Tokyo airport customs cleared, on to baggage retrieval and out of the crowd stuck a sign with my name on it. I introduced myself and the JAL airlines stewardess explained that my luggage had found its way to San Francisco, not Japan. So with nothing more than the clothes I had on I set off on the bullet train to Hiroshima and the Mitsubishi shipyard where the SEDCO Phillip ss was being built.

Three weeks work in the shipyard saw me two pairs of work coveralls and two pairs of Japanese underpants better off in which to face the next twelve weeks sailing halfway round the world. In high spirits we left Hiroshima behind our sea going tug into the pacific, down towards Bali and out into the Indian ocean, heading deep into the southerly latitudes. Like so many maiden voyages before us, ours was plagued with disaster after disaster and some 16 weeks later found us skirting Madagascar and picking up new crew from Durban ,South Africa, sailing on down the African coast we were forced to stop in Cape town Bay for more repairs and then on up the coast of Africa more repairs in Algeciras and a surprise visit from our new boss Red Adair, in the flesh he was a lot shorter than John Wayne, thus is the way of all heroes!!!

Off again across the Bay of Biscay towards the Cornish coast and as we entered the channel shipping lanes a mighty storm hit us and we were driven astern and for six days we were sailing backwards in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. We survived the storm and finally popped out of the into the north sea and headed for Stavanger and then home to the UK or so we hoped, those hopes were dashed as we tried to enter

Stavanger harbour and found our way blocked by two Norwegian naval gunboats .Word reached us that two oilfield crew change choppers had crashed into the sea with the loss of 40 oil workers and flight crew. Our spirits dashed at the dreadful news, it was with heavy hearts that we finally made our way back to the UK and our loved ones. Our sea journey had taken almost twice as long as planned.