top of page

Welcome to Marine Musings
Search


Blog 43 - Chidambaram - Back to Chennai - on to Mumbai on a Foreign Company Job Hunt
Courtesy Google Maps – Distance 39 kms My next trip was from Neyveli, which was now my temporary headquarters, to Chidambaram, the most...
ranganathanblog
Jun 1, 202210 min read
Â
Â
Â


Blog 42 - Madurai to Tiruchi, then Neyveli
Courtesy Google Maps – Distance About 132 kms. Tiruchirapalli and Neyveli In Tiruchi, I remember staying at a hotel close to the railway...
ranganathanblog
May 29, 20224 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 41 - Wandering about like a Vagabond, in Search of Something Elusive
It is difficult to describe the state of my mind during this period. I was yearning for something I did not know about. I was searching...
ranganathanblog
May 25, 20228 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 40 - A Personal Lament - Bombay for 1st Class Part 'A' - Calcutta for 1st Class Part 'B'
A Turbocharger Rotor before being sent for balancing I had written this more than a year ago and, now, started editing it. I pondered...
ranganathanblog
May 22, 202210 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 39 - Thrust Block Burn Out and Subsequent Events - I Finally am Relieved and Sign Off
The "Chennai Sadhanai" was my last Sisco ship. As such, I carry very fond and pleasant memories of that ship, even though a life...
ranganathanblog
May 18, 20227 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 38 - Interlude - an "Ashes" Cricket Match - Fore Peak Renewal in Japan
Second Engineer's Epaulette Marine Musings 8 Chapter 4 – An Interlude - an "Ashes" Cricket Match I am writing all incidents from memory...
ranganathanblog
May 15, 20226 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 37 - We seek a 'Port of Refuge' - Declare 'General Average' - Seek Cause of Explosion - IMDG
Flashback In the previous Blog (36), I had narrated a severe explosion that we had, originating in the Fore Peak Store, followed by...
ranganathanblog
May 11, 202211 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 36 - Promoted to 2nd Engineer on "Sadhanai" - An Explosion - a Death - A Fire - A FireFight
Marine Musings 8 – On Board the "Chennai Sadhanai" as 2nd Engineer Chapter 1 – I join the Chennai Sadhanai in Kashima. Tenure from 24th...
ranganathanblog
May 8, 202219 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 35 - Marine Musings 7 - Chennai Muyarchi And My First B&W Engine
Marine Musings 7 – Chennai Muyarchi From 7th June 1974 to 18th Oct 1974 CHENNAI MUYARCHI - IMO 7235848 Vessel type: Bulk Carrier Gross...
ranganathanblog
May 4, 202213 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 34 - An Angry Sign Off - Dragging Anchor - Ship in Peril When Transiting Gibraltar
Sometimes, you have no choice but to sail with greedy people. Sometimes, you have no choice but to sail with people with inflated egos,...
ranganathanblog
May 1, 202225 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 33 - "Marine Musings 6" - Now a "Theen Sahib" - Short Stint on the 'Perumai' before 'Ookam'
Certified Third Engineer's Epaulettes - These are to be worn with Uniform Shirts Having Flaps on the Shoulder. Note the Violet (or is it...
ranganathanblog
Apr 27, 202222 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 32 - MARINE MUSINGS 5 - I Obtain my Second Class Part 'B' Certificate
"You can take me out of the Ship and Sea, but you won't be able to take the Ship and Sea out of me" Sorry - the above may sound crass,...
ranganathanblog
Apr 24, 202223 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 31 - Cadet on a Tanker in the 60s + A Few Words from a 1957 ex-Dufferin Cadet + My Takeaways
My last chapter of "Marine Musings 4" My Farewell to the Chennai Perumai (although I did a 21 day stint later, when she was coasting...
ranganathanblog
Apr 20, 202219 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 30 - A (very) CLOSE BRUSH WITH DEATH, WAIKIKI AT 2am AND A SIGN OFF (Finally)
MARINE MUSINGS 4 Except for the human element part, I suspect that the contents of this Blog will put my non-seafaring readers 'at sea'....
ranganathanblog
Apr 17, 202218 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 29 - "In the Pacific, Islands Come and Islands Go" - Departure Routines from an ER Perspective
Chapter 15 – Departure Routines on Board – What we do on Board when we sail out of a port. Routine voyages followed after our departure...
ranganathanblog
Apr 13, 202212 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 28 - A First Person Account of "Jalamoti's" Rescue of "Sonavati" Survivors During a Cyclone
Capt PM Abraham bought his own sextant in 1959 in Hamburg and carried it with him on every ship that he sailed on. Cost - around Rs. 700....
ranganathanblog
Apr 10, 202215 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 27 - Marine Musings 4 - Becoming a 'Ghost Buster - Stuck Between Scindia's and Jayanthi's Ships
Since I have written a few lines on sound powered telephones and voice pipes in this narrative, both of which are anachronisms today, I...
ranganathanblog
Apr 6, 202214 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 26 - MARINE MUSINGS 4 - A BREAKDOWN AND A DRY DOCKING
This narrative is more technical and engineering-oriented than normal. Non seafarers may not relish it, but I have tried to keep it as...
ranganathanblog
Apr 3, 202215 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 25 - MARINE MUSINGS 4 - Life as a Fourth Engineer
I have always found happiness in the humour in the late PG Wodehouse' books. The love affair with his books started when I was around 14...
ranganathanblog
Mar 30, 202214 min read
Â
Â
Â


BLOG 24 - MARINE MUSINGS 4 - Food on Board, Recreation and a Short Leave
Fourth Engineer's Epaulettes of Rank. Note the blue stripes above and below the gold stripe, signifying an Engineer. A 5th Engineer's...
ranganathanblog
Mar 27, 202212 min read
Â
Â
Â
Contact
bottom of page