Charles left home and joined his father's ship in Belize. One of the other family vessels, the M/V Allocate, was on her way from Jamaica to Belize and she stopped at Cayman Brac to take Charles to his father. Several weeks later, the Rubens returned to Cayman Brac and Charles' father was replaced by Charles' Uncle Reggie, who asked Charles to stay on the vessel with him, which Charles willingly agreed to do. Charles found that he enjoyed sailing - he was able to use the skills his father taught him when he was a young boy sailing with him during his summer holidays. He knew how to read a compass, steer and do other jobs on the vessel. He enjoyed it so much that after a few months at sea, he decided to make the sea his career. In the early 194o's, Charles was sailing with his father on the Kirksons when they got caught in an extremely strong hurricane off Isle of Pines, Cuba. During the hurricane, his father was concerned that the vessel's anchors were dragging and asked for someone to volunteer to go to the bow of the ship and check if the anchors were holding. No one volunteered so Charles said he would go. He checked the anchors and when he was returning, a large wave knocked him off his feet and just as he was about to be washed overboard, he managed to grab onto the ship's rigging. Later that night the anchors slipped and the vessel ran aground - but all on board were safe. It was many days before they could get word to Havana - and on to Cayman Brac - that they were safe. The vessel ended up three (3) miles inland sitting high and dry on top of mangroves. A channel had to be dredged up to the vessel to free her. A task that took three months to complete. On 12th December, 1945, Charles earned his Mate's Licence and on 16th January, 1946, he joined the United States Merchant Marine as 3rd Officer on the SS Somme, a T2 Tanker. He received an honourable discharge on 20th August, 1947. The tanker was first in the Philippines and then in the Mediterranean and Suez. He often enjoyed telling us that he was in Manila when Gen. MacArthur gave the Philippines their independence on 4th July, 1946. On 14th March 1947, Charles gained his Masters Certificate from the Marine Board of Jamaica, and this enabled him to play an even bigger role in building up the family's shipping business. There were many sea captains of his generation and they all worked together for the common goal of increasing the number and tonnage of ships owned and operated by their family. In 1961, Charles' father died and it was time for the next generation to take the helm. Charles stopped going to sea and, with his cousin Barton, managed the ships from their office in Kingston, Jamaica. Charles was ideally suited to do that because he was able, at a moment's notice, to take the helm of any of their ships when a captain fell ill or had an emergency. The late 196o's and early 197o's were troubling times on the Kingston waterfront. There was a lot of unrest - and there was a great push to unionize the Kirk Line ships, but Charles flatly refused to allow it. He took on the trade unions with the same strength of character and determination that have served him well throughout his lifetime. I remember well, spending a lot of time on my knees praying that he would return home safely. In 1970, one of the trade unions ran the captain and crew off the vessel Kirk B and took control of her. After a few days, she began to list. Charles, being a man of action, decided that he was going to retake control of the ship - he was not going to allow her to sink at the dock. He, with the help of the Commissioner of Police, the crew and others, devised a daring plan to retake the ship. Early one morning they retook the Kirk B without a shot being fired. With Charles at the helm, the Kirk B left the dock. I remember watching (through binoculars) from our home on the hill, the Kirk B limping very slowly towards Port Royal. The crisis was over and the shipping company never had any more trouble with the trade unions.

Charles left home and joined his father's ship in Belize. One of the other family vessels, the M/V Allocate, was on her way from Jamaica to Belize and she stopped at Cayman Brac to take Charles to his father. Several weeks later, the Rubens returned to Cayman Brac and Charles' father was replaced by Charles' Uncle Reggie, who asked Charles to stay on the vessel with him, which Charles willingly agreed to do. Charles found that he enjoyed sailing - he was able to use the skills his father taught him when he was a young boy sailing with him during his summer holidays. He knew how to read a compass, steer and do other jobs on the vessel. He enjoyed it so much that after a few months at sea, he decided to make the sea his career. In the early 194o's, Charles was sailing with his father on the Kirksons when they got caught in an extremely strong hurricane off Isle of Pines, Cuba. During the hurricane, his father was concerned that the vessel's anchors were dragging and asked for someone to volunteer to go to the bow of the ship and check if the anchors were holding. No one volunteered so Charles said he would go. He checked the anchors and when he was returning, a large wave knocked him off his feet and just as he was about to be washed overboard, he managed to grab onto the ship's rigging. Later that night the anchors slipped and the vessel ran aground - but all on board were safe. It was many days before they could get word to Havana - and on to Cayman Brac - that they were safe. The vessel ended up three (3) miles inland sitting high and dry on top of mangroves. A channel had to be dredged up to the vessel to free her. A task that took three months to complete. On 12th December, 1945, Charles earned his Mate's Licence and on 16th January, 1946, he joined the United States Merchant Marine as 3rd Officer on the SS Somme, a T2 Tanker. He received an honourable discharge on 20th August, 1947. The tanker was first in the Philippines and then in the Mediterranean and Suez. He often enjoyed telling us that he was in Manila when Gen. MacArthur gave the Philippines their independence on 4th July, 1946. On 14th March 1947, Charles gained his Masters Certificate from the Marine Board of Jamaica, and this enabled him to play an even bigger role in building up the family's shipping business. There were many sea captains of his generation and they all worked together for the common goal of increasing the number and tonnage of ships owned and operated by their family. In 1961, Charles' father died and it was time for the next generation to take the helm. Charles stopped going to sea and, with his cousin Barton, managed the ships from their office in Kingston, Jamaica. Charles was ideally suited to do that because he was able, at a moment's notice, to take the helm of any of their ships when a captain fell ill or had an emergency. The late 196o's and early 197o's were troubling times on the Kingston waterfront. There was a lot of unrest - and there was a great push to unionize the Kirk Line ships, but Charles flatly refused to allow it. He took on the trade unions with the same strength of character and determination that have served him well throughout his lifetime. I remember well, spending a lot of time on my knees praying that he would return home safely. In 1970, one of the trade unions ran the captain and crew off the vessel Kirk B and took control of her. After a few days, she began to list. Charles, being a man of action, decided that he was going to retake control of the ship - he was not going to allow her to sink at the dock. He, with the help of the Commissioner of Police, the crew and others, devised a daring plan to retake the ship. Early one morning they retook the Kirk B without a shot being fired. With Charles at the helm, the Kirk B left the dock. I remember watching (through binoculars) from our home on the hill, the Kirk B limping very slowly towards Port Royal. The crisis was over and the shipping company never had any more trouble with the trade unions.