"It was a wonderful experience interacting with you and appreciate the way you have planned and executed the whole publication process within the agreed timelines.”
Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
As a marine engineer, the writer has served on various ships belonging to different companies. As such, he has had the opportunity to visit many parts of the world. In this book, he writes about his experiences while working for a European Shipping company that ran a regular service between Europe and West Africa.
In Europe, the ships call at ports in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. On the West African coast, regular stops were made at Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin, Angola, Gabon and Cameroun. Some interesting incidents that happened on the ship and ashore give us a brief glimpse into The Diary of a Sailor!
S.S.R.Wayte
After his formative years in Madras, Wayte spent three years in Bombay and a final year in Calcutta training under the Directorate of Marine Engineering Training. He joined the Merchant Navy as a junior engineer in 1970. During an active carcer that spanned 35 years, he made several attempts to come ashore to stay close to the family, but the sea kept calling him back. One such "holiday" was at Visakhapatnam, where he looked after a fleet of deep-sea fishing trawlers. Not satisfied with sitting at a desk, he ventured out for a fishing voyage of one month on one of the trawlers!
Wayte also completed three contracts for supply boats that supported the off-shore Oil Industry.
He finally dropped anchor at Chennai, where he took to teaching. For four years, he worked at the National Institute of Port Management, later renamed as the Indian Maritime University, heading the Marine Engineering department. He initiated the MEO Class 1 preparatory course and was involved in installing the first Engine Room Simulator.
He missed his ships, so he joined a Shipping company as a superintendent in the coastal coal trade. But age was catching up! He returned to teaching as Dean at a private Marine Engineering college in Chennai.
Wayte has retired but keeps himself busy! This is his first book, and he hopes to keep writing till it is time to stop.
