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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”
  Tuesday 1st of July 2017 and we're steaming towards WNW and the Greek archipelago when I come on the bridge at 4 o'clock. Wind was picking up slowly and we were soon having a force 7 blowing from WNW. And as the Gas oil cargo from Novorossiysk was cancelled we stopped and started drifting after lunch. +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 2nd of August 2017 and the wind had decreased when I came on the bridge 4 o'clock in the morning. A tedious watch drifting in the Mediterranean. I went to my office before having my power nap. Back from my power nap and I had to do work permits and paper work. A full day drifting, well, almost. We started the engine to steer SW for 2 hours in the evening.
And now they are talking about a new Italy to Lebanon voyage before the flag change. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 3rd of August 2017 and I had a power nap coming down from the bridge at 8 o'clock. After the coffee break we launched the MOB boat and I had time to pre plan for all our drills that we will have tomorrow. A gorgeous evening on the Mediterranean drifting 75 NM SSE of the Greek island Ródos. Don’t ask me how to spell the name.
 The sun is setting in the Mediterranean
 The sun is setting in the Mediterranean
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Friday 4th of August 2017 and we're still adrift about 100NM South of the Greek Island Ródos. The crew came on the bridge at 6 o'clock for our tool box meeting. They read my risk assessments regarding greasing the mooring winches and they could take off starting the work.
 Early morning on the bridge
And today it is time for our monthly drills. We kicked off the excitements at 10 thirty when I had had my power nap. We did all the drills, fire, oil spill, emergency etc. The last thing we did was to train with the immersion suits. Then I had as long time to write the report as the drills took after the drills. So I had to have a quick lunch in the middle of the paper work.    +++++++++++++++
Saturday 5th of August 2017 and I experienced yet another gorgeous sun rise while drifting here on the Mediterranean 120 NM South of the Greek island Ródos. We will go down CT 7 STB after the coffee break at 10 so there was quite some paper work to do.
 Sun is rising over the Mediterranean
 Sun is setting in the Mediterranean
+++++++++++++++ 
Sunday 6th of August 2017 and we're facing yet another day drifting on the Mediterranean. Monday, will be the earliest day for them to get a new cargo. But this will have to be a very short voyage as it is soon time for the flag change.
And today, no difference from any other day, Sweden is sticking out yet again. A daily occurrence and even though we should be used by now I cannot help but getting upset. And that’s even though I don't care anymore. I will not move back to Sweden, and as Sweden have turned in to an embarrassment I tell everyone that I'm Danish or Norwegian since more than a year. Anyway, now it is about the lonely children coming to Sweden. The city of Borås have arranged summer activities for the “children” and they wanted to write about it in Borås Tidning, the local newspaper. And the Swedish media and the state media is way way passed any point where they would have been embarrassed for any of their stories. But I cannot help wondering what they are thinking when they write this story. And what is the only child in the picture thinking?  How many children do you see on THIS picture? And meanwhile, education system, health care and the welfare we have been used to in Sweden, paid by the highest taxes in the world are falling apart. And no one is held accountable. Well, 40 000 elderly in retirement homes are almost starved to death. The newspapers called it an “NEAR” euthanasia of more than 40 000 old people. +++++++++++++++
Monday 7th of August 2017 and we're still drifting when I came on the bridge 5 minutes before 4 o'clock in the morning. A gorgeous day and the sea was like a mirror. When I was back on the bridge in the afternoon they launched the MOB boat and they took the MOB boat for a spin around the ship and they were back on board in time for dinner.
MOB boat action on the Mediterranean
No dinner for me, fruit and tea only which I enjoyed looking at a gorgeous sun set. And as I
Soon time to take off to Tonga and I don't want to confuse any of the mama humpbacks. Swimming around the humpbacks and mama suddenly think she have 2 babies.  Evening on the Mediterranean
 Evening on the Mediterranean
 Evening on the Mediterranean
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Tuesday 8th of August 2017 and we had yet another day drifting on the Mediterranean. And it is the second day with my new diet. Healthy cereals/ oatmeal and tea in the morning. Lunch in the mess room and in the evening fruit only with tea on the bridge.
 Bringing fruit to the bridge, my dinner
+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 9th of August 2017 and I was in my cabin in the afternoon when I heard them starting the engine. We're leaving for Piraeus where we will arrive tomorrow night. We will change from Danish to UK flag in Piraeus and then I will fly to join Roy Mærsk.
 Dinner on deck
   +++++++++++++++
Thursday 10th of August 2017 and we're steaming north towards Piraeus all day long, arrival to the anchorage around midnight. So it will be a busy day tomorrow.
+++++++++++++++
Friday 11th of August 2017 and we were anchored off Piraeus when I came on the bridge 4 o'clock in the morning. Not as many ship anchored as I had expected. The watch passed by quickly and it was soon time to go make entry permit for CT 2S so they can repair our FRAMO pump.
 Sun is coming up over Piraeus
+++++++++++++++
Saturday 12th of August 2017 and we spent another day at Piraeus anchorage. Busy with the radar antennas, steaming cargo pipes and there was no end to it.
+++++++++++++++
Sunday 13th of August 2017 and we spent another day at Piraeus anchorage. The crew have started to paint the new name on the ship side. We covered the name Rosa Mærsk yesterday and today they started to paint the new name, Maersk Raleigh
+++++++++++++++
Monday 14th of August 2017 and we spent another day at Piraeus anchorage. Painting of the new name is completed. I will leave on Wednesday night and I will fly to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday to join Roy Maersk.
+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 15th of August 2017 and it is the last day before the flag change. So we were busy training the crew about ISM, ISPS etc. I also got my flight confirmed. One day here in Athens before flying to Kuala Lumpur via Istanbul on the 17th of August:
Turkish Airlines Flight TK1844 Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Intl (ATH) Departure 22:25 - 17 Aug 2017 to Istanbul (IST - Terminal I) Arrival 23:55 - 17 Aug 2017 Turkish Airlines Flight TK60 Istanbul (IST - Terminal I) Departure 01:30 - 18 Aug 2017 to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Arrival 16:55 - 18 Aug 2017  So tomorrow will be my last day on board Rosa Mærsk. A few inspections and audits with Lloyds before they change the flag. My reliever will arrive to Athens tonight or tomorrow afternoon. So I won't see him until earliest tomorrow morning. We got provisions in the late afternoon. We received Pepsi, but they delivered normal Pepsi so it was all for nothing. Seems hard to understand the MAX part. But we got plums, huge sweet plums and I was enjoying them with my tea on the bridge. +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 16th of August 2017 and my alarm went off at 03 thirty, last day on board Rosa Mærsk? For sure, when I leave it will be m/t Maersk Raleigh I leave behind. 2 Lloyd’s representatives came on board in the morning and from that moment there was no time to relax.
They will do the inspections and audits before we can change the flag. They also want the crew to have fire and abandon ship drills. And it must be with the new crew so I could stay back watching the drills. I left the ship with the 2 Technicians and one of the Lloyds Inspectors at 7 o’clock and it was nice to leave Maersk Raleigh behind.  Going down to the service launch
 On board the service launch
 All luggage on board and we leave Maersk Raleigh behind bound for Piraeus
 Leaving Maersk Raleigh behind bound for Piraeus
 Leaving Maersk Raleigh behind bound for Piraeus
 Leaving Maersk Raleigh behind bound for Piraeus
 Leaving Maersk Raleigh behind bound for Piraeus
 Leaving Maersk Raleigh behind bound for Piraeus
 Leaving Maersk Raleigh behind bound for Piraeus
 Ashore in Piraeus
 Ashore in Piraeus
Our Agent would pick us up at the jetty in Piraeus, but there was no sign of any one waiting for me and the radar Technician. There was a helpful guy on the jetty and he went in to his office to call the Agent. He was soon back saying that there was no answer. And when the Technician called I saw a yellow taxi arriving. And the taxi was here to pick us up. We were bound for Savoy Hotel in Piraeus. Captain had called the Agent and asked him to take us to a proper hotel as the new crew had complained about Savoy Hotel. Obviously the Agent didn't care and we were going to the Savoy Hotel anyway. It was a 20 minutes or so drive to the hotel and we got a good view of Piraeus and the Piraeus water front. And here is for sure a lot of ferry terminals and ferries going to all the different Greek islands. I was looking out for the marina we had visited with Rainbow Warrior but I never saw the marina. Of course, it was 12 years ago I was there with Rainbow Warrior.  Hotel Savoy in Piraeus
We reached the hotel and it was not bad. I liked the room and the bathroom, could of course had been better as I don't like to have a shower in bathtubs. And the pillows, I had two flat pillows and when I left to go look for Diet MAX I asked for two extra pillows. I walked up the road to check out a Kiosk, I was told that they might have Pepsi MAX available there. Well, no Pepsi to be seen and I walked back towards a Bazaar, discount supermarket that we had passed with the taxi on the way to the hotel  Bazaar Discount Supermarket in Piraeus
 I found some MAX
 Hotel Savoy in Piraeus
I found Diet MAX at Bazaar and I bought 4 small bottles of water as well. There was only one bottle of water in the Mini Bar in the room. And this bottle was almost empty when I had finished the peanuts in the mini bar. Walking back to Savoy hotel and I spotted 2 pillows for me in the reception. And it was nice pillows so I will have a good sleep, especially since I’m very tired after having being up since 03:30 this morning. A shower and I was soon in bed sleeping with my alarm set to go off at 6 o'clock. I will go to Turkish Airlines ticket office to try to upgrade my ticket to Kuala Lumpur. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 17th of August 2017 and I wasn't out of bed until 7 thirty even though my alarm went off at 6 o'clock. For sure, I didn't spend many minutes at the hotel breakfast. I will look for a proper restaurant when I have been at Turkish Airlines. They had booked a taxi for me that accept credit card from the reception and I was soon on my way.
A long story short, as the ticket was booked by an Agent I could not upgrade the ticket so it looks like I will have to sit in the back of the plane. Nothing I'm looking forward to, but I will save a lot of money. Money I can spend on Tonga and Fiji. I asked the driver for a shop to buy a camera and we passed the shop. Turned out that it was on the same street as Hotel Savoy so I asked the driver to turn around and drop me at the camera  shop. Now I knew how to walk back to the hotel from the shop. We made a U-turn at the hotel and I was soon in the shop. No Canon camera and I left. Now I need breakfast and I passed a place called The Darling and I stepped inside. I asked if I could pay with Master Card. No problem and I took my seat and I was soon having a pot of tea in front of me.  The Darling bar
 The Darling bar
 I get my breakfast
I finished my breakfast and it was not a bad breakfast. I walked around looking for a camera shop but I was advised to go to downtown Athens. Well, they will come to pick me up between 12 and 12 thirty to clear me at the immigration. I was back at the hotel at 11 twenty for a shower. But the Agent had called and the girl in the reception called him. He was on the way and he asked if I was ready in a few seconds. - We said 12 to 12 thirty - Yeah, but I will be there in a few seconds - OK, I'm ready in 10 minutes. Well, I was back in the reception 10 minutes later and no sign of the Agent. OK, he was there 5 minutes later and we were soon on the way to the cruise terminal where the immigration was located. Several Filipino sailors in the immigration and many of them we either joining or signing off on of the many huge cruise ships in the port. The whole thing took a fee minutes and we were soon on our way back towards Savoy Hotel.  Piraeus
 Piraeus
 The street outside my hotel
I asked the driver to drop me at the shopping area so I could look for a camera. Walking around Piraeus and there was not many cameras to choose from. So downtown Athens it was and I was soon on the way to Athens in the back of a taxi. We were driving along in down town Athens when I spotted the Acropopilus or whatever they call the old building. We drove to a small street and we stopped at an address the driver had got from Canon. I bought a new camera, 735 Euro. Thanks Thai Airways for going through the trouble looking for my camera that I forgot at the lounge on Suvarnabhumi. Thank you!!! Impressive and now I will go through even more trouble avoiding to use Thai Airways service in the future. Leaving the camera shop and I walked along narrow alleys lined with restaurants and souvenir ships. I spotted the Acropolis and I walked down the alley towards the old ruin. Well, Athens is a beautiful town, at least the old parts with the old buildings.  A church in Athens
 I spotted Acropopilus and I walk down the alley towards the ruin
   According to the sign here is something worth taking a picture of
  Walking around and suddenly it was time for lunch. I gave it a few try to get to Marriot, but no taxi could get me there. They could not even speak English. But I managed to get to Novotel and I had an excellent lunch and I finished everything with a hot chocolate something for desert. I asked if they had whipped cream and they had whipped cream. - Please, fill my plate - You want much whipped cream? - Don't bother, bring it to the table and I will take care of it myself.  Desert
 Desert
 Where did my chocolate thing go?
They will come to pick me up at Savoy Hotel at 7 o'clock and I will spend my last hours in my room. And I keep my fingers crosses  and I will hopefully be able to upgrade my ticket at the check in tonight. Anyway, the adventure on Rosa Mærsk have come to an end and the adventure on board Roy Mærsk will start HERE.
    
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To www.aladdin.st since December 2005
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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.
Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.
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