How crucial it was for all of us. 1980 is simply a strike and the beginning of the foundation of "Solidarity". That's besides the year I started running.
A cruise, like everyone else. Gdynia, we burden coal, respective days and scope Italy: Vado and Savonna, then the charming Genoa. From there, it was to be called a ‘flight’ (read ‘rejs’) to the United States for corn and back to Europe, about 100 days. However, the telegram received shortly before decoupling changes this plan: after the US (finally celebrated port of Philadelphia) with corn we are to sail to Japan. This amazed us enormously, as no ship of Polish Maritime Shipping has sailed to Japan for a long time. Our plans after the cruise took us over and we were devastated (the dimension of the cruise itself extended from 100 to about 240 days!!!) But then more and more our thoughts ran to the country of blossoming cherries, we were curious. The adventure, as it turned out, was just ahead of us.
While loading corn in Philadelphia, it turned out to be earned. The crew went to the Benjamin Franklin Hotel, and grenades were thrown into the hold with gas on the bug. For me it was an excellent chance to meet the duplicate town of Toruń – Philadelphia. Finally, after effective fumigation, we sailed with a fresh burden of corn.
Washed deck, wave noise, sense of ‘family’ on board. We're heading for another sky and neighborhood, as the Petty Officer utilized to say. The Panama Canal is the only way to go. On the way to visit the Panamanian ports of Cristóbal and at Balboa exit. It was from Balboa on June 1, 1980 that I ran my first training on the ground to Panama after I quit smoking 3 days earlier. From that day on, I became a keen runner, a habit that I inactive gotta this day. Behind the canal a fewer hours, we pass then the immense numbers of sharks (unfortunately, this species is now threatened with extinction by debilitating fishing especially on the Asian market, to “the soup of shark fins”. My next small vacation due to the fact that I'm entering the Pacific for the first time. We're heading for the setting sun. Nobody's gonna take distant these sights from me. It was the only fair payment with separation from household and loved ones.
On each of the ships on which I was muzzled, I was usually close to the radio officer. We know – communication with the country, family. The ‘radio’ gave us good and bad news. He was officially receiving the paper “The Voice of the Sailor”, but it was news censored... So we usually learned more from radio stations: Radio Montreal, Washington or cult Free Europe. However, it is from the radio officer that we learn about the boycott by most Western Olympic states in Moscow, as sanctions against the USSR for intervening in Afghanistan. individual from the crew came up with a superb thought to play our ship's “opympics”. There were 3 divisions: hotel, device and navigators. My hotel department won and I besides enjoyed the individual victory.
It was on this cruise that we missed 1 day from the calendar, an authoritative global change of date. On our way back from Japan, we had 2 Wednesdays – the balance turned zero.
As we arrived at the port of Sakai in Japan, we were compelled by the evening of the "shining sea", a miracle of nature, a bioluminescent zooplankton that we saw in the kilwater (track way on the water). You can't forget it if you can't forget the Northern Lights. Japan is simply a separate topic. Good thing I got to know this beautiful country.
From Japan, we sail with cargo to Canada, to the port of Vancouver. I called this port ‘Zakopane and Sopot in one’. It was there that we saw in the exhibition windows of the shops, a photograph of Władysław Kozakiewicz with a celebrated gesture. I told him about it after respective years, erstwhile he was a guest at the beginning of the Peace Marathon in Warsaw, then at Stadium X – he flies. He took it with a smile.
In mid-August, the radio officer informs us of a strike in Gdańsk Shipyard. I go to his compartment and we perceive to the radio. Nervous. Questions – will the Russians come in or not? Anxiety about the countrymen, about the situation, about the future, about the loved ones and friends. From this point on, we were cut off from radio contact with Poland, complete deficiency of contact (held by Poland for the full duration of the strike...). It filled our hearts with fear and fear. There were moments of pride and hope erstwhile on their return crossing the Panama Canal on passing crew ships admit our nationality and shout Bravo Polonia, Bravo Wales! During the cruise the crew of our ship m/s “Studies” made a drop for strikers. 1 of his colleagues went to the Shipyard in Gdańsk after the cruise. It was the only way we could aid our countrymen fight for a better future for all of us.
It's been a typhoon in the Atlantic a long time. Radio Officer receiving SOS signal – we save the crew of the Canadian yacht “Sea Dream”. 3 days later, they're being picked up off our deck by Coast defender U.S. Navy helicopters.
The strike is coming to an end, there is constant anxiety in us and we perceive during breaks at work. At the same time, news of the railway crash close Toruń was heard. Questions in my head, erstwhile the dream doesn't want to come to a boat berth, wasn't there individual in my household there? deficiency of contact doesn't help.
"Yes, we are standing" is an eternal watch commandant on the Captain's Bridge ending the cruise after arriving at kei. We finished our second September 1980 at the French wharf (this is where the transatlantic “Stefan Batory” docks).
We learn more from port workers about the strike. We know that a fresh trade union of NSZZ “Solidarity” on the ship has been made a dollar drop, and we have added a tiny brick to the War State in Poland, described by me in my book “Runners in the Ocean”:
"At a halt in the Belgian port of Ghent, a typical of Solidarity for Western Europe came to the captain. There was a martial law in Poland at the time. After talking to the captain and our agreement, respective giant boxes were delivered to the ship. What was inside? We didn't know officially. There were hundreds of tulip bulbs upstairs. The packages came from Gdynia. My occupation was to lock those packages in the cabin, the customs officer sealed the door. Upon arriving in Gdynia, we acted as planned: we opened the filling compartment and left the ship all night. The next morning the compartment was empty.”
