Back to Mumbai

Like all vacations we have they always end and this day was my return to reality. I could not get any long mornings, not that I have the need for them anymore as in my youth when I could sleep until noon, now I had to get up and catch my flight to Mumbai.

Back to Mumbai

I was up and had a light breakfast and thanked my hosts for their hospitality and letting me stay in their house for these few days. It had been an interesting experience to visit Bengal even for this short period. Then I was out the door and took a taxi to the airport.

At the airport I managed to check in my luggage without any bigger problems and boarded the Kingfisher flight. We landed on time in Mumbai and I was met by our driver Santosh at the airport and he took me to the Gateway of India where I was met by the Kalizma tender and I was soon onboard and being greeted by Saini and other crew.

Map of M-wall

The day went on discussing handover notes and future plan of spending the monsoon in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. Basically everything had been planned to the last detail, we only waited for the go ahead from our Management.

M-wall and a row of barges at it

3rd May Signed off Saini for vacation and i signed on at the Yellow Gate Police station, all went ok for once. Discussed various maintenance requirements scheduled for the monsoon with the office and met with Mishra Yogi from Yeoman Marine.

4th May Did seatrials with several smaller yachts related to Kalizma's management that was not very successful. My snag list became suddenly very long.

Later I inspected the M-wall at the Prince's Dock, the area was ok but not really a place I would bring a yacht alongside, at least not for a very long duration. Furthermore, I saw works were going along to reclaim land from Victoria Dock to Cross Island in way of the envisaged Container Terminal that was being developed against all odds. I'm surprised no environmentalist has cried foul yet.

Cross Island

5th May was spent chasing various work quotes.

6th May Met up with Mishraji at his office, our naval architect, and discussed stability issue for some minor engineering modification that involved some weight shifting. Later I was invited for lunch to a Punjabi Restaurant and had a delicious vegetarian lunch with Mishraji. Later in the afternoon I receive news that the Trincomalee relocation is cancelled. Kalizma will stay at the M-wall for the monsoon. In light of our last years experience it was not a very appealing decision in terms of maintenance.