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 December 2008   |
Tuesday 9th of December 2008 and I we arrived to Frankfurt just after 5 o'clock in the morning.     We were some 25 minutes earlier than expected and I didn't complain.   After almost 12 hours on the plane it was nice to get off the plane.
I steered myself towards the Restaurant and, well, they must have done something at Frankfurt  International.    I ended up on a train and at concourse A. DARN! I had to go back with the train, there were no shops or restaurants at Gate A and I asked a guy where to find the restaurants.
- Go to B! I took the train back and I meet a guy asking me if I was form Sweden. Turned out that he was joining the same ship. He is a Fitter living in Thailand and we arrived with the same Lufthansa flight. So we joined each other to the restaurant and I ordered a European Breakfast, excellent  and Kuffler & Bucher, Frankfurt airport restaurant is highly recommended by Aladdin.
But when you're at Frankfurt airport next time and you decide to try out Kuffler & Bucher, BE CAREFULL SO YOU DON'T END UP IN THE SELFSERVICE AREA.  There is a self service section and one table service area. The choice is obvious so just pass through the self service and sit down at a table in the “table service area”
Table service and a real breakfast. No need to run around with a tray lime in the self service area. Well, we have a few hours to kill and we talked about the good old time and we also knew quite a few people in Broström that  we had worked with. So the time turned pretty quick and it was soon time for boarding. Boarding 0945 and departure 1045, well, we see about that.
 After 5 pots of tea and one diet drink we left for the train to concourse A and gate A 59. I passed the security check  to concourse A for the second time this morning. But they are happy and nice people here in Frankfurt, not like the screaming hooligans in Los Angeles and I could not see any crying and scared passengers around.
We arrived to the gate at 1010 and they told us that it would take 5 to 10 minutes before boarding started so we had time for a diet drink. Well, when we boarded the plane I asked if it was a full flight hoping  for flight LH 400 to be half full so I could get my own row of seats.
 Frankfurt Airport, between concourse A & B from the train
Well, the flight was full and I was disappointed. But when coming to my seat 45G I could not believe my luck. Next to me was a child, hard to say, maybe 4 or 5 years old. So it was almost like having two seat for myself.
Well, it was like a kindergarten back in the plane, but never mind, I had 2 seats and I bought ear plugs in FUNKY TOWN. But it was impossible to sleep so watched a few movies and I also finished a book I got from my friend in Sweden. It was a real page turner and the 8H 30M flight turned quick. My friend sends my mail from Sweden and I always stuff the parcels with some ”EXTRAS”. Swedish candy etcetera. But of course this is not good for my diet! - Björn, det är uppskattat med dina små överaskningar! Men jag är på diet! Well, we arrived to New York at 1330 LT and the dreaded flight was over. But it has been OK. FUNKY TOWN to Frankfurt was a sleeper, well, anyway for the most of the flight thanks to two sleeping pills. I was also sitting next to a Norwegian girl so it was like having 1,5 seats. Frankfurt to New York was also good thanks to the book and the movies. You own screen in front of you so  you could select your own movies. I will ask Broström to send me with Lufthansa when I'm going home. KLM sucks!
I also hope to lose 30 kg on this trip so hopefully I will never have to waste money on business class again. And I spend this extra money in respect to my fellow passengers. Cannot be nice for the guy next to me sitting next to 82kg Chief Officer. Passing Immigration was exactly how it should be, a quick process. I was ready in 2 minutes. Our Fitter was in the boot next to me and his Immigration Officer asked my Immigration Officer how he could be so quick. - He has a US VISA so what do I need to check. He is so right and if the assholes at Miami had had the same spirit I would not have missed my pick up last time in Miami. We waited for an hour for our driver and I called our Agent to ask for  the driver.
- He is at the airport waiting for you. - NO! - I just called him and he is there with a board with the ship name! - Take one more look! - HEY! I'M SURE THERE IS NO ONE HERE WAITING FOR US! - Take one more look!  - HEY! I'M SURE THERE IS NO ONE HERE WAITING FOR US!
I returned to the Fitter outside and then the driver  arrived and we could see his “BOARD”, a paper the size of half a A4 sheet. More than 1 hour late and he had told the Agent that he was on the airport waiting.
- You will have to stay at hotel until tomorrow at 11. It took us about 1 hour to the hotel in New Jersey and I was disappointed when we arrived. - You told us the hotel was smack in the city. - Yeah, it is. Take a look around! We were next to a highway and next to the hotel was a derelict piece of land.  - We're in the middle of nowhere! Here is no shopping and steak houses, I said.
- It's 5 to 10 minutes with car to Jersey Garden. I had planned to top up my packing with some winter cloths, but to go through the trouble to get taxi and stuff. The hotel has a shuttle leaving every 15 minutes and I asked if they could take me to Jersey Garden Shopping Mall or some other shopping center. - We take you to the airport and from there you can take the bus.  - Buss!  That sounds exciting!
- Can you call me a taxi? - Yes. - Is it easy to get a taxi back to the hotel? - From the mall? Well, there are no taxis out there. Well, it was a nice room and there was internet so I decided to stay on my room. There is a nice restaurant at the hotel so we had dinner before going to bed. Back at the room I was installing some programs on my computer and I watched the news. I tried to stay up as long as possible to avoid waking up in the middle of the night. But I felt asleep at 8 o'clock. Wednesday 10th of December 2008 and I woke up at 0400. I got dressed and I went down to get  a sandwich and 2 diet drinks. I updated my web page surfing the net while drinking my diet drinks. I have plenty time, they will pick us up at 11 and then we will go to the ship.
At 9 our Fitter called me. I asked him to wake me up 9 o'clock yesterday, but not necessary. I had been up for 5 hours. - I'm in the restaurant. - OK, I will be down in a jiff. Motorman and the Fitter were having their breakfast and I joined them. At first I thought Motorman was a 2nd Officer I relieved on Bro Jupiter back in the days. But it turned out that he was Motorman. After breakfast I went for a shower and to pack my bag and I was ready for the pick up at 11. I was in the reception just before 11 and I meet the rest of the crew. A 2nd Officer from Skåne  and A Filipino Mess man that recognized me from CT Sky.
Our ride arrived 15 minutes after 11 and we took off to the ship. 6 new crew members and a Superintendent and we were onboard just after 12, in time for lunch.  Bro Promotion in New York
Sister to Barcarolle so it was like signing on Barcarolle again
In time for lunch and it was our by now well known Cook from Skåne and it was Fläskpannkaka  for lunch. Yeah, he is famous for serving Queen Silvia Fläskpannkaka in Chicago.
- OK, I had not had fläskpannkaka for a few years so I had a few. When I came onboard I checked out how much tuna we had onboard. - How many cans of tuna we have onboard? - A case. - In olive oil? - I don't know but we can check. But we don't have any diet drinks onboard! OK. I went to the mess room with our Cook and one AB joined us. The AB knew me, but I didn�t' knew him. - You were on Bro Anton and I came after you had left,  he said.
It turned out that we had exchanged e-mails, when he was on Bro Anton they told him about my web page and he had been visiting.  - WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!!??
- I expected more from you! Your sticky fläskpannkakor and it's impossible to take just one. I told our Cook about my Manila diet and, well, from tomorrow its tuna and fruit only. We started discharging the gasoline late in the afternoon and I was off to my bed just after 9. I have been in Broström before so I'm familiar with the paperwork. I also was in Barcarolle, the sister ship so I was pretty familiar with the deck. When we came onboard there was a vetting inspection in full swing and Chief Officer was busy with Surveyors and cargo documents so the handover was a very short one. Thursday 11th of December 2008 and I woke up at 6 o'clock and after a shower. Well, I had to  shower in the sink, the water in the shower was at least to say cold.
Well, after a hot shower in the sink I went to the CCR and they expected us to be ready around  10 o'clock or so. You see, I'm still the passenger so I wasn't so very interested in any completion times. But one thing is for sure, our Cook is impressed by my “Manila diet”. So at breakfasts our Cook  handed me a tuna can. Well, it was nicely served on a plate.
 - And OH NO! He had drained all the oil from the tuna!
Better to eat it from the can, especially when it's healthy olive oil. It turns out to be a wee bit dry without the oil. At 1130 off signing Chief Officer left the ship and I was in charge. Handover is OK, but it's a little like being a backseat driver so I wasn't very sad when he left. Departure in the middle of the lunch and I missed my lunch tuna. Pilot ordered for 12 o'clock and we were 20 minutes late with paper work. 2nd Surveyor didn't arrive until a few  minutes before 12. Finally when we should leave at 1220 the Custom came and we were further delayed. We will shift to Kinder Morgan to discharge 47000 Bbls and we dropped anchor on the way there to get provision.
We had all fast at Kinder Morgan at 8 o'clock and we started to discharge at 2215 and I was in bed around 2330. Same stupid bed they have on Barcarolle, a bookshelf in the bed and I found it more comfortable to sleep with the pillows against the clothes closet. I had a nice sleep until they called me not very long after going to bed. Friday 12th of December 2008 and I was called just before 3 o'clock. Not much sleep around here, busy 24/7.  - We're soon ready with the discharging.
- OK, I'm coming soon. I'm living in Chief Officer's cabin now and there is hot water in the shower. So I was in the shower for 15 minutes before going down to the CCR. But the hot shower didn't do any much to alleviate my fatigue. But arse has to be kicked and I went down to the CCR with a smile on my face. 
It was a very gloomy and grey morning, rain and I wished I was back home in the sun shine  . And on top of this we will go to Canada and New Foundland to load after New York. And I can't help wondering:
- Exactly how fun is that? We left Kinder Morgan just before 7 and we reached next jetty some 30 minutes later. How are you supposed to comply with the STCW and the rest hours. I have got 4 hours of sleep the last 26 hours. But again, when arse has to be kicked. We had all fast at 0755 and I sneaked in to the mess room for breakfast before going to my office. Spinach, and I could not resist. But it's healthy. Discharging was up and running and I could go to my cabin at 1400. Finally, I got times to burn a  few CDs with music. No computer in my office, only a server so I have to get some music for t entertainment center in my office. I went to bed at 1500 to get some sleep, but they called me before 4 o'clock for some calculations and the sleep was down the drain.
Not only that, we will be ready in the middle of the night so I have yet another night without sleep in front of me.  - YIPPIE!!!!
Coming for dinner did not brightening my day. New discharge orders, Canada to Norrköping in the north of Sweden. I have not been in Sweden for quite a while and last time I was there it was summer. Yeah, we remember the adventure during Göteborgs kalaset. So for sure, I don't want to go back to Sweden in the middle of the winter. Saturday 13th of December 2008 and they called me at 3 o'clock. Luckily enough I went to bed  early yesterday, AND I MANAGED TO FALL ASLEPP! So I more or less jumped out of bed and in to the shower. 15 minutes in boiling water and I went down to the CCR. I  was in the within 2 seconds full of expectations.
The crew went ashore yesterday and I was hoping to find my office full of diet drinks, what a disappointment. Barcarolle and the crew never returned without a few cases of diet drinks. I always found diet drinks and  SNICKERS outside my door when I opened my door in the morning.
So when I found ZIP in my office I was a wee bit disappointed. Well, we finished discharging at 0550 and Pilot was ordered for 8 o'clock. Paper work, tank inspections and other important stuff kept me busy. At 6 our Cook came up and I had someone to pester. Running around with a stainless pitcher used as a 2 litres tea cup. Coming back to the CCR and I found our Skånske 2nd Officer drinking something blue. - What the BIP is that? - It's something with blueberry I got from our Cook. - So he got a new favourite now??!! I turned around and I went to the kitchen to see our Cook about the matter.  - So you got a new favourite now?! No blueberry stuff for me?!
- This is the healthiest that you can eat! Blueberry and banana shake, but you never listening to me! 2 seconds later I had a vitamin shake in my hand. It was yummy and I had 2 or 3 of the shakes. - OK, let�s cancel the tuna for breakfast. I take this shake and we  save the tuna for lunch, I said.
There were 3 cans of tuna in the elevator from the stores below and it was better to save it for lunch, I was full after the blueberry shake. So no need to eat the tuna and I'm one step closer to my goal, a V shaped torso. Agent was onboard for his paper and we waited for a few minutes  on the Loading Master so he could sign his papers and we were pretty much ready to leave for St John on New Foundland. Only the Dock pilot missing and he was onboard at 0755 and could leave.
Waiting for the mooring men, and as I use to say. In Sweden we have SAMHAL and in USA they send them  down in the docks. We were also delayed because one of the hooks ashore was so rusty they could not let go the lines. This is the oil companies, vetting onboard and all the bull shit about stupid things. But most their terminals and refineries are environmental disasters and old junk. No one knows what's going on and there is a good deal of guess work  loading and discharging the ship.
When we had left the jetty and 2nd Officer was back on the bridge I left for my office to finish the paperwork and to prepare for the tank cleaning.
Captain asked me to take a picture of the ECHO SOUNDER paper mess
Same story on all ships, but a must have for SAFETY??
We left the Pilot behind at 11 o'clock and after lunch (Greek salad, very good and very healthy)  Same mess on all ships, it's 2008 for God's sake! we have planned to start the tank cleaning. So I was doing paperwork in my office waiting for the clock to turn 1 so we could start the cleaning. While sitting there with my music blasting high on the Richter scale. Finally I got some music to my entertainment center.
Everyone passing my office thought it was an alarm going off. - What's happening? Oh, it's the music!!?? - This is the first sign of getting old. You think music sounds like someone is chopping wood, I said. When I joined the ship the first thing our Captain told me was if it  was going to be Danish Hip Hop on full blast every day. Well, obviously he remembered my music and Østkyst Hustlers from Bro Anton.
- So you remember my music? - How can I forget it? Well, anyway, I was sitting in my office waiting for the clock to turn 1  while minding my own business. One AB came in with a diet drink and suddenly I had 2 diet drinks. Half the crew went ashore yesterday and I asked them to by a CD, tea cups (Barcarolle style) and diet drinks.
- What a set back! No Wal-Mart and the tea cup was nowhere to be found. The CD, well, the record shop could order it and, yeah, well. We're out of here. No grocery store and no diet drinks. I got 3 bottles so it's OK, I'm giving up diet drinks anyway and it was good not to end up with 10 cases. We finished the cleaning at 1520 and I could start the ballast water  exchange. I will use the FLOW THROUGH technique and it takes cares of itself. I have been up and running for 14 hours and I'm not allowed to work more today.
Ballast report and endless paper work, but I was finished. Well,  not finished, I have to continue tomorrow. But I managed to get the ballast report ready just in time for dinner. Steak, and it was good and I was pretty satisfied with my day regarding  the diet. Starting the day with the blueberry banana stuff, Greek salad for lunch and steak for dinner. Pretty good, and I'm especially pleased that I managed to check out the slop chest without buying any chocolate.
The slop chest is brimmed with chocolate and I returned to my cabin empty handed. So I guess I'm pretty serious with my diet this time. Well, we will advance ship time by one hour tonight and I got some sleep to catch. So I'm off to bed early and I'm looking forward to an interesting day tomorrow. Always much to do when you're new on a ship. But time turns quick and it's also fun to get to know new stuff and to get to know where everything is onboard. Sunday 14th of December 2008 and I woke up at 8. DARN ! No one woke me up! I was in the CCR  in two steps and I saw Bosun on the cat walk. I banged on the window to the CCR and Bosun was soon in the CCR.
They will strip the tanks today and we supposed to start at 8, but as I didn't woke up until 8 we were a few minutes lat. Never mind, I started the pumps and Bosun took off to the deck to start the stripping. I swapped ballast tanks from #2 to #3. We have to exchange our ballast before arriving to Canada and as we cannot operate the ballast from the bridge I choose the "FLOW  THROUGH" method and it's almost self running. Change tanks every 8 hours (#2 for 8 and a half hour) and we have pumped in three times the water volume in the tanks, and that's enough according to the rules.
Before going to take my missed morning shower I pestered our Captain and Chief Engineer, always try to take the time for a few pranks. It's a good crew onboard, our Captain has been with me on Stena Barbados and Bro Anton. I know our Cook from Stena Barbados, Bro Nelly and Bro Jupiter. Our Deck Fitter left Bro Provider when I joined the ship in Portugal last summer. One of our Mess men recognised me from CT Sky a few years back and our Motorman were onboard Astoria when I was there last time. Well, I don't know what to say. I gave my notice when they sent the very same Captain back that we had lifted ashore. He had rammed most of the medical narcotics up his arse and the rest of it he mixed in a bottle of whiskey. Or as our Agent in Kaliningrad expressed it in an e-mail to us.
Well, running a shipping company like this is of course nothing I want to have any part in so I asked them to send me home in next port. Then I heard that the very same Captain that we lifted ashore came onboard with the Finnish Coast Guard to take of a drunken Captain that almost put Astoria aground. - I take over the command, Captain drunk told Captain drunk #2 Is it a f@cking joke??!! I wish so otherwise it can come to a disastrous end. Seriously, they tried to f@ck me over and I almost lost 3000US when I gave my notice. Who wants� to work on a ship like that. You break a leg or something and you need morphin for the pain. - Sorry, Captain just rammed last of the morphin up his arse. Well, it's always the same story signing on a Broström ship, always someone recognized me. Ok,  after my shower I went on deck to measure the gas in the tanks. We're purging the cargo tanks to get out the gasoline vapours before loading the gasoil.
We changed the tanks from 1-5 to 6-10, we were down to about 2% VOL so it should be OK to load. Well, if you ask me I call it environmental pollution to ventilate the tanks. But it's  strange how all the oil company commercials having a guy talking  about GREEN ENERGY and how concerned they are about our environment. There is always a solar panel or a wind turbine in the background. But of course, no one believes in the bull shit that the oil company are “GREEN”. 
New on the ship and I kept myself busy with cargo planning and  paper work during the day. Plenty new stuff when you're coming new on a ship, and when Bosun was ready with the stripping I was pretty much ready with my stuff. I took off to my cabin and a shower while our Bosun did the super stripping.
I was sitting in at the desk in my cabin writing on my web page and I could see that the deck light was on. - Good, they are kicking arse on deck! Sunday in the North Atlantic. We're bound for St John at Novia Scotia. At first I thought it was St  Johns on New Foundland, but turned out it's in Gulf of Maine. But it has been a gorgeous day. Sunshine and the North Atlantic have been like a windmill pond.
Monday 15th of December 2008 and it was a misty and hazy morning. The wind had picked up, but it was tail wind so no rolling. A quick cuppa and I could stop the ballast exchange at 0840 and I sent the ballast report to the Canadian authorities. I measured the gas in the cargo tanks and it was between 0 and 1 % Vol and we stopped the  nitrogen purging. Now we're pretty much ready to load our cargo. No berthing prospects so far and not until late evening we received info. Anchor until the 18th in the afternoon. Good new, I'm in no hurry anywhere.
I was reading in my cabin when they called me at 2345. - We will soon be at the anchorage.
 - OK, I'm coming!
I was on the bridge in 2 steps just to find that our gorgeous weather had turned nasty. Strong winds and rough sea so we turned around to steam against the sea instead of dropping the anchor. We will come back when the weather permits us to drop the anchor. Tuesday 16th of December 2008 and our Cook called me at 0730. A hot shower and I were in the mess room in 4 steps. A few seconds later I had 1, 5 litres of fresh tea in my hand. (Tomorrow I will take a picture of my tea mug) I had a breakfast of tea and bananas (+ my vitamin tablet  I took before leaving my cabin)
- Yeah, this time I'm kickin' behinds with my diet! Well, after lunch I went on deck to check a few things in the PSM and more paper work. We have loading orders to load MAX 275,000 and maximum BW draft of 35". - Impossible, I told Captain. We can load about 262,000 with a 35" draft. - Yeah, I already told them, Captain said. Today I received e-mail from our Agent and he told us that we would berth with the high water  1530 on the 18th. ETD at 1530 on the HW the 19th with a maximum draft of 11,45m. So I told Captain that MAXIMUM draft is 11,45m.
- So, do they want us to load 275.000 or to MAX draft? A few cargo plans and it was time for lunch. Salad and tuna, well, I started with the salad in the mess room and I finished  with a bucket of tea and the tuna in the duty mess.
I'm very satisfied with my diet and I feel better and better. OK, yesterday they sabotaged my lunch by hiding Falukorv in the salad. But I don't let a small set back beat me. But seriously, our Cook is a great help. Healthy fruit drinks in the morning and we have excellent salads. From tomorrow and  onwards they will have a carrot ready for me in the galley when I'm coming down from my  GOOD MORNING shower. well, I can't say that I'm looking forward to the breakfast, but it's healthy and I refuse to sign off with 2,3 meter behind my back pockets again.
I was in my office doing paper work and took our Hermetica (2 UTI & 2 Samplers) used for Methanol and I cleaned the samplers and I stored them in the Suez cabin. As it was now all our UTI was used for CPP and we have to many of the Hermeticas in the store outside my office, so I  decided to move a few of them to the Suez cabin on main deck.
At 2 o'clock we arrived to the anchorage, the weather had improved. Well, it was nice weather and we should drop the anchor. I went to the bridge to assist Captain. (talking about the good old times) When I came to the bridge Captain gave me a Diet drink. - I found a Diet drink! The very last one onboard! We dropped anchor at 3 o'clock and I was down to my office and the store. Pleased with the  result in the store I decided to get order in our Chemical lab as well. It looked like someone had dropped a bomb in the lab. I'm not lying, the store and Chem lab outside my office had been an eyesore since I stepped onboard in New York.
Our Cook came by. He showed us how “STUFF” should be done.
Our Deck Cadet and I started to get all shit out of the Chemical lab. we got a big plastic bag of garbage. Same on Bro Provider, our Deck Cadet and I got several garbage bags out of that chem lab. Plenty shit laying around. Our Cook came by and he started right of giving us pointers.
 - You need to scrub the sink, it looks like shit!
- Well, how to do that? - It's easy, let me show you. We kept us self busy for an hour or so. Our Cadet and I threw all the shit laying around and we took all the stuff and put it on the shelves and in the cupboards. We were busy when our Cook came by for the second time. - Snacks?! I was inside the chem lab where we do all our important wall wash tests so I could only see a carrot coming in.
- Thanks! That's the spirit we're looking for! The best thing with a carrot is not the taste, but that it is healthy. We finished the chem lab and our Engineers had  got 2 big cup boards for their stuff and I got 1 big and 1 small cupboard for my stuff. One cupboard was used to store test tubes and stuff.
Well, when we finished I asked our Deck Cadet to read about wall wash tests so he know the procedure. OK, you have to get hands on practice as our Deck Cadets on Bro Provider. But it's better than nothing and I really hope we don't have to do any wall washing here. At least not before I'm going home. The reason for me to try to come to a different ship all the time is that there is plenty new stuff to get familiar with. Suddenly it was 5 o'clock and time for dinner. The first weeks pass by very quickly, I start at 8 and yesterday it was 8 in the evening before very soon. And it's kind of fun to learn the, hmm, learn is not the word I'm looking for here. I should know the stuff by now, but to get familiar with the new ship and routines is quite fun, but not hilarious!  We spent the evening in the day room watching a movie. Without snacks, I only had a bucket of tea and two bananas. Yet another good day regarding my diet.
Wednesday 17th of December 2008 and our Cook called me at 0730. A hot shower, oh, I love it. I  was in the duty mess in 3 steps and when I entered they all screamed:
- Your breakfast is served. Well, I knew what was going on. Today is the first day with my GOOD MORNING carrot.
I found the darned carrot on my place, plate and cutlery stand-by. Well, I took the damn carrot in my hand and I  went out to the galley where our Cook had prepared a fresh fruit drink and I continued in to the crew's mess room.
One AB, deck Fitter and our Cook was sitting in the mess room and I asked our Deck Fitter to see what he should do about securing the furniture�s in the day rooms. Now it looks like an East German dancehall. All the sofas are secured along the bulkheads after the bad weather from Hamburg to New York. But hopefully our Fitter can find a way to secure the furniture in the floor so we can have our  movie evenings in the dayroom.
Snow, I really don't care very much for snow
I had not even finished my carrot when it started to snow. Strong winds and deck were soon  covered in snow. Snow, I have not seen snow since I was in Stockholm a few years back and I had for sure not missed it.
Our Cadet is eager to learn the tricks of the trade and I asked him to do a loading plan, sequence by sequence. I had made one  loading plan already so he could have a peep at my plan every now and then.
It will be kålpudding for dinner so I had to check out the progress in the galley every now and then. Our Cook is from Skåne so I'm quite confident that it will be a tasty kålpudding. But it never hurts with a few pointers.
Our 2nd Officer came to join the Cadet with the loading plan. The more  the merrier and if the Cook don't need any pointers I could give them to our future Chief Officers. I was in my office next door while they were doing the loading plan.
They were screaming Aladdin every now and then and I had to go in to the CCR and help them out. Well, I think I missed a few of  their calls due to my entertainment  center. The music was blasting high in my office.
I got an 8 GB USB stick of our Fitter yesterday so now I have plenty of funky music in my office. Captain, Chief Engineer, our Cook is always running there asking which alarm it is that sounds. - Well, if you don't understand it just admire it! Time turns quick when you're new on the ship and it was soon  time for lunch, salad. Our Cook, well, that's another story. This morning it was all about “KICK ASS” diet and “I'M GOING SERIOUS” and at lunch this was all forgotten words.
Well, berthing prospects is changed from tomorrow afternoon to 4  o'clock in the morning. I can't say that I'm looking forward to the “very very” early in the morning excitements. But if I'm lucky I can go with our Cook to the shopping center and upload my web page.
After dinner I was full of kålpudding and I haven't been this full for a very long time. But kålpudding is healthy so no agony. Our Chief Engineer and I decided to give up smoking. The first one getting caught smoking has to do 10 km on the jogging band in the gym. Not too hard, but it's a pain in the behind if you're forced to do it. - Piece of cake! I said. I will start using the gym after my lunch salad every day.  - Hmm, maybe not if I'm going ashore tomorrow afternoon.
Thursday 18th of December 2008 and Captain woke me up at 0230.  - Pilot will soon be onboard.
- I will be on the bridge after my shower
Our Pilot was already onboard when I came to the bridge. And I had  missed the chocolate.
 - Our Pilot came onboard with a Father Christmas cap handing out chocolate, Captain told me.
- Good, I'm on diet! It was cold outside. Snow and ice on deck and I can't wait to leave Canada  behind. Our Pilot told us that it was cold for the time of the year, in Western Canada its -40°C.
 - Strange, the other day we had 14°C and now it's -7°C.
Well, Captain had to get on his winter dress when it was time to go alongside and I was happy to stay inside the bridge. According to the Pilot is a 10 Scooby Dollar ride to the shopping mall. So I see if I can go ashore and if there is a internet place. We had all fast at 5 o'clock and I expected us to start load ASAP because if we miss the high water tomorrow morning we will have to stay until tomorrow afternoon and the high water. But no one was in a hurry. - Earliest 10 o'clock and the chances to leave with the morning water is slim, our Surveyor told me before he left just after 7 o'clock. Well, I'm in no hurry. But if we had started at arrival I could have been ashore in the afternoon. 10 o'clock is soon 11 and, well, we have to see. And the weather leaves much to wish for. Sunshine, but cold with plenty snow. While waiting for them to start loading I had time for my GOOD MORNING carrot and I also made a new cargo plan. We will load from 2 tanks and they would appreciate it if we could mix it  onboard. Swedish flag and good service is expected.
- No Problem! I will spend the extra hour to change my loading plan, I said.  The loss control guy was jumping up and down beaming with joy.
- Thank you very much. Very good service - Well, enjoy this moment! Next time you might end up on a Panama  ship and there you will find that the service left a lot to wish for, I said.
From joy to disappointment. I'm coming around the corner to the galley for a chit chat with our Cook. - WHAT THE HE..!!?
I ran in to our Cook eating makaronilålda straight from the baking plate. I was in shock and our Cook was in shock. He didn't expect me to come running in to the kitchen. Kick ass diet, well, nothing but a disappointment.  St John from our jetty
We started to load at 1110 and it was good bye to the early morning departure. Good, I don't mind waiting 12 hours for departure at the jetty. Maybe there will be a oppertunity to go ashore to upload my web page.
I was supposed to go ashore with our Chief Engineer and Cook today. But I told Captain that he could go ashore. Either Captain or I must stay  onboard in case something happens and after talking  with Loading Master, loss control guy and the Agent I decided to stay oboard. No internet place around here, well, the weather did help a lot to make a decision to stay onboard.
When I came out from my cabin in the afternoon I ran in to Motorman and 2nd Engineer. - Do you have a winter jacket? We're going ashore. At lunch it was impossible for him to go ashore. - I'm on duty so I can not go ashore. He's been chasing me since I came onboard. - Can I buy snus of you? I'm running out. - How long have you been onboard? - 4 weeks. - You knew that you would stay for 10 weeks when you signed on? - Yes. - So how the hell can you be out of snus? - Well, blah-blah - You're 40 and an Engineer completed the school?  - Yes.
- How long have you been using snus? - Many many years! - How f@cking hard can it be to calculate the consumption  for 10 weeks, 70 days?
I have two tins of bagged snus and I told him that I gave them to him if he brought me a case of diet drinks. I had to listen to all kind of excuses and I took back my two tins of bagged snus. During my days as a snusare I have walked through hell to get snus and to go ashore to get a case of diet drinks. I would have done it in a jiff. But it's the same on all the ships, I refuse to give away any snus and I'm always ending up being the ass hole. What the hell?! They are coming from Sweden and I'm flying across the world carrying snus. I go through hell to get snus. If it wasn't for my snus I could have travelled with my carry on only. By suitcase is full of snus when I'm joining a ship. And now I have to listen to all the pissing and moaning.  - You are rotten.
 - Your blackmailing me.
- You're not a good friend!
But I'm not impressed: - BLAH-BLAH! DON'T MAKE ME CRY! Friday 19th of December 2008 and I was called for at 0300. The will short load us so we can get out with the high water. I took a shower and I grabbed a diet drink in my fridge. Yeah, our  Engineer came back with a 12 can case yesterday evening. So that's 1 can of snus. Very cheap, but I'm a nice a guy.
Our Cook had been ashore yesterday and he brought back 2 jugs.  I saw them first thing when I came in to my office. I also noted that he were marked “Not for use with hot liquid”.
- I was looking everywhere and I could not find any big beer mugs, our Cook told me. We completed loading at 4 o'clock and we left the jetty soon after the cargo arms where disconnected at 0425. Ullageing and calculation on the way out from the port. We were drifting off the coast while I finished the paper work with the Surveyors. We finished the paper work 05 thirty something and now we had to wait for the boat to come pick  up the Surveyors.
- They will come to pick is up at 6. At 0615: - They will be here in 45 minutes! - How long does it take for the boat to get here from the shore? - 1 Hour. - And they told you they were on the way when you called them at 0545 and now it's 0715! I asked him what company they were using and I mentioned that I supposed that this was the last time they used their service. Well, the boat arrived at 0740 something and I was off to my GOOD MORNING carrot. While doing the calculation with the Surveyors our Cook came in to my office with a fruit drink. So I got plenty vitamins, blueberry, should be full of antioxidants and stuff. And we really need it now when it's cold outside. Saturday 20th of December 2008 and I woke up a few minutes after 6 o'clock. I looked out my window and the sight didn't do much to pep me. Blizzard and we were rolling a little. Saturday was a pretty uneventful day, I had a slight cold so not very much happened during the day. I made a SAMPLE LOG and I will clean out our sample locker when the weather gets better. Otherwise I'm finished with most of the paper work and I'm starting to know my way around my office and the CCR. Sunday 21st of December 2008 and the weather was better when I woke up at 8. 1 hour advance during the night so it was like waking up at 7 o'clock. Hot shower and I were in the mess room in 2 steps. I grabbed my GOOD MORNING carrot and I was off to the kitchen. No sign of the Cook so I continued in to the crew's mess room. I spotted our Cook. - Why didn't you wake me up this morning?!! I spent my afternoon time in the sample locker. Sorting out all old sample and tomorrow, with the help of our Deck Cadet I will dispose the samples to our slop tank. Then we can note this in our  new SAMPLE LOG and hopefully the next Vetting inspector will be satisfied.
I'm almost one with my office and CCR so I spent 1 hour walking up and down deck in the afternoon. I haven�t been in the track for a long time now and it was nice with a one hour constitutional even though it was windy and a wee bit cold on deck. When I finished I went for a chat with our Bosun. He will check our grit blaster tomorrow so we know if it works. Then we can start chip on deck and when the weather is nice we can grit blast the deck. We also need to do a stupid rendering test on our winches and we will prepare for this tomorrow. Well, that�s tomorrow. For tonight it will be a movie in the day room. I ended up with our Cook and Captain in our day room watching a movie. So we're quite lucky to have a TV and DVD, on other ships they want the crew to watch movies on their lap top in the cabin. Monday 22nd of December 2008 and the wind and waves had picked up. At times we only did 5 knots and we were all hoping for better weather Tuesday 23rd of December 2008 and we changed course to North and we got the waves from  behind. Nice, the worst rolling disappeared and we could go back to normal life onboard.
After the coffee break we took home some 5 - 10 cm on the anchor chain. The chain had slacked a little during the heavy weather and Bosun could hear the anchor banging when he was on the fo'c's'le this very morning. I started the hydraulic and  we went forward to fix the anchor chain.
Well, we found that the sea had hit the remote to the winches and the winch was in hoist mood. So when we started the hydraulic the winch started to turn and the canvas around one of the mooring ropes were f@cked. Well, I also found out that we don't have a grit blaster onboard. I was speaking with our Bosun this morning. - Did you found all the stuff for the grit blaster? - Almost, just the nozzle missing. It took me 5 minutes to discover that we were talking about different things. I was talking about a grit blaster and he was talking about out water/ sand blaster. - So we only got a combined water/ grit blaster? - Yes. - Well, that's good for nothing? I said. So I will have to order a grit blaster so we can start to grit blast on deck. Well, if they send one  to us, that is. I'm not going to waste time with a water blaster.
Well well, what do you know. Our internet kicked in and I could upload my web page. When I was ready I was down to the kitchen to pester our kitchen department. There is some problem with the oven door and I asked out Deck Fitter to fix it after the lunch. I also asked him to put hooks on the doors to the cupboards in the kitchen. When I came onboard in New York I found that all the doors to the cupboards in my office and Chem lab were lashed with duct tape. “What the...?! Is it a Panama ship?” I thought to myself when I saw it the first time. I asked our Deck Fitter to make a few hooks and I must say that he is a good Fitter. Looks good and I don't have  to worry about the cupboards when it's rolling.
In the afternoon we got sunshine and I took the opportunity to dispose some samples to the slop tank with the help of our Cadet. We spent quite some time in the sample locker and Captain came to see some of the action when he enjoyed the sunshine on deck. - Plenty shit around here, I told him. When we were ready we had disposed about 125 litres of gasoline, gasoil and MTBE samples to port slop tank. We used a 25 litres drum and we emptied all the sample bottles in to the drum. We filled it 3 and a half time + big plastic gallon samples. When we were ready we were satisfied with the look of the sample locker. When we started there were boxes with samples all over the place. Now it looks like a Swedish flagged vessel again  with the help from 2 Skånepågar.
Captain & I are pepping our Cook
When I and our Skånske Deck Cadet were ready with the samples I went for a shower. But first a quick stop in the kitchen where I meet Captain. He was busy pepping our Cook and I gave him a hand doing it and, well, I don't know if our Cook was pepped when we left him.
I take this opportunity to wish you a  Christmas Eve 2008 and no wake up call. I woke up by myself at 0845 and our Cook called me  10 minutes later.
- 0855! I replied.
- Tomtegröt in 30 minutes! He said
I stepped in to the shower and I was in the mess room just in time for breakfast. Christmas eve and there isn't very much to do but wait for dinner. I prepared our annual ISPS drill, I and Captain will do a table top drill after Christmas and we're finished with the ISPS for this year. But no need to be worried, there will soon be more.   the PH. You can hear it on his voice, he sounds so proud and it's like every word he is saying is of the outmost importance.
- We have a meeting in the day room! Everyone to come here ASAP. I knew what was going on so I stayed in my cabin. There is plenty chocolate and stuff  in the day room and I'm better off staying well clear of the area.
I don't like candy very much, but when it's on the table you can't resist. It's like sitting in a bar and they put a bowl of peanuts in front of you. Yeah, you know what I mean. I always send back the peanuts. No, Christmas candy is a very bad thing and it ruins every attempt to be serious with the diet. Like Tärnfors a few years back, and you can ask Unge Herr Sjöofficeren. (Jaja Nicke, du kommer ihåg dom göna dumlena. D va ju en riktig rysare)  - Good! Now we can watch movies again! Well, coming to the dayroom for our evening movie the day after was not very nice. And excuse my language. - What the f@ck is this??!! Sabotage!
The bowls were all full again and we went to our Cook's stores to investigate. The sight made us pretty dejected, there must have been 2m³ of chocolate and candy in his stores.  - Dream on, no way I'm going down to the chocolate in the day room.  But 5 minutes later Captain called.
- It's time for the Christmas gifts!
- DARN! OK, I will be there.
I had been in the day room for 1 minute when I had my first piece of chocolate. When Captain, dressed in a Santa cap started to hand out the gifts I was full of chocolate and this will not go down as one of my proud moments. I got a book. Very good, I'm about to finish my 4th book sine I joined the ship. It was from a lady in a sewing circle somewhere in Sweden. SO I will write a postcard and than her. This with the gifts is an old tradition from when the sailors had next to nothing in salary and when they stayed on the ships for years.
Captain as Santa Claus
The gifts come from churches and sewing circles and maybe they still think were sitting on old sail ships drinking water and eating bread. Well, it's a nice tradition and I have written quite a few of the THANK YOU post card during my years.
 Christmas Day 2008 and I finished the, well, finished the preparation of the ISPS drills and I can do them with Captain tomorrow. I was in Captain�s cabin handing him the paper. - If you have the time you can read this bull shit! While in his cabin I asked for money so I could pay the crew for the diet drinks they bought for me in Canada. By now I have forgot who bought me diet drinks and I had to go around asking. The first one I  meet that had bought diet drinks for me was an AB having lunch.
- Did you buy diet drinks for me in Canada? - Yes - How much do I owe you? - I don't know, a dollar or so. Never mind, I don't want any money! Next guy was our OS watching video in the day room. - Did you buy diet drinks for me in Canada?  - Yes
- How much do I owe you? - I don't know, a dollar or so. Never mind, I don't want any money! - You take the f@cking money! I need pictures for my web page. I got my picture and I could return to my cabin and my web page. I will continue the hunt in the afternoon. There are more people that I owe money for the diet drinks.
But first a few words on the web page while sippin' a diet drink. My office and cabin is full of diet drinks after Canada so it will last for a few more days, but this is the last diet drinks I buy. I WILL GIVE UP DIET DRINKS! And this time I'm serious. Captain asked if he should order diet drinks via the Ship chandler.  - DON'T YOU DARE!
 new boxes of Aladdin chocolate were on the table.
Well, just to dig in. I resisted as long as I could and this is the last day. Tomorrow Christams is over and as I said on the dinner: - Now it's one year until next time. And I wouldn't mind if it was two or more years until next time. The movie was OK but I lost concentration when I had to slap Captain's hand every time he was in the chocolate box or in the candy bowl. When the movie was over I took off to my cabin and I promised myself the KICK START my diet tomorrow. No more Christmas candy and my plan is to stay home next Christmas (Well, the whole winter) and thus dodge all the Christmas candy and food. I can't say that I like the Christmas food, well, brunkål and that's it.  Boxing Day 2008 and when I came down to the mess room I grabbed my GOOD MORNING carrot and I went out to the kitchen to get a fruit, almond and carrot drink. I went to my office to meet  our Bosun to plan today's work.
And we have things to do. And even though I eat a carrot every morning (According to the latest science a carrot a day helps prevents memory loss at old age) I made a “To do list”. • Rendering points on the winch brakes. • Dogs on the water tight doors • Paint Tank Cleaning line • Canvas Of course, more stuff will end up on this list during  time. It was a beautiful morning and I enjoyed the morning on poop deck watching our Bosun marking the rendering points on the winch brakes. One of the ABs was checking all the dogs on the water thigh doors and I could return to my office.
Our fitter had prepared the dynamometric wrench and a special socket so  we could apply between 80 and 90 NM to the winch brakes.
After lunch it was time for the annual ISPS drill. At 1300 Captain and I did a table top drill in his cabin while drinking Ramlösa. Last drill for this year and when we were ready I went to my office to make an “Stowaway Search  list”. Captain told me that the immigration had been a little grumpy last time in New York because we didn't do a stowaway search in Hamburg. well, now we have this list and we can show them next time they ask.
Ice and snow in Canada, yeah, we have it fresh in mind. Freezing cold and as you now, water expands when it freezes. If you have water in the pipes when the mercury falls below zero you're in trouble.
We discovered that the valve on the tank cleaning line was in 2 pieces due to ice. and it's not a small valve, maybe 6mm thick steel  and it just cracked in to 2 pieces. Like ripping a piece of paper in two. But what can we do?
All the valves have drains but not this valve. Not necessary I thought. The water will fall back down to the pump (18m) by gravity so that's why they didn't bother putting a drain cock on the pipe. Well, as we found out, It's a non return valve and the water was stuck in the valve. Sub zero degreases and the valve turned to scrap. But we removed the pipe and our Fitter welded a drain on the pipe, so hopefully this will not happen again. It had been a good day and tomorrow it's Saturday again. We will start by blowing the heating coils in the slop tanks. Just to make sure there is no water, but it should be empty, the coils have been blinded. But you never know. I hope we get the sea from behind tomorrow so we can finish marking the rendering points on the break winches on the fo'c's'le. Saturday 27th of December 2008 and when Bosun called me at 0730 I already knew what kind of weather to expect. The rolling increased during the night so I didn't expect us to finish the winch  brakes forward today.
I was in the shower 0740 when our Cook called to wake me up. 0740 and I think you understand why I asked our Bosun to give me my wake up call. I asked Bosun to call me 0730 and now I get my wakeup call at 0730 every morning. When our Cook was in charge it was everything from 0730 to 0950. So if we have to rely on the Cook to get something done , well, I go for our Bosun.
We started the day (after my GOOD MORNING carrot) by topping-up the tanks with nitrogen. Our Bosun and OS had prepared the heating coils in the slop tanks so we could blow them with air. No water  in the coils and I returned to the CCR and my office. This  weather don't makes you want to rush out on deck. Especially not in shorts.
When we had topped-up the tanks with nitrogen I made an Excel sheet for the pressure drop calculation in our vapour return line. Just to enter the vapour density and vapour pressure and ipsi-wipsi-wu, we have the pressure drop. After dinner I bought some deo and a toothbrush in the slop chest before returning to my cabin. At 8 we start the video. Usually we start the movie at 7 but our Skånske 2nd Officer gets off his watch at 8. And we need one more Skåning in the day room in the evening. Sunday 28th of December 2008 and we're making about 9 knots. Increasing headwind slowing us down, but I'm in no hurry. Monday 29th of December 2008 and breakfast was a carrot only. Now I have 2 bets running, one with 2nd Engineer and one with the Chief Engineer. Our 2nd Engineer and I will get going with our diet after the Christmas festivities, 150 US every  time we get caught eating something unhealthy. And my “no smoking” bet with our Chief Engineer is still on. Strange, when I'm home I don't smoke. It even tastes bad,  very bad. But as soon as I set foot on the ship. 
I finished my carrot and I took the can with tuna. My breakfast was prepared when I came down to the mess room. A carrot and a can of tuna. Well, I threw away the tuna, tasted like blah. 
Well, still hungry and I was not sure where our 2nd Engineer was, so I left the mess room hungry. But a old trick is to keep yourself busy  and you soon forget the hunger. And busy we were, the deck crew is on poop deck chipping. Its terrible weather, water spray and rain.
But they will brush and paint deck when the weather is nice. Hopefully we will load gasoline in Sweden for Mexico, Pacific side. We remember nice places like Manzanilo from Barcarolle. Our Fitter should test the manometer on the jack that we use for testing our winch brakes. He was soon in my office. - The manometer has a KN scale and our FRAMO reference manometer has the BAR scale. Our 1st Engineer were soon in my office and we checked the  WINCH BRAKE TEST RECORD and we did a few quick calculations and we had soon converted 200 bar to 93KN with an area of 46,4cm² and 61KN with a 30,5cm². We got 200 BAR on the FRAMO manometer and we discovered that the manometer on the jack was busted.
After the adventure in the engine room it was time for
Afternoon was spent with the ODME and I threw a lot of shit in my office and in the CCR. Paperwork saved for years and no one is ever going to ask for it. And if they do? - Sorry! I'm new on the ship and I'm very sorry to say that I have never seen the stuff you're asking for. But I will keep an eye out for it, I promise!
Deck fitter making a new cover for the ballast valves
Well, we spend every night in the day room watching movie. Our Cook and Captain are always there. Our Fitter shows up sometimes and our 2nd Engineer use to give up after 30 minutes. But I have  some time after dinner to write a little on my web page and to check out Badoo.com.
Badoo.com, our Motorman was on the page chatting with a girl the other day. - What is that? I asked. - It's a place where you meet people online, he said. He told me that there were plenty girls and many of them asked him for money after a few minutes only. - They don't know that I know that their pictures are famous actors on the Philippines, He said. After the normal and humdrum:
“Hello! How are you? What are you doing?” it was all about asking for help paying the tutor fee for the university. - I mean, how stupid can you be? Sending money to someone you don't know. And obviously there must be people doing it or there would not have been any people asking for the money. I decided to check out the site and, well, of course you could not browse the site unless you had your own profile. So if you're ever visiting badoo, guess who Superswede is. Yeah, it's the very same Superswede we remember from Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior.  Tuesday 30th of December 2008 and I woke up to a nice day. No wind and I were looking forward to finishing the winch brakes forward. But first the ODME. Well, it didn't take long for the wind to pick up from nothing to full and the sea were soon spraying over deck again. So we will have to wait with the winches forward. But we will try the ODME and when we opened for the water we di, we, who do I try to fool? Bosun discovered the leak, I was in my office eating my GOOD MORNING carrot.
Yeah, the good ol' GOOD MORNING carrot. If I was serious with my diet before I have to be  twice as serious now. The badoo adventure have spinned out of control. OK, I can only blame myself. My slipshod use of the keyboard when typing my personal info and I think I might have mistyped my year of birth. Appearance might be mistyped as well, but understand that I'm in hurry to meet the love of my life so one or two misprints is something we have to expect. So I must go real serious with the diet  now and I must look good when I leave the ship.
Imagine the girl waiting for Super Swede, delirious with anticipation. When Porky  is coming around the corner she will scream for the Police. Well, that's how it�s going when you do the hunt and peck on the key board.
Well, where were we? Yeah, I was in my office munching on my carrot when Bosun came and told me that there was a water  leak on the sample pump to the ODME. We left for deck to check out the sample pump to the ODME. For sure we will be delayed for a few hours testing the ODME.
They also discovered a broken gasket on the fresh water line to  the emergency showers. So this has to be changed before we can turn on the fresh water and test the ODME.
Well, the crew was busy on deck  and I returned to my office for some “papper work”.  I kept myself busy until lunch with some very important “papper work”.
Well, “papper work”, it was more like dreaming  about the ONLINE girls. And believe it or not, I had received several virtual kisses!  And what is a virtual kiss? And where do they come up with stuff like a virtual kiss. Well, it's a strange world  we're living in. But one thing is for sure, I must have been dashing when I was 18, at least on the picture.
- Hmm, I think that's the explanation for all the virtual kisses.
I was exhausted after all the virtual kissing so lunch time came as a nice  break. 2 plates of salad and I will soon be able to go on a date with my V shaped torso.
I was running the ODME in the afternoon and one of our 2nd Officers came by the CCR. He's coming most of the days eager to learn the tricks of the trade, one of the upcoming stars in the company. He wants� to learn everything on how to be a Chief  Officer. I think it's the salary that wants� him to be a Chief Officer. For sure, it's not the responsibility. We were ready just in time for dinner and we had discharged about 50m³ of tank cleaning water.
Well, one more day to go and it will be 2009. So I take this opportunity to wish you a happy New Year with many broken New Year�s resolutions.  New Year's Eve 2008 and beautiful weather when I woke up. But by the time I got on deck it was blowing again and it was freezing. I kept myself busy until lunch with paper work. We have to fill up the ODME discharge in the “oil record book”. We filled ballast yesterday so this goes in to the ”ballast record book”. I had a quick lunch, brunkål, and I were off to bed. Damn! I must have been tired. I slept like a log and I didn't wake up until 1715. I must have been very tired. Same this morning, when Bosun  called me at 0730 I was like a stone. I haven't been so tired for a very long time, and that's even though I went to bed after the movie yesterday.
Well, 12 days crossing the Atlantic with bad weather and the sleep have been, well, not the best one in the rolling. We reached the English Channel yesterday and this is the first night without rolling since we left Canada. Might be the reason for all the sleep. Well, 2008 is history and we swing right over to 2009 |
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