The merchant ships pull into ports and contact a chandler who outfits them with necessities from local suppliers. Fruits and vegetables, diesel fuel, socks, hawser, marine paint, anything the ship might have run out of after forty days at sea.
Bags of rags are important in the engine room, where diesel fuel is used to clean grease on fittings and decks. I reached into a bag once and pulled out a vintage Charlie’s Angels t-shirt that must have been sold by a U.S. scrap dealer to a Chinese rag dealer, who in turn resold them to the captain of our ship.
that was MY t-shirt, Jon. I’d like you to go back and get it for me.
Comment by e. march — September 26, 2006 @ 11:22 pm
I want that shirt.
Comment by Ian Rolston — August 19, 2007 @ 9:26 pm