# Samoa... In The South Seas. Part I.



## Cpt Dick Brooks (May 13, 2013)

The late afternoon was hot and humid as I walked on the blinding concrete surface past the transit shed. My white tropical uniform stuck to me and sweat was trickling under my arms and between my legs. I tipped back my captain's hat and adjusted my sunglasses to cut down the glare, then reset it again so the braid-encrusted peak shielded my eyes. I took a firmer hold of my attaché case, containing the ship's papers and all the crew's passports. My palm was sticky with sweat and the plastic handle of the case was slippery in my grip.
I walked onto the asphalt main wharf of Pago Pago, and over to the members of my crew standing in a knot around one of the large bollards. "Fire her up, Leify," I addressed the chief engineer. "We have to go out on the hook."
"Did we get our clearance?" he enquired.
"They said it was too late!" I told him. "Don't want to get off their fat backsides, more likely, and come out of their nice air-conditioned office."
"But it's not even half past three!" he retorted.
"Don't bother whining at me," I retorted. "If they won't come and clear us, they won't... and that's that!"
"Then why can't we stay on the wharf until tomorrow?" the chief mate asked.
I looked at her sullen face. "Anna, if you can swing it for us to stay on the wharf overnight by waggling your bum, then go for it! The ****holes said to go out on anchor, then return at eight thirty in the morning. So be it... this is their island... let's bust ****!
"And talking about ****, it's party night tonight. We can have a much better party out on anchor, than tied up to this dock."
Leify stepped across the gap onto the bulwarks of Debut and jumped down on deck. "Sodding bastards!... all that bloody work for nothing." He looked back at his crew. "Come on, boys, let's wind her up." His two engineers followed him on board, and they returned to the engine-room to restart the main engine.
"Anna, take off all the lines except the stern line," I told her. "Coil them ready for tomorrow."
"Walk out the anchor?" she enquired.
I nodded. "And when you let go, be careful," I cautioned her. "It's deep, so don't let it run... ease out the chain on the brake."
I stepped onto the bulwarks and jumped down to the side-deck myself, then climbed the port companionway to the wheelhouse.
As soon as I stepped through the door, Lorraine came running into my arms and hugged her bare breast against me. "You're all sticky, Daddy, darling!" she beamed. "Do you want me to help you off with your clothes?"
"Just a minute, sweetheart," I told her, and followed her slim figure through the radio room, and into my cabin. "You can fix me a drink... a stiff one."
Amy looked up at me as I put down my attaché case. "I have your glass ready for you, I thought you might need it." She passed me my drink, and I quaffed half of it in one go. She looked up at me while I swallowed. "It must be hot on the shore."
"Boy, I needed that!" I smacked my lips. "Talk about banging your head against a brick wall! Those fat lazy bastards at the Customs Office weren't even interested in listening to me. All they're thinking about is going to the pub and getting on the ale!" I finished off the glass, then handed it back to be refilled.
"Let's help you off with your clothes." Amy shyly looked up at me. "Come on, Lorry, let's undress him.. his shirt is all wet."
I submitted to them, and was kissed by each in turn while they undressed me. I wanted to have them, there and then, but knew there was work to be done first. The ship shuddered as the main engine started, so I picked up my fresh drink and walked naked into the wheel-house.
The telegraph clanked to Stand By, and I rang my handle to acknowledge the engine-room. I walked onto the port bridge-wing and signalled Coby to cast off. Once she had stepped back on board, I rang the telegraph to Slow Ahead. Debut slowly eased forward, and I allowed her to run the wall.
I headed her down the crowded harbour, past the floating crane tied up to its buoy and the rows of yachts moored stern-to at the yacht mole. There were clusters of rusty Korean fishing boats tied up to buoys, and along the fishing wharf by the two canneries on the northern side of the harbour, some two hundred Korean and Taiwanese fishing boats were rafted up together. There were even a couple of American super-seiners tied up at the Star Kist wharf. The harbour pulsated in the steamy late afternoon heat to the beat of their generators, and a pall of exhaust smoke hung in the still air. To be continued. All the best, Cpt Dick Brooks.


----------



## tsell (Apr 29, 2008)

Cpt Dick Brooks said:


> The late afternoon was hot and humid as I walked on the blinding concrete surface past the transit shed. My white tropical uniform stuck to me and sweat was trickling under my arms and between my legs. I tipped back my captain's hat and adjusted my sunglasses to cut down the glare, then reset it again so the braid-encrusted peak shielded my eyes. I took a firmer hold of my attaché case, containing the ship's papers and all the crew's passports. My palm was sticky with sweat and the plastic handle of the case was slippery in my grip.
> I walked onto the asphalt main wharf of Pago Pago, and over to the members of my crew standing in a knot around one of the large bollards. "Fire her up, Leify," I addressed the chief engineer. "We have to go out on the hook."
> "Did we get our clearance?" he enquired.
> "They said it was too late!" I told him. "Don't want to get off their fat backsides, more likely, and come out of their nice air-conditioned office."
> ...


Nice one Dick! It's starting to warm up here now, hot and humid. Yesterday Penrith in Sydney recorded the highest temperature in 80 years at 47.3 degrees Celsius!!

Cheers!

Taff


----------



## Cpt Dick Brooks (May 13, 2013)

*For tsell.*

G'day, Taff, it's good to hear from you. I'm glad that you enjoyed the first part of my short story... 'Samoa... In The South Seas.' I hope that you enjoy the rest of the true story, about when I first arrived in Pago Pago with my ship, Debut. I based my ship there for eighteen months conducting salvage operations, and on two occasions took a party of elderly American adventures around the remote and exotic Cook Islands for an American adventure holiday group, arranged by my agent, Ocean Voyages, run by Mary Crowley from Sausalito.
I was just watching the news programme, and saw about the heatwave that had hit Sydney earlier today. It reminded me of when I was in Dubai in 1976, when the temperature reached 64° Celsius in the shade... if you could find any. The sea was as warm as a hot bath, and I even had to duck into supermarkets to stand by the freezers to cool off when I went into town. All the best to you, Roy, Cpt Dick Brooks.


----------



## Thunder Down Under (Feb 29, 2016)

*Captain Dick Brooks*

What a beautiful harbour Pago Pago is, Captain. Paid a fleeting visit there way back in 1971. Looking foward to the rest of the story.

TDU


----------



## Cpt Dick Brooks (May 13, 2013)

*For Thunder Down Under.*

G'day, TDU, it's good to hear from you, and I'm glad that you enjoyed Part I of my short story, 'Samoa... In The South Seas.' Having spent eighteen months in Pago Pago, back in the early eighties, I can thoroughly agree with you about how beautiful this town is, in the middle of the South Seas.
From my old chief engineer on my last Cook Island tourist run... a Kiwi called Jon Bates, who still operates as the chief engineer on one of those American super-seiners operating from the port ... much has changed since both mine and your days there. 
The Rainmaker Hotel is no more, but only a ruin... although I doubt it will remain so for much longer, due to its fantastic position at the entrance of the harbour, with the backdrop of Rainmaker Mountain. I spent many a pleasant evening drinking at Sadie Thompson's Bar with my crew.
Also, Sadie Thompson's Mart... where I did most of my shopping for my ship's crew... has been rebuilt as the Sadie Thompson Hotel. It is believed that the original guest house that once stood on that site was the one that gave Somerset Maugham his inspiration for his short story, 'Sadie Thompson.' It was included in his book of short stories about the Pacific Ocean that I believe was called, 'Tales of the South Seas.' I must admit that I gained much of my wanderlust for the South Seas by reading this book.
My favourite drinking den was The Seaside Garden Club, located right next to Sadie Thompson's Mart on the waterfront of the town. Many a pleasant afternoon was spent there, along with my crew and most of the expats of the island, shovelling the bull-dirt on every subject under the sun.
If you would like to read of my full experiences while based in Pago Pago with my ship, Debut, then go to the Book Forum and download the Kindle code for my book, 'Samoa Princess.' This was the second book that I wrote while castaway alone on Emily Reef aboard my ship, Debut... after writing my first book, 'The Judas Kiss,' and followed by 'Samoan Sunset,' which is set in Apia. Enjoy the read, and all the best, Cpt Dick Brooks.


----------

