The NCT Story

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Phones and telexes were sent to our Ken, To do something fast with the TETI-N. More Rands, under protest, for demurrage were sent, The result to our balance, a ruddy great dent. Off rushed our Tony, to the Co-operative’s bank, To send off the cheques, that were certainly not blank. At last, with two thousand tons on the dock For Huelva she sailed, at eleven o’clock. To arrive in the bay, there was no laughter or mirth, As we found to our chagrin there wasn’t a berth. Hooray and a hip, after forty eight days, The TETI-N berthed, in one of the bays. At high tide our ship was easily floated, But at the low, into the mud was demoted. Ken learned to swear, in South African Spanish And most of the troubles, like thin air did vanish. Except for offloading, by the men from Azores, Please give us our Zulus, as stevedores. And see the poles weighed, from the TETI-N. As day followed day, they left in the morning, To face all the weighing, with hope ever dawning. As night followed night, they returned in the evening, Frustrated, exhausted and all but screaming. The factor of conversion was never suspect, For the Institute’s figures, you treat with respect. At six weeks air dry, one point six and no less. One point FOUR! Say the Dons, with little excess. One point in conversion means many a Rand, John on his way, his extract to sell, Stopped over to see if all was well. To lend a hand, to our overworked Ken,

All the frustrations having learnt to survive. With Manyana imprinted into his brain, Would he go back? NO, never again! With John away, Walter the Board did support, So they gathered together, to hear Ken’s report. Step by step, not to be repeated again, The traumatic events of the TETI in Spain. Can anything more go wrong they say If it does, we’ll have to seriously pray. Wait a moment, I said, to shouts of laughter, There’s still the old beetle, Semipunctata! Now started the hunt for who was to blame, For overloading a ship, TETI-N by name. Owner and agent, swore by their mothers, It wasn’t them, it must be some others! The TETI at last, with relief was offloaded, By men with winches and cables outmoded. She sailed at high tide, with no hope of return, What a pleasure the sight of the diminishing stern! Ken waited and telexed, then telexed and waited, But replies from Iberia with silence seemed fated. So back he flew, to that hot land of Spain, and his words faintly echoed, NO, NEVER AGAIN! John, Walter and Ken, all day sat and planned, To be paid for our gum, in our South African Rand. New shipments to Spain, of Eucalyptus and Pine, Watertight contracts, all signed and look fine. Bills and Charters, we’ve got all the dope, Let’s pray no more deaths of a Vatican Pope!!! Oh, we knew that to export with dangers was fraught, But we’ve learned about agents, their ships and a port. With a smile and a sigh, I lay down my pen And finish the saga, of the TETI-N! After a week of haggling, back Ken flew, A lot being done, but a lot more to do.

The Spanish port of Huelva

By men with winches and cables outmoded

Two or more, then out of export we land. The TETI-N, no more a ship but a curse, Continues to hit at our dwindling purse. So back came Ken, not dead but alive,

...the men from Azores

The NCT Story

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