My name is Emilio Scotto, and I'm from Argentina. In 1989, during my round the world motorcycle trip, Honda Gold Wing 1100, 280 countries, 10 years of travel, 1985/1995, Guinness Record holder since 1997 till 2018 for the longest motorcycle journey, I fled the Somali war in the only ship that remained in the port of Mogadishu, the MV Gob Wein . We were 17 people, counting the captain of India, a head of machines from Bangladesh, a first officer and 13 Somali sailors, and me. We tied my bike behind the bridge. Our destination was the port of Berbera where we brought loose rice and oil to the soldiers of Siad Barre, then president of Somalia. To the south of the island of Socotra we saw fast boats on the horizon coming towards us. We flee to the sea. Pirates? At the height of the Arabian Sea a typhoon caught us by surprise and we were very close to sink. In Berbera the guerrillas took the load from us. We were alone in that bombed city for 16 days. Then we fled to the United Arab Emirates, heeled 8 degrees. We run out of water and food. But the Gob Wein, my dear Gob Wein, arrived. In Dubai, its owners, Juba Enterprises of Mogadishu, wanted to sell it as scrap, because it cost too much money to repair it. However, they decided to return the ship to Mogadishu and provide other services. What happened next, in 1992, is explained on this site. My first book, The Longest Ride, mentions it, but in the book I am currently writing there is a chapter of 19,000 words where I tell my whole story on this ship. I've looked for the Gob Wein in Google maps and I think she is sunk at a very shallow depth off the coast of southern Yemen. If I were a millionaire, I would refloat it. My motorcycle around the world, is in a museum in Laghlin, Nevada, USA, Riverside hotel and casino. Thanks Jurgen for posting something about this ship.
Photo by: Emilio Scotto

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