. There were porters who did
this for your for a
fee!). Once that was done you relaxed leaned over
the railing and watched
the unfortunates on shore who would have to take the
not-so-desirable spots.
- The watery 'meals' served on rectangular aluminium
(?) 'plates' with
depressions.
- The filthy filthy toilets with the omnipresent
smell of vomit.
- The onboard hawkers selling fruits and stuff - and
alcohol (quarters) too.
- The exploring of the entire steamer from deck to
deck.
- The card games (rummy?) going on everywhere.
- The casual friendships made.
- The night stops at strange ports where a huge row
boat would get
passengers on/off.
- The tangy smell of the seabreeze and the distant
barely visible lights on
the dark shore.
.....
Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Cecil