I have neglected my Falkland adventure in favour of street art and haiku poems, but this blog began with a digitisation of a diary I wrote in 1988 whilst working as a fisheries scientist in the South Atlantic. I feel it is time for me to add another section from the diary. The context to this diary is set out in the first post I wrote entitled ‘An ill wind‘. I recommend you read this first post to get a feel for what this is all about. All of the posts can be seen in the ‘Falkland Journal, 1988’ category to the left of the screen. Enjoy.
Wednesday 8 June 1988. Montevideo, London Palace Hotel
Today there is a general strike. Like yesterday it is cool and overcast, but I can overcome this in my new jacket. Yo ho.
Most of the day on the Koei Maru 30. Watched bits od several films and then all of ‘Lethal Weapon’…again, and also a film called ‘Gotcha’. it was ok.
Ate my first sizable meal of sushimi today, it was good.
The Fishing Master told me, if I understood correctly, that his wife didn’t want him back, so he is prepared to stay in the zone as long as you like. Poor chap. I don’t really understand. Anyway it seems that if another observer comes on board, they will work, but not talk to him. Nice!?!
El Fogon – hotel bar – bed.
Thursday 9 June 1988. Montevideo, London Palace Hotel
‘So begins another weary day’ Grey Day.
Souvenirs
A very boring day on the Koei Maru 30. Oh I don’t know if I can bear it any more.
The crew seem to be in real ‘micky-taking’ mood, I think it has something to do with being in Montevideo.
It didn’t look like much refueling was going on today, so perhaps Brazil, here we come – who knows?
Friday 10 June 1988. Koei Maru 30
I checked out.
My visa receipt (N$ 103,172) amounts to roughly £172 for 11 days – a touch better than Emma’s
For the rest of the day I tried to kill time on the boat. I have forgotten how difficult it is. All the crew except Iyagi, who was on watch and in a horrific mood, and ‘Acne man’, had gone out on the town for the last time.
I needless to say, stayed in – no money no inclination. I bought a few special treats for myself, but stupidly some tobacco.
Saturday 11 June 1988. Koei Maru 30
We are at sea again – there was an eerie mist heralding a beautiful clear day – I took a few slides.
I have missed breakfast – quite a relief – it looks like eggs, eggs, eggs like before.
Saw loads of Magellanic penguins, but otherwise very little of interest happened.
Watched some films, including Indie Jones and the Temple of Doom – an irritating but quite enjoyable movie.
Sencho now tells me that when I go for my holiday, the Koei Maru will head for Japan – that’s not fair, it’s blackmail!
Sunday 12 June 1988. Koei Maru 30
The clocks on board are now set to Falkland time. I am overjoyed – I exaggerate. Radiod Mt ?? of KSJ to say that I’ll radio Fishops at KSJ tomorrow at 9.00 am. I have so much to say to John.
?? = Okaido or something of that sort.
It has become fairly rough and I have got my usual ‘second day at sea headache’.
I sorted things out with the Fishing Master and radio Radar – all seems ok-ish. They will also talk with John tomorrow.
Phoned Deb – highlight of the last fortnight – I am deliriously happy. I can’t help thinking though that she may have met someone – who can blame her? I would die if she had.
Abe said I could phone home tomorrow.
Natural adventures 
Yay a Falkland update, it’s what sucked me in the first time, and love the Madness quote
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Thank you for reading it and for getting the quote. I will try to be more diligent in updating the journal. Just got a bit sidetracked.
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Stephen,
Were I to be stuck on a ship with little to do, then I would happily pass the time reading your Falkland journal. Ethereal photos.
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Thank you. Writing the diary in blog form has been an exercise for me…something I have always wanted to do, but never had the tools to do it. That others might read and enjoy it is a genuine bonus.
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Oh, Deb. (smh)
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Yup. Looking bleak at this point.
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Well, you both made it, though!
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Watch this space.
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Scooj those photos of ships in the fog/mist are incredible. Have you done anything else with them? So atmospheric!
Best wishes,
Rowena
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Thank you. They are sitting in a slide box along with thousands of others. I keep thinking I’ll look at my slides again, but I don’t know when.
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It’s a cruel world for writers, photographers and the like. I’m in the same boat and in addition to my own photos, I have all the historic family photos, most of which are scans of the originals. Those are fantastic photos though so perhaps finding them and printing and framing some enlargements can be your first task. Getting the scans scanned would be a good job and you can get slide scanners which speed things up. I am wanting to collate my poetry. That task is also plagued with self doubt and a feeling that it needs reworking. I find it very hard to leave them alone and consider them done. That’s the perfectionist in me who really like to twist and turn my gut and make things difficult.
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There is a lot of merit in thoroughness but it can slow things. Better than getting things out of the door that are sub-standard
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Wise words, Scooj. Although our house is packed to the hilt, I do purge a few times a year and comparing the writing to clothing could help the culling process and could even amount to a post. There’s the stuff that’s dated, Worn out. The stuff you bought on sale that didn’t quite fit that you had grand hopes for. I definitely need to get cracking.
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