Aladdin's long struggle against obesity and baldness continues onboard M/T Bro Promotion

February 2009

Sunday 1^st of February 2009 and February started as January ended, in Amsterdam. Still waiting for cargo. I woke up at 9 o'clock with the sun shining through my window.

At 18:40 our Surveyor came onboard and we had to do an internal transfer to get 79,8% in all tanks. Took us just over 2 hours, but after waiting for 36 hours you might think that the Terminal could have come up with this idea before. We started to load from a barge at 22:00 and we will have 87,4% when the barge is empty. Then we will take the rest from a shore tank, as it looks now. But the shore organisation has been less than impressive so we never know what's happening.

Monday 2^nd of February 2009 and I was called for at 04:45 when we were about to finish the barge parcel. We started to load the last parcel from shore tank at 05:35. Seems like its TEAM SKÅNE that have to take care of business every morning around here.

I was back in bed just after 6 and I got out of bed at 11. Average rate 360m³/h on the last parcel so I can as well prepare myself for a long night. And I have slept very badly the last few days, so sleep is needed. Well, anyway, I didn't sleep that much between 6 and 11. Mostly tossing and turning.

At 1530 our 2nd Officer from Skåne came to relieve 2nd Officer on watch. Today I had the camera with me. Kind of tired to hear “Your page is not updated” and “There is no new pictures of me” every morning coming down the CCR. So I decided to make him happy with a 2nd Officer collection. And it's now on internet for all of you to enjoy.

Sometimes our 2nd Officer have time to relax with gingerbread and coffee......

..... and of course time to pester duty officer

TEAM SKÅNE in action in the CCR

Well, we started to fill up our last cargo tank, 5P/S and I started to collect all the check lists, cargo plans, stability calculations and all the other papers to put them in the right binders.

Well, the loading rate was not very much to write home about. Just over 300m³/H and I was lucky to have our 2nd Officer to pester, otherwise I would have jumped overboard trying to alleviate the boredom.

But finally, at 16:20 we completed the loading. Our 2nd Officer is in the pipe line to become a Chief Officer so I let him be in charge of the operation. And with a few pointers from me it turned out very good. As I told him: You need all the practise you can get, soon you will be alone as Chief Officer and no one around to ask.

I was chasing our 2nd Officer around with my camera. 2nd of February in the year of our Lord 2009 will go down in the history books as THE DAY I DEVOTED TO OUR 2ND OFFICER FROM SKÅNE.

I was not only following him around. I was also using the spy cam technique with various results. He was quick to detect me when I was sneaking around outside the CCR. Well, luckily enough because it was cold outside. At least when wearing nothing but shorts and a t-shirt. But the SPY CAM in the mess room turned out to be a success, he never discovered me. Well, maybe the mess room would be better off as a PRIVATE ZONE. Hmm, the table manners left a little to wish for. But over the years we have got used to the naked truth at www.aladdin.st, never mind what kind of ghastliness we have seen.

Our 2nd Officer just finished his dinner when the provision and garbage barge

arrived and our 2nd Officer became busy again.
- ALL HANDS ON DECK!
And who would I have been if I didn't document our 2nd Officer when he called all hands to deck. I decided to make it a video.
- The first video from Bro Promotion and you're the star, I told him.
He had a hard time hiding his excitement when I told him. - YES!
I had prepared our “Small Craft Permit” and the “Garbage receipt” and I asked our 2nd Officer if he could get the man in charge on the barge to sign those very important documents.
- NO PROBLEM! ON THE DOUBLE!
The soles on his safety shoes were screaming and smoking when he took off.
- That's the spirit we're looking for.

It didn't took long to get the provision onboard but the barge only brought a 3m³ garbage container with them. We had plenty garbage so the barge had to go get two 6m³ containers and come back a second time. But we managed to get rid of all our wooden pallets from last provision delivery at Skagen the first time the barge was here.

The barge was back at 8 o'clock for the second pick up and Pilot was onboard at 20:50 and we left Eurotank, jetty 14 at 21:15.

We had all fast in the lock at 22:35 and we were out of the lock at 23:25 and I was off to bed for what I hope to be a good night�s sleep.

Tuesday 3^rd of February 2009 and I don't know if we have recovered from yesterdays 2ND OFFICER chock. But I guess we have had it with his pictures for a few days by now.

It was a sunny day and we could see the White cliffs of Dover just after 11 o'clock when I was on the bridge discussing Nigeria with Captain. I left for lunch quarter to 12. We received Earl Grey tea and pumpernickel yesterday so I was kind of in a hurry to try out the pumpernickel.
- MOTHERF@NKER!! Delicious!
I made a pumpernickel and ham sandwich for me and our Cook and we ate them in the kitchen. Unbelievable how something so tasty can be so healthy. And together with the Earl grey tea, yummy! we only have Lipton�s Yellow Label onboard and that�s not very exciting. We ordered Earl Grey in New York and they sent onboard some bull shit. Impossible to drink the darn thing.

Nice to have the crew back on deck with the chipping hammers. The deck work had come to a complete stand still in Amsterdam. We have plenty to do on deck and we lost a week laying in Amsterdam.

I expected clothes to the blasting machine to have been delivered in Amsterdam, but I was not surprised when the clothes was a no show. Never mind, it's not my ship. They have had Inspectors onboard in every port complaining about deck. And believe me, I'm looking forward to meet the next one coming onboard complaining on the deck.

Our Bosun and the OS were putting back new steam pipes that our Deck Fitter had fabricated. Now it's only #1 + 2 + 6 cargo heaters that need new steam pipes. And of course the return pipes, but I will have our OS on the return lines with a hammer tomorrow to check out which pipes we need to renew first. I already made a hole in #2 return pipe with a hammer during the afternoon.

Bosun and our OS busy with the steam pipe

It was a sunny but windy day and in the afternoon we started to get water spray over deck. But the crew were aft with their chipping hammers so the water spray didn't bother them that much. Now were steaming South and we expect the temperature to rise by the day and as soon as we're south of Gibraltar we should have nice weather.

But we opened to the water out on deck this afternoon, we don't expect any more sub zero nights with frozen water in the pipes any more. At least not for a very long time.

After dinner (White cabbage and meatballs) I was off to my cabin and my language course. I missed my course yesterday due to the departure from Amsterdam. Well, can't say that I missed it, but it's nice to be back on track again with my studies. And we expect 2 weeks to Nigeria and then only God knows for how long we have to wait to come along side. So there will be plenty time for self studies and my Teacher will be impressed when I'm back at school.

Wednesday 4^th of February 2009 and even though we retarded ships time by 1 hour I was tired when our 2nd Officer from Skåne called me at 0730. Diet drink, multi vitamin and a hot shower and I were off to the mess room.

I prepared my tea while munching on my GOOD MORNING carrot. When my tea was ready I took my new tea cup and my can of tuna and I left for my office. A few minutes later our 2nd Officer from Skåne came in to the office. He will make the discharge plan for Africa. Yet another step on the way to the Chief Officer position. As I told him:
- You don't want to find yourself behind Chief Officers desk unprepared. There is a responsibility attached to the high salary!
We were soon ready and when he left for his bed I told him that we would do the gas meters tomorrow morning.
- So be prepared! Get as much sleep you can.

At 11 o'clock we changed course to SSW at TSS Off Ushant. We had a force 8 gale coming in from SE so water spray all over deck. Luckily enough our Bosun and OS had removed the steam pipes from # 1 and 2 heat exchangers.
Well, there had been water spray over deck all morning, but it became worse after the course change. I had two of the ABs to bring the pipes back to the poop deck so they could dismantle them protected from the water spray on deck. Well, it wasn't much different, water spray and rain all over deck.

ABs busy with the steam pipe on poop deck
At 2 o'clock I told the AB with the chipping hammer to go inside and continue with the cover to the MOB boat. It was too much water on deck and I could tell that he was happy to go inside by the look on his face. Of course, windy and cold on deck, cosy and warm inside.

There are plenty rust on deck
During the afternoon a made a visit to the engine room to see how things were working out for our Deck Fitter. They sent home one AB when the Deck Fitter came onboard, he will sign off in 2 months and then we will get back our AB.

The wind was turning from SE to SSW and a force 8 became force 9 head wind. We were down to 7 knots and we will be late to the Canaries. And I'm sure a few of the crew are unhappy with this. We got message from the company and 4 people will sign off in Las Palmas. All the crew joining the ship with me in New York will go home except the Fitter.

And no one was unhappy to leave the ship before Nigeria. Actually, I have never met anyone having anything good to say about Nigeria. Only the opposite, it's a shit place.

I prepared my office for tomorrows GAS MEASURING EXTRAVAGANZA with our 2nd Officer from Skåne and I went to our store to get more of our colour markers. I stopped by on the bridge and our 2nd Officer from Skåne told me that he was a little disappointed that I hadn't taken any picture when he did the discharge plan this morning.
- OK, I will bring my camera tomorrow.

Thursday 5^th of February 2009 and it was heavy rolling when I woke up at 6 o'clock. I guess it was the rolling that woke me up. But I think I managed to fall asleep again because 2nd Officer called to wake me up at 0730. By the look of the weather and the rolling I guessed that our gas measuring school will be cancelled today.

Friday 6^th of February 2009 and luckily enough our 2nd Officer from Skåne and I had scheduled to our gas measuring equipment. At 08:15 he was waiting for me in my office and I was in my bed sleeping. So he called me and asked where I was.
- I will be down in a sec!

When I came in to the CCR I asked our 2nd Officer from Skåne why he didn't called me at 07:30.
- Did you go to bed again?
I woke up at 04:30 something due to heavy rolling and I was reading a book in my bed. Impossible to sleep and a quarter before 6 I was so bored and I called our 2nd Officer from Skåne on the bridge in order to try to alleviate my boredom. I must have felt asleep again around 7 and our 2nd Officer from Skåne thought I was up and about already.

I was giving stupid pointers, drinking tea, talking about the good ol' times and taking pictures while our 2nd Officer from Skåne calibrated our gas instruments.

When we were ready with the portable instruments our 2nd Officer from Skåne was eager to go on deck to practise.
- Whoa Whoa! We have the fixed gas measuring for the ballast tanks as well!
- Are we going to do this as well?
- Have you seen this before? I asked
- NO!
- Imagine you coming here as a new Chief Officer and you have to go knock on Captain's door first day. Captain! Come help me! He will give you a foot in your sorry behind!

Our 2nd Officer from Skåne opened the cabinet to the fixed gas measuring equipment. I could hear him from my office ( I was sippin' on my tea while sucking on a coffin nail)
- UGH! HELP! HERE IS PLENTY STUFF!
- HEY! Don't wet yourself! Papa Daddy will be with you in a sec.

We calibrated the equipment and when we were ready our 2nd Officer from Skåne borrowed my parka and we were ready to go on deck for some practical exercises.

He takes his task very seriously

Going on deck and I went crazy with my camera. Our 2nd Officer from Skåne was beaming of joy. He was already delirious with anticipation over the chance to get a “HANDS ON” gas measuring experience, but when he saw my camera he was starting to jump up and down in excitement. He is still disappointed that I forgot my camera when he did the cargo plan and he never lets me forget my faux pas. But by the look on his face I suspected that I had made up for a lot of the missing pictures by bringing my camera today.

We went on deck to measure oxygen, %LEL & %VOL. I explained difference between LEL and VOL and he was pretty satisfied when he went to bed at 9 thirty. Well, our 2nd Officer from Skåne of to bed.
- Hmm, what should I do? Yeah! I can go pester our Cook.

Our Cook was busy making spinach, my favourite. He asked me if I could call him if we spotted any whales. I called our 2nd Officer.
- Keep sharp look out for whales! Call our Cook first thing when you see any whales.

Our Bosun working with our fire line

Saturday 7^th of February 2009 and our 2nd Officer from Skåne is signing off tomorrow. So no training today, he is busy making inventory. He started right off with the reference library. At the very instant I got my camera from my pocket I knew that he would never forgive me for not taking any picture when he did the cargo plan.
- This is nothing to have on picture! You should have got me when I did the cargo plan.

Our deck crew was busy putting back steam lines on deck. The weather has improved a lot, but there is still spray coming at times. Our OS and one of the ABs had just brought the pipe to 10STB on deck when a wave hit the ship side just at 10 STB. The AB was quick to take cover behind the OS and he managed to stay dry, but our OS was soaked.

When the new steam pipe was mounted they started to wash down the superstructure. One AB was on the chipping detail during the afternoon and we're soon reaching the manifold area with the chipping. Of course, the manifold area will take longer to chip, but when they are ready at the manifolds I expect them to be on the fo'c's'le in a jiff.

I kept my self busy in my office. A never ending stream of papers coming my way and the important paper work seems to pile up on my desk. Well, anyway, I was sitting behind my desk scratching my behind when our 3rd Engineer came in to the chemical lab outside my office.

I moved over to the chemical lab glad to be able to kill some time.
- I sent your web address to my wife. Very nice, 3rd Engineer told me. He told me that it would be good for his wife to read about the life on the ships. The story of Bro Promotion as he called it. Well, I'm glad to help.

But tomorrow we will pass Grand Canarias and I don't know if we have any internet coverage south of Gran Canarias. So I don't know when my next up load will be. But our 2nd Officer from Skåne is leaving tomorrow and we have to wait with the training until he comes back. It's in my job description to prepare “YOUNGER” officers for promotion.

YOUNGER!!?? Is it possible to get any younger than me? OK, a well developed HELIPAD as our 1st Engineer on Barcarolle called it. But by the look on the picture above I don't think it�s something to write home about. I guess it's the smoking and I really wished they had warned me about the

SMOKING MAKES YOU GO BALD

baldness when I was smoking back in the days. Well, I guess it's too late now. But I might sue the tobacco company for a couple of millions. A brimmed bank account makes it a little easier to live with the HELIPAD.

Sunday 8^th of February 2009 and I discovered a gorgeous day when I took my GOOD MORNING look out of my window. Well, it was more like a GOOD DAY (10:30) look. Sunshine, blue sky and a blue sea. A little swell, but it was hardly so you could notice it.

When I came on deck the deck crew was busy on deck. Painting steam pipes and putting on u-bolts. I had been on deck for 30 seconds when I discovered that my panta longas over and winter hat was no longer needed.

I returned to the CCR and I took off my winter gear and I started to discharge our last ballast from DB 1 P/S. While discharging the ballast I copied the manual to our super strip for Bosun while in my office.

I finished the ballast while eating a plate of white cabbage. When the ballast was finish I got to our Cook and I got a second plate. And talk about white cabbage, yesterday when I donned my white shirt I was in for a happy surprise. The shirt was almost too big and when I joined the ship the darn thing was too small.

After lunch I collected my winter clothes, panta longas and a pull over. I brought everything to the washing machine and hopefully I will never have to use it again. At least not in a very long time. I had had my share of winter for a couple of years now and hopefully we're not back in Europe until late spring. But we don't have a clue where we're going after Africa.

A sunny day just North of Las Palmas
One of our ABs had problem with his computer and he borrowed a Windows® CD of me. I went down to his cabin to check out the progress. Our Bosun was outside his cabin and suddenly he shouted:
- Now we can see the Canary Islands.
Our Bosun was born on the Canaries so he spent most of the afternoon watching the islands.
- Home sick?
- No, I haven't been there for 13 years. Brazil is better.

It was a beautiful afternoon and I got a 90 minutes constitutional on the cat walk. Shorts and a short sleeved shirt. (My white shirt that was too small only a few weeks ago)
We reached Las Palmas around 6 o'clock and I went down on deck to check out our parcels that should arrive with the launch. I ran in to our 2nd Officer from Skåne outside my cabin.
- There you are. I was hoping for you to be on deck taking pictures when I'm leaving. Shame to miss an opportunity like this.
- I have my camera with me.

We took his bags, I had to carry the big and heavy bag and our 2nd Officer from Skåne carried a bag reminding me of a medium size envelope. But, well, not every day our 2nd Officer from Skåne is signing off. And now he has something to tell the girls back home.
Imagine meeting a girl at the disco. You�re trying to impress her:
- I had to carry my own bags when signing off
- LOSER! And she is out of there like yesterday.

- Chief Officer carried my bags when I signed off.
- Oh! You're so handsome!
- He is training me to become a Chief Officer
- Let's get married!

Our 2nd Officer from Skåne is leaving
OK Jonte! Nu får du ha d så kul! Jaja, internetet kapsejsade ju strax norr om Las Palmas. Men d kickade in igen strax syd om Las Palmas igen s� jag fick med sista ACTION bilderna. Så nu vet jag att du har lite att roa dig med när du e hemma. Ska börja träna Rob för Överstyrmans positionen KL 1000 imorgon: Men ingen anledning att var dyster för det, du vet ju att du e min specielle kille! Nu får vi se när nästa upload blir av.

Monday 9^th of February 2009 and I woke up to my first day as the only one from Skåne onboard. It was our Mess man who called me at 0730. A quick shower, diet drink and a multi vitamin and I was down to the mess room and my GOOD MORNING carrot in 2 steps.

I finished my carrot and I went to check out our grit blasting dress that we received yesterday. We got EXACTLY what I had asked not to get. Yes, exactly, I sent pictures of our dress we used on Barcarolle. If I remember it right I sent 2 or 3 pictures.

And the size, Bosun and Chief Engineer were on the floor laughing.
- OK, let's get our smallest AB here to try it out, I suggested.
We have a very small AB on the 4 to 8 watch and I called him. He took on the dress and I took a picture.
- You go stay next to him so we can see how small it is, Chief Engineer suggested.
I suggest they change whoever they use as Ship Chandler. Almost 1000US + air freight for this piece of plastic and there is only one thing I want to call it: Day light robbery.

At 09:50 our 2nd Officer on the 12 to 4 watch came to the CCR. I was just finished filling up 50 cm ballast in DB 3 and 4. Then I will strip the tanks in a few days trying to get out some of the mud. I and Bosun will go down to inspect DB 5 Port today and I will measure the gas before entry. So our 2nd Officer was just in time to calibrate the gas meters.

Before I left for deck I wrote down ullage in 6 different tanks with different temperatures.
- Give me average temp, volume at 15°C, tonnes in vacuum and observed volume. Old school style!
When he was started with the correction tables and ullage tables I went on deck to measure for gas in DB 5 port. Bosun and I entered the tank at 10:30 I was first, stopping halfway down to get a picture of Bosun and AB looking down the hatch. Always trying to get pictures for my web page.

DB 5 Port

I was lucky to have had the enormous success with my diet. I don't think I would have made it as easy a few weeks ago. Our Bosun was impressed by me “SWINGING” myself through manholes. Yeas, you read it right, swinging.

The tanks looked like new in the bottom. A little rust on the edges in the aft stool. On the top deck they had made a touch up a few months ago. Middle deck was rusty, but not very much so I guess we can concentrate on chipping deck.

Not very much mud in the bottom, but I will do the bottom flush anyway to see if we can get some of the mud out of there. It took us some 30 minutes to inspect the tank and the only problem I had was the last section, to check the suction bell. Pretty much the same problem as I had on Barcarolle. Someone had put a pipe in the manhole. Luckily enough our Bosun could pass through to check it out. No pitting and we started to work our way up again.

DB 5 Port

After lunch I spent some time filling up the tank inspection report for DB 5 Port and after that I went on deck to check on the progress with the chipping. I also got a 60 minutes constitutional before it was time for dinner. Study, a movie in the day room and I was off to bed.

Tuesday 10^th of February 2009 and it was all quiet when I woke up. At my GOOD MORNING look out my window I discovered that we were drifting. Later on I found out that they were working with the boiler in the engine room.

At 09:30 our Bosun and I went down to inspect DB 5 Stb and it took us about 30 minutes. Pictures? Just hit the “PAGE UP” button 2 times. It looked pretty much the same as yesterday. Coating in good condition. We were ready just in time for the coffee break and when we came inside there was a random alco test in full swing. I blew the darn thing and then I was off to the CCR to get a pair of scissors.

Our 2nd Officer was waiting for me.
- So let�s start the training, he demanded.
You see, Chief officer under a lot of pressure. Tank inspection, maintenance, finding the time to drink tea, paper work, cargo planning, sit down relax and the training of the younger officers to take my job one day. I think it's better if they can't find any Chief Officers, imagine the salary. Well, anyway, I'm the youngest onboard and I'm training the older Officers.

Well, anyway, when I had started out 2nd Officer I took my scissors and I went down to our deck crew's coffee room. I cut off the sleeves on the blaster dress and I cup up the sides on the dress. Now we have 3 guys, 2 ABs and our OS that can use the dress. I don't understand WRIST in Denmark, Broström is a very big customer and WRIST try to f@ck them over by sending some bull shit for blaster dress. And on top of that they charge almost 1000US. Well, at least I know what I should have done if I was in charge in the purchase department. Daylight robbery and only one place to send the Ship Chandler.

OK, when I had destroyed the 1000 US blaster dress it was time to test the blaster machine. This machine is used with a mix of water and grits and I was at least to say sceptic to the whole thing. Why do you want to have water all over deck, better with dry grits. Just to sweep deck and paint when finished with the blasting.

Our Bosun took 4 bags of grits from under the fo'c's'le. Yeah, we have plenty grits under the fo'c's'le. And we have 5 tons on the cat walk that was delivered to us at Skagen. But strange to have all the grits under the fo'c's'le and no grit blaster onboard.

Bosun filling grits in the machine

I understand that you're disappointed for me not to bring my camera down the DB 5 Stb this morning. But I
will throw in a few BONUS pictures of the grit blasting adventure. So I hope that you're enjoying them!
But don't expect any “before” & “after” pictures from Bro Promotion. Bro Promotion is nowhere close to the state Barcarolle was in when we started on her deck

Barcarolle, “before” & “after”

Barcarolle, before

Barcarolle, after
Well, our water grit mix worked beautiful. As soon as Bosun had donned our NEW & IMPROVED grit blasting dress he tested the grit blaster and it only took seconds to do a few of our PRE chipped spots. Way better than expected and the water wasn't any problem. I guess that we will use much less grits. But we will see tomorrow when we start blasting.

When Bosun had tested the blasting machine our OS wanted to try as well. He is one of the 3 (small, and hopefully they won't eat cakes and stuff until deck is ready) chosen ones to grit blast our deck. He had never been blasting before so our Bosun explained how to use the machine. A dangerous piece of equipment if you don't know how to use it right.

OS grit blasting

And on the right hand picture you can see how effective the machine is
Well, I think we had enough of pictures of the test run by now. But 8 o'clock tomorrow morning they will start to kick behinds on deck and I hope it's ready when I leave in May. 2 guys blasting and 2 guys working ahead with the chipping hammers. 5 layers of paint and the deck will hopefully stay RUST FREE for quite a while. When we're ready with the blasting they can order 2200 litres of HARDTOP and spray the whole deck with an extra top coat. They will never have to pay a ship yard for blasting and painting on deck again.

And they need to save the money after the blasting dress scam. 5000 Dkr for the dress and they should send a few of the biggest guys from the head office in Gothenburg to Denmark. Equipped with baseball bats they should be able to claim the money. Or they could send a couple of guys on motorcycles to help them get the money back. But who knows? Maybe it's not a scam. They might be retarded, sending a size XXS blaster dress. And then we can't hold anything against

Before

After

them. To be stupid is not against the law.

Beautiful weather and I got my 90 minutes constitutional on deck. Hell, even our Movie club made a decision to defer the movie until 19:00 so we could walk on deck in the sunshine. That's how committed I am to my diet. And I just told you that you shouldn't be disappointed over the lack of “before” & “after” pictures from Bro Promotion. Well, I guess there will be plenty if I keep up my diet.

Wednesday 11^th of February 2009 and I woke up to yet another gorgeous day. I was full of anticipation, today we will start the blaster machine. The test run yesterday was promising.

But the machine was a disappointment when we were going to use it. Well, it only took 5 minutes for our OS to take of the grit blasting dress, this piece of shit was good for nothing. It didn't take us much longer to discover that the grit blasting machine was a disappointment. It worked very well, but all the water. The grits became like mud and soon it was very hard to see where you had blasted and even more difficult to discover where to grit blast. But of course, it takes some time to get used to it.

But I preferred our 500 US grit blaster on Barcarolle, no water and it was quick to blast and collect the grits for the second use. The machine we're using now is a 12,000 US piece of machinery and it's much harder to use. But maybe it will be a different tune in a few days when we're used to the machine.

I was discharging the ballast I had used for flushing the tanks when our 2nd Officer came in to the CCR.
- I'm ready to kick behind!
He was soon sitting in my office doing cargo calculations the old style and I continued with my ballast. I was ready just in time for lunch and I went to my cabin for a cold diet drink.

My 90 minutes constitutional turned in to a 90 minutes chat with Captain on deck. But 1 day of rest is OK. I need to rest my feet and legs, walking around in safety shoes is not all that comfortable. I only had a plate of white cabbage for dinner so it didn't matter so much that I missed my constitutional.

Thursday 12^th of February 2009 and yet another gorgeous morning. But we had a set back with the grit blaster. Hose from the grit vessel was clogged and that means that we can only use the grits one time. Wet grits and it's impossible to use the mesh we ordered for Skagen with wet grits.

While our OS and AB were blasting our Bosun dismantled the PV valves on the N2 line. I borrowed a scale from our Cook before putting back the P/V valves we checked the weight of the weights.

We received our final discharge orders in the afternoon. Lagos, Nigeria and they expect 3 weeks waiting before we can start discharging. And it looks like we will discharge at a SBM off shore. Hopefully it will be far from shore, or as I said to our Cook.
- I hope the SBM is in Cape town.

Friday 13^th of February 2009 and our Mess man forgot to wake me up He didn't called until 07:50 and I only had time for a very quick shower before I went down for my GOOD MORNING carrot.

The sky is covered with clouds and our bridge team had to dodge showers during the afternoon so the crew could paint on deck.

Saturday 14^th of February 2009 and lo and behold. Today I was called for at 07:30, and today was the day I had hoped for them to be late on my wake up call. Ship's time was advanced by 1 hour during the night so 07:30 was like 06:30.

Up to now I have been called at different times every day, if they didn't forgot it. Since our Bosun left in Amsterdam it has been downhill. I ask one guy to call me at 07:30.
- Can you please wake me up at 07:30 every day?
- Everyday? No problem.
It usually works for a day or two. And I have to ask someone else and well, one time I had 4 guys calling me. But no one managed to call at 07:30. After the first call I was in the shower and while enjoying my hot shower the other 3 called with 5 minutes interval.

Bosun and OS adjusting the nozzles

Old generation preparing the new generation to take over. The only thing you can't buy for money is experience
Our deck crew had prepared fire hoses on deck during the morning as anti piracy measures. So when I came on deck we started the fire pump and we adjusted the nozzles to get a fog along the ship' side in order to get it slippery and thus make it harder to climb onboard.

Fire hoses used on the ship's side
We're having an ISPS drill at 10:15. Bomb and stowaway search. So when the fire hoses were OK I went to my office to get my prepared bombs and stowaways that I placed around the ship for the crew to search for.

I made a total of 4 bombs and 2 stowaways. When you have drills like this is important that there is something for all to find. Everyone is happy and leaving the drill with a feeling of having taken part in something important.

I had already prepared a list of different areas and assigned crew to search the area. I will be in the ships office with the Chief Engineer and we will guide the crew via radio and we can thick of the areas when they are ready.

The crew
We started on the bridge and I could get a picture of the crew before we started the bomb search. We mustered the crew in the administration center at 11:00 and at 11:40 the last bomb and stowaway was found.

We had planned for a fire drill after the Bomb & Stowaway search. But it took longer than expected so we had to defer the fire drill until after lunch. The action started after lunch, prompt! The first thing we had to do was to declare one of our Mess men as dead.

When the fire alarm went off our Electrician and I was on the upper deck. All doors to upper deck were marked with: DENSE SMOKE LEATHAL SMOKE!
And one of our Mess men was opening the door with one hand scratching his behind while on the way to the fire station.
- YOU'RE DEAD! I said to him.

He was shitting his pants when I grabbed him screaming in his ears. Well, I would be surprised if not. Opening a door to a pitch dark deck and when the door closed behind him I grabbed him screaming: YOU'RE DEAD!

It was a very good idea our Chief Engineer came up with. To close off the deck with deadly smoke. Otherwise people are just taking the shortest way to the muster station, but today upper deck was blocked with a fire and smoke and one of our Mess men just ran in to the death trap.

When we finished with the fire drill our Bosun started to lock down all doors on accommodation with pad locks. Our deck Fitter is almost ready with the bars for the doors and windows and hopefully it will start to come to place tomorrow. I will make one last check of our deck tomorrow and on Monday we will start with 2 ABs on watch. During day time chipping, we took in our grit blaster today (so no one steals it), and during night time 2 ABs on the bridge keeping a sharp look out for pirates.

Rhubarb fool, I have not had rhubarb fool for many many years and I don't remember it as yummy. But our Cook had made rhubarb fool for dessert and it was delicious.

Sunday 15^th of February 2009 turned out to be a slow day. I tested our Spectrometer for the wall wash tests and I did a report about our ISPS drill yesterday.

Monday 16^th of February 2009 and we passed drifting ships about 70 NM offshore. We will tender our notice of readiness and we will stay well clear of shore and the gangsters coming to steal our stuff onboard.

Our Fitter has started to put up the bars over windows and doors. He also put up the bolts for the doors from bridge and A-deck in to the stair case.

We're two guys on watch since 8 o'clock this morning and the maintenance on deck is slowing down. Mostly painting and chipping. Bosun and our OS was busy mounting the steam pipes on #2 cargo tanks.

Arriving to the roads of Lagos and there were plenty ships waiting at the anchorage.

Plenty ships on Lagos roads
We should be at the pilot station to report to Lagos Port Control so we could tender notice of readiness. We were approaching the buoy slowly between the anchored ships.

Ship chandler #1 meeting us on the roads offering his service

I was on the bridge when I saw a small boat approaching on port side.
- Pirates??
Well, turned out it was a guy introducing himself as a ship chandler. I was on the bridge wing so it was hard to hear what he was screaming. But I heard mango and I held up a bag with something that looked like post cards. But it could have been anything.

We got in contact with Lagos Port Control and got our official arrival time, 14:45 and this is also our time for notice of readiness. I will make protest for delays for all time between 14:45 and the time when we start discharging.

When we had our official arriving time from Lagos Port Control we turned around and got the f@ck out of there. We were drifting 50 NM offshore during the night and hopefully we will not get any nocturnal visitors onboard trying to steal everything we have.

Tuesday 17^th of February 2009 and we were still drifting when I woke up. Coming to my office and I discovered that our VEF was missing from my computer. So I started right off to make a new one. Had to go back and check old voyages. Time consuming but I killed time. I was interrupted by our Bosun. He had prepared our cranes and derricks and we went out to inspect all the wires.

Before I knew it, it was time for lunch and I had to continue with our VEF in the afternoon.
During lunch I came up with an excellent idea. I will ZIP my pictures and send to my brother and he can try to upload my web page. If it works out I can keep my web page updated throughout our stay in Lagos. Plenty excitements is expected and I'm under a lot of pressure from the fans to keep my page up to date. But now I think I found away to do this. Our internet provider told us that there will not be any coverage over Nigeria until later in the 2009.

We're going to drift here for 3 weeks I will have the crew to start up the grit blaster at the end of the week. Otherwise we will lose plenty time. A lot of trouble to get the grit blaster in and out every day, but I decided to keep it on deck and if we have pirates coming to steal the darn thing.
- Our luck!
I don't mind loosing this grit blaster and we can buy the kind of grit blaster I want. A few hundred dollars, easy to use and we can use the grits 2 or 3 times. Our 12-13,000 dollars machine (NEVER USED BEFORE AND I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHY) is only trouble. Impossible to see where we have blasted, takes a long time to clean up the grits and we can only use the grits one time before we have to throw it.

Wednesday 18^th of February 2009 and we were still drifting off Lagos when I got out of bed. We started the day by preparing our manifold for pressure test and calibrating of the manometers on the manifold. We have 22 manometers to check and I have a reference manometer that I put on the manifold to compare with. And of course, I have compared our reference manometer with our certified and calibrated manometer.

I got an e-mail from my brother and he has logged in on my server so it's a GO on updating my web page and I will send my latest files tomorrow morning. We will also start the grit blasting tomorrow. We're in a hurry to get our deck back to Swedish standard. Our Bosun and one of the ABs took out the machine before going finishing work today. So it's stand-by for tomorrow.

We were watching our daily movie when Captain came in to the day room.
- We have to be at the buoy at 08:00 tomorrow morning to get onboard Surveyors.

Thursday 19^th of February 2009 and we approached the anchorage when I was called at 07:15. A hot shower and half a diet drink and I was off to the bridge. We dropped anchor at 08:00 and now we have to wait for the sampling crew.

It didn't take long before we had a Ship chandler next to us. We asked if he wanted some empty drums and he was glad to get them and we were happy to get them off the ship. We can't burn them in our incinerator. And for sure, we don't want them around on deck making us look like a PanamaGreek ship.

Waiting and waiting, we expected the samplers at 10 o'clock. At 10 we got a message on the radio that they the sampler would be onboard in 20 minutes. He just had to finish another ship.

At 11:35 our sampler, well, he was an Inspector from Scotland and he brought 4 samplers. SGS, Calebret and R&B and some other company. 5 receivers were represented and all needed to pull samples. Well, much of the samples got right in to the fuel tanks onboard the boats and we can only guess how much went in to cars and I'm pretty sure some of it was sold as well.
Well, as the Inspector from Scotland said:
- This is what they call a running sample. If the outboard motors are working is a good sample.

Plenty tankers on Lagos anchorage

The Scottish Inspector told me that he had 14 vessels for Vitol waiting on the anchorage. For gasoline we can expect 3-4 weeks waiting and 6-10 days discharging and that will put us in April before we're ready in Lagos. Well, almost April, and that's the earliest and if all go well.

We left Lagos anchorage at 16:00 and the crew could spend the rest of the day painting. due to the sampling adventure we had to skip the grit blasting, but the crew will be right on it first thing tomorrow morning. One day lost, but it looks like we have a few weeks ahead of us to finish the blaster grits.

Friday 20^th of February 2009 and we were drifting when I got out of bet to answer my wakeup call at 07:30. Beautiful morning and I was looking forward to getting the grit blaster up and running. But I'm a little worried about our grits, 5 tonnes and it will not last until we're able to get onboard next delivery.

Grit blasting

But we will give it a second try to use the sand two times and hopefully we can get the grits to last longer. But if we run in to the slightest problem we will abandon the idea real quick.

We were lifting down a pallet of grits to the ports side of the tank deck using our hose handling crane. Chief Officer is always on the look out for trouble and it didn't took me long to discover hydraulic oil dropping from a pipe on the crane.

- DARN! We have plenty to do and now this.
Well, we had the pipe off and in the engine room after lunch and our Deck Fitter got right on the job to fix the pipe. Well, a few hours wasted that we could have used for other things, but shit happens. Luckily enough we're looking at a few weeks waiting so we should have time to do a lot of stuff on deck. We will finish our grits and when we're out of here we will most likely be very low on paint as well.

Saturday 21^st of February 2009 and we were still drifting when I got out of bed. Overcast and windy this morning. I was drinking my GOOD MORNING tea with our Cook and the 2nd Officer just coming on his watch below when our engine started and we started to get under way.

We had been drifting about 16 NM towards North since Thursday evening and another tanker that was drifting close to us came a little close this morning so we steamed South for a few hours.

We stopped in the afternoon and we started to drift again and after dark we have all doors locked and 2 ABs is on watch on the bridge with our 2nd Officer.

Our dinner was not one of my proudest moments. Well, it started OK with beef and Brussels sprouts. But when Captain came with the biggest helping of ice cream and pears topped with flaked almonds and toffee glazing I had ever seen and I could not help myself. I just had to get a plate to socialize a little.

When I finished my ice cream and pears topped with flaked almonds and toffee glazing I moved over to the crew's mess room. I grabbed a new plate and filled it with my second helping of ice cream and pears topped with flaked almonds and toffee glazing. No one in the crew's mess room knew that I had had a portion already so it was the same as only eating one portion.

Well, it had been enough with this I would have been pretty satisfied with the day. But our Bosun was soon getting up to for more ice cream and I kept him company.

Sunday 22^nd of February 2009 and the crew spent the morning hosing down deck and the superstructure and the afternoon was spent painting.

Monday 23^rd of February 2009 and I woke up at 07:15 15 minutes before my wake up call. I felt asleep just before 9 o'clock yesterday evening and I slept nonstop until 07:15. Nice. We were watching a movie yesterday and I was almost falling asleep watching the turkey. And I mean turkey, it was boring to the extent that I was about to slit my wrists, anything to alleviate the boredom.

Monday and a new week is starting and I could see the crew preparing the grit blaster when I looked out the window at 07:15.

A hot shower and a bucket of tea and I were ready to start with some serious paper work. If I remembered it right the Inspector taking the samples the other day told me that the discharge rate would be something like 400m³/h and then we only need to use 2 pumps.
So I did a new discharge plan for 2 pumps only and the crew was busy grit blasting and painting on deck. The grit blasting is going very quick and if we continue like this we will soon be ready up to the manifold. All goes well.

Evening in the pool

Well, I'm kind o feed up with watching movies by now. Especially after yesterdays ALL TIME LOW. OK, the other night we watched the movie DONKEY KONG. And that was an ALL TIME LOW. Seriously, I would not watch it again even if they held a gun to my temple. Should be against the law to make movies like this. Well, anyway, we decided to skip the movie and spend the time in the pool instead. Nice move, it was very nice and I didn't had to eat any IN FRONT OF THE TV SNACKS. Instead I was burning calories in the pool.

Tuesday 24^th of February 2009 and we're still drifting when I got out o bed. I received an e-mail from our 1st Engineer on Barcarolle. Not the guy making us milk shakes, but from the guy running around in his “sunkiga” underwear stinking up my TV sofa and even worse, my TV pillow. Never to be used again.

Well, anyway, I have been watching 3 seasons of Friday Night Light or whatever the name was. About a football team in Texas and I have been close to slit my wrists more than one time during the process to finish the darn TV series. Nothing good came out of this. One beautiful girl and she left Texas for her home country Guatemala and I don't blame her. The little interest I managed to maintain quickly evaporated when she left for Guatemala. A crazy Grandmother and a wanker in a wheelchair. A sense of any one of those appear on the screen was enough to make me hit the FWD button and each episode was completed in a jiff.

Well. there were two sequenced that made me wet myself laughing. And the first one made me think of the above 1st Engineer and I just had to e-mail the video sequence to him.

You must be an old Soulman

All the right safari equipment

Well, I also got a dream out of it. I was dreaming that I was in Hong Kong with the daughter to the Coach. She wanted to buy cigarette filters and she came back with both filters and a lighter. Dreaming of a lighter!!??
- Hmm, maybe because we're running out of matches onboard.
Well, reminds me to bring our toaster to my cabin. When we're out of matches the toaster is the second best thing to have around.

We had a PEC meeting in the afternoon while I was munching on 2 fresh made semlor. I had all the intention to take only one, but they were stuck together so I had to have two. I scolded our Cook and he promised that he would never commit such a faux pas again.
- GOOD! You know, it doesn�t help my diet!

Still scared to watch a movie after the last setbacks and we decided to spend the evening in the pool. Burning calories instead of eating in front of the TV and I'm pretty confident that I will sign off with a V shaped torso. Or at least with a LESS balloon shaped torso

Wednesday 25^th of February 2009 and is a gloomy and grey morning. Heavy showers during the night, but luckily enough it was dry during the day so the crew could blaster and paint all day.

In the late afternoon we were surrounded by Flippers swimming back and forth next to us. Of course, I had not my camera with me, but it was around 50 - 100 Flippers with a pink belly and nose. I never have seen pink Flippers before, well, except at Singapore PINK FLIPPER SHOW on Sentosa a few years back.

Of course, the flippers in Singapore played with balls and stuff. But I prefer to see them in the wild. I don't know what they did around our ship, but they stayed for a few hours and they had baby flippers swimming with them.

One of the flippers had a plastic bag around his back fin. Some f@cking asshole had thrown plastic in the water. One ass hole? It's more like millions of them. Gulf o Benin is full of garbage. The rivers of Nigeria are rivers of plastic trash.
How f@cking hard can it be to use a waste paper basket?
- Hmm, I suspect it will be hard to find a waste paper basket in Nigeria.
Well, it should be like in Singapore. Severe punishment to throw garbbage in the nature. As I use to say: This is how you can detect if a country is populated by uneducated people, garbage everywhere.

But luckily enough the flipper got help from another flipper to get rid o the plastic bag.

Thursday 26^th of February 2009 and I woke up to yet another day drifting off Lagos. This is getting boring now. I'm glad that we have the blasting and painting to do so I can see the daily progress on deck otherwise nothing is happening around here.

Friday 27^th of February 2009 and one thing is for sure. Times turns quick and its Friday again and soon a new month again. Still drifting, but we're drifting towards Lagos with almost 1 knot and we had to go out to 60 NM today again.

We heard it all before: better to burn calories in the pool than to eat IN FRONT OF THE TV SNACKS. I don't know what it is, but as soon as I sit down in the sofa to watch a movie it's like I must have something to munch on. After a few days in the pool we decided to watch WEEDS yesterday. It just took a few seconds and I had my mouth full.
So today I told our Cook that I was sorry that I could not join him and the movie club at 18:30.
- In order to save my diet I will spend the night in the pool.
Well, when I came to the pool at 18:30 the whole movie club was in the pool

Saturday 28^th of February 2009 and today there will be no grit blasting today, only painting. Beautiful day and I spent lunch time in the pool. On my way to the pool (4 steps from my cabin) I ran in to 2nd Officer on the 12-4 watch. He just returned from the pool and his GOOD MORNING swim. Nice to have a swim before the watch.

One of our ABs was already in the pool when I came out on pool deck. They just changed the water and the pool was only half full. But I could not resist doing a cannonball.
- Did it hurt? The AB asked.
Obviously he thought I had hit the bottom when cannonballing in to the pool. Well, it's a much smaller Aladdin now and he doesn�t make such an impact anymore. It was nice in the pool and time turned fast. It was 13:15 before I knew it and it was time to check out the painting progress on deck.

Filling the pool
When I got out o the pool I discovered black clouds and it was soon raining. DARN! We had to cancel the painting for the rest of the day. Not only did we have to cancel the painting, I burned myself in the pool. In the evening I was all red from spending too much time in the pool.

Well, as our 1st Engineer on Barcarolle said “February is a very short month” and it's time to swing over to the month of March in the year of our Lord 2009.

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