why don't you just bribe them with a couple of cigarette boxes? Doesn't that often work?
These days it takes a lot more than a couple of cigarette boxes like 30 to 60 cartons or if they don't smoke they want money. In Nigeria in Lagos expect to loose 10% of all ship's stores. plus any "fines" they can think of like not crossing a "T" or a spelling error in a "very important" document, I kid you not on that one.
Any one who goes to sea these days will end up like me eventually....56 years of age, too old and too stupid to do anything else.
I have 15 months to go before I have enough saved for retirement (just above survival level) and I can't wait! After that the only ships I want to be on are in SHIPSIM 2008!!!