Goodbye Cargados....Goodbye Amarend !

          Last year almost the same time, we'd started our voyage back to India from 20 degrees down South of the Equator from the Island nation of Mauritius. Before that we'd had a brief survey task in the shoals patches of the Cargados Carajos a.k.a St. Brandon Islands. It was really testing, the seas were rough (the best of roughness), the weather was tricky as fast as a magician, a sky full of birds (fearless ones really enjoying their goddamn freedom, I'd say) and what else should I say, I got "baptized" into my navy life, truly and completely.

 

          Now why did i title it as Goodbye Amarend ?? Its the name of one of our sailor, whom i've not met, but heard of, who lost his life during one of the survey tasks just two years back from this day. His name was Amarend Kumar Sharma. Still now there is a small memorial made in the island of St.Raphael which lies on the northern side of the Cargados Shoals. 

 

          I believe, firmly, that there is an unwritten code of conduct and MOU between the Great Mother Ocean and the Soul of a seafarer. And it goes like this, whoever you are, how much you are experienced, weathered, ruff n tuff.....remember you are just a piece of tissue paper in her hands. If she would, she could tear you apart with nothing to spare. So the keyword here is patience and Respect to the nature.

              Amarend Kumar was no less than an ordinary man, perhaps much more sea experience than me. But on that unfortunate day he fell from the boat for almost a brief time of 5 minutes, and the high waves of the sea took him into her laps. The search and rescue ops were carried out for almost 20 days, all they could find was those which i mentioned in the beginning. 

             2009 i came here as a new kid, i went back as ' little experienced' , returned this year in 2010 and i'm going back as still 'little experienced ' ( reminding myself to realize the might of mother nature and this ah! woe! me!). But every time me and my crew ventured out to the eastern seaboard on the shoals we were put to test; rigorous test, and believe me, those crests and troughs of the waves rising like that legendary sea dragon still trouble me in my nightmares. For the first time i was praying to those gods (out of my long list) requesting to watch our backs and safeguard us from her fury! 

             One thing was sure, we could feel an invisible presence throughout our adrenalin rush, was that god, an angel, or that poor soul of amarend?? As an officer, i would love to believe that Amarend was our Guardian, it was him, him and him only.

          Now the survey of the Cargados CArajos shoals are over, and wont be touched by anyone for the next 10 to 15 years, and so is Amarend. There is a reason why i emphasized on the number of years, because the last successfull survey was carried out by one Lieutenant Mudge of the Royal Navy in the year 1832 !! and thatz a quite big number. 

          On the final phase,our GPS observation and Tide observation team was dismantling the settings and getting back for the ship and I'd sent across a chocolate bar, specifically for Amarend, and they did....placed that chocolate bar on his memorial, bid farewell to him!!

          As i was manouvering my ship from the anchorage and setting course for mauritius, i turned back into those reefs of Cargados, hoping to see him wave at me, sent a kiss in the air for him, a kiss for my brother Amarend.....Goodbye Cargados....Goodbye Amarend.