Manatee (AO 58) - Naval Cruise Book

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HONG KONG MANATEE was temporarily relieved from her underway replenishment commitments along the coast of Vietnam and entered the British Crown Colony on November 13. Being a duty free port, Hong Kong ' s reputation has been spread throughout the Navy as a shoppers ' utopia. With this in mind, MANATEE men had been economizing for some time in preparation. It was not long after liberty call the first afternoon that the famous shopping districts of that bay side city were stormed by eager sailors. Liberty call was held early each day to allow maximum rest and relaxation to MANATEE ' S hardworking crew. At about ten every morning the crew began to disperse for a multitude of destinations and activities. The pastimes varied from spending a morning in a custom tailor shop being treated to millionaire service and merchandise at service- man ' s prices, to tours of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, or the New Territories by pretty Chinese girls, visiting foreign exchange display rooms, or sampling gourmet lunches in large international hotels. 38

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UPKEEP IN SUBIC During mid - October MANATEE spent two weeks in-port Subic for mid-cruise repairs. The continual steaming had taken its toll and long hours were required to bring the ship back into top condition. This proved essential as MANATEE was required to be underway constantly from November until February meeting her own com- mitments and filling in for ships experiencing difficulties. After a line trip in November MANATEE headed for Hong Kong for eight days of R R. The quarterdeck inpoit The fifth line trip in late November was hindered by the developing Northeast monsoon which brought rain, gale winds and heavy seas to the coast of Viet- nam from Saigon to the Tonkin Gulf. The months of service paid off in the expert handling of each unrep by the now highly trained crew in all weather. Some accidents occurred, but no serious damage or injury was sustained. Working in the pump roon Two major engineering casualties to fellow oilers resulted in the postponement of a scheduled stop in Singapore and required an additional line trip. 37

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During the evening hours MANATEE crewmem- bers again had a variety of activities from which to choose. Among these were night tours of Hong Kong, movies, floor shows at the hotels, dining at the glamorous Hong Kong Hilton or at world famous Jimmie ' s Kitchen, and of course, more shopping. Of all the activities offered, shopping was prob- ably the most popular. Some of the better buys included stereo equipment, custom made clothing, jewelry, brass and sweaters. Tours also rated high on the activity list. Members of the crew who had visited Hong Kong previously did not favor tours, being attracted instead to indivdiual sightseeing. For the novice at foreign travel, how- ever, tours offered a broad panorama of Hong Kong from the tram ride to the top of Victoria Peak affording a spectacular view of the famous harbor, to the sight into Red China across the border of glimmering rice fields of the New Territory. In retrospect, every crewmember came away with different memories, gifts, tales and experiences. But one thought was uppermost in everyone ' s mind, and readily agreed upon by all: MANATEE would like to return to Hong Kong again. 39