september 2010

Friday 17st of September 2010 and I was called for at 02:30, arrival to the lock in Antwerp. I had expected us to be in the lock around 4 o'clock, but obviously they had been hauling behind during the night.

I quick shower and I was on the bridge ready for action with a diet drink in my hand.
Ek-Star

Ek-Star
We entered the lock 10 minutes after 3 o'clock in the morning and we left the lock 1 hour and 10 minutes later. So we spent some time in the lock and I had time to go down get yet another diet drink before we left the lock.
We were 2 ships in the lock and 2 barges and the 2 barges left first and then it was our turn.
Ek-Star
Our jetty, TOTAL 418 or 481 was just outside the lock and we had first lines ashore at 04:40 and 15 minutes later we had all fast. And now it was like we had ended up in the doldrums. There was no one on the jetty and no sign of the Surveyor or Loading Master

Waiting and waiting and I were getting tired, not much sleep yesterday. And just to sit down doing nothing doesn’t help alleviating the tiredness. At 6 thirty our Agent came onboard and I gave him a Ek-Starfew letters and a box to send by the post.
- When are we going to start the discharging?
- I don't know. But I will try to call the terminal.

No answer at the terminal and our Agent left after 10 minutes and I returned to my office. Quarter past 7 and our Surveyor arrived, finally, some action around here. We did all the paper works and when he went on deck to take samples I went to bed.

No one knew when the Loading Master was coming so no use to sit in the office wasting valuable sleeping time.


I was in bed around 8 o'clock and they called after 2 minutes.
- Loading Master is onboard.
- OK, I'm coming.
I was back in bed around 8 thirty 9 o'clock. We had finished the paper work and now we just waited for the Ek-Staranalyse of the cargo. And of course, no one knew for how long we had to wait for this. But they called me 20 past 11 something and it was time to start discharging.

We started with a 300m³ line displacement and I had my lunch during the line displacement. TUNA & ONION SURPRISE ® with the added excitement corn and spring onions.

And I have had 5 hazelnuts every day since we received hazelnuts outside Kalundborg a few days ago. Not more than 5 and not less than 5 . This should be very good for you, at least to one of Ek-Starour Captains onboard Astoria. And no it was not the drunken Captain that we had to lift ashore.

And thinking about it, once again my theory about the “Useless and drunken ones” is proven to be right. The Captain with the hazelnuts, they didn't want him back. They asked me if I could be the Captain instead.
- Why?
- He is useless and we don't want him back.
- What??!! There was nothing wrong with this Captain. But you can have a Captain that is so drunk he doesn’t even know where he is?
- Yeah, the drunken Captain is very good.

Veritas Tankers, they have a long record of drunken Captains. Looking back and I realize that I have left several companies because of their Drug & Alcohol Policy. Or more correct, the lack of an Ek-StarDrug & Alcohol Policy. Well, Ektank, it's actually the first company I have been in with a ZERO tolerance and it works beautiful. No need to worry about drunken Captains and crew.

Well, anyway, I also make sure our Captain gets his hazelnuts every day and I'm sure that he will live until he's 150 something thanks' to the hazelnuts.

They had expected 650m³/h but we were whuppin' ass reaching 800m³/h so we expect to be ready around 2 o'clock tomorrow morning. I left for my cabin at 2 thirty in the afternoon and I decided to wait with my sleep until after dinner. If I go to bed now I will wake up way to early so I wait. And I really hope that I manage to fall asleep after dinner.

Dinner, TUNA & ONION SURPRISE ® without the tuna. Spinach, onion and corn and I felt like a million when I left the dinner table.

But there were soon black clouds coming up on my horizon. We discovered that our blood pressure meter and stethoscope wasn't working when I examined our sick 2nd Officer on the way to Antwerp. So we ordered new equipment and it was delivered during the afternoon. I connected myself to the blood pressure meter and I pushed the button.
- There must be something wrong with the machine!

+++++++++++++++
Saturday 18th of September 2010
and they called me at 01:30. I have no clue what they said. I just said yes and I hanged up. A hot shower did f@ck all to alleviate my tiredness.

I was in the CCR at 01:45 and now we had to wait for the Surveyor. I drank several diet drinks while waiting for him. 2 hours later he arrived onboard.
- They never gave me any notice and when I called them there were no answer.
I was back in bed at 6 thirty or 6 o'clock and at 10 they called me again.
- Pilot is coming in 20 minutes'
- OK, I'm coming.

Coming on the bridge and the first thing I did was to ask Captain if he had got his 5 hazelnuts this morning when I was sleeping.
- No.
- WHAT!! GO TAKE YOUR MEDICINE!!!

We left TOTAL's terminal 23 minutes after 10 o'clock. Leaving Antwerp and we had to use the North lock and it was occupied by a container ship entering the port of Antwerp.
Ek-Star

Ek-Star
We entered the lock as second ship and we were 3 ships in the lock. Well, 4 but the last ship was so small it was smaller than the barges they filled up the lock with before they closed the lock.

Of course, 2 barges were sneaking out of the lock before us and we could not leave as the first ship as originally planned.
Ek-Star


Ek-Star


Ek-Star
We left the lock 10 minutes before 1 o'clock and I could go for my lunch. Captain came a few Ek-Starminutes later and he went to the kitchen with a spoon to get his hazelnuts first thing.
- That's the spirit! You will be 150 before you know it!

I had my TUNA & ONION SURPRISE ® for lunch before I returned to my web page in my cabin. Too early to go to bed so a few words on my web page to kill the time. If I go to bed 2 o'clock in the afternoon I will wake up in the middle of the night and thus destroy yet another night.

Saturday and I will watch a DVD and relax with a diet drink ( I was close to get a few chocolate bars but I was soon to realise that it wouldn't be good for me) as soon as I have finished the updates. My Australian adventure has to wait until tomorrow, anyway, I'm too tired to write anything today.

Too tired to write on my web page, but I wrote an e-mail to my Teacher. Important to keep her happy or I might run in to more home work than I care for!

We received loading orders on our way down river Schelde, anchoring was cancelled and we will load up to full cargo of FO in Grangemouth for Gothenburg. Good.

+++++++++++++++
Sunday 19th of September 2010
and I started the day by a cargo calculation and then I measured H2S in our cargo tanks. Nonstop action and we will have our monthly drills after 10 o'clock.
Ek-Star
We started on the bridge at 10:15. We divided ourselves in to three groups and we took off to Ek-Starcheck out our hot foam system and emergency generator. All crew was present so I took the opportunity to take a picture on the way down to the hot foam station.

And of course, when we finished and we were on the way down we ran in to our Pump Man. And obviously he had been in a hurry to get to the hot foam station.
- What the ....? You missed the picture!

We finished our drills with an Enclosed Space Entry Drill. Our Pump Man had prepared the tripod and the dummy during the morning so equipments were ready at DB 1 Stb. We checked the tripod and some advanced rescue TECHNIQUES were discussed before we went for lunch.
Ek-Star
Arriving Grangemouth tonight and berthing at arrival if we have less than 5ppm H2S in the cargo tanks. What do we say about this? They could have informed us about this way earlier. OK, never mind, the crew brought our fans and we started the forced ventilation after lunch. 1 hour in each tank should be enough.
I measured the tanks before our drills and we had between 4 and 8 ppm in the tanks.

And yes, I managed to fall asleep and I got two hours of sleep before I woke up at 8 thirty. Good, I expect it to be a long night. A shower and a diet drink before I went down to my office. It was around 11 o'clock and we were approaching the lock. Pump Man was fresh out of his bed and now the AB on watch told us that there was a hydraulic leak on the crane.
- WHAT!!??
Yes, our crane is our most important equipment on deck and if we can't use it we're in deep I remember when I was with Asian Progress in Saudi Arabia. We were going to load crude oil in
Ras al-Ju'aymah and when we had all fast at the buoy we could not use our crane. They threatened to throw us of the buoy and then it would have cost the company millions. But our 3rd Engineer found a new hydraulic hose in the engine room and we could load.

Our Pump Man and I checked the pipe, nothing to do, we will not be able to use the crane until our engine department has changed the pipe. So I was not in a very good mood.

+++++++++++++++
Monday 20th of September 2010
and we entered the lock just after midnight. I came straight from the engine room where I had been to prepare our engine department that they might have to work with the hydraulic pipe during the night.
Ek-Star
We were going to use a cargo arm and they had a shore gangway and I was instantly in a very good mood. As I told Captain.
- Strange how a cargo arm and shore gangway can make you in such a good mood.
No need to use our crane, well, we would not have been able to use it and this could have cost a lot of money. Now everything worked out fine and this was a good enough reason to celebrate with a diet drink.

We had ventilated our tanks just to load cargo with 200ppm H2S. And on top of that they have
Björn,
heads up. Vi kanske blir försenade till Göteborg!
problem with their blenders ashore so no one knows when we will be ready.

So we will start to load one parcel, 6850m³ evenly spread in all our tanks. Then they will have a meeting ashore and they will make decisions how to continue the loading.
- It might take a long time, they said before they left the ship.

We started to load at 02:25 and I was in bed at 4 o'clock.

I woke up 15 minutes after 11 o'clock so it was time for lunch when I came out from the shower. Well, almost time for lunch, I had time to call Processcontrol about one of our gas detectors. I got oil on the filter in one of the detectors yesterday so I called to ask if I could take the filter at Ek-Starthe detector we were going to send ashore in Gothenburg.

They sent us an expired gas detector last time so I need
Björn,
heads up. Det verkar som om vi ska lasta i Göteborg efter lossningen. Det blir ju en riktig långhelg!

Vi kan fan i mig besöka varje mjukglass stånd i stan!!
to send it back, but I can use the filter.

Good, the other detector was working as soon as I had changed the filter.

Looks like we will backload in Gothenburg for Finland so we might have to spend a few days in Gothenburg.

Lunch, our Cook had prepared my TUNA & ONION SURPRISE ® with the added excitement corn and spring onions.
- I will put a rødpølse on top.
- Don't you f@cking dare motherf@cker!!
He took back the rødpølse and I might have been a wee bit too slow to remove my plate. He must have thought that I was joking and he put back the rødpølse, no, TWO on my plate.

+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 21st of September 2010
and I went down to my office just before 1 o'clock. We expect to Ek-Starbe finished in an hour or so. I had been up since 9 o'clock checking some paper work preparing for the upcoming STATOIL vetting in Gothenburg

We completed loading at 2 o'clock, I was on the jetty with the Loading Master. No need to call the terminal on the radio, I just told the Loading Master to stop when we reached our maximum draft.

I went to check out the draft forward and aft, but the only thing I got out of it was a picture, it was too far away to see the draft.
Ek-Star Our Surveyor walked over the gangway while I was on the jetty and when I came onboard he asked if he could measure the tanks for H2S content. He had a Dräger hand pump and short term tubes for H2S.

I called our 3rd Officer on the radio.
- Get your arse on deck!! Our Surveyor will measure H2S with a hand pump and this is a very good opportunity for you to get some “Hands on” practice and knowledge about measuring toxic gases with test tube.

I was in my office preparing my discharge plans, yes, I have to take every minute I can get preparing myself for the upcoming vetting. I have had full nights since Antwerp and I have spent most of the days in bed. So every minute is of value. Well, anyway, I was doing my calculations when 3rd Officer came in asking for a hose to the Surveyors hand pump.
- He had a hose with him.
- He dipped the hose in the cargo and pumped up the cargo through the hose.
I gave him a piece of hose and I continued with my planning.

We waited for the final density and we completed calculations around 4 o'clock and the cargo documents were onboard around 5 thirty in the morning. Now I had finished my discharge plans and I could spend the rest of the day preparing myself for Gothenburg and the vetting.
Ek-Star
I was in bed at 6 o'clock. But I didn't manage to fall asleep until it was 8 o'clock. So I was Ek-Starpretty tired when they called me for lunch.

I had a quick lunch and I went to my office to continue with the job to prepare the ship for the
Björn,
heads up. Göteborg till Finland e confirmerad!

Vi kan fan i mig besöka varje mjukglass stånd i stan!!
vetting in Gothenburg. The crew was busy on deck and I checked my binders and I updated documents.

Pilot was onboard 20 minutes before 3 o'clock and we left our jetty for the lock 10 minutes later. 10 minutes in the lock and we were in the River Forth bound for Gothenburg and all the excitements that are awaiting us there.
Ek-Star
I went on deck after dinner to measure the H2S content in out tanks, of course, I found the time to pester our Captain when he was enjoying his dessert. I found H2S in our cargo tanks, between 190 and 570 ppm. Why the f@ck did we ventilate our tanks?

The evening was spent in Captain’s cabin with our ISPS binders. It turned out to be a success, we walked through the process to change from security level 1 to 2 without any problem.
But Captain was a little disappointed, he had filled his cabin with chocolate, nuts and diet drinks just for the occasion.
- No thanks', I'm on diet.
- Are you sure?
- MOTHERF@CKER!! LOOK, DO YOU THINK CHOCOLATE MADE ME LOOK THIS GOOD?

+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 22nd of September 2010
and I don't even remember when they called me in the morning. I remember turning off my alarm clock. So when they called me at 8 I thought it was 20 minutes' before 8. So when I come out of my shower I get a chock when I see the time.
- Motherf.... It's over 8 o'clock and I have plenty to do.

I had time for two sips on my tea before we started to test our ODME. And when we were finished Ek-Starwith the ODME I had time for yet another few sips of my tea and I had to rush of to our safety meeting. There was no end to it, when we finished the safety meeting we tested our fixed gas detector and suddenly it was time for lunch. Time flies when you have fun.

By now it was already way passed lunch time and our Cook had my TUNA & ONION SURPRISE ® with the added excitement corn and spring onions ready for me. When I got my plate I discovered the added disappointment, a hamburger. Our Cook had tried a half Ek-Starassed try to hide the burger in my TUNA & ONION SURPRISE ®.
- MOTHERF@CKER!!!!

I had a very quick lunch and I returned to my office with my tea cup. Plenty to prepare for the upcoming vetting inspection. I continued with my paper work and at 1 o'clock our Pump Man Ek-Starcame to my office. We had planned for a tour of the ship and we finally got the time for it after the lunch.

We started in the deck trunk so we could finish this ASAP and the crew could start paint the cat walk in the pipe trunk with anti skid.

Then the fo’c’s’le and the pump room. It looks good and we continued to the super structure. Well, the ship is in good order, the crew will just take one look around at arrival with some rags to see if there is any moisture under the fo'c's'le or in the pump room.

We have an ETA tomorrow morning, but the latest news is that we will have to drop our anchor waiting for the jetty to be free.
Not good, it would have been nice to finish this vetting inspection. Now we have to wait until Friday.

+++++++++++++++
Thursday 23rd of September 2010
and we were in the progress of dropping our anchor when I got Ek-Starout of bed. Anchoring, nice, if it's only for a few hours. I was in a good mood when I had my shower and my mood improved when I had my morning tea in my office.

Our crew got started with the cleaning of our superstructure and when they were ready they cleaned our drip trays so they will look good when we have our vetting.

Latest berthing prospects is for tomorrow evening and I will have grown bored with the anchorage before that.
Well, one good thing is that they will come to take the samples tonight so this will be ready when we're coming alongside and we can get right on to the discharging.

+++++++++++++++
Friday 24th of September 2010
and we were still anchored when I woke up. I really hope that we will come alongside today, now we're only waiting for the vetting inspection and the sooner we can kick it off the better. Now we're only walking around inspecting and it feels like starting to study the day before an exam.
Ek-Star
We're waiting for a ship on jetty 510 and it looks like they will be ready this evening. We will get the confirmation around 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then we will call the vetting Inspector so he can come onboard tonight.

Well, Pilot cancelled and then it was for midnight. 7 o'clock in the morning and then it was “We don't know” and 2300 and then it was changed to 2100 so we don't know what will happen.

But my friend is stand-by with a new hard drive and nico chew for me so I will see if he is coming tonight or tomorrow. I know that he is eager to end up on the internet.

Yes, I was in my cabin writing about Aladdin's adventure in Australia when I heard our main engine Ek-Starstart at 8 o'clock in the evening. GOOD!! We will be alongside around 10 and my friend can come down. I spoke with him on the phone just before I heard the main engine.
- What time are you coming alongside?
- It will be late!
- Never mind, I want to be on internet
- I call you when the pilot is onboard

Oh yeah, we had our anchor up 10 minutes before 9 o'clock and then we had to wait for the pilot. So when we had all fast at jetty 510 at 23:00 it was too late to get my hard drive. Well, there is a day tomorrow as well.

+++++++++++++++
Saturday 25th of September 2010
and the shore personnel came onboard midnight thirty.
- We have problem with the cargo arm and the service people will come at 7 in the morning.
- OK, I go to bed

When I woke up the arm was still not connected and they had no info about the problem. Well, we see, our vetting Inspector was onboard having his breakfast when I came in to the mess room for my tea and black bread. What a nice surprise! Our vetting Inspector was from Skåne.
- Ah, you're from Skåne, nice! I have not heard any one speaking Skånska for years now!
Ek-Star
Well, I took my black bread and tea and I went to my office to enjoy my breakfast. And there Ek-Starwere still no news about the discharging, but there were plenty people working with the cargo arm.

I spent the time while waiting for the Inspector with the stores that was delivered yesterday. Working clothes, I had ordered winter clothing for the crew and I had to check that we got everything.

I discovered 1 box with 2 pairs of working gloves.
- What the is this?
Is this some kind of a bad joke? I got angry, someone had Ek-Startaken the time to put 2 pairs of gloves in a box so obviously they must think we're stupid. I have never experienced something like this before. What the are we doing onboard? Well, at least I know on what level we're expecting to perform.

Our Inspector, Captain and I left for the deck Ek-Starinspection around 10 o'clock. And by then we had got news from the terminal, they are not able to repair the cargo arm and we will shift jetty at 12 o'clock. So we had to make a break for the shifting Ek-Starwhen the inspector and I was in my office checking my documents.
- I will have lunch while you're shifting.
- OK, I will soon be back, I said.

We left jetty 510 at 12:25 and we had all vast at jetty 511 on the other side of the jetty at 13:00. Ek-StarI had stopped in my cabin to call my friend just before we started to shift the ship.
- Yo! We're shifting now and we will be ready in an hour. So you can come around 13 thirty.
- I'm on my way.

I was sitting in my office doing paper work and I could hear him coming.
- Chief Officer?? Free lunch??

Ek-Star
And as no surprise they had problem with the arm on this jetty as well. So we had to change manifold. Yeah, great success with their new loading arms. As I said:
- Lucky That GP (The local news paper) wasn't here with the champagne fountain for the grand opening of the terminal.

I was just waiting for us to get started so I could go ashore with my friend. So I was quite happy when we started to discharge, 14 hours after arrival. And we discharged for 10 to 15 minutes before we had to stop due to problem ashore.
Ek-Star
Ek-Star
Ek-Star
Well, it was nice when we were finally up and running with the discharging so we could take off Göteborgtowards the city. We started by going to look for an external Yammy Kitchen, Göteborghard drive for Captain and then we went to buy nico plasters at Femman.

And of course, at Femman there were no parking spaces so my friend had to wait in the car while I dashed off to get my plasters.

I was a way for a few minutes and when I came back my friend had felt foul of the law once again. Seems to be happening everytime I turn my back. Well, we went to pick up my friend's wife and Yammy Kitchen, Göteborgthen we took off for some dinner. We drove around looking for something interesting and we decided to try out the Yammy restaurant.

since they closed down Koto we have not really found a nice Japanese restaurant and my friend told me that this was the same owner as Koto. Well, this is what he says about all the restaurant we try and we're always disapointed.

We stepped inside and I recogniced the place instantly. I had been here when we celebrated 2a Långgatans Day back in 2009. Yes, impossible to forget the pictures of me outside







              Björn,
Yammy Kitchen, kan det till och med vara så att vi har hittat vår nya favorit i Göteborg?

En värdig ersättare för Koto? Jag vet ej, men servetrisen var ju söt även om hon blev lite putt över sesam fröna. Maten var god och den friterade glassen var ju som vi säger EXCELLENT!
my hotel. But I will save us all from an unpleasant experience and I will not put the pictures here.

Well, anyway, we were approached by waitress #1. She handed us the menus.
- Do you have salmon and avocado sushi?
- Look in the menu
- What the ? If you tell me I can order right on and we save time.
- Yes, we have salmon and avocado sushi.
- Bring it on!

My friend and his wife ordered and I topped my order with some entrecote. And we ordered deep fried ice cream for dessert.

When our food came I asked for my sushi. Obviously the waitress though that I had cancelled my Yammy Kitchen, Göteborgsushi when I ordered the entrecote.
- Go get them on the double. Please, make sure there are plenty sesame seeds on them.

I ordered my second plate of sushi when I had finished my entrecote. Now we were approached by Waitress #2.

And she was beautiful, wow, we have to come here again! I ordered my third plate of salmon and avocado sushi.
- Please, make sure you add plenty sesame seeds.

When she brought the plate I looked at the sushi.
- Hey, seems like there are less and less sesame seeds every time you bring me a plate.
- It's not easy to get them to stick to the sushi.
- Whoa whoa!
She was a wee bit sulky, but she was soon happy again, and sulky and happy, smiling. Well, she might be the most beautiful girl I have seen since I left home, but she was moody.

We returned to the ship after dinner and I went to bed. The vetting Inspector had left leaving a vetting report with ZERO remarks. Well, that's how they operate in Ektank.

Important with the vetting inspections. Since I came onboard we have got at least two cargoes from other ships waiting because we have an EXCELLENT vetting record.

And once again I have had a good day ashore thanks to my friend and his wife.

+++++++++++++++
Sunday 26th of September 2010
and I woke up at 11 o'clock. We had finished the first parcel quarter to four this morning. Surprisingly enough we were up and running with the second and last parcel to VOPAK 5 minutes later and I could finally go to bed.

I was expecting a nice and quiet Sunday. Discharging to be complete around 7 o'clock tonight. But our cargo computer broke down so I and our Electrician had to spend the afternoon with this. I had to fill up all the documents from scratch on my other computer, time sheets and pump logs.
Ek-Star
Ek-Star
Ek-Star
We completed discharging at 19:25 and I was back in my cabin at 11 o'clock when we had started to load our cargo for Finland. We had to do cargo, loading plans and check lists with the terminal and we could finally start to load at 22:40. 5 different parcels to be blended onboard our tanks.

+++++++++++++++
Monday 27th of September 2010
and I was in the shower when they called me on my phone.
Ek-Star - Port Officer is onboard about hot work
- I will be down after my shower.

When I came down they had just started the 4th parcel and Ek-Starwe expect to finish this parcel around 1 o'clock or something like that. The Port Officer asked if they could get a hot work permit to weld on their new cargo arms ashore.

Time for the annual test of our cranes and we had 2 service guys coming onboard to perform the tests. Checking everything, limit switches, wires and they decided to make the load tests when the service Ek-Starguys were onboard.

otherwise it was a slow afternoon, loading and there wasn't very much for me to do. But I always have paper work and a few hours were spent on our loading computer.

The transformer burnt yesterday and today our Electrician had replaced the transformer with one from an old computer.

The computer is working again, but the online mode is not working so we will have a service Ek-Starguy from Data Nova coming onboard tonight. We expect to leave around 10 o'clock in the evening so there will be some time for the computer guy to work with the computer.

I was in my bed when they called me for the 30 minutes’ notice for completion. A shower and I left for the CCR and I could hear my phone ringing on my way down to the office. I guess they were calling me to tell me that the computer guy were onboard.

Right, when I came down to my office the service man from Data Nova was in the CCR. 20 minutes later he left and the computer was working again.
- The motherboard is busted and the computer will be very
Björn,
tack för hårddisken med 600 filmer (jaja, många åkte ju rakt i papperskorgen)

Det var roligt att träffas. Men, bli
nu inte sur! Men det
som smällde högst
var ju att få träffa
servitrisen.

Fan, det skulle ju vara olagligt
att vara så snygg!
unstable. But I will try to find a new motherboard, he said.

We completed loading at 19:15 and we ordered Pilot for 22 thirty. And no one will be sorry when we're leaving Gothenburg behind. 3 more weeks and I will be back home hibernating in FUNKY TOWN and I will not be back until spring 2011.

Well, OSM wants me to join a ship in January, or even in December '10. Well, as I wrote to them
“You will have to find someone else”. I told them that I could join a ship over the Christmas holiday, but I had not the North of Europe in mind. I would like to escape the Christmas by joining a ship in SE Asia for a few weeks.
Ek-Star
I was in my cabin writing on my web page when they called me.
- The Surveyor is onboard
- OK, I'm coming
We finished the cargo papers a few minutes after 10 and the pilot was onboard a few minutes after that. He was ordered for 22:30 so he was 20 minutes early.
- That's the spirit we're looking for!
Ek-Star
We had all our mooring lines onboard at 22:25 and we left for Finland. Very nice to leave Gothenburg and we expect to be in Finland on Thursday.
Ha! That's the last of September and it will soon be time for me to go home.

+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 28th of September 2010
and we were South bound in the Great belt when I came down to Ek-Starmy office. 2 slices of black bread and a bucket of tea in my office, nice to be back to my normal routines after 4 days of “KICK ARSE” action in Gothenburg.

I will test the IG pressure sensors in the tanks and I asked our Pump Man to blind the funnel on deck and to open all the vapour return valves. Cranking up the cargo heating a notch so the pressure will hopefully rise during the day and we can check the pressure during the afternoon or tomorrow.

A sunny morning turned in to a gloomy and grey afternoon so I skipped my constitutional on deck. As I said to Captain during the dinner when looking out the window.
- Look at the weather. Gloom and grey as long as you can see.
- Terrible!
- Yes, in 3 weeks I will leave this behind and I will be back in the spring of 2011!

+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 29th of September 2010
and the weather had deteriorated during the night. Sunshine, Ek-Starbut head wind and the Baltic Sea was spraying all over deck. The crew had to stay on the starboard side of our tank deck and the superstructure to grease during the day.

I was still waiting for final discharge orders. I had calculated with about 8000 MT in Pori and the balance in Hamina. Later on we got orders to discharge as close to but maximum 9000m³ in Pori and the balance in Hamina.

So I made new discharge plans and I was looking on the Ek-Starback loading in Hamina. But no final load figures for Hamina.

I had forgotten my 5 hazelnuts this morning so I went to the kitchen to get my vitamins. I passed Captain's office.
- Did you get your hazelnuts today?
- No, he said and he came running after me.

One thing is for sure, Wednesday 29th of September 2010 will not make it to the history as a very fun day. Now I just want to arrive to Pori so we can get some action around here. But we're not arriving until tomorrow night.

Our Electrician and I tested a valve and after lunch our Electrician put back the SAAB radar on port slop tank. We received the radar in Gothenburg after have been ashore for service.
Good to have tank radar in all our tanks again.
Ek-Star
Ek-Star
Ek-Star

+++++++++++++++
Thursday 30th of September 2010
and I woke up to a gorgeous day. Sunshine and the Baltic sea Ek-Starwas like a windmill pond. The crew could continue with the chipping and painting.

Last day of September and as soon as we swing over to the month of October it will soon be time for me to go home.

We started our day by testing out IG sensors in the cargo tanks. My best guy was on deck with the manometer (The hard part) measuring the pressure in the tanks. I was in the CCR comparing the pressure while drinking diet drinks. (The easy part)

ETA to Pori Pilot station at 18:00 S/T and we arrived to the Pilot station and we had the Pilot onboard at 18:00. Now we had to slow down because there Ek-Starwas a ship leaving the port. Yes, I'm impressed by their planning. If he had waited for 15 minutes we had been alongside immediately. Now we had to wait for this ship and I returned to my cabin while waiting.

I read a news paper about a guy that had been
caught on video while doing cocaine.

Swedish only, what a pity! The story is quite fun. He got caught on video doing coke and now he was in the news paper saying that he was so penitent.

He told the reporter about the fatal evening. He thought he was going to die and now he is taking anti depressives and he was seeing a Priest. (Turned out to be a friend) Where do they come up with all this crap? Well, he had been in Greece for a week to rest after this terrible evening. He was happy to be alive and I got a good laugh out of the story.

Coming clean and a “I'm sorry” and an apology (Of course, after being caught) and everything should be forgotten and forgiven. Like the Pope and his lot, raping children and a simple “I'm sorry” and everything should be good again? No, like they said in a movie, hmm what was the name? I don't remember, but it was about a boxer and John Travolta was in the movie. Well, never mind, there was a guy saying that he was “going medieval on his arse”.
Yes, that's what we want to see, not a simple “I'm sorry”, this is not a good enough punishment for these raping MOTHERF@CKERS.

And what's more amazing, people still believe and worship these low lives. And yes, the Pope didn't know anything. Of course, he was busy with more important things like agitating against female priests. Who the f@ck cares?

What the f@ck are these horrid people thinking? It’s not OK to have a female priest, but a child molester is OK. Explain this if you can.
Ek-Star

Ek-Star

Ek-Star
I was back on the bridge after 20 minutes or so. When I came up the ship we had waited for passed us on our Port side and I got a picture of the ship and a beautiful sun set.

We had all fast 20 minutes after 7 o'clock in the evening. And that's 20 minutes after 8 o'clock in Finland. Loading Master was onboard 20 or 30 minutes later and we started to discharge 1 hour and 5 minutes after that we had all fast. They are efficient in Finland, no time wasted.
Ek-Star
I was back in my cabin 1 hour after that, we were discharging 900-950m³/h, almost the MAXIMUM allowed 1000m³/h. This was with 4 pumps so I decided not to start 2 extra pumps to get the extra 50m³/h. And we need the spare power for the ballast pumps and stuff like that.

Well well, this was it from the month of September 2010. And what will be the everlasting memory from this month? Well, of course, that I meet my friend and his wife in Gothenburg. I have to mention this before I mention the waitress at the Japanese restaurant or my friend will never let me forget this.

And of course, I will never forget that Lisen didn't showed up with her Christmas gift for me. She sent me an e-mail asking why I haven't told her that we were staying in Go:teborg.
- I thought you were leaving Saturday night, if I knew that you stayed until Monday I would have brought the Christmas gift.
Lisen,
fan vart besviken jag blev!! Ingen julklapp o där satt man o vänta.
- Fer f@ck's sake, it's september! Christmas is several months away!

It's with hesitation I put the picture of the gorgeous girl from Yammy Kitchen on my web page. This restaurant will soon be crowded, and by far more handsome guys than me. And if you're beautiful like this girl you can choose whoever you want to get married with, and of course, Aladdin won't make it high on her WISH list.

and today I learn another thing, Göteborg spells Gothenburg in English. But obviously they are spelling it Göteborg in English as well as per 1995. And they spell it Go:teborg because they don't have the letter ö in English, clever!

And now I remember the name of the movie with the boxer and Travolta, nah, I checked it on internet. The darn movie was called Pulp Fiction.

OK, if you're ready for more action just click the link and we will be in the month of October 2010 in a jiff. Now I'm off to bed, I expect us to complete loading early tomorrow morning.


       
                  

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it’s not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page. So
Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one.
So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้


E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.


Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.



                                

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