The Pilot of Lumut - part one.

                                                                              

How he parks his little car does not reflect how he can park an ocean liner, my cousin Capt. Yahaya Marecan or better known as the Pilot of Lumut. The man has spent 22 odd years of his life playing valet parking to large and small ships of all shapes and sizes for so lng as they heed his service to enter th waters off Lumut.

A man who had spent about his entire life suffering fro asthma attacks so much so that they nick named him Pa'Ya Lelah or the Asmathic Pa' Ya., till today has been climbing up and down the sides of large ships to ge to where he can steer the ships in and out of the area.

His ride to the vessel that awaits his arrival inorder to push off after having unloaded its cargo of whatever form wherever. This time it is a Russian  cargo vessel about six hundred feet in length named the "Crested Eagle".

She sits high on the water  after being emptied of her cargo. Being up close to these huge vessel  gives you a sense of awesomeness and power. I have done this saveral times before following my cousin to see what he does.

 The climbing along the side of the hull is what gets to me! It gives me the shivers just looking at the height. and one slip plop you go into the water! Clinging to t hose rough ropes while climbing was like clinging to dear life itself while for my cousin it was like child's play.

It is high when you look down from the top deck , you are on top of the world of vessels. that litters the harbor.

Imagine having to scrub this deck!

And so on we go climbing towards the  pilot house.

More steps!

Ah! at last the navigation room.

A slight misunderstanding caused a tension between the Russian captain and the Pilot. From what i can hear the Russian Captain's poor English mistook the Pilot's compliment for a criticism. The importance of understanding what is being communicated is so vital especially at the highest levels of management.