Seawater was always in contact; corrosion automatically ate up the metal slowly. The cost of maintenance kept increasing & the inner rot couldn't be hidden. The crew was aware of the deterioration.
As the reputation of such barges went out in the public domain, very few
accepted to Captain them. The crew kept changing after every voyage, so the
sense of belonging to that barge also dwindled. It was like a taxi. Drivers
kept changing but the vehicle kept running. Handing taking over was brushed
aside. Old lady was pushed to her limits. Major repairs were neglected, due
to which it used to run aground sometimes.
Sometimes the Captain and Chief officer didn't gel due to their personal
differences. On the barge, tasks were clearly defined but still there used
to be an unseen friction between them. The crew noticed it and sometimes
took advantage of the situation. Some sided with the Captain and some with
the Chief creating groups on board. An unhealthy sign for things to come.
Team spirit took a hit.
One day, in the shipping business, the environment refused to hire this
barge. So a call was taken to send her to the dry docks for a complete
overhaul after a lot of atmchintan and atmmanthan. The Captain was changed
and another old hat hired. He would consult the higher headquarters for
every small thing. This man had his loyalties towards the higher command,
which was stationed far away. The task given to him was to get this barge
to be seaworthy for the next five years.
There was another company, which was fishing good people. Though that
company had a different ideology and way of functioning, the salaries they
were offering were very attractive. So people on this barge started to
drift to that side. They were viewing it as an opportunity for better
prospects and growth in their careers. They decided to take a leap.
The Chief Officer took along with him a sizable chunk of the crew. Every
barge has a stipulated crew. Less than the minimum hands, the barge is
moored. Once the complete crew is engaged, does it float again. For that
there is a lot of politics which happens. Negotiations, horse-trading,
luring, bribing, enticing by the new company takes place.
One has observed, as a person dealing with barges & their crews, there are
a lot of interpersonal relationship issues on board. Sometimes they have to
be pulled up, as they start taking chances, which can lead to disasters,
neglecting certain safety norms & code of conduct at sea.
The new Captains are in no position to start their new shipping company,
but keep cribbing all the time, what is wrong with the present system. The
rest of the crew aboard keep doing their job, so most of the daily routine
is looked into.
All this is in no way related to the 'Sc-India' and Pilot story. The Pilot
is about to take off. Where is he going to land? Appears to be quite
obvious. Why did he take off? I think the writing was on the wall from day
one. His friend Scindia scooted a few months back, probably that was the
trigger. Greener pastures, better future and better 'pol-i-tics'!
Personally, I like both these guys. I may not like the barge they were on
or the one they have leaped to, or about to build. I wish they can make
their own Ark like Noah did. They have the capability to take everyone
aboard the ship called India & run full steam ahead. What is in store? I
wonder!!!!!!!!
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