In a few days, we approached the pilot station where a pilot ship was anchored in the distance. A small rubber boat departed from the pilot ship and headed for us. I was on the bridge with Captain Don Quixote, an able seaman, and 2nd Mate.
Captain Don Quixote gave orders, "I'm in command. Able seaman, man the wheel. Put us on manual steering." Captain Don Quixote turned his back to the front of the ship and looked at the able seaman.
I looked at 2nd Mate, who shook his head.
Captain Don Quixote crossed his arms behind his back and said, "Port 20."
Able seaman repeated the order, "Port 20."
The ship turned slowly to the left, and when the front end of the ship reached the pilot ship, Captain Don Quixote said, "Steady."
Able seaman repeated the order, "Steady."
Able seaman calmed the ship to go straight and looked at the pilot ship as we were on a collision course.
Captain Don Quixote bounced on his toes a few times and said, "Look at me, Able Seaman."
You could see the Able Seaman sweat. The pilot ship drifted, and after we entered a restricted zone, the pilot ship changed his course to avoid us. A small pilot boat departed towards us from the pilot ship. Whether it was luck or skill, Captain Don Quixote managed to follow every change of course pilot boat made, all while facing away from them. He almost ran over the pilot boat and headed straight for the pilot ship. The Able Seaman was terrified, trembling as he saw our ship heading toward a collision.
I walked down to get the pilot. As the pilot climbed up, he was hysterical as our ship continued straight for the pilot ship.
The pilot screamed in my face, "Who is in charge on the bridge? You are going straight for our pilot ship!"
I calmly said, "The Captain."
The hysterical pilot screamed, "Take me to the bridge now! Faster! Run! Run!"
I jogged to the bridge with the hysterical pilot pushing me from behind to go faster. As soon as we reached the bridge, the pilot forcefully opened the door, causing it to slam against the wall. Captain Don Quixote smiled and extended his hand for a handshake.
The pilot screamed at the able seaman, "Hard starboard! Hard starboard!"
The able seaman quickly turned hard starboard and said, "Hard starboard."
We passed the pilot ship very closely. People on the pilot ship stood around in shock. Some waved, while others held their heads. The hysterical pilot pressed the portable VHF radio on his chest, screaming and waving his right hand as he likely communicated with the pilot ship.
The hysterical pilot screamed at the able seaman, "Steady as she goes!"
The able seaman repeated the order, "Steady as she goes."
Captain Don Quixote said, "Look at this savage pilot. He didn't even shake my hand, and he is screaming and giving orders on my bridge."
Captain Don Quixote didn't understand the fuss between the pilot ship and the hysterical pilot.
The hysterical pilot addressed the Captain, "Captain, why did you leave the pilot boarding area and enter the restricted zone where you almost hit our pilot ship?"
Captain Don Quixote pointed at the radar and said, "I don't know what you are talking about. Look, we are in the area designated for ships."
The hysterical pilot raised his voice, "Now we are, CAPTAIN, because I returned your ship from the restricted zone."
Captain Don Quixote waved his hand and calmly said, "Well then, there is no problem."
The hysterical pilot said, "Captain, I will call the authorities for your reckless endangering behavior."
Captain Don Quixote suddenly softened his tone, sounding like a cute puppy, and said, "No, not necessary, please. We have some issues with the gyro."
The hysterical pilot looked at the radar and gyro. I looked at 2nd Mate, as we knew there was nothing wrong with the gyro.
The hysterical pilot said, "I will still notify the authorities and tell them about your problem." From that point on, he ignored the Captain and only addressed the Able Seaman to guide us safely into the port.
As we arrived at the port and docked, we received an email informing us that the ship would stay for a longer period until a new Captain arrived to replace Captain Don Quixote. It seemed another rival company had taken over the charter with newer and faster ships. Our ship was now assigned random routes to various ports where the company could find suitable cargo for our small RO-RO ship. Captain Don Quixote called me to his quarters.
Seated behind his desk, Captain Don Quixote said, "Cadet, I have requested that you accompany me on my way home. A new Cadet will be arriving with the new Captain."
I said, "But why, Captain? My contract is not over for another eight months."
Captain Don Quixote leaned on the table with his elbows. He crossed his fingers and said, "Listen to me, Cadet. I have so many master's degrees that you tarnished with your behavior. You sabotaged my reputation!"
I said, "I sabotaged your reputation!?"
Captain Don Quixote said, "Yes. You and the rest of the crew have conspired against me."
I just walked away as Captain Don Quixote shouted from behind, "Cadet! Cadet, come back!"
As I waited for the transfer in the hallway, Chief Mate came to me.
Chief Mate said, "I hope I don't have to check your luggage for VHS tapes."
I said, "VHS tapes!? You mean movies. No. Why?"
The Chief Mate chuckled and said, "You wouldn't believe how, at every crew change, some people steal movies to either take them home or bring them to another ship when they are called by the contract. In the end, we're left with just junk movies. It's really hard to let this go because sometimes a few of us pool our money to buy movies, and these guys steal our tapes."
I said, "I remember when I was a kid, and the ship where my father worked was sold. There was a change of the entire crew, and they were all traveling with their families in their private cars back home, driving one after another. At customs, there was a checkup, and when it was our turn, the customs officer asked my father, who was driving, 'Please don't tell me you have toilets or sinks in your trunk'."
The Chief Mate laughed.
I continued, "They literally stripped the ship, even taking the old used toilets. After we passed, you could see a lot of cars parked on the side with their trunks open and furniture scattered around as customs officers dug through the trunks. Most of it was garbage."
The Chief Mate said, "It's like they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure."
I traveled home, where I heard that the ship was unable to carry cargo over open seas and couldn't compete with newer ships. Eventually, it was sold and ended up in a big lake. I heard that companies or agents didn't want to hire Captain Don Quixote anymore, but with his papers, he got a high-ranking job in the government. I wrote to the government about what happened, especially about not aiding the sailboat and his actions, and that they could call me for questioning since his position included responsibility for human lives. But nobody cared, as usual.