# For Chrissie-boy. R.I.P.



## Cpt Dick Brooks (May 13, 2013)

His real name was Christopher Holland, from Ipswich, on the east coast of England. He had left school at sixteen, and being at a loss of what to do with his life, joined the British Army, seeking adventure out in the world. After his basic training, consisting of endless square-bashing and polishing, he was posted to guard the R.A.F. base at Salala, in Oman, on the south coast of Arabia.
The battles were taking place between the helicopter-gunships and the Yemen insurgents, up in the mountains further to the west. After a year or so of this, he'd had enough and bought himself out. He'd had a gutful of guarding a patch of dessert, so he decided to join the British Merchant Navy. Now, that has to have some adventure involved! Once again, he'd slogged his way through his basic training, but instead of the Caribbean or South China Sea, he ended up on a tanker. 
The Arab-Israeli war was taking place in the early seventies and the Suez Canal was closed... blocked by dozens of sunken merchant ships from as many different countries. His tanker slogged its way onwards, ploughing its furrow in the sea between Milford Haven, in Wales, and the well-heads in the middle of the Persian Gulf, north of Abu Dhabi. Other than a fleeting glimpse of the Cape of Good Hope, Ras al Hudd and Ras al Hormuz, they never sighted land after leaving Milford Haven, let alone had a run-ashore. And the unloading jetty at Milford Haven was in the middle of no where, so again, not much of a run-ashore, with only a 24 hour turnaround. It was the deckie's Pig or nothing. After a couple of years of this, he'd had enough and returned to Ipswich to see what else he could get up to.
One night, working his way through his paying-off wages, he met Harold-the-Kraut in a downtown bar. He was my chief engineer, and told Chris of the adventure we were about to embark on with my third ship, Dauntless Star... east through the Mediterranean and south down the Red Sea, now that the Suez Canal was finally open, and out into the Indian Ocean. After blowing the last of his money on a run-ashore in Ipswich, Chrissie-boy joined my ship as mate and we locked out of the wet-dock.
We called in at Coruna, on the Atlantic coast of Spain, then Gibraltar, Malaga, Sardinia, Malta, Tripoli in Libya, before reaching Port Said at the northern end of the Suez Canal. While we were berthed at Port Fouad, on the eastern bank of the canal, I was contracted to escort the 140 foot converted dredger-barge, Dephin, to Dubai, and Chrissie-boy was offered the position of mate. We all set off down the Red Sea, and finally arrived in Dubai, despite many crazy incidents on the way.
Chris kept his job on Dephin, and was eventually given the captain's position while the official one took two months leave. After a diving job on our arrival, I got the captain's position on an ex-German freighter, the Lux. Two months later, I sold the Dauntless Star to a wealthy Arabian businessman, with a contract as her captain. She was converted into a water-tanker, to supply water for the construction of Jebal Ali, soon to be one of the largest ports in the world. Harold-the-Kraut got a chief-engineer's position on another freighter, and Chris got my job on the Lux after I sold my own ship.
But money in Chris and Harold's pockets didn't sit well, especially after a year and a half of celibacy, so after six months they returned to the UK.
I lost touch with them, completing my two year contract as captain of Dauntless Star and Fleet Captain for Ahli Marine, working out of Mina Hamria, before returning to the UK myself. I purchased the 189 foot Ross Resolution from Halliers Fishing Co, in Hull, changed her name to Debut, then set sail across the North Atlantic with a new crew of adventures, bound for the Caribbean and South Seas.
Many years later, on my return to the UK, I learned from an old friend that Chris had died of cancer in his mid- thirties. At least he finally had his adventure out into the world, on board my ship, Dauntless Star. Good on you, Chris. May you rest in peace. Cpt Dick Brooks.


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## ben27 (Dec 27, 2012)

good day cpt dick brooks.m.yesterday.21:20.re:for chrissie-boy.r.i.p.thank you for posting this very moving story.a sad end to such a young man.i am glad he finaly got one good voyage,regards ben27


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## Cpt Dick Brooks (May 13, 2013)

*For ben27.*

Hi, ben27, good to hear from you. I'm glad you liked my memorial to Chrissie-boy. As you may have gathered, he was a bit of a lad. I could easily write a full short story on his antics throughout the time he spent on my ship, Dauntless Star. Two incidents that come to mind, happened in Port Said, on the northern end of the Suez Canal. Like most young lads, he liked his food, and was well-built, standing over six feet tall. During a run-ashore, he got stuck into the local street food... much against my advice. And surprise-surprise, he came down with a gypie stomach. I told him to stop eating for twenty four hour and gave him a good-helping of kaolin and morphine to stiffen him up. I was a fervent believer in 'The Ship Captain's Medical Guide'. But Chrissie-boy stuffed everything in his mouth that he could get his hands on. During an adventure into town, he was struck down with acute stomach pains, which doubled him up in agony. Across the square was a seedy bar, and Chris just about made it, but not before filling his pants. When he eventually came out of the toilet he told us to drink up, and we made a hasty retreat. He'd stuffed his soiled underpants behind the old high cistern of the filthy toilet. Weeks later, the smell in the bar was overpowering, but no-one had worked out where from. He always squandered every penny he could lay his hands on, so it was up to me and Harold-the-Kraut to get the rounds in. But when Chrissie-boy found the Port Said Snooker Club, he spent most of his days there, winning the money to support himself. He was really good, and could have easily trained to play professionally. It's sad when one of your old crew-mates passes on, especially one so young, but I was grateful that I never lost anyone while they crewed on my ships. We had a few narrow scrapes, especially over a couple of cases of the bends when Debut was anchored at isolated islands, but I never lost anyone in 26 years as captain of my own ships. All the best, ben27, Dick Brooks.


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

It sounds to me like you were the crew of the Original "Golden Dreamer"!*

*See the "Virtual Voyage" thread on here.


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## Cpt Dick Brooks (May 13, 2013)

*For Coastie.*

Hi, Coastie, good to get your thread. In the early 60's, I was at the local college, studying to become an architect. In 61 we had the Bay of Pigs, and in 62 there was the Cuban Missile Crises. This was followed at the end of 63 with the assassination of President Kennedy. I decided to go and see the world before they blew it up. I never learned to drive, never ever driving a car, but bought my first ship a week after I turned 18, the 42 foot gaff cutter, Blue Bell, a converted Whitstable ouster smack, built in 1910. I never looked back, and everything I did was to seek adventure, at any cost. Not to be accused of promoting my books, you should read my 'The Judas Kiss' and 'The Black Ship's Odyssey' by Cpt Dick Brooks, published by Amazon on their Kindle system. All the best to you, Dick Brooks.


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## ben27 (Dec 27, 2012)

good day cpt dick brooks.m.yesterday.19:57 #3.re:for ben27.thank you for your informative reply,look forward to your next post,regards ben27


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

Cpt Dick Brooks said:


> Hi, Coastie, good to get your thread. In the early 60's, I was at the local college, studying to become an architect. In 61 we had the Bay of Pigs, and in 62 there was the Cuban Missile Crises. This was followed at the end of 63 with the assassination of President Kennedy. I decided to go and see the world before they blew it up. I never learned to drive, never ever driving a car, but bought my first ship a week after I turned 18, the 42 foot gaff cutter, Blue Bell, a converted Whitstable ouster smack, built in 1910. I never looked back, and everything I did was to seek adventure, at any cost. Not to be accused of promoting my books, you should read my 'The Judas Kiss' and 'The Black Ship's Odyssey' by Cpt Dick Brooks, published by Amazon on their Kindle system. All the best to you, Dick Brooks.


Hi Dick.

Your books are on my wish list once I get through the ones I already have.(==D)


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## Dickyboy (May 18, 2009)

A great story Capt, I hope you can post some pictures I'd love to see some.


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## Cpt Dick Brooks (May 13, 2013)

*For Dickyboy*

Hi, Dickyboy, good to read your thread. I still haven't worked out how to post photos yet, but will have to get one of my daughters to show me. These youngsters are really good at all this electricary, and us oldies have to be careful we don't get left behind. I'm working flat out on my next book, 'Samoan Princess', which is the second book in the trilogy I wrote when I was castaway for three years after I was shipwrecked on Emily Reef, off Far North Queensland, in Australia. All the best, Dickyboy, Dick Brooks.


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