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“The postings on this site are my own and don't represent Maersk Group's position, strategies or opinions. All views are my own”
No longer any need to use the Internet Explorer or run the Internet Explorer rendering engine. I gave up IE after the introduction of Internet Explorer 11
  Page is tested in Fire Fox, Chrome and Safari. Looks like it works OK in all browsers, except the sounds in Safari. Of course, browsing www.aladdin.st in Safari on an iPad is a different story, nothing looks as it should   Thursday 23rd of May 2013 and of course, it had been impossible to fall asleep. I spent some time, less than I wanted to, with some videos trying to learn Thai with Alif Silpachai and Learn Thai with Mod. I don't have the Rosetta Stone Thai course, but I'm pretty sure Alif Silpachai and Learn Thai with Mod will do a better job teaching me Thai. But Rosetta Stone would most likely be more fun, and I would know how to say “I need to speak with the American Embassy” in Thai.  there had obviously been a stop in the discharging during the  night. I had a hot shower before I went down to the CCR and I was full of VIM even though I only had 2 hours of sleep.
We completed discharging at 5 thirty and the Surveyor wasn't onboard until quarter to 7 and by then the terminal had blown the cargo hoses back onboard. I asked for the Surveyor before we completed discharging so he could check the tanks. - He will be here in an hour And as we don't want the cargo to go solid on us in the pipes we blew the lines. No worries, we  only had 3,45m3 ROB onboard after discharging. But I wrote a protest for draining the lines before the Surveyor could dip the tanks. Our Surveyor was going to sign all our paper work so no Loading Master would come onboard.
He told me that Pilot was ordered for 8 thirty and that gave us plenty time to complete all the paper work. And there was even time for a quick cuppa and my 2 slices of black bread with cheese. Our Agent came onboard and I gave him copies of all the paper work and i signed his time log and  he left us. By then the tug boats were stand-by and  we went out to connect the tug boats when the pilot came onboard for paper work.
I discovered a gloomy and grey day when I came out on deck, but we were lucky, the sun broke through the black clouds and we had sunshine when we left. But it was blowing cold from the North, just as the Surveyor had told me. We have had beautiful weather  yesterday, but cold weather was on the way with winds blowing from the North.
We made fast the tug boats and we started to let go all of our mooring lines and it was around 9 o'clock when we left ESSO in Fawley bound for Immingham. And I really  hope that we're going to have a nice voyage. The wind was pretty strong when we left Fawley behind.
 Leaving ESSO terminal in Fawley behind
 Leaving ESSO terminal in Fawley behind
I went forward to have a look at our cargo valve with the Cadet when we were ready on the poop deck. Then we went to the fo'c's'le to have a word with our Pump Man and they would go  straight to work when they were ready forward. They had to secure the fire wire and the mooring ropes before they could leave.
I gave them a few last “minute” instructions before I returned to my office. We had left EXXON's terminal in Fawley behind. Well, EXXON is ESSO around here. Well, anyway, I was happy to leave and I had received an e-mail from Almeta, cocoon yourself in luxury, when I was  back in my cabin. They had delivered my sofa and arm chairs with the new upholstery. 90,000 Baht worth of silk and it looked good, at least on the pictures. And it will hopefully look even better in real.
Or taken with my Canon D60, but I get a look how it looks even with the pictures from their mobile phone camera. But the colours isn't exactly right on the pictures.  Almeta had delivered my armchairs
 Almeta had delivered my sofa
I was in bed at 10 with the alarm set to go off at 2 in the afternoon, impossible to sleep even though I was dead tired. Maybe, and I say maybe because of the 3 litres of Diet MAX that I had been drinking during the day, well, morning. I managed to sleep for an hour and I had a hot shower when my alarm went off at 2 in the afternoon and I went out to check how the work with the cargo valve was proceeding. The new valve was in place, and 2 old steam traps were changed and the 3rd in progress. Good, we will soon be ready. I had a chat with our extra painters on the fo'c's'le before I returned to my cabin.  Cadet and Pump Man had put back a new cargo valve
I stopped in our chocolate store on my way back to the cabin. I grabbed a few chocolate bars, my last? I hope so! I put up a new bet on the bulkhead in the mess room this morning, but I took it down again. This is the edition with the garbage search and I wasn't quite sure if I had any chocolate wrappings in my garbage. My Aladdin and Schweizernöt chocolate is already in our Cook's fridge. But I'm better of waiting a few days to put up the new bet, a few days to purge my cabin from old “chocolate wrappings” won't hurt We were approaching Dover Strait when I came on the bridge in the evening. A beautiful evening even though the sky was covered in dark clouds and we had passing showers in the North. The wind was gone and the sea was almost like a windmill pond. I was soon enjoying my tea while we were steering towards East. We were preceding at SUPER slow speed and all the ships passed us, and there were a lot of ships in the TSS  Plenty ships during the night, and all of them overtaking us
 Sun is setting
 Sun is setting
 Chinese ship is passing us
 Chinese ship is passing us
I called Gris-Nez Traffic control around 10 o'clock in the evening to report that we were passing. I was soon given a reason to think about the old joke about the US aircraft carrier and the light house. And no, it is not very funny, a joke and not very credible. You would for sure not beleive it if someone told you. But I got a reason to think that maybe it is a true story.
I was farting along in the TSS NE bound when I heard a conversation on VHF channel 13. I was just listening with half an ear. - ..... when are you going to change course? - I'm waiting for you to change course - I am Gris-Nez traffic on CH 13 - I slow down and you can pass ahead of me - I am Gris-Nez traffic, the VTS Well, anyway, our 2nd Officer will see if he can get the recording from our Voyage Data Recorder, I really hope he can get it and we will soon have the conversation on the internet
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Friday 24th of May 2013 and we were approaching Noord Hinder when I came on the bridge at 8 o'clock in the morning. Passing showers and a wind blowing force 6. On top of that gloom and grey for as long as you could see si it was not an excellent morning. But time turned very quick and it was soon time for lunch. And as I had forgotten my black bread this morning I was looking forward to the lunch.
Our Cadet put a slice of black bread in the toaster and I thought it was a good idea. Just as I used  to do it aboard Maersk Claudia. I dropped 2 slices in the toaster and it was delicious, well, of  course cheese was needed. I doubt that the black bread only would have been very exciting. But with the help of the toaster I was able to turn a boring lunch in to a feast.
I discovered that our Mess Man had an e-cigarette after lunch. He had obviously seen me using my  e-cigarette and he was using his after lunch.
Well, I suspect that he was blowing off some  smoke to show that we were in the same club. The secret e-cigarette society.
I went down to measure some gas for an entry permit in the engine room after lunch and then I spent the rest of the afternoon in my office preparing the loading plan. I have not been sleeping much the last few days and I tried to  get an hour of sleep before dinner, and yes, I failed BIG time. But I was full of vim after my shower.
I only had a bowl of cauliflower for dinner, I  wasn't very hungry. I had bought a bag of yellow M&M's on my way to the cabin after the cargo planning.
I don't know what the foock is wrong with this slop chest. Do they expect crew members to bring their families because the bag of m&m's must have been a family value pack. It was huge, would have last for a whole soccer team. I had a look for some potato chips yesterday and I have never seen potato chips in such a big bags before. I could hide behind one bag when one of our Cadets passed the slop chest. Yes, I didn't want him to see me because of my diet. So I felt like shit after 2 and a half kilo of m&m's, but I must admit, it was kind of convenient with one big bag instead of 100 baby size bags. But I doubt that I will be able to find this size of bags in any ordinary store. Feeling bad and I double checked my garbage bins, no more chocolate wrappings and I will dispose the m&m's bag on the bridge tonight. I printed out my new diet bet with some additional items on the forbidden list.  Our Cadets was in my cabin drinking beer while waiting for my pictures to be copied to their hard  drive, and of course, they had been all over me about my “FUNKY” music.
And yes, I must mention that it is alcohol fee beer before they complain from Maersk about our Cadets drinking beer. Well, anyway, I gave my new  “contract” to the Cadets and I asked them to put it up on the bulkhead above the salad bar in the mess room.
Our Cadets were turning cartwheels around my  cabin, they were beaming of joy. And I was almost sure it was because of the good music they were getting. But I was soon to realise that they were expecting to get money, much money.
 - We need money for our summer holiday!!
They were about to leave when I realised that I was about to do the same mistake as onboard  Britta Maersk. Chocolate wrappings in the garbage, good. But we have a list in the slop chest were we take notes of the chocolate we take. The never found any wrappings in my garbage, but I had 100 Snickers on my Chocolate list.
So I asked for my contract and I added yet  another rule about the slop chest. Yes, I'm coming down hard on myself.
From now on it is 1000 US every time they find any stuff on my chocolate list, any solution. Now I must steal if I want to eat
And I missed my Thai language videos and books because of all the  commotion with the diet bet. BUT LET'S BE HONEST! What good does it do to speak good if you look like 2 and a half ton of lard?
So never mind I missed my studies for one day, and Alif Silpachai and Learn Thai with Mod will still be there tomorrow. And I already feel better, and I have decided to put the rest of my yellow m&m's outside our Cadet's door when I go to the bridge at 8. Well, let's see how this turns out, but my intentions are at least to avoid eating them. And that's even though they are pretty yummy. I have prepared myself with apples in my cabin and I made sure I didn't forget my 2 slices of black bread with cheese for breakfast tomorrow morning. No butter crackers like I had to eat today.  Don't tell anyone! 
 Från XL till small skall jag ha bråttom I'm in a hurry from XL to smallWell, no time for my Thai studies, but I took the time to dump my JUMBO bag of m&m's in our Deck Cadet's cabin on my way to the bridge. And I felt much much better as soon as I had got rid  of the darn candy.
And I think I have managed to close all the loopholes in my bet. Before it was quite simple even though they searched my garbage. I brought candy from the slop chest and then I dumped the wrappings in the garbage bin on the bridge. But now it is enough to have a record in the slop chest and I will lose 1000US$ We were just SE of leman Gas field when I came on the bridge at 8. And at 11 o'clock I reached the EUROPA rig on the Broken Bank and we changed course to 308° (T) It was a gorgeous evening even though it could have been a wee bit warmer. And inspired by my new diet bet I did 125 squeezes with the handspring squeezer with each hand every 30 minutes together with 20 squats. I will soon be in a KICK ASS shape.  Captain on the bridge talking about the good ol' times
 AB on watch
 Steering North in the North Sea
Summer time and the sun sets almost in North
 Steering North in the North Sea
 The map with Leman and Valiant Gas fields. And the EUROPA rig
 Changing course to 308°(T) at the EUROPA rig, leaving Leman Gas field behind
A few minutes before midnight and the door swung open to the bridge. - ARE YOU SERIOUS? It was the 2nd Officer who obviously had read my diet bet in the mess.  - What the 
- No chocolate, nutella or cake for you! - I'm dead serious! - Well, this will be very expensive for you! - No, but I will look like a million when I go back home to Bangkok! Thanks to the internet I found out that the handspring squeezer is called a hand grip, v-shaped as my torso will be in a near future.
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Saturday 25th of May 2013 and we were approaching Humber Pilot station when I came on watch. A gorgeous morning, 18°C on the sunny side, but only 8°C on the shadow side. We also had strong  wind blowing from North bringing the chill South.
We were steering towards East and river Humber Pilot station until around 10 o'clock when we turned towards South and the Deep Water anchorage just South of Humber light float. We dropped anchor 20 minutes before 11 and as I was hungry I stopped in the mess room on my way back to the bridge. I amended  my diet bet from Saturday dinners to Saturday meals
I was really looking forward to our lunch. Lunch turned out to be a disappointment, well, except  for 4 slices of toasted black bread and cheese with a pot of tea. I was soon in my office and I did a discharge plan for Rotterdam when we had adjusted our ballast tank sensors. And our extra painters and one of our ABs started to paint the hull in Maersk blue. So she will look nice, hopefully, at least for a few days.
 Painting the hull in Maersk Blue
Not only did a learn what a hand grip was on the internet yesterday, I also learned that a afternoon nap was very healthy. So I went to bed when I was ready with the cargo plan. A quick power nap and I was full of vim when I started with my Thai language studies. Starting with Alif  Silpachai and “Learn Thai with Mod” videos and the Thai alphabet CD, and I had a break for dinner before I continued with my Thai books.
And I felt good going to the bridge at 8, I always feel good with myself when I have finished all the Thai studies for the day. We were still anchored when I came on the bridge. And it was a beautiful evening with almost ZERO wind. Now we only need the temperature to rice with 10°C or so to make it perfect.  Sunset from Humber Deep Water anchorage B
 Sunset from Humber Deep Water anchorage B
 Humber Deep Water anchorage B
 Humber Deep Water anchorage B
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Sunday 26th of May 2013 and we were still anchored when I came on the bridge with my black bread and cheese at 8 o'clock. It was cold but very nice weather, the wind was down to a force 2  to 3 from NW.
I enjoyed my tea and black bread when Captain came to tell me that there was a seal swimming next to us. I thought I saw one yesterday but it turned out to be nothing but a tree branch. But today it was the real thing. And it was a big one, but he was to far away to get a picture so I used the old binocular trick with my camera. And this was the most exciting thing happening on my watch. Our 2nd Officer called me on the radio an hour later.  - Check our port side!
I suspected that he was all excited about the seal, but I already have a picture. It was the most exciting thing happened during my watch, but I never said it was very exciting so I didn't bother about the seal on our port side. And most likely, it was the same seal I spotted an hour earlier. Real excitements were the whale watching outside Sydney, Australia when we were there with Maersk Claudia. It was impressive with the big whale swimming next to us. Our extra painters and 1 AB were continuing to paint the port side of the hull. I asked them to  stop after 12 o'clock because we expect to come alongside  tonight. Will not look good to come alongside with wet paint on the hull.
And I had 2 of my top guns to grease the MOB boat crane. They took out all the wire and they greased the whole wire and most important, the crane got exercise while taking in and out the wire from the drum on the crane, and of course, turning the crane around was  also a good exercise for the crane. In good working order.
We have an upcoming vetting inspection and that means a lot of paper work to go through. Mostly check lists with old  remarks from previous inspections. So I take a lot of notes and I write memos to keep up.
I can't remember having any remarks on a vetting/ SIRE  inspection for many years. But as they say, when you get cocky the vetting remarks starts to come at you. So always a humble approach. Embarrassing to walk around telling people that you never get any vetting  remarks when all of a sudden you  receive a vetting/ SIRE report with 100 remarks. Then you're nothing but a useless a-hole. No remarks and you are the best thing ever. Well, let's hope for the best.
Our Cadets were working on a IT problem and I could hear one or  two “indianer hyle” from them while I was in my cabin. So it sounded like  they had some problems with the IT stuff.
We were meant to be alongside at 8 o'clock in the evening so I had a POWER NAP in the afternoon, just to wake up to the news that we were not going to be alongside until 2 o'clock in the morning. Well, that means that I have a full night and no rest. I will be dead tired. And I can't help wondering why they don't take this rest hour stuff seriously. Well, at vetting inspections they check the rest hours, but otherwise no one cares. They just change our arrival time by 6 to 8 hours with no notice. We had expected to start heaving up the anchor at 4 in the afternoon and now it will be 10 o'clock in the night. And of course, it is the crew that will be tired. Of course, you can sit in your cabin all day long waiting and still be rested according to the regulations. You wake up 8 in the morning and then they expect you to fall asleep again so you can work all night again. Not possible as we understand, but your rest hours is not turning red even if you have been waiting for 12 hours without sleep. Well, anyway, I will for sure be up at the crack of dawn, but I will be too busy to enjoy the sun rise. But I have a stupid slide show from Indian ocean earlier this year that I can enjoy while waiting for us to come alongside in Immingham. Plenty mooring ropes and it took a while to get all fast. As soon as we had all fast we let go the  tug boat and I was back in my office and the paper work. I had to wait for the Loading Master and Surveyor. But there is always some paper work nearby when in my office.
 Arrival to Jetty 2 at Immingham Oil Terminal
 Arrival to Jetty 2 at Immingham Oil Terminal
 Somewhere between 4 and 5 o'clock in the morning and the sun rise over River Humber
I completed the paper work with the Loading Master around 5 and the Surveyor left us just before 6, they told me that they would start at 6, but it looked more like 7 thirty. Well, we will see. I  went to our Cook's fridge and I got 2 packs of Skånsk lunchkorv that I was going to have for breakfast.
And when I was back in the kitchen I discovered that one pack had a hole and one lunchkorv was missing - What the
It was our 2nd Officer, well, I was lucky, I wish he had taken 2 or 3 instead of one because I didn't felt like a million when I had finished 2 packs of lunchkorv
We remember the debacle from  last time our Cook was making lunchkorv for us, over cooked at least to say. So this  time I wanted to stay on top of things, and I did, at least until 2nd Officer came and wanted to check his blood pressure. We went to the hospital and we  forgot the time and I was back to my lunchkorv and the stove a few minutes too late. DARN! Yet another load of lunchkorv destroyed.
I was back in bed at 7 thirty something, after 24 hours with only 2 hours of sleep. I was dead tired, but if you looked at my rest hours is was like I had had all day off relaxing having had a good time. I woke up at 13 thirty and I was on my way down to the CCR at 2 o'clock. I ran in to Captain, he was on the way to measure for gas in the crank house in the main engine. We tested the gas detectors in the CCR before we took off to the engine room. Unbelievable, I ran in to an adventure first thing getting out of bed. Some afternoon excitements!  Testing the gas detectors with gas in the CCR before use
 2nd Engineer and Captain
 Cadet is cranking the engine
  2nd Engineer gives him a HOT tip. Easier to see if you look in the crank house Piston rod and the crank shaft in the bottom of the crank house
 Measuring gas in the crank house
 Our extra Painters works in the engine room during port stay
There was no end to the “afteroon” excitements, I had soon ordered a taxi and we were leaving for Grimsby. Our Cadets and our Trainee from Lloyds that joined us in Fawley will go to town with me. And I was delirious with anticipation, Grimsby! Every time in Immingham. - What a dump!
- Yeah, but go to Grimsby, night life extravaganza. A big city. I had never been to Grimsby, but I have heard that this would be a great place when coming to Immingham the last 30 years. We stepped in to the taxi. - Take us to an extravagant shopping mall in Grimsby. Something big, we need to do some serious  shopping in town!
 - EXTRAVAGANT? There is no such thing in Grimsby
- Ok, something big - There is nothing big - So what the do they have?
- There is a Tesco! - Tesco? Nothing else? I was disappointed already before we left the jetty. But then again, the driver didn't looked like he was appreciating any HIGH END shopping so we might get lucky to find something. - They close at 4 thirty I looked at my watch - That's now! Let's go already
We took off and I started to interrogate the driver about FINE DINING in Grimsby - FINE DINING? Are you for real?
- Yeah, a nice Italian restaurant or something as nice - There is a foocking Indian take away, and you might get food at the pub Yes, I was alarmed “a Indian take away” and that means ONE. In a BIG city! Here I am, under the impression that Grimsby was a beacon of civilization after hearing about this place for 30 years when I had been complaining about Immingham. Then again, the driver looked like he was considering a pack of crisp at the pub for a culinary delight. I remembered 2 young and dashing guys in a taxi in Oslo, many years ago. We asked the driver for tip on the night life. - I know a very good place - Great, take us there ON THE DOUBLE!! We arrived and we did not even bother to order a beer, average age was round 60. And when I thought about it, this was what the Norwegian driver looked like, 60 something. Grimsby, cannot be, this center for FINE DINING in UK must have more to offer than Indian take away and we didn't asked the driver for any more tip. He dropped us at Tesco  I needed a car as I had planned to buy plenty hazel nuts
Of course, the darn thing didn't work
I found a pair of hand grips for my exercises. 2 for 4£ and how is it possible. Of course, imported made by slave labour. Outside Tesco the East Europeans offered a car wash (hand wash) for 6 £. No one can live on this money in NW Europe. So the British are sitting drinking beer for well fare benefits and the jobs are done by slave labour, or next to slave labours. And no tax to the government. How many years more do you think this will work? What we see in Greece and South of Europe is soon in the North of Europe, we have seen nothing yet! Hard times to come. We already have it in Sweden, imported slave labour from SE Asia to pick berries, construction workers from Azbekistan or Uzbechistan or whatever. And there is a big problem. And of course, we who voted against this open border policy were considered Nazis and I don't remember everything they called us. But today it is another story with all the problems. They pay for visas in Poland and then the go to Sweden and the rest of the EU. Most of them working for 5€ per day. Well, most of them, like the berry people from SE Asia ending up getting foock all. As I mentioned already back then, an East European boarder guard making 20€ per month would happily look in the other direction when someone offered him 100. But it goes on and on and the Government is doing foock all. Well, they had the Police to ask  people for ID to see if they were in Sweden illegal. But this was soon stopped because it was Nazi style policing to ask people for their ID.
I bought all the hazelnut they had at Tesco and we went to look for some fine dining, according to internet there should be an Italian restaurant called Davinchi. But first a stop at the ATM We never found an ice cream place so we  decided to try KFC when we passed on our way looking for the Italian restaurant.
- Do you have soft ice? - Mumble mumble........... - In a cone - Mumble mumble.....ice cream factory... - What are you saying - Mumble mumble.....ice cream factory... - What? Are you out of ice cream? - Mumble mumble.....ice cream factory... - Do I have to go to the factory? My friends called me, the ice cream factory was obviously the ice cream machine behind the corner, self service. We filled 3 cups, the biggest  they had and we went outside to enjoy our ice cream. Not many people on the streets.
We continued up the walking street and we passed the Italian restaurants, it was closed. We had passed one Italian before, but it looked more like a pub. We passed another pub with a menu. 2 meals 7£ and we got suspicious, no fine dining, for sure. And the place stinked of stall beer so we turned around. We decided to try the Italian/ pub, well, it was the only place. We spotted another place that looked fancy from a distance and we walked to the place. Not so fancy when we stepped inside but we decided to stay. Ordering at the bar, should have decided to leave already there, a clear very loud alarm signal. And no salt shakers. - Complimentaries are at the table behind the stage - Salt, a complimentary? I had already paid, but when the ketchup, salt and pepper came from small bags on a table behind  the stage I asked if it was plastic cutlery
- Real plates and cutlery We had all ordered the most expensive item on the menu, a 8oz sirloin. We needed to spend all the money we had withdrew from the ATM. And with the prices around here it would prove to be hard. 4£ for the hand gripes and 7£ for a sirloin. Starters (Panini cheese & ham), snacks (garlic bread with cheese), main course and dessert set me back with 17£ in total, and that was including tea and a big soda water. But I think my 7£ sirloin was the most expensive  sirloin I ever had, not possible to eat and everything was sent back to the kitchen. But I was lucky with my crumble apple and raspberry with custard, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Of course, whipped cream and ice cream was EXTRA.
Option was ice cream OR custard. I asked for both. - Do you have whipped cream? - Yes - Real or in spray can? - In spray can - What kind of restaurant has whipped cream in spray can? I could not help myself and I just had to  ask.
 Opps, I forgot that I was in a pub, and it was almost self service. But I asked if they could put some whipping cream on top of the custard and ice cream.
We left the place without any backward glances and we had planned to stop at the convenient store we had passed before. We had plenty £ in our pockets and we needed to find a way to spend them. There was a taxi stand so I stopped to ask how much it was to Immingham docks. - More than 20£ - I have 23£ and 10 Pence - No worries - I go get my friends Typical, we had the pockets full of cash to spend and the guy in the convenient store had opened 2 days ago. At least this is what he said when we asked for stuff he didn't had. - Ice cream? - I just opened shop, so not yet. But he had Diet MAX so a few bottles came with us back aboard even though we have ordered new Diet MAX for Rotterdam. In to the taxi and we took off with smokin' and screamin' tyres and the driver didn't need long before he started to go on and on about how great Grimsby were. Party extravaganza, beautiful girls and on he went. - Beautiful girls and UK is 2 words that don't belong in the same sentence, I said And what about the diet bet? Well, it says as long as I’m aboard Richard Maersk, ABOARD!!! And even though I wished I had stayed aboard instead of wasting my time in Grimsby I wasn't aboard. +++++++++++++++
Tuesday 28th of May 2013 and they called me 15 minutes after 4 o'clock in the morning. We completed loading 4 thirty something and the Pilot was onboard at 07:35. We completed the paper work around 8 and we left Immingham behind on a gloomy and grey day.
 3 tug boats assisting us at departure
We only have a few hours to Rotterdam so I prepared all my discharging plans and stuff before I went for a power nap at 11 o'clock. I woke up way too late, 3 in the afternoon and I had planned for my nap to last until 1 o'clock. But I was tired and I had not had much sleep lately. Arriving to Rotterdam 5 in the morning and I expect no sleep at all during the night. But good news, we will drop anchor until tomorrow afternoon. I spent my afternoon to learn Thai with Mod and Alif Silpachai. And of course, with my by now boring books. I finished my Thai books and I started to update my web page from Prospero from back in 2004. This is my last web page from the mobile phone era and small poor quality pictures was the way to  go to keep the telephone bill down.
I had several thousands of dollars for using my phone to upload my pictures. And back then we only had dial-up modems so it took ages to download a page. So keep it small  was the big thing back then, but today it is never mind. I have updated all my other pages and this is the one to go. Most likely ready in a few days so there is something to look forward to, especially if you have been aboard M/T Prospero.
It was a gloomy and grey evening when I came on the bridge at 8 o'clock and we were soon running in to fog. But it didn't last for very long. Seems like our 2nd Officer is a wee bit ashamed over his “LADY 500” hand grip exerciser since I  bought my own “HE MAN” hand exerciser.
I could not find his “LADY 500” on the bridge so I had to bring my own. The AB on my watch tried, but he gave up after a few squeezes. Good, I can have the equipment for myself. Squeezing and squats and I will soon look good, well, better. Squatting and I'm getting stronger and stronger by the foocking day, now it is like when I was aboard M/T Ternvik back in 2011. I'm taking off after every squat down.
Well, Ternvik, those were the days with smoked salmon and tea on the bridge. I will soon be in the same shape again. Well, anyway, our Cadets came on the bridge and one of them are really impressed by my music treasure. And he had soon found some FUNKY music and we were lounging and relaxing. We were soon changing course to 180° and we were approaching Noord Hinder and we started to get some traffic and time turned quick.  Voodoo ChileLatest news is that we will go inside tomorrow afternoon to discharge 8,000MT at Argo and then we will shift berth to VOPAK to discharge 22,000MT, no end to the excitements. +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 29th of May 2013 and we had advanced ships time by 1 hour during the night, so one hour less sleep and I was tired. A hot shower helped a wee bit but not much. I was soon on the  bridge and we were anchored, nice, I can get some sleep after my watch again trying to catch up.
I was half way through my bucket of tea when Maas Pilot called me on the VHF radio to inform us that we should be at the pilot station at 17:45.  - YIPPEE!! PERFECT!!
Maybe, and I say MAYBE I can be in  bed before midnight. If I'm lucky!! That would be nice for a change. And we will be completed with the discharging of the 8,000 ton of cargo during day time tomorrow. And as an extra bonus, we will be at VOPAK to start discharging during day time  tomorrow. Hopefully
Time was quick and it was soon time for lunch, I did a quick pre loading plan before lunch to see if I could discharge the first parcel from CT 1+4+6. I was in a hurry to get to the mess room, I forgot my black bread and cheese this morning. So I can enjoy this at lunch. I discovered a slice of black bread in the toaster when I was going to load my slices. It was our Cadet's and he was pleasantly surprised when I served him. First time for him to be served by Chief Officer. Well, sometimes should be the first. I had a power nap in the afternoon and I woke up just in time for dinner, yet another disappointment. We were approaching the Pilot station and we got our Pilot aboard when I was on deck preparing for arrival.  Pilot boat is leaving us for Donsötank's M/T Evinca
 Pilot boat is leaving us for Donsötank's M/T Evinca
We went on deck around 8 o'clock to make fast the tug boats and we had all fast at Argos Jetty  #5 just after 9 o'clock in the evening.
Surveyors and loading Masters  were soon onboard and we completed sampling, calculation and paper work around midnight. The Surveyors went ashore to do their paper work and they expect us to start discharging. Well, never mind what they expect, it is all a guess work.
But I know it will be a long night and day, only discharging 8000MT and then shift to VOPAK. So no time to rest. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 30th of May 2013 and we started to discharge 12 minutes past 1 o'clock in the morning. They called us at 1 o'clock from the Terminal and we could start discharge the 300m³  line displacement. Our 2nd officer and I went out to start the IG generator and we were soon up and running with the discharging.
We stopped for 18 minutes to check our line displacement and it was 6m³ difference between ship and shore figures.  OK, and we continued to discharge our cargo and i was back in my cabin at 2 thirty. My rest hours had been red since 02:00
Our Deck Cadet called me quarter past 8 in the morning. 1 hour to go before we were completed.  I was tired, I didn't felt asleep until 4 o'clock in the morning.
I was in the CCR when our trainee from Lloyd stepped inside. And our Deck Cadet could not help himself: - You been in the engine room for a week and your boiler suit is still white like snow. - No, LOOK! There is a spot. We finished discharging just before 10 o'clock and we were soon having a bunker barge next to us. So no shifting until we had completed bunkering. Arm was disconnected around 11:35 and now we only waited for the Agent and Loading Master to complete all the paper work. The garbage barge arrived to pick up our garbage and soon after  we had a barge coming with provision and stores. And I got it confirmed from several crew members that 10 cases of Diet MAX was on the barge
- Aladdin! Now you have plenty Diet MAX - Good 3 minutes later and the next guy came by my office. - Aladdin! 10 cases of Diet MAX delivered! - Good 3 minutes later and the next guy came by my office. - Aladdin! Who is going to drink all the Diet MAX - Is this 20 stupid questions? Pilot was booked for 14:15 but he wasn't onboard in time. But as soon as he was onboard we left Argos Terminal behind without any backward glances. Next jetty, VOPAK Jetty 3 East and we expect 3 to 4 hours to get there and I went to bed trying to catch up with some sleep.  Leaving Argos Terminal in Rotterdam
And I was very lucky, I managed to get around 90 minutes of sleep before it was time for arrival  at VOPAK terminal. I only had time for a quick spare rib before it was time, 5 minutes past 6. I woke up quarter to 6 and most of this time was spent in the shower.
We sent ashore our aft spring lines with a mooring boar and they choose a bollard ashore that wasn't meant for a ship in our size. So we had to attend to these spring lines when we had the stern lines fast. But it went pretty quick and I was in the mess room before 7. I was looking for our Cook for the latest details about the Diet MAX stock. No sign  off our Cook, but 2nd Officer was in the mess room eating nutella like there was no tomorrow.
Our Cook came down a few minutes later, dressed for going ashore. But before I left I got 2  cases of Diet MAX
And before the guys left I left them a shopping list: • Fish oil - Omega 3 • Multi vitamins - Yeah, as I'm on diet I'm afraid I don't get my daily vitamins • 3kg Lint/ Flaxseeds - Believe it or not, the ship chandler didn't had flaxseeds So let's see what they can find, not that I'm holding any high hopes. We did paper work and calculations and we were waiting for the terminal to be ready to receive the fuel oil. 5 minutes before 9 they wanted us to start and I went to start our IG plant. Everything ready and I called the terminal at 21:00. Then they had some problem and we could not start. And we were delayed by 1 hour. They told us 30 minutes and we decided to stop the IG plant, 30 minutes will soon be 2 or 3 hours.  I returned to my cabin. I had time for a hair cut before they called me just before 10 o'clock.
 - Terminal is ready to receive
 - I'm coming
I passed Captain's cabin and he told me that my friend from Rotterdam Port Authorities had been board, but he didn't want to disturb if I was sleeping. - And he said that you should update your web page! He was in the CCR when I came down, but there was no sign of the Surveyor that came onboard just when I left for my cabin. He was going to measure our tanks for H2S. According to our cargo Surveyor there was many complaints about smell when ships were discharging fuel oil. So they checked the tanks for H2S. But he was gone when I was back in the CCR. We started discharging and we had to stop for a 300m³ line displacement. They were satisfied with the line displacement and we could continue discharging. My friend told me that he had met our Cadets in the gate and of course, he had recognised them from my web page. - Ah, you're from Richard Maersk - How do you know? - You live on a small island in Denmark - What the ???
He asked me how the lunchkorv was and I told him that he could get a pack, and while in the fridge I gave him a box of Aladdin chocolate. I brought out my camera for a picture to have as  proof of where the chocolate went.
- No pictures! - I have to, or they will claim 1000$ if they see a missing box of chocolate. He told me it might look like bribery with the port authorities coming aboard taking food. - No worries, I said, in Indonesia they came onboard dressed in a big pocket only. And if we would have been in Indonesia your jacket would have been a big pocket. I offered him a Diet MAX while waiting for the discharging to start, and he wasn't impressed. Well, more for me. We went to my cabin when the discharging had started and he told me about a veg oil tanker. They had filled ballast under the tanks with palm oil and they had been staying for 2 weeks digging out the cargo with shovels. They had started with the crew, but my friend was onboard talking with the Superintendent from Singapore that was aboard for the occasion. He had suggested a company in Rotterdam. - Just call them over and they can have a look He showed me pictures and they had 25m³ of solid palm oil on bags and they had filled up several containers with this shit. 2 weeks and a missed cargo off 40,000 tons of veg oil they could not load because of the tank cleaning, losing a lot of money. - Maybe the Chief Officer been up for 48 hours when he started to fill ballast, I said He was well aware of the problem. You can stay up from 8 in the morning to 8 in the morning and it looks like I have been sleeping all the time. But no sleep, and they try to keep up appearance like the safety culture is like in the aviation industry. I told him about my trip from Cape Town to Frankfurt. Delays, emergency landing and they told us that if we didn't left Johannesburg within an hour we all had to go to a hotel. This was because of the rest hours, if the crew could not leave within an hour they were not allowed to take off. No one even considering the crew waiting time as having a rest. But shipping,  you can sit and wait for 24 hours and this is considering to have a rest. And this is always when we discharge and load the oil, when everyone should be rested.
- Everyone is aware of this problem, my friend said. He also showed me some pictures of a ship he had been inspecting. The cargo tanks, well, the whole ship was destroyed by vacuum in the cargo tanks. I asked for copies, good to show the younger crew, well, the older crew as well. Hard to imagine that vacuum can destroy a whole ship. So I can  show these pictures of a cargo tank made out of thick stainless steel that has imploded.
We had a chat in my cabin and he told me that he had sent pictures of us when we had passed Botlek earlier during the afternoon. I told him that we didn't get our internet back until the first of May. He had suspected that we were out of range because there had not been any updates for a very long time. But he had been following u son the internet. He mentioned something about marinetraffic.com. There were plenty pictures of us passing through the Kiel Canal. - who took all those pictures? I asked - All the campers you passed Yeah, makes sense, go camping along the Kiel Canal because you're interested in ships. There are a lot of people taking pictures of ships, at least there are many web pages like ship spotting etc +++++++++++++++
Friday 31st of May 2013 and I woke up at 10 o'clock, well, quarter past 10 and I was surprised. I had expected us to be ready early morning. I didn't felt asleep until 4 in the morning so I was happy. They had expected us to discharge 3000m³/h but we only reached around 2000m³/h and we didn't completed discharging until 14 thirty. We had a guy aboard selling mobile phones and I was  looking at the new NOKIA.
Our Deck Cadet have a NOKIA and I tried the MP3 music function, but I was not impressed by the volume so I decided not to buy any phone. They came from the Danish well fare with newspapers, they even had Swedish newspapers. Our Cadet told me about when they met my friend at the gate yesterday evening when they went ashore. He had been shocked that he knew everything about him and his life aboard M/T Richard Marsk. It was a very beautiful day, sunshine and a blue sky, at least until our Pilot came aboard at 7 thirty in the evening. Then it had become windy and foggy.  Meeting a big ship in the fog leaving Rotterdam
 Meeting a big ship in the fog leaving Rotterdam
 Our Pilot is leaving us
 Our Pilot is leaving us
 Our Pilot is leaving us
 Towards the anchorage
 2 ABs on the lookout
 Stand-by on the fo'c's'le to drop the anchor
 Stand-by on the fo'c's'le to drop the anchor
 We have dropped our anchor and it is June 2013
Well, we end the month of May 2013 in fog and I really hope June 2013 starts better than May 2013 ended. But we know for sure that June 2013 will start at the anchorage.
    
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You only have the permission to use this hand-grip exercise if you will agree to absolve the webmaster, the webhost, aladdin.st, and Aladdin of any responsibility for the application or misapplication of this exercise and for any difficulties that might result.
While the "gripping" worked to increase blood pressure during flight, it was later noted on the ground that pilots experienced a marked reduction in resting blood pressure. The researchers were on to something.
squats, several hundred every watch. I have to keep record on the white board to keep track on how many sets I did. Yeah, those where the days!
remember him bursting in to the bridge wondering what all the commotion was about.
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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.
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