Seafarer's Log: Palk bay chronicles, A season of Giving, Owning, Losing and resurrecting Hope!

       

Once I was scrolling through the timeline in twitter and I found an interesting line from a handle called “Uberfacts” which read that there’s an autonomous nervous system situated somewhere in our gut, eventually coining the term “Gut-feeling” and it can almost be correct…Almost!  If this tweet is an epiphany for many then the immediate character who utilized it in a very recent occasion would be George Clooney in his movie “Gravity” where he repeatedly informs Houston about his ‘gut feeling’ about the current mission and within minutes it proves correct. 

Frankly, i had such a hunch before this deployment and it was more or less correct....but there's no giving up ....we're here to stay!! And we move on......

This time I started my second phase of an unfinished job in the same location, Indo-Lankan IMBL.  The weather warnings were present speaking about the presence of a well marked low pressure building up south of Sri Lanka and a high possibility that it can make way through the area of my operation.  The ocean was calm and calmer as we were approaching the area.  The visibility at sea was the best ever I had encountered, a whooping 25 Nautical miles, where I could see the TV tower situated in Rameshwaram, the southern tip of peninsular India. 

The cloud patterns were so magnanimous that sunrise and sunsets was a feast for the senses.  Believe me, there exists a brief moment of calmness before the storm!! And it happened so.  The sea started picking up very slowly and reached wind speeds upto 45 knots (again a first time for me) and heavy passing showers, we all hoped that our anchor holds well.  The sleepless watches made each n everyone’s vision into a tunnelled one taxing the body and mind.  But, tough times never last…and so the storm weathered, and we were back in action. 

Once again I had an opportunity to set up a tidal observation camp in a place called ‘Sethubavachathram”  a village 6 kms south of Mallipattinam, Tamizh-nadu.  As usual me and my fellows were greeted as V.V.I.P, tell me why ?? because  (in my opinion) the only people who reach a remote area on a helicopter are either politicians or tide-camp setting up party!! The entire children of the village created a human barricade for us to transit to the nearby harbour where we will be doing the rest of setting up, imagine Pipe piper of Hamelin may be that’s the befitting explanation.

As we were into further actions of our setting up of tide camp the number of spectators grew thin and eventually none were there, except the watchmen of trawlers.  There I met a boy who just completed his graduation, named Tamizh-arasan, translated term would be “the King of tamizh”.  Hailing from a fishermen family, surprisingly a graduate in Commerce but unaware of what to do next. 

To be frank, we generally come across many kind hearted villagers who , no matter what, are ready to help us in our job. Initially I thought that Tamizharasan would not disappoint since his posture exclusively fell in that category.  But he stood apart, breaking all my illusion about what a boy who hopes a better future would be.  As our setting up part progressed so was the conversation with the boy, and he helped us in finding an accommodation nearby in a reasonable rate with an assurance that all required help for my crew , who will be in the area for the next 2 weeks, will be provided.  Tamizharasan lacked all the logistics back up (technically), and all I could understand was a helplessness of a guy who just completed his education with all the might but still finding himself being sucked up into the sea as a fisherman.  The best I could do…??? I promised him….i promised him that I would get back to him through letters and possibly get him all required books and materials.  As this is a hope I’m giving him and I would like to hold the fort as long as possible. 

As our work progressed, the morale and spirit of us seamen was put to test by none other than the unforgiving sea, swell, winds all fuelled to the epitome by the scourging summer.  One by one the tolerance of the equipments wore out.  As the saying goes, pressure and time can make diamonds at the same time it can make steel wires snap and as a result lose your vital equipments, or sometimes (the worst) can make a human brain snap briefly.  And that’s exactly what happened; one of our equipment vanished! Possibly thrown overboard by a brain who snapped….and then starts a long procedure of enquiries pointing fingers to every nook n corner and to every tom, dick and harry!!  I was not spared either….as I found myself in the suspect’s list (once again in life).  What a pity!! That the very own thing that you try to outrun, seeks you and embraces you…like a never ending vicious cycle.  The hope for finishing a phase of the job broke in its very own foundation. 

As on this day, the 25^th May as I sit in my cabin listening to the random tracks playing in the laptop I feel the pain, the tiredness, the agony at this unforgiving moment.  At such situation the only place I stare into is the vastness, and that unknown aura of the ocean which soothes you, like an unknown method of meditation,  where you and only you can speak to yourself, to the wind, to the waves and that relentless spirit of ocean.

And then the track aptly appeared on my pc, “high hopes” by pink Floyd....