Quotessence
Home / Topics / Ships Quotes

Ships Quotes

Browse 1547 quotes about Ships.

Related topics

SeaIfsMenSailPeopleWorldKnowsCaptainsSailingWayThinkingWindWarWaterWantOceanShouldMayPortStillsSaidSailing ShipsTwoBoatSpaceLongWellsSinkingBigsInspirationalLittlesNavyStatesCoursesShips At SeaCruiseLooksMindSailorShoreFunnyGivingHas BeensLandNeedsStarsCruise ShipsFirstsHumansRuddersWaveMadeMeanStormYearsBoardsCrewHeartRunningThreeBookHandsHomeHousePirateAmericaEarthLightSailing And The SeaBuiltEndsFeelsIdeasNauticalNightSteersDifferentMatterMovingTryingUsedEnoughHarborsJourneySoulWaitingFireHelpingLostSafeArtFightingKindLifeNamesPastWholeBelieveChildrenCitiesmore

Ships Quotes

“Keefe?' Amy repeated, her lips curling into a grin. 'He's the supercute blonde guy you picked up cookies for, right? The one who keeps staring at you all intense when I met him, like you were the only person that mattered to him in the entire universe?' Someone coughed near the doorway. It was probably Grady, maybe Edaline too, but Sophie decided she would rather not know who was eavesdropping. 'He doesn't stare at me like that,' she said, hoping her cheeks weren't blushing too badly. It didn't help that Ro kept cackling beside her. ... 'I swear, you have no idea how lucky you are, getting to be around so many gorgeous boys all the time. I don't know how you haven't dated any of them--or have you?' 'She tried with Fitzy,' Ro answered for her. 'But then she realized he was too boring, so they broke up.' 'That's not what happened!' Sophie argued--over lots more coughing from the doorway. 'We didn't really date. We just sort of... liked each other... openly. But then it got super complicated, so we decided to focus on being friends. ... Why are we talking about this?' Sophie asked ... 'Because it's fun watching you get all red and fidgety!' Amy told her. 'Plus, there's a chance our boy is somewhere nearby, listening to this conversation,' Ro added before she raised her voice to a shout. 'Hear that, Hunkyhair? Get your overdramatic butt back here! Your girl is single--and the great Foster Oblivion is over! This is what you've been waiting for!' 'Hunkyhair?' Amy asked, raising one eyebrow as Sophie contemplated smothering herself with her blankets. 'Great Foster Oblivion?' 'Never mind,' Sophie mumbled, sinking deeper into her blankets.”

ShipsOblivionLolKotlcKeefeSokeefeAwwwww The Feels
Book:Stellarlune
Create image

“Then on the River I saw the dream-built ship of the god Yoharneth-Lehai, whose great prow lifted grey into the air above the River of Silence. Her timbers were olden dreams dreamed long ago, and poets' fancies made her tall, straight masts, and her rigging was wrought out of the people's hopes. Upon her deck were rowers with dream-made oars, and the rowers were the people of men's fancies, and princes of old story and people who had died, and people who had never been.”

DreamsMythologyShips
Author:Lord Dunsany
Create image

“All is as if the world did cease to exist. The city's monuments go unseen, its past unheard, and its culture slowly fading in the dismal sea.”

LifeRomanceDeathSexWaterMusicDreamsMagicSacrificeRainEmptyScience FictionJazzShipsPianoPoemsWakingAbandonedGreek MythologyApocalypseGhostsHauntingGothicShakespeareTempestMagickSongsAmnesiaDamnationStormsReflectionsDesolatePuddlesMasqueradeAndroidsEmily DickinsonCountSpectreHauntsMannequinsCityisleCityspireCarrackFedoraHorace WalpolePhillip K DickSpecters
Author:Nathan Reese Maher
Create image

“When De Long arrived in California with Emma that May, he went straight down to the yard and feasted his eyes upon his new ship. He was smitten by the transformation that had taken place during his absence. "I am perfectly satisfied with her," he wrote. "She is everything I want.”

True LoveShipsExplorationExplorersVesselsWhat Men Want
Book:In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette
Create image

“Now he sat alone; on a disabled starship about fifty years from anywhere on conversion drive – assuming he still had that. Insurance was a good thing – a very good thing - but it wasn’t going to help him much out here. The highlight of his afternoon was going to be staring at the blinking bridge instrumentation – which just happened to be running on the emergency batteries and actually blinking, like for real. Moreover, since his mutinous crew had made off with the Short Shit, the ships only shuttle, he was facing quite a problem”

RealProblemShipsAloneHelpAfternoonCrewNowLikeTheAThatAboutJustShitThingHimVeryOnHisHereEmergencyWhichInstrumentationHadShuttleStarshipBlinkingGood ThingConversion DriveMoreoverMutinous
Book:Blachart
Create image

“When your heart, from chills, is stiff, feint memories, of remembrance will come like a whiff, warm your heart will, they will melt the ice, and again you will feel nice, memories like that a pier constitute, where your ship can rest, where again life is cute, there you can go in all times of need, when it’s hope you need, on your hope you can feed…”

LoveLifeHopeMemoriesShipsNeedHeartsTime Of Need
Book:На чист Български...: Pristine Bulgarian sayings...
Create image

“Do we not each dream of dreams? Do we not dance on the notes of lost memories? Then are we not each dreamers of tomorrow and yesterday, since dreams play when time is askew? Are we not all adrift in the constant sea of trial and when all is done, do we not all yearn for ships to carry us home?”

LifeRomanceDeathSexWaterMusicDreamsMagicSacrificeRainEmptyScience FictionJazzShipsPianoPoemsWakingAbandonedGreek MythologyApocalypseGhostsHauntingGothicShakespeareTempestMagickSongsAmnesiaDamnationStormsReflectionsDesolatePuddlesMasqueradeAndroidsEmily DickinsonCountSpectreHauntsMannequinsCityisleCityspireCarrackFedoraHorace WalpolePhillip K DickSpecters
Author:Nathan Reese Maher
Create image

“I can’t help but ask, “Do you know where you are?” She turns to me with a foreboding glare. “Do you?”

LifeRomanceDeathSexWaterMusicDreamsMagicSacrificeRainEmptyScience FictionJazzShipsPianoPoemsWakingAbandonedGreek MythologyApocalypseGhostsHauntingGothicShakespeareTempestMagickSongsAmnesiaDamnationStormsReflectionsDesolatePuddlesMasqueradeAndroidsEmily DickinsonCountSpectreHauntsMannequinsCityisleCityspireCarrackFedoraHorace WalpolePhillip K DickSpecters
Author:Nathan Reese Maher
Create image

“There is a stillness between us, a period of restlessness that ties my stomach in a hangman’s noose. It is this same lack in noise that lives, there! in the darkness of the grave, how it frightens me beyond all things.”

LifeRomanceDeathSexWaterMusicDreamsMagicSacrificeRainEmptyScience FictionJazzShipsPianoPoemsWakingAbandonedGreek MythologyApocalypseGhostsHauntingGothicShakespeareTempestMagickSongsAmnesiaDamnationStormsReflectionsDesolatePuddlesMasqueradeAndroidsEmily DickinsonCountSpectreHauntsMannequinsCityisleCityspireCarrackFedoraHorace WalpolePhillip K DickSpecters
Author:Nathan Reese Maher
Create image

“History doesn’t start with a tall building and a card with your name written on it, but jokes do. I think someone is taking us for suckers and is playing a mean game.”

LifeRomanceDeathSexWaterMusicDreamsMagicSacrificeRainEmptyScience FictionJazzShipsPianoPoemsWakingAbandonedGreek MythologyApocalypseGhostsHauntingGothicShakespeareTempestMagickSongsAmnesiaDamnationStormsReflectionsDesolatePuddlesMasqueradeAndroidsEmily DickinsonCountSpectreHauntsMannequinsCityisleCityspireCarrackFedoraHorace WalpolePhillip K DickSpecters
Author:Nathan Reese Maher
Create image

“I steal one glance over my shoulder as soon as we are far from the foreboding luminance of the neon glow, and it is there that my stomach leaps into my throat. Squatting just shy of the light and partially concealed by the shade of an alley is a sinister silhouette beneath a crimson cowl, beaming a demonic smile which spans from cheek to swollen cheek.”

LifeRomanceDeathSexWaterMusicDreamsMagicSacrificeRainEmptyScience FictionJazzShipsPianoPoemsWakingAbandonedGreek MythologyApocalypseGhostsHauntingGothicShakespeareTempestMagickSongsAmnesiaDamnationStormsReflectionsDesolatePuddlesMasqueradeAndroidsEmily DickinsonCountSpectreHauntsMannequinsCityisleCityspireCarrackFedoraHorace WalpolePhillip K DickSpecters
Author:Nathan Reese Maher
Create image

“She leaves my side and heads deeper into the apartment singing, “—if the spirit tries to hide, its temple far away… a copper for those they ask, a diamond for those who stay.”

LifeRomanceDeathSexWaterMusicDreamsMagicSacrificeRainEmptyScience FictionJazzShipsPianoPoemsWakingAbandonedGreek MythologyApocalypseGhostsHauntingGothicShakespeareTempestMagickSongsAmnesiaDamnationStormsReflectionsDesolatePuddlesMasqueradeAndroidsEmily DickinsonCountSpectreHauntsMannequinsCityisleCityspireCarrackFedoraHorace WalpolePhillip K DickSpecters
Author:Nathan Reese Maher
Create image

“I rouse Emily to our guests, as she finishes off our fifteenth snowman by setting the head atop its torso. She stands limp at my direction, pointing out the coming shadows and I cannot help but hear a muffled sigh as she decapitates her latest creation with a single push of her hand.”

LifeRomanceDeathSexWaterMusicDreamsMagicSacrificeRainEmptyScience FictionJazzShipsPianoPoemsWakingAbandonedGreek MythologyApocalypseGhostsHauntingGothicShakespeareTempestMagickSongsAmnesiaDamnationStormsReflectionsDesolatePuddlesMasqueradeAndroidsEmily DickinsonCountSpectreHauntsMannequinsCityisleCityspireCarrackFedoraHorace WalpolePhillip K DickSpecters
Author:Nathan Reese Maher
Create image

“That’s a stupid name! Whirly-gig is much better, I think. Who in their right mind would point at this thing and say, ‘I’m going to fly in my Model-A1’. People would much rather say, ‘Get in my whirly-gig’. And that’s what you should name it.”

LifeRomanceDeathSexWaterMusicDreamsMagicSacrificeRainEmptyScience FictionJazzShipsPianoPoemsWakingAbandonedGreek MythologyApocalypseGhostsHauntingGothicShakespeareTempestMagickSongsAmnesiaDamnationStormsReflectionsDesolatePuddlesMasqueradeAndroidsEmily DickinsonCountSpectreHauntsMannequinsCityisleCityspireCarrackFedoraHorace WalpolePhillip K DickSpecters
Author:Nathan Reese Maher
Create image

“To-day a rude brief recitative, Of ships sailing the seas, each with its special flag or ship-signal, Of unnamed heroes in the ships—of waves spreading and spreading far as the eye can reach, Of dashing spray, and the winds piping and blowing, And out of these a chant for the sailors of all nations, Fitful, like a surge. Of sea-captains young or old, and the mates, and of all intrepid sailors, Of the few, very choice, taciturn, whom fate can never surprise nor death dismay. Pick'd sparingly without noise by thee old ocean, chosen by thee, Thou sea that pickest and cullest the race in time, and unitest nations, Suckled by thee, old husky nurse, embodying thee, Indomitable, untamed as thee. (Ever the heroes on water or on land, by ones or twos appearing, Ever the stock preserv'd and never lost, though rare, enough for seed preserv'd.) Flaunt out O sea your separate flags of nations! Flaunt out visible as ever the various ship-signals! But do you reserve especially for yourself and for the soul of man one flag above all the rest, A spiritual woven signal for all nations, emblem of man elate above death, Token of all brave captains and all intrepid sailors and mates, And all that went down doing their duty, Reminiscent of them, twined from all intrepid captains young or old, A pennant universal, subtly waving all time, o'er all brave sailors, All seas, all ships.”

PoemShipsExplorationSailorsSeasSong For All Seas All Ships
Book:Leaves of Grass
Create image

“Cry no tears for us, my friend.” I pry at her fingers, panicking to be released in fear that she may drag me into death with her. She croaks again, “Lend no aches to the dreams of yesterday.” From the corpse of Warren, his greyish gums smack from whatever goo has settled in his mouth, “Allow the tide sweep free the bay.” Then together they sing in zombie choir, “And home the ships sailing send.”

RomanceDeathDreamsSacrificeShipsWakingZombieGothicTempestStormsWater For ElephantsCityisleCityspire
Author:Nathan Reese Maher
Create image

“May every morning for us carefree be, may every morning make us feel free, our dreams with us to be for life, like fleets of ships, in skies to sail, running rife… Our smiles to bring to others joy, hearts with sweetness filling every ploy, our life - lifelike, like on ancient tapes, to live in the moment, from youth to not escape…”

MomentsMorningSkyYouthShipsSailingSweetnessEscapeCarefreeLifelike
Book:На чист Български...: Pristine Bulgarian sayings...
Create image

“Neither Felicity nor James Heron paid much attention to the reports. They had other things on their minds. All too soon they would have to part, each to their own roles and duties. Both were aware of this, and both needed to enjoy their last few hours together. Who knew what the future might throw at them? Felicity reached out and shut down the holo display of the broadcast, then she surrendered to his attentions. In a few hours they must part, but now they could live in the moment, and in each other’s arms.”

ActionSpaceFictionAdventureDramaWeaponsExcitingShipsIntrigue
Book:First into the Fray
Create image

“When they reached their ship, Ed gazed out at the bay. It was black. The sky was black, but the bay was even blacker. It was a slick, oily blackness that glowed and reflected the moonlight like a black jewel. Ed saw the tiny specks of light around the edges of the bay where he knew ships must be docked, and at different points within the bay where vessels would be anchored. The lights were pale and sickly yellow when compared with the bright blue-white sparkle of the stars overhead, but the stars glinted hard as diamonds, cold as ice. Pg. 26.”

LoveStoriesSexAdventureRacismShipsSexismUnrequited LoveNavySegregationCubaProstitutionOld DaysHomophobiaShort StoriesRite Of PassageHavanaSavannahShort Story Collection1950sHigh SeasDeep SouthPolitical IntrigueAdolescent Angst
Book:Once upon a Decade: Tales of the Fifties
Create image

“Hey. What's your ship's name, anyway?' 'Blip-A.' 'No, I mean. What do you call it?' 'Ship.' 'Your ship has no name?' 'Why would ship have name, question?' 'I shrugged. 'Ships have names.' He points to my pilot's seat. 'What is name of you chair, question?' 'It doesn't have a name.' 'Why does ship have name but chair no have name, question?' 'Never mind. Your ship is the Blip-A.' 'That is what I said. Flash in ten seconds.' 'Copy.”

FunnyNamesShipsAliensBack And ForthAlienAndy WeirProject Hail MaryRockyRyland Grace
Book:Project Hail Mary
Create image

“During World War II pets were allowed aboard British war ships and Blackie was the HMS Prince of Wales's ship's pet cat. . In August 1941 he became famous after the ship carried Prime Minister Winston Churchill across the Atlantic to Canada where he net Franklin D. Roosevelt to agree on the Atlantic Charter. After the declaration of the Charter, as Churchill prepared to depart from the ship, Blackie approached him at the gangway and bid Prime Minister Churchill farewell. In honor of that moment Blackie was renamed Churchill. Later Blackie survived the sinking of Prince of Wales by the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Service later that year, and was rescued and taken to Singapore with the other survivors”

ShipsWorld War IiCatsChurchillMma Captain Hank BrackerPet Stories
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, The Exciting Story of Cuba
Create image

“Throughout the year we worked at maintaining and painting the vessels secured at the Academy waterfront. The school had lifeboats, running boats, sailboats, a wooden-hulled “Submarine Chaser” and the “Training Ship.” During the years that I was at the Academy, most of these ships and boats, being holdovers from World War II, were hardly new. They were in constant need of maintenance and repair, which, of course, fell to us midshipmen. Most of the other academies had the funding to hire a permanent maintenance staff, but not us. At MMA we took pride in what we did and we were the ones who took care of almost everything. Every winter, for all the years that I was at Maine Maritime Academy, we sailed from Castine, Maine, to the warm waters of the Caribbean in January. In The Tricks End, our yearbook, the Caribbean was called our third home. It gave us something to look forward to, and it gave us the practical, seagoing training we needed to become officers in the United States Maritime Service.”

ShipsCaptain Hank BrackerSea StoriesMaine Maritime AcademyMaine HistoryNautical History
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Salty & Saucy Maine"
Create image

“The color of the ocean certainly looked different as we steamed north, using the Gulf Stream to give us an additional 3 knots of headway. The beautiful green sea gave way to a steel-colored blue-gray frigid foam. It was early spring now and although the weather in New England still had the feeling of winter, the migratory birds knew better. The cold wind hummed as it blew through the ships rigging and with every turn of the screw, we relentlessly inched farther North. After three months of tropical weather, we now welcomed the dryer frosty air. We represented Maine, this was our environment, and this year, March did not disappoint us. We knew enough to expect that in this changeable weather it could snow well into April. In fact the farmers in the Northeast call a late snow “Poor man’s fertilizer.”

SpringSnowShipsCaptain Hank BrackerMaineSea Stories
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One"
Create image

“With the sound of three short blasts on the ship’s whistle, we backed away from the pier. This ship was unlike most ships and we all noticed a definite difference in her sounds and vibrations. At that time, most American vessels were driven by steam propulsion that relied on superheating the water. The reciprocating steam engines, with their large pistons, were the loudest as they hissed and wheezed, turning a huge crankshaft. Steam turbines were relatively vibration free, but live steam was always visible as it powered the many pumps, winches, etc. Steam is powerful and efficient, but can be dangerous and even deadly. Diesel engines were seldom used on the larger American ships of that era, and were not considered cost or energy efficient. The Empire State was a relatively quiet ship since she only used steam power to drive the turbines, which then spun the generators that made the electricity needed to energize the powerful electric motors, which were directly geared to turn the propeller shafts. All in all, the ship was nearly vibration free, making for a smooth ride. We all had our sea projects to do and although they were not difficult, they were time consuming and thought of as a pain in the azz. The best time to work on these projects was while standing our make-work, lifeboat watches. One of the ship’s lifeboats was always on standby, hanging over the side from its davits. Day and night, we would be ready to launch this boat if somebody fell overboard. Fortunately, this never happened, so with little else to do we had plenty of time to do our projects.”

ShipsCaptain Hank BrackerLifeboatsMaine Maritime AcademyMaine History
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Salty & Saucy Maine"
Create image

“It was hard for me to believe that I had graduated from High School the week before and was now a crewmember on a Dutch ship. This was my first job aboard ship and now I found myself heading down the Hudson River, past the Statue of Liberty. There wasn’t much time for sightseeing since the dinner chimes had been rung and the few passengers we had, were coming into the dining room. No one had explained my duties but I watched the other stewards and followed suit. I must have been a fast learner since amazingly enough all went well, and before I knew it the dining room was empty and it was cleanup time. I’m certain that having worked in my uncle’s restaurants helped but I’m glad I survived without any mishaps. I knew that tomorrow would go even smoother now that I understood the routine. I really don’t know if getting a job aboard a foreign ship was easier in the “50’s” or was it that the ship needed another steward and I was willing to be a strike breaker? No one on the ship mentioned the strike and everyone treated me as just another member of the crew. Mostly everyone aboard spoke Dutch and amazingly enough I understood them. Dutch being a Germanic language was very similar to the German spoken in the lowlands, which included Hamburg. It didn’t take long before I was answering and then conversing with the crew…. Although I was on the bottom rung of the ladder I felt right at home. My bunk was at the top of a three bunk stack in the crew’s quarters, high up against the chain locker. The bathroom, called the “head” in English, didn’t have toilets or urinals. Instead I had to perfect my aim as I balanced myself over a hole in the deck. Fortunately there were places for my feet and handholds to help me stabilize myself in this balancing act. With no partitions for modesty I soon lost my inhibitions and became deft at this. At least they furnished the paper and considering it all, life was good!”

ShipsMmaCaptain Hank BrackerSea StoriesHollandMaritime Stories
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One"
Create image

“Being constantly active made time fly, and so it didn’t take long before the day of departure came. With the last of everything aboard, we set sail just as many did before us. We were among those that continued the tradition of... “they that go down to the sea in ships” and we were very aware that this tradition rested on our shoulders. On January 4, 1953, with the sound of three short blasts on the ship’s whistle, we backed away from the pier. This ship was unlike most ships and we all noticed a definite difference in her sounds and vibrations. At that time, most American vessels were driven by steam propulsion that relied on superheating the water. The reciprocating steam engines, with their large pistons, were the loudest as they hissed and wheezed, turning a huge crankshaft. Steam turbines were relatively vibration free, but live steam was always visible as it powered the many pumps, winches, etc. Steam is powerful and efficient, but can be dangerous and even deadly. Diesel engines were seldom used on the larger American ships of that era, and were not considered cost or energy efficient. The TS Empire State was a relatively quiet ship since she only used steam power to drive the turbines, which then spun the generators that made the electricity needed to energize the powerful electric motors, which were directly geared to turn the propeller shafts. All in all, the ship was nearly vibration free, making for a smooth ride.”

ShipsCaptain Hank BrackerSea StoriesMaine Maritime AcademyMaritime HistoryMaine History
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Salty & Saucy Maine"
Create image

“As cadets, we constantly hammered, scraped and wire brushed rusting steel, before applying red lead paint. Most of the paint we used was Navy surplus or a concoction made up of fish oil, lampblack and china dryer. We found that by mixing all different color paints, we would wind up with a paint we called “Shit Brindle Brown.” Inventiveness was key as we repaired, replaced, and painted the “TS State of Maine” from stem to stern. This work, being in addition to our studies, consumed all of our time. How we managed to fit all of this into the time we had, is still a mystery. The conversion of the ship was labor intensive and expensive, but the U.S. Maritime Commission contributed to the Academy’s financial needs where possible. The mounting expenses remained a challenge but we didn’t give up. We never did finish the entire conversion prior to our first cruise, but one thing we managed to do was paint over the name “USS Comfort” and hand letter in her new name “TS State of Maine.” If you looked carefully, you could still see her previous name outlined by a welded bead, but this was a minor detail that would eventually be taken care of. Perhaps because of my experience… the task of lettering her name and her new homeport on the stern became mine.”

ShipsCaptain Hank BrackerMaine Maritime AcademySea StoryHistory Of Maine
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Salty & Saucy Maine"
Create image

“It was during the early summer of 1952 that I found myself in the small community park next to Stevens Institute of Technology. Although I had a job, I had only worked as a “soda jerk” for a little over a week before I started looking for something else. The Hoboken waterfront was still familiar to me from earlier years when I walked this way to catch the trolley or the electrified Public Service bus home from the Lackawanna Ferry Terminal. Remembering the gray-hulled Liberty Ships being fitted out for the war at these dilapidated piers, was still very much embedded in my memory. Things had not changed all that much, except that the ships that were once here were now at the bottom of the ocean, sold, or nested at one of the “National Defense Reserve Fleets.” The iconic movie On the Waterfront had not yet been filmed, and it would take another two years before Marlon Brando would stand on the same pier I was now looking down upon, from the higher level of Stevens Park. Labor problems were common during this era, but it was all new to me. I was only 17 years old, but would later remember how Marlon Brando got the stuffing kicked out of him for being a union malcontent. When they filmed the famous fight scene in On the Waterfront, it took place on a barge, tied up in the very same location that I was looking upon.”

HistoryShipsCaptain Hank BrackerSea StoriesHobokenWaterfrontStevens Hoboken Academy
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One...."
Create image

“With the first rays of dawn coming from a huge orange sun, rising out of the Indian Ocean from the East, the Dominion Monarch passed the Durban bluffs and entered the protected harbor. A police boat escorted the ship in and stood by as it was secured. Everybody crowded close to the railings and looked down onto the concrete dock. From the ship you could see that there were police cars blocking the entry to the wharf area and it became quite apparent that something was amiss. The reason was soon made clear when the loudspeakers announced that before clearing the ship, everyone on board would be required to get a smallpox vaccination or present their international immunization card, to verify that they were in compliance. There had been an outbreak of smallpox and yellow fever throughout Africa especially in the Cape Province and in tribal areas. During the previous year, nearby Northern Rhodesia had reported several thousand cases of these diseases. It took hours, however everyone was happy when the health officials finally came aboard to do the vaccinating. The police boat lay in wait, until every last one of the passengers was immunized. Finally the announcement came that the ship was cleared so that we could go ashore. Not until then did the band strike up and play “God Save the King.”

HistoryShipsSouth AfricaCaptain Hank BrackerDurban
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Suppressed I Rise"
Create image

“The QSMV Dominion Monarch was launched in 1938 to be a luxury passenger liner. Designed with refrigerated cargo holds, she was built to connect Great Britain with other Commonwealth countries. At that time, “The Sun Never Set on the British Empire!” When World War II erupted, the Dominion Monarch was commandeered by the Crown, painted grey and served as a British Troop Ship for the duration of the war. After the war she was the ship that carried Adeline and her daughters back to South Africa. The Dominion Monarch was released from Government service on July 21, 1947 and was restored to being the magnificent ocean liner she was intended to be. The ship later served as a floating hotel for the Century Exposition in Seattle, Washington, before going to the breakers in Japan, on November 25, 1962….”

ShipsCommonwealthMaritime History
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Suppresed I Rise"
Create image

“Born in 1635, Henry Morgan was a Welsh plantation owner and privateer, which was really the same as a pirate, only with the consent of the king who was Charles II of England, Scotland, and Ireland at the time. Little is known about Morgan’s early life or how he got to the Caribbean. He began his career as a privateer in the West Indies and there is evidence that in the 1660’s he was a member of a marauding band of raiders led by Sir Christopher Myngs . Having an engaging personality he soon became a close friend of Sir Thomas Modyford, who was the English Governor of Jamaica. Captain Henry Morgan owned and was the captain of several ships during his lifetime, but his flagship was named the “Satisfaction.” The ship was the largest of Morgan’s fleet and was involved in several profitable conflicts in the waters of the Caribbean and Central America. More recently, on August 8, 2011, near the Lajas Reef, off the coast of Panama, a large section of a wooden hull, that is believed to have been the sail ship “Satisfaction,” was found by Archaeologists from Texas State University. In 1668 Captain Morgan sailed for Lake Maracaibo in modern day Venezuela. There he raided the cities of Maracaibo and Gibraltar and taking the available gold divested the cities of their wealth before destroying a large Spanish naval squadron stationed there. In 1671 Morgan attacked Panama City during which he was arrested and dispatched to London in chains. When he got there, instead of imprisonment he was treated as a hero. Captain Morgan was knighted and in November of 1674 he returned to Jamaica to serve as the territory’s Lieutenant Governor. In 1678 he served as acting governor of Jamaica and again served as such from 1680 to 1682. During his time a governor, the Jamaican legislature passed an anti-piracy law and Morgan even assisted in the prosecution of other pirates. On August 25, 1688 he died on the island, after which he became an inspiration and somewhat of a glorified hero in both pirate stories and in the movies.”

ShipsPiratesMma Captain Hank BrackerHistory Of The Caribbean
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, The Exciting Story of Cuba
Create image

“Seawater Two - Adventures in West Africa is part of a series of books illustrating the life and times of Captain Hank Bracker. Seawater Two follows his adventures as a young Ship's Captain and Harbor Pilot in Liberia, West Africa. This book takes the reader for a boat ride along the dangerous coast of Africa and into the interior by river, during the post WWII years. Being a no holds barred book it describes the environment, culture and personal encounters with the people of Liberia. It's not the kind of book you would want to put down until you have savored every page.”

ShipsAfricaSea StoriesLiberiaMma Captain Hank Bracker
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two...."
Create image

“When I joined Farrell Lines I didn’t know that I would become part of a legend. The company had a reputation of looking after its own and it was understood that the employees would also be willing to go the extra mile when called upon to do so. As for the rest, the company didn’t try to micro manage. As the captain of one of their ships I was, kind of, the lord and master. Of course this left the door open for a lot of shenanigans, some of which I will describe throughout the book. All in all, it was an exciting adventure!”

ShipsSea StoriesMma Captain Hank BrackerFarrell Lines
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two...."
Create image

“Once inside, I stood in the shadows where I knew that I was out of sight and carefully peered through the windows. What I saw made my heart skip a beat. It was Franz Knüppel, making his way between some of the huge bales of rubber towards the forward part of the ship. In the dark I fumbled for the signal pistol kept in a box on the bridge for emergencies and rammed a cartridge into its chamber. Not wanting to lose sight of Knüppel, I quietly stepped out onto the wing of the bridge, all the time keeping my eye on him…. I don’t think that he knew that he had been seen, because by this time he had made his way to the bollard holding our bow lines. Still trying to stay out of sight, I quickly stepped forward and watched as he suddenly took a few steps to where he could leap across the open space between the dock and the ship. “What’s he up to?” I thought, as I saw him coming down the port side of the Farmington closing the distance between us. My heart was racing as I stepped out of the shadows and pointed the pistol at him from the bridge and said in my most convincing way, “Get off my ship or I’ll fry your ba11s with a flare!” I was so nervous that had I pulled the trigger it could well have happened. “I’m just looking for Olaf,” he lied. Acting as judge and jury I proclaimed, “The hell you are, he’s dead, you killed him and now it’s your turn!” I never saw anyone move as fast. Knüppel jumped to the dock and ran, ducking between the big bales of raw rubber. Suddenly all of the lights on the dock came on, illuminating everything within sight. The watchman having heard the commotion had thrown the master switch and now started blowing his English Bobbie’s whistle as he gave chase. I knew that the watchman was no match for Knüppel and hoped that he wouldn’t have to confront him. By now the entire Port of Harbel was awake! I could see lights going on everywhere, but Franz Knüppel, the deserter from the French Foreign Legion, eluded the watchman and disappeared into the dark. I’m glad that I didn’t have to pull the trigger because I only had one shot handy and would have had to make it count. I don’t know where Knüppel went, but the night swallowed him up!”

ShipsSea StoriesWest AfricaMma Captain Hank BrackerMonrovia
Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two...."
Create image