Ruamano crew hone karaoke skills

By FRANCESCA MOLD

The crew of the abandoned launch Ruamano will sing for their supper tonight when they perform karaoke for their rescuers on board a Korean log carrier.

The five men, including former Heart Foundation medical director Professor Boyd Swinburn, were picked up by the New Laurel after their 13m kauri vessel threatened to roll in rough seas off the west coast.

Since their dramatic rescue on New Year's Day, the men have joined in daily life on board the 49,000-tonne New Laurel, crewed mostly by Filipinos.

"We're enjoying it. We're really taking to the ship's way of life," said Professor Swinburn from the New Laurel yesterday.

The castaways rise just before 7 am each day and have a breakfast of eggs or rice with the crew.

When they came on board the New Laurel, the ship's cook went out of his way to prepare Western-style meals for them, but they soon told him they preferred to eat the same food as the crew.

The men have worked out an exercise programme, so once the breakfast dishes are cleared away, they pace their way up and down steps until they have climbed the equivalent of a five-storey building, in borrowed Jandals.

After about half an hour of exercise, they shower, shave and wash their clothes. The crew have donated spare clothing, so the men have a change.

The past six mornings have been spent filling in paperwork for insurance assessors and answering dozens of faxes from friends and family around the world.

But Professor Swinburn said yesterday that the paperwork had begun to ease and the morning bridge school had taken over.

At noon, the men meet again in the galley for soup and a rice dish. The afternoons are filled with correspondence and conversation. The crew have dug up a pile of books written in English, which the men have pounced on gratefully.

At 5 pm, dinner is served - usually rice with fish or chicken.

The evenings are for relaxing - watching videos ("75 per cent of the cover pictures have men with guns in their hands"), reading, drinking beer with the crew or practising for tonight.

"We're pretty worried they're going to ask us to perform at their Saturday night karaoke session ... so we've been getting in a bit of quiet practice.

"We do not possess a melodic note between the five of us so it will be challenging when it comes to our turn. A haka is a natural option."

The five usually go to bed early. Crew members shifted their sleeping quarters to accommodate the visitors.

Stephen Blackwell, who was nearly crushed when he fell while trying to transfer between the stricken Ruamano and the New Laurel, sleeps in the ship's hospital.

"We're being extremely well looked after by the captain and crew. They've been incredibly kind to us, especially allowing us to use the ship's communications to talk to media, insurance assessors, friends and family."

The days on board have also given them plenty of time to grieve over the loss of the 75-year-old Ruamano, lovingly restored by owner Sefton Powrie.

When the men arrive in Inchon, South Korea, on January 18, they hope packages from home containing passports, clothing and flight details will be waiting. They are looking forward to their homecoming, but will be sad to say goodbye to their new friends.