Chile always knew how to make good wine, and the crew of the Galactica (the name changed unrecognizable) CRT, sent to help the progressive regime of President-Marxist Salvador Allende, was convinced of this immediately upon arrival in the port of Valparaíso. There was the usual socialist mess, there was neither fuel nor supplies, so instead of exploring the fish stocks, the vessel stood by the wall, and the team, enjoying the absence of a commissioner (there were usually no vessels in this class) day after day tasting wonderful and, most importantly, fabulously cheap wines in the port establishments.
But everything good comes to an end, and one day the fuel, fresh water and supplies were still received. The crew was somewhat disconnected from the tasting, the steam boat departed, and moved towards the sea. The third assistant, standing on the wing of the bridge, tried to take the peleng to the nearest lighthouse. Peleng he took, but, because of the alcohol mist, for some reason told him to the driver. The driver was also in alcoholic fog. Having decided that this was the route to exit the port, he paid all his attention to the compass, and was little interested in others. As a result, he precisely drove the steam on the stones at the foot of this same lighthouse.
It’s called swimming. Arriving trailers of the Chilean Navy removed the steamboat from the stones and took it back to the sailboat. In anticipation of repairs, the team relieved stress with increased doses of wine in the same facilities.
One morning, a military patrol approached the trap and announced that a military coup was taking place in the country, but it is an internal matter, and the crew is not affected. Everyone was polently asked to stay on board, so as not to accidentally fall into unrest, if any. At the outrageous screams "we have the pipes burning, we are only to the nearest bar and back" the patrol did not respond, and when the most outrageous organisms went to breakthrough, they were slightly beaten, after which the entire crew was locked on the steam boat. A few days later, they were all taken on a plane and sent to Moscow. They flew in a dark mood, preparing to respond with all strictness for everything they did: the steam ship was broken, the program of work was disrupted, and even arranged a debush in a foreign port. The future seemed unhappy - they will be expelled from work, the visa will be closed, and this is even in the best case. I tried not to think of the worst.
They were met in Moscow as heroes. Those who sprang out of the lips of the Chilean Hunt! Their resilience and resistance to the black forces of the international reaction were enthusiastically written in the newspapers, girls whispered on their necks, pioneers beat in the mountains, beat in the drums and gave flowers. No one remembered the crash of the mission and the abandoned ship.
I had to communicate with the participants of those events. Their stories differed in detail, but in one thing they were united – had it not been for El General Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte, their fate would have been sad. And, meeting each other, they slowly, so as not to hear strangers, exchanged greetings "Viva Augusto Pinochet!"