Quest of the Captain

By Laszlo Endrody

Join two ship captains, John Bolder and Captain Wilson, on an enthralling adventure at sea as they encounter pirates, cannibals, and corruption. "Quest of the Captain" is a must-read work of fiction that takes readers on a seafaring voyage filled with excitement, twists, and turns.

Captain Wilson is a hardworking ship captain who fights for honesty and follows his moral compass. He risks it all to start his own airline, and triumphs over every obstacle thrown his way.

Shortly after leaving the Army, John Bolder joins his three brothers in Alaska who have struck gold. He quickly learns that a life digging for riches comes with many ups and downs and decides to get involved in the shipping business where he strikes success.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098379674

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Quest of the Captain

© 2021 Laszlo Endrody

P.O. Box 1083

Cedar City, UT 84721

435-577-2402

[e-mail]

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Print ISBN: 9781098379667

eBook ISBN: 9781098379674

Table of Contents

Captain Wilson

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Bolder Towing Company

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Captain Wilson

By

Laszlo Endrody

Chapter One

The year was 1945, we got a C4 from the government to replace the C2 we lost two years ago going to England and I had to go to New York to pick it up. I had two chief engineers with me, one had some C3 time and the other had C2 time, there were no C4 people available. The ship used to be a troop carrier and all the hatches had to be converted to carry cargo, it would be a big cost. US Line and Waterman turned it down, so they offered it to us and we decided to go ahead and do all the work and convert it to freight; otherwise, they would give us a liberty ship or a well-used C2. Everything on the C4 was nearly new, she had very little service. One week was all we had to crew her up and get it out of here.

A big tugboat was available to tow us out to the anchorage, they tied up to us and we got an agent who tried to get us some ABs, firemen, mates and engineers. We got a second mate and two firemen from him, we needed cooks and stores and ordered two months of stores. After three days he delivered to the ship. The ship had fuel, both tanks were 3/4 full, enough to go to Europe and back twice. Now all I needed was a crew to take her south to New Orleans and let the shipyard work on the hatches. A lot of steel would come out for sale and hardwood flooring would go in.

The agent told me if I wanted a woman cook to call the IBU and they would get me a good cook. He gave me their number and I called them and said I needed a lady steward, two first cooks, one cook and baker, two messgirls, four ABs, one fireman, two oilers, one ordinary, one wiper, two mates coastwise and inland- any tonnage.

The IBU came and I told them that we were a towing company out of New Orleans, We have big ships too and we would go south and to the shipyard in New Orleans, our home port. Can you get me a couple C-Four engineers? I asked.

I will check on that and let you know.

If you can send them, okay. As soon as we have a crew we will head south.

The steward wants to know how much you pay a woman steward.

I don’t know right now, but they get paid the same as our captains on mickeys. We don’t have women’s wages; all wages are the same for men and women.

The IBU sent the crew out on a small bus, they came on board and the steward was with them. I got a crew list and put all of them down and the steward had the IBU wages and put them down for the cooks and all steward department personnel. The messgirls got the same as ordinary seamen and wipers. I had a second mate from the agent and he had the 4-8 watch. The IBU sent a master, coastwise 6,000 tons, and he got the 12-4 watch. I had the 8-12 watch with a mate, coastwise and inland 4,000 tons. The master had pilotage for Portland, Maine and Boston, he could go mate any tonnage; that was okay with me. I needed engineers and the agent promised to get me C4 engineers for all three watches and I got three engineers for all three watches rated for C4’s. We also got a chief engineer, C4 rated. We could sail, as far as the Coast Guard was concerned, with six ABs, three firemen and three oilers. The mates wanted three ordinaries, three wipers and the steward wanted four messgirls and one cook’s helper and two male BRs.

The steward wanted fresh ground meat, stew meat and rib roast. In Philadelphia, we could sail to the anchorage and get all she needed. Everything was delivered and I set the sailing board and sailed for Philadelphia. I called him back and told him we were sailing from New York to Philadelphia and he was shocked. The steward ordered everything we needed to be delivered in New York. We got fresh bread, milk, fresh ground meat, stew meat and roast meat, and it all came on board. Before sailing, the steward asked me to cut out the soup, I did, since she was making soup daily at lunch time. We had breakfast, lunch, and dinner served daily. I told her that after Philadelphia, we would stop in Jacksonville, Florida.

In Philadelphia, we went in with our pilot and anchored. She called in all that we needed; it would have to get us to Jacksonville. The milk and bread would not last, we would have to bake bread on the ship. We could keep eggs and meats in our cooler. We chose apples for our fruit; they would last a while.

I figured five to six days to Jacksonville- I was close. Here we needed fresh meats, bread, milk, eggs, lunch meats, cheeses and juices. We resupplied and I made a list of items to get for the slop chest and told the steward that it would be her job. After we leave New Orleans, we would need a slop chest: good shoes for men and women, underwear, socks, jeans, blouses and shirts, toothpaste, brushes, combs, beer, suntan lotions, razors and blades. We called our order in to Jacksonville and it came on board as soon as we got there. We got a lot of meats, they stayed fresh in our cooler: ground beef, sausage, stew meat, roast, rib and ground.

We had four days to get to the river and up to New Orleans. I called the shipyard and they said that we would go alongside their dock and two gangs would work every hatch. That’s ten gangs, I said.

We don’t have ten gangs, but we will do the best that we can, he promised.

Several men were short on tobacco, so I sent the steward to a store and she bought a bunch of cigars and cigarettes. I instructed her to put it in the slop chest and sell it to them. She asked me if I smoked. No, I said, You won’t be selling me any. I showed her where the slop chest was, it had shelves. Most of them smoke Chesterfields, I told her. In New Orleans you will have to get shoes and underwear and jeans and fill that store with all kinds of items. I will help you with it.

We had dinner at the dock and the pilot came and had dinner with us and took us out. All the stores were put away; the ship had a big cooler for a regiment, I figured there was a lot of room for fish when she gets to the West Coast; there’s not much fishing on the East Coast. Once we got out and the pilot got off, we put her back on sea-speed and started traveling. I figured that we would get a long rest at the shipyard. We got wide off the shore out of the coastal current and headed south, there was no traffic, so I finished my coffee and went below. I really lucked out with the mates, they were very good, they had a lot of boat time pushing barges; they’d be able to get unlimited tonnage on their licenses. Once we got by Key West, we steered a rhumb line for the river. The Gulf was a little choppy, but we moved right along.

That evening, the captain took the ship upriver and anchored close to the shipyard, he said we can go alongside in the morning. The shipyard pilot came out in the morning and had breakfast and took us in, two mickeys helped us alongside. The bosun opened all hatches and two gangs started in the fourth. Out came a lot of junk and well used mattresses, it all went into an empty barge alongside and would be towed out to sea and dumped. At noon, two more gangs started in the third hatch. We had lights in the hatches and they all had to be turned on; they had three generators and one had to be on and manned. The engine room was busy, they would inspect the boilers after they cooled down and all the machinery would be inspected. Everybody was on day work; everybody would get a day off and work the rest of the time. After three days, the fourth was finished. We went in to inspect the hold, pipe guards were damaged so we had to bring everything back to working shape.

I bought myself a pickup truck and went shopping with the steward. We went to several clothing stores and bought blouses, bloomers, undershirts, hose, garter belts her size and a size bigger and smaller and the same with jeans. We shopped for girls first, our girls needed a lot of things. We went to a shoe store and bought 30 pairs of shoes, all different sizes. Working shoes for the ladies and high-top lace-up work shoes for men, plus some extra laces. We got men’s jeans, a lot of men’s underwear, t-shirts, socks, belts, and pocket knives. We bought white coveralls for engineers and blue ones for the engine room gang (some ABs liked them too). For lunch, I stopped at a restaurant where all the stevedores ate and ordered soup, the steward ordered the same. They had a very tasty rice soup, the most popular item on the menu.

When I said no soup in port, you can send the men down here, I told her.

A couple stevedores came in and greeted me, Hello Captain. Everyone knew me in the area. A couple of them remarked, That’s a nice C-Four.

It will be working soon, I hope, I replied.

You brought it to the right place. (I guess they were from the shipyard.)

This is our home port, I said.

We went to the shipyard next and I got the bosun and three ABs to unload the pickup truck and bring it up to the slop chest. We went into my house and I told the steward, This is our office and home. I can call our ships from here. You girls stay here while we go to Peru and Brazil, they have cannibals in Peru. You girls can stay here and shop in port.

We carried all the items we bought up to the slop chest and put them on the shelves and priced them. I went to go see what the gangs had accomplished; a lot of items were in the trash, I guess it would take a lot of work. I saw some men starting to burn some steel sections, they pushed another barge over and it was halfway filled. One gang started in the first hatch.

I went up to the slop chest and a line was forming, all the girls were buying items- they had good credit. We needed more toothbrushes and toothpaste, razor blades, shaving soap, and hand soap. I wrote it all down and told the steward we’d better go shopping again tomorrow. She sold almost all the bloomers and socks and half the shoes. She wrote down the sizes that she sold so she could replace them, along with six different kinds of cigarettes and lighters.

We had a nice dinner. All the girls were wearing jeans and blouses; they looked pretty. After filling up on dinner, I got a long night’s sleep.

In the morning, I got up late and had eggs and a small sausage patty. I was ready with mine and the steward’s notes, and headed to store to buy the things we needed. We had soup for lunch again and pie. She spent all afternoon pricing everything at the slop chest. She had new blouses and she had to close the door, everybody wanted something. She put a sign out that said: Once a Week Slop Chest. Friday Evening at 1800. (I changed it to 1700).

In the morning, we went shopping again and the two of us had a good shopping list and we tried to get everything. I had a hard time finding the pocket knife I had, it was the kind sailors needed, and finally I found 20 of them. We bought two cases of cigarettes, six different kinds, it should last three months. We found some cigarette lighters too and got 10 of them. We got red shirts for the sailors and some nice blue blouses for the girls. We found red, black, and pink bloomers and bought all that they had. We got 60 pairs of socks and more jeans. For lunch, we had more of that delicious soup; and my steward went back to the kitchen and asked the cook how to make it. She told the cook that she could come over on the ship and show her how to make it. I’ll get you a day’s pay, the steward said. The cook came over that evening and showed her how to make two different soups, a big pot full of each. I went down and tried it, and it was fantastic. She had a lot of customers.

We went by my house again and I called Seattle and told them the C4 would be another three weeks, then we would get rice and bring it North. The steward asked me, When you go to Brazil will you get a male cook?

I think that I’ll put all you girls up in my office and bedroom and let you lock the door and give you a gun. You can all stay up there and hide. I will get four Winchester’s for the ABs on the bridge and they will watch out for you girls. No going out, the natives will shoot you with their blowguns and carry you away to butcher. Take some blankets and stay up there, use my room too. I can get some rest in the extra engineer’s room. All the doors to the house will be locked and food will be cooked ahead and a second engineer can warm it up and the men can help themselves to a bowl. You girls can take some bread and salami up there to snack on, we have canned soup and we can bring up soup in a bowl or stew. We’ll save a day by doing that. Every day is one thousand dollars. We can go straight for the canal and anchor in Cristóbal. We also have two mickeys headed to Cristóbal from New Orleans and four of you girls can be on those boats. Stay at my house and come to Cristóbal with the mickeys. The two mickeys will be lashed together and will have two mates, two ABs, two oilers, and one cook. Each boat will have one month of food. Once they are alongside the big ship, the cook won’t be cooking, just making coffee or you can have her help on the big ship. Two boats will stay in Vancouver for repairs and the crew stays with them. I will get the cook from the IBU. The oilers and one AB are on the boats and one will be coming from the IBU with a mate. Both mates will stay in the captain’s rooms. You will have the engineer’s room and the two girls will stay in the mate’s room on the crippled mickey. The engine will be overhauled in Richmond, the other engine is fine.

When will the ship be ready? she asked.

They put two gangs in the second, probably a week and we can sail. At the house, stay in the office so I can talk to you. I’ll give you money so you can buy food at the store and you can take the girls out to the restaurant, it’s two blocks away. Everything is in walking distance. Keep the place clean. It will be our home after we get married.

I didn’t know you were interested, she said.

You could probably be a good wife; I won’t have to beat you too often. I’m just kidding, I don’t beat women. You will not have to call me sir, as long as you obey and carry out all my orders.

Stop your kidding.

Yes, chief. When I ask you to marry me, do I have to get on my knees?

You just do what you want.

Well anyway, while you’re at the house, make a list of all the furniture needed. Your kitchen needs a refrigerator so it will keep all items, like milk, cold, and a kitchen table. We’ll get that tomorrow.

Do you have pots and pans to cook in? she asked.

I don’t know what’s out there, I said.

If the four of us eat breakfast here we will need a frying pan or two.

Start making a list on what to get tomorrow. We should look at some living room furniture too.

She said, You need carpets first.

It’s supposed to be hardwood flooring.

It is, but carpet is still nice.

We went to a store in the morning where they sold stoves and refrigerators, I told the steward to pick one that she would want- she picked a nice fridge that had half a freezer. I wanted it delivered this afternoon and I gave him the address and paid for it, they told me that they would be there after lunch. We had soup again and went home. Half an hour later, the fridge came on a truck and they wheeled it in. I was talking to my brother on the radio, and the steward came in and said, We have light, but no place to plug the refrigerator in.

I told her, I’ll have to get the first engineer over here, he can put a line in so we have a cooler.

The first came with the electrician and they got the parts they needed and ran a line over to the light switch and plugged the refrigerator in. They had a couple of beers and returned to the ship.

The next day I brought the 12-4 mate over, who had the masters for 6,000 tons, to the mickey with the good engine. The other 980 with the bad engine would have to be overhauled; I would probably have Richmond do it. I bought the two 980’s and I wanted the captain to start with them and bring them to Cristóbal when I called them.

I gave the steward the engineer’s room; it was a nice room with a bed and dresser and a big easy chair. I had the three girls stay in the mate’s room, it had three beds and chairs. I told the mate to move over, he had the oiler, the AB and cook. As soon as I was loaded in Brazil, I would call and he would come with the dead mickey tied up to him and head for Cristóbal. Both boats had the charts. He was getting a mate from the IBU and an AB for the second boat, but he was in charge. I told him both boats have to be pumped daily, otherwise the one boat was fine to take through the canal with the dead mickey alongside. He would have a mate and two ABs, two oilers, a cook, a chief steward, and three messgirls all helping as needed. On the Pacific side, we would make up the two boats to the C4 and he would go back on his watch with the new mate to help. The ABs and oiler would stay on the boats. We would go up to Costa Rica with the steward and buy oranges and bananas for the ship. He would probably run the boat unless I take it, depending on the time. We were getting the two 980’s in Vancouver and leaving them there for the trip. I would make arrangements for Richmond and take the boat once it is fixed and overhaul the big engine. We will pick it up or tell them to sell it, they’re both late model mickeys and will sell easily. A lot of the boats have been damaged at the shoulders and can be fixed without replacing the whole boat. These boats have to work at least another 20 years. They called the IBU to send the mate and AB; they talked to the cook and she had everything she needed.

Chapter Two

The barges were taken out to sea where they could dump the mess taken from the holds. They were all burning out sections of dividers and lifted them out with the cargo gear and stacked them on rail cars. The shipyard told me how much I owed and as soon as it was