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

september 2007

Saturday 1^st of September 2007 and the day started in the CCR. We completed loading at 0015 and paper work was ready at 0215. Pilot was ordered for 0230 so I hope to be in bed before 4 o'clock. I will just upload this last crap before bedtime.
- I'm off to bed and I hope I wake up to a beautiful day with the sounds of chipping machines and grit blasting.

The sea was like a windmill pond when I woke up. The sky was gloomy and grey and deck was a little wet. But after lunch the sun managed to break through the clouds at times and we had the blaster up and running.

Our 2nd Officer has changed to the 4 to 8 watch so he can work with me during the days. The plan is to get him to relive me and now he wants to train for the position. That's the spirit we're looking for!

We took a tour on deck to watch the progress in the chipping and blasting departments. When we were back in my office we did paper work and other boring stuff.

I had my salad at 5, only lettuce because they didn't deliver the vegetables yesterday. Just the tomatoes and lettuce and I don't know where the vegetables disappeared. Well, anyway, I don't like tomatoes, so it was just lettuce with olive oil. A glass of water (and some bread) was all I had with my salad. I finished the salad, water (and the bread), it disappeared like an aspirin (there wasn't that much of it) and I was on deck in my almost new shoes in a jiffy.

After almost one and a half hours constitutional (Almost new shoes, remember? I need to walk in my shoes before taking any longer walks on deck.

Well, returning to my cabin wasn't bad. I have 15 cases of invigorating diet drinks in store and I was sitting down with a cold one before very soon. What's better than a cold diet drink on a Saturday night? I don't know how it happened, but I also have a box of SNICKERS®Almond in my cabin and I really hope I can restrain myself from eating of the darn thing. But it tastes good.

I finished the evening with a DVD, a movie we started some weeks ago, and I grew tired after 30 minutes back then. But now, ok, honestly, I think it was my box of SNICKERS®Almond making me sit down enjoying the, ok, I want to say the movie but I have to say my SNICKERS®Almond.

Sunday 2^nd of September 2007 and it looked like it would be a very nice day when I looked out the window. I grabbed a diet MAX from my fridge while at the window. When coming out from the shower it was raining, and believe me, the rain did nothing to improve my mood.

Well, anyway, I grabbed a fist full of SNICKERS®Almond and I went for my bucket of tea in the mess room.

Our 2nd Officer joined us for our GOOD MORNING PEP talk in my office. I introduced him as the new Chief Officer while sneaking the SNICKERS®Almond in to his hands.
- Psst, hand this to the crew.
He handed out the SNICKERS®Almond to the crew and he won instant popularity. Important when you are a new Chief Officer.

TEAM SNICKERS®Almond

The weather improved, not so much so we bothered putting up the grit blaster, but I had the crew busy with the chipping hammers and my 3 best guys were on greasing detail. I discovered that it's Sunday!
- Lo and behold, the watches are not doing overtime today.
And thus there was one SNICKERS®Almond left for me when the crew had left my office. What the BIP to do with the left chocolate bar?

I did some paper work with our 2nd Officer after the meeting and when he went to bed I started to fill up IG in our cargo tanks. Our Electrician wanted to test the IG plant so I took the chance to increase our IG pressure. The cargo was around 33°C when we loaded and now it are raining so the cargo cools down.

And by now we all know what happens to the cargo when it's getting cooler and what effect it has on the tank pressure. If not take a quick visit to my web ship!

The afternoon turned nice and all crew were on the chipping hammers, too late setting up the blaster today. Slow and steady the work moves towards the manifold and it will be nice when we are there. Then it's not much left of the main deck. But don't worry, there is plenty to do on the fo'c's'le and the superstructure so we won't be out of work in the near future.

Well, I'm not on watch anymore and it's pretty boring. What will I do to fill up my days. I'm happy that I have 2nd Officer and we can spend time with his training. In port we need to be 3 watch keeping Officers just to keep up with the rest hours regulations. But at sea I don't mind, well, I prefer to take the 8-12 watch. I still have plenty time for paper work and stuff.

Here we have an Electrician to take care of the electrical stuff and a 1st Engineer and engine crew to take care of heating and stuff. I'm used to both take my watches and take care of heating and electrical stuff as SAAB radars and stuff like that.

Well, finally it was evening and I don't know if I will spend the evening with a movie. I still have a few SNICKERS®Almond left.
- Hmm, maybe I should hand over the rest of them to the crew as well.
But I don't have enough to give them one bar each so I guess I have to find something to do with them.

I remember one time when we passed Singapore. I ordered 500kg of Planters cocktail peanuts. After 2 fists full I got agony and I gave a few cans to the crew. The day after I gave them some more and the third day they said they already had peanuts when I tried to give them more.
- Well, we have two choices here. Either we eat peanuts or we work 16 hours per day.
Needless to say, they choose the peanuts. And, hmm, a few days later when the agony was gone I was searching for peanuts in their cabin.
- Do you have any peanuts?
- No, they are all finished!
- DARN!!

Monday 3^rd of September 2007 and were anchored when I woke up. Bright sky and I was looking forward to setting up the grit blaster. Our A kickers in the engine department is working with a new air connection from the N2 compressor. So we will hopefully be able to run the blaster and all our chipping devices late on today. We are just able to run the blaster and two chipping hammers with the work air compressor.

Our Chief Engineer came up with the N2 idea and we hope it will work, image the whole crew with a chipping hammer in their hands. We will be ready in a jiff.

I was in the CCR discharging ballast to get us a nice trim so the night watches can wash deck. Once again I stress the importance of a clean deck to make the pain last longer and we take every opportunity to clean our deck. Well, anyway, I was sitting in the CCR looking out drinking tea.
- MOTHERFÅNKER!!!!!!!!!
It started to rain and I almost lost it.
- What the BIPPING BIP! F..., BIP, Son of a ....
You might ask yourself why the hell I care about this ship and if it gets painted or not. Well, I have promised our Captain that I will be ready to the first bridge when he signs off and we will finish deck until 1st of January 2008 and now there is a whole lot of prestige in the project.
- OK, Captain has promised me nice weather! Well, not only that, he also promised, no he guaranteed that I would see a crocodile as well.

2nd Officer picked me up in my cabin after lunch, you see, trying to sit down relax is not easy when an ambitious 2nd Officer is chasing you all the time. We spent the afternoon in our sample locker and we made an inventory of our oil spill equipment.

It was a sunny afternoon and the crew were chipping and painting and if we can keep this speed the slop tanks will be ready in a few days. (weather permitted) There are plenty ships waiting here at the anchorage so if we are lucky we will get a few days here.

The last hurricane flipped over 3 out of 4 buoys so there is only on working. No there is a new hurricane coming this way and I think they named it Felix.

M/T Balad has discharging at the buoy during the day and the Chief Officer have tried to call me on the radio. It's the very same Chief Officer that I relieved on Marimba, yes, the very same guy I was ashore drinking tea with.

He told me that all Surveyors, Loading Masters and other people coming onboard told him that Barcarolle was the nicest ship. Our deck crew and engine fitters are the ones deserving the credits and I will tell the Surveyors and Loading Masters that we have the #1 crew on Barcarolle. You see! A SNICKERS®Almond and the crew is kickin' a's way over expectations. OK, I have to take the heat when Captain is pestering me for eating all the SNICKERS®Almond but I can live with that.

Barcarolle, the nicest ship among the Laurin ships. I will tell the crew on our GOOD MORNING PEP meeting tomorrow. I wish I could hand out a reward on tomorrow's GOOD MORNING PEP meeting, but I had an accident in front of the DVD yesterday and I had to throw away all the SNICKERS®Almond.

SNICKERS®Almond or not, they will be happy to hear that they have made Barcarolle to Laurin's nicest ship. But I heard a rumour, on the last company meeting in Sweden they said that Marimba was the nicest Laurin ship.
- Hmm, it can't be! But maybe they were talking about the inside of the funnel.
- Yeah, they must have meant the nicest inside of any Laurin funnel!
Of course nothing less was expected for such a big project, they had had two extra crew members onboard to wash the funnel while the rest of the ship felt apart.

Tuesday 4^th of September 2007 and deck looked nice when I looked out my window. Seems like the guys did a nice work during the night. I went for my shower and I had a second glance through the window before going for my tea.

Deck still looked good, but the sky was covered with grey clouds so it takes a closer examination before we decide if we will run the grit blaster. But first my cup of tea.

I took the gang on deck on our GOOD MORNING PEP meeting to plan the job. The sun was shining and I told them about Barcarolle being the nicest ship. Proud is not the word I'm looking for here, but glad. They were glad to hear that they had made a good job. 2 Seconds later we could feel the rain drops and I had the reshuffle the crew. 2 guys on washing detail and 4 men on chipping hammers. Bosun tested our oil spill pump, it worked beautiful after they changed the suction pipe.

Our guys had just started the washing when the sun broke through the clouds and I told them that we would start the blaster after 10 o'clock. Well, I was at the bridge instructing our washing team and I could as well take the opportunity to see our new 3rd Officer.

As our former Bosun he is used to do a lot of meaningful jobs. When I was on the bridge he corrected our List of Lights, a totally pointless job. Well, I was soon out of the bridge and down on deck. The sun was shining and we prepared the grit blaster.

It will be so nice to be ready with the slop tanks, it requires the whole crew and the work seems to go nowhere. There are so many pipes and stuff and it takes forever to get it ready. But at least on starboards side it will be finished soon, I hope in 2 days. Then I will move this team up on deck and they can start doing the top of the STOOLS forward. By then we should see the progress every day and we can swing back to our good mood again.
Or as I use to say: We're in the GOOD MOOD mode.

I don't know about you, but I think we have to work hard to find a more pedagogical way to explain the difference between MOOD and MODE

During the afternoon it got real hot and deck was covered in dust from the grit blaster. Hot, I mean hundreds of degrees, but the crew were working on like nothing.

Time for a drink
I had been under the fo'c's'le with Bosun to check if we had wire and a turnbuckle to support our aft top mast. When we came aft one of the ABs handed out sodas.
- MOTHERFÅNKER!!!!!!!!!
They started to glare at me.
- BACK TO WORK LAZY BASTARDS, IT'S NO FÅCKING CHRISTMAS!
That was nice, to scream a little making me feel important. I am something on this earth and my word counts for something and I'm the big BOSS. A little screaming do's wonders to my self-esteem and all my failures are forgotten for a while. No one suspects that I live a miserable life at home and that I'm an a-hole making other peoples life miserable as well.

And don't you even think of taking me down on the dock givin' me a jolly good beating! I won't understand it anyway.
- What the BIP is wrong with the idiots? Everyone, except me is driving in the wrong direction !

Well, anyway, I went in to find some dust filters for the crew. It's very dusty on deck and we don't want the crew to end up with silicosis like Chinese stonemasons.

Our deck crew is working hard to keep Barcarolle the nicest of Laurin's ships. But as mentioned before, I see our Fitters on deck every day and they should have as much credit as the deck crew.
- Psst, it's a shame that I'm out of SNICKERS®Almond otherwise I would have sneaked down to the engine department with a few bars tomorrow.

Back in my office I ran in to our 3rd Officer and he is wearing a brand new and clean boiler suit. I pester him every time I see him.
- I never saw you looking that good when you were a Bosun, I said.
Well, I'm glad to have him onboard. He knows the ship and he know his way around the CCR. We had him learning some of the stuff in the CCR back when he was Bosun.
As soon as Captain told me that he had suggested him as 3rd Officer we started to train him.

According to the latest rumours our N2 compressor will be ready to deliver air to deck tomorrow and I can wait to launch the onslaught on deck. I imagine needles from the JET chisels flying over deck when we get full pressure on deck, it will be fun.

I finished the day with our 1st Engineer in front of the TV. We watched a Danish movie, 1 hour and 39 minutes long according to the cover but it felt like 18 hours and I'm a little embarrassed to have complained about out tank cleanings. OK, everyone has heard about global warming and greenhouse effects and every pointless tank cleaning we are doing just makes it worse. But man! Sending this DVD half way across the globe is a waste of the global recourses. Should be against the law to waste packing and material to make the darn DVD.

Wednesday 5^th of September 2007 and it was dry when I looked out my window, gloomy and grey, but dry. It looked like it will be a nice day, and that we get a few more nice days so we can finish the slop tanks.

According to the latest forecast the hurricane will only bring rain and wind to our area. End of the week will be rainy and I hope we are gone by then. They got the second SPM up and running today so there is a chance that we will start discharging tomorrow so we can be on our way back to the US.
Last time I was ashore looking for my shoes they told me about their web shop. I ordered 5 pairs and I hope that our Agent have received them when we are coming back.

When going on lunch the OS on watch told me that the port authorities would be onboard at 1230. I hope we get our Surveyors onboard as well so we can finish the gauging and calculation business.

I went to my cabin after lunch, relaxing with a Diet MAX writing a little on my web page. OK, I admit, I should have read my language books. But, well, I wasted my time on my web page instead. 5 minutes before lunch was over, yes, 5 MINUTES BEFORE, our 2nd Officer came to my cabin.
- Are you ready to kick a? He asked.
This guy will make a good Chief Officer. And he will remember me long after I'm dead and it will be the same as I'm getting a eternal life. I wish it was as easy to get eternal youth, which would be something.

Our Trainee Chief Officer in action
Well, anyway, I can't sit around in my cabin. Sitting around doing BIP all don't generates any good references when they call from Laurin for an evaluation report. So I had to pull myself all the way down to my office.

Darn painful, I pulled myself in the ear just to make sure it didn't happened again. 2nd Officer was waiting for me at my office.

Our 2nd officer wanted to know more about our gas detecting instruments and we went to check our void spaces with a gas detector.

This “HANDS ON ” training is very good for him. He also gets to know the paper work to be done after the job. When we had checked the tanks he filled up and filed the darn report and a boring afternoon turned exciting.

When our 2nd Officer and I was ready with our stuff I continued to chase our deck crew. Our Deck Boy joined he ship in Florida with me. He was a Mess man last time I was onboard. But I was a little hesitant when I found out that he was going to sign on as a Deck Boy.

I don't mind anyone's hairstyle, but he had long hair and he was running around Chief this and that. I understand that he was only polite, but sometimes it's nice with a guy coming in banging the fist on the table:
- HEY A-HOLE!

But this guy has grown to be a very good guy. Well, I think he have been good all the time. But he is a a-kicker with a capital a and I won't be surprised if he will be a OS and AB soon.

- Hmm, I don't know if it was the spirit of the season or what it was, but I went to the fridge to get a bunch of cold sodas for the crew.
I have a case in our Cook's fridge so I can just pop by to get a few sodas for the crew when it's hot.

In the evening I could note this day as the first day without rain for a long time. I hope tomorrow will be nice as well, then starboard side slop will be ready and we can spray paint it when back in America.

Well, I finished the evening with a game of chess on my computer before going to bed with my language course. Now I have been onboard for more than a month and so far it has just been rot with my language course and my diet. But from now on I will be serious!

I had just beaten the computer in chess when our 1st Engineer came. He complained about his new computer game. He bought it last time in Beaumont and it's something about winning World War II all over aging.
- Can you please try it on your computer?
We installed the game and it worked like a beauty

He told me that it was very slow on his computer, a Scooby Doo 3750PC.
- I'm not surprised, I said.
I was under the impression that he was just going to try the game to see if it worked on my new computer.
- Now it works! This is very fun!

As I said, I was on my way to bed and I tried to draw his attention to the fact that I was tired.
- Mmm, ugh, mmm, was the only thing I managed to get out of him. Impossible to get in touch with him. The war just went on and on and my good night's sleep was down the drain. Not even when I started to brush my teeth he understood that he had overstayed his welcome. This is just what I needed, a 1st Engineer pitching camp in my cabin. I will have to hire a bouncer for my door.

Thursday 6^th of September 2007 and it was nice weather when I looked out my window. A little wet on deck but it was OK. Yesterday was a lost day, they had to change a hydraulic line and we didn't used our grit blaster. Today they were changing a piece of the hydraulic line again so we didn't use the grit blaster. There was no leak on the line, but we like to stay one step ahead and prevent future leaks. And on Barcarolle we don't consider it overkill to have the crew help the fitters changing pipes on deck.

Painting is important, but to have good pipes is more important. We don't want any accidents with oil spill or any cancelled cargoes due to broken pipes and stuff.

Well, our slop tanks would have been ready if it wasn't for the pipe business, but we can still make it until we return to Beaumont and we can spray paint in Beaumont

Friday 7^th of September 2007 and the blaster had been up and running for a few minutes when it started to rain. Deck was full of water in a jiffy and we had to stop the work.
We could run the chipping machines in the rain and we will brush when it's dry.

Well, we will not be ready today, even though the blaster was up and running one hour later. The deck is still wet and there is a chance that we will go to the SPM this evening, but I hope we stay until tomorrow morning.

I spent the afternoon training with our 2nd Officer. We started with our GAS detectors and we turned my office in to a class room.

I explained LEL for our 2nd Officer and luckily enough we have a white board in my office. I took the opportunity to show off with my excellent drawing skills and my great pedagogic skills and I think he got the picture. I promised him more of the pedagogical display tomorrow when I'm going to explain the difference between harbour and seagoing mode regarding stress. He was looking forward to more drawings on the white board.

We use Methane to calibrate our gas detectors, usually 2 or 2,5% volume of Methane in air. This will be 40 or 50% LEL, Lower Explosion Level. Methane will burn in a mixture of 5% to 80% in air(if I remember it right, but never mind) So if we have a mixture between 5 and 80% the gas mixture can burn. Thus the instrument will read 100% LEL at a 5% mixture.

And with the 2,5% test gas it will be 50% LEL. I told him to watch the gauge very carefully, some instruments just go up to 100% and down to zero when there is more than 100% LEL!
- Can there be gas in the tank even if the instrument reads 0% LEL?
- Of course, that's why we have % volume detectors, well, it's a requirement.
If there is no oxygen in the tank LEL will be 0% even if there is gas. So when the tank is inerted we need to check volume % gas.
- FER FÅCKS SAKE! ENOUGH WITH THIS ALREADY, I'M ABOUT TO THROW MYSELF IN FRONT OF A LAWNMOWER!!

Well, the crew finished starboards slop tank today, now it's only painting remaining. Give the crew 2 more days on Port side and this will be ready as well and we're back on deck. Back on deck we can see the progress day by day, the last weeks the crew had been working on the slop tanks and we have seen BIP all in progress. Only a lot of noise from the machines.

Saturday 8^th of September 2007 and it was dark when I woke up at 7. When I came out of my shower I had a look through the window and it looked to be a nice day. I brought our GOOD MORNING pep meeting out on deck.

We did some serious job planning during our GOOD MORNING pep meeting

At lunch we got the Pilot confirmed and we will start heaving our anchor at 1330. I was straight off to the shower after lunch and I will look nice at 1330 in my white shirt. Well, it used to be white, at least when it was new. Now it's a shade of grey.

I was on the bridge at 1320 fresh from the shower and with my grey shirt on. I spent an extra minute to get a fresh shave as well. I was looking darn good when I came on the bridge, OK, I would have looked a wee bit better if I could lose a KG or two.

Well, we had the anchor up at 1345 and when the pilot was onboard at 1415 my Diet MAX was already long gone. But I filled the can with cold water so it lasted until we were made fast in the SPM at 1530.

Our Loading Master was already onboard when I came down to my office. He had been onboard since 1512 when the mooring crew arrived with the boat. Well, our 2nd Officer was a little disappointed to miss all our planned WHITE BOARD excitement.
I tried my best to comfort him:
- I will make all the drawings for you tomorrow, I promise.
We didn't have time for the class room fun, but he did the paper work with the Loading Master and then he did the discharge planning. He will be a good Chief Officer and imagine how good he will be able to stand stress. Doing all the paperwork with me in the back giving annoying pointers all the time. So I'm sure he will work well under pressure.

Well, waiting and waiting for them to be ready. They are doing some maintenance on the floating hose and we have to wait. At 2005 our 3rd Officer called me and we could start the small gasoline parcel.
They told us that we would start the MTBE parcel 1 hour, one and a half after commenced the small gasoline parcel.
- Or something likes that, he said.
Well, I'm off to my cabin and a DVD movie while waiting, I think I will see the movie about East Germany, whatever they call the movie.

At 2220 we started the MTBE and I was in bed at midnight. I didn't bother finishing my movie, a Danish movie that left a little more to wish for.

Sunday 9^th of September 2007 and they called me at 0100, problem with the IG. Then at 6 o'clock it was time again, now it was time to start the last parcel. At 0630 we were up an running and at 0715 we completed the GRADE-B parcel.

We expect to leave in the early evening, in the middle of the dinner? I wanted to do, well, want to do is not the right expression here. It's yet another meaningless tank cleaning, but if I do it tonight the crew get a full day on deck with chipping tomorrow.

But it's Sunday and the crew have worked hard so it's better if they take the evening off. And we spent almost a week anchored and they got plenty of chipping done. Our engine department took advantages of the waiting as well, they had time for work on the main engine.

Well, anyway, we have a trainee Chief officer onboard and he wants to be with me during the tank cleaning so we do it tomorrow morning.
We will also pressure test the cargo lines during the tank cleaning so daylight is essential.

Our Chief Engineer got a e-mail from the 1st Engineer at home. Our 1st Engineer tried to push him in to writing something on his web page. When our Chief Engineer came for coffee he was full of agony.
- Why did we upload the web page? Now everyone asks for updates.

We left the SPM just after 1830 and all PEMEX crew got off the ship at 1850 and we

left TUXPAN behind. This time, well, we had the WHISTLING guy onboard, but now the ZIP IT WHISTLE® have gained popularity and half of the PEMEX crew is trying the ZIP IT WHISTLE® every time they see me.
- Good luck guys! Keep up the good work!

Well, it was nice to leave TUXPAN behind, but we will soon be back. I really hope we get a few days at anchor next time as well so we can blaster deck. 2 more days blasting on slop tank port and its ready.

I was ready with the paperwork when we left the SPM and I filed my copies, gave one set to our Agent and I put the rest of the papers at Captain's office on the way to the bridge. I was in my shower just after 7 and I must admit that I skipped my language course. I got stuck with my computer chess and a movie.

But I took the time to get out to the pool to get a picture of the guys bathing.

Monday 10^th of September 2007 and it was nice weather when I woke up. I was in a good mood when taking my GOOD MORNING shower. When I came to the mess room my mood swung to, not bad. but the broken tea machine was a source for slight irritation.

Our crew was on deck chipping, blasting and painting while 2nd Officer and I prepared for the tank cleaning. It was beautiful weather until just before lunch when we ran in to heavy rain.

We had a slight problem with the IG plant and we postponed the cleaning until after lunch and then we will use our Nitrogen plant, so it's, well, not good news but it's better than the IG for the environment.

I asked our crew to chip as much as they could around the CCR and start the brushing after lunch. There will be too much noise from the chipping machines and we can't hear the AB on deck on the radio during the cleaning.

Chipping
Well, we were up and running with the tank cleaning at 1320 and our 2nd Officer was in charge. I was sitting there half asleep giving stupid pointers, but I had to do it just to convince myself that I was on top of things.

We cleaned each tank for 10 minutes with cold seawater and we were ready just in time for the coffee break. Then we had managed to pressure test our cargo lines as well. Excellent opportunity to do it when we clean the tanks and we have the cargo lines full of water.
OK, ready just in time for coffee break and the following fire/ Oil spill drill extravaganza. A little afternoon excitement.

Time for drill

After the muster our Chief Engineer took the deck crew to the engine room for some fire fighting exercise and I took the engine crew to deck for a oil spill drill.

We started with our oil spill pumps, but the guys only wanted me to take their picture all the time.

Well, if we are going to put you on internet we need a caption for the picture, and as I told them:
- We cannot call you the A-TEAM, that's the deck team.
- Hmm, maybe the C or D TEAM I suggested.

We were ready at 4 and I went to my cabin for a diet MAX while the watchman prepared deck so I could discharge the slop. Our 2nd Officer was disappointed, he wanted to be with me but he have to be on watch at 4.

So I was surprised when he was in my doorway at 5 minutes past 4. - Hey, let's go kick a's
- Aren't you on watch? (Obviously not)
- 3rd Officer is covering for me.

At 1625 we started to discharge our slop, but as usually it was only problem. A little air in the sample line and its calibration failure and the overboard valve closes. Then we have to do a calibration and that takes 7 minutes and soon the whole day is gone. Our 2nd Officer left for the bridge at 1730 and I gave up at 1840. But we managed to discharge about 40 m3.

Well, our 2nd Officer is not the only one hangin' in my doorway. Our 1st Engineer is hanging there every now and then. Who can forget the drama in Mexico last time onboard?

Well, I think last night took the price. When coming back from the pool he stopped by my doorway in his underwear.
- I have a perfect body!
I just stared in disbelieve. I mean, I was speechless and that don't happens very often. Last time was on Marimba when Laurin's guy told us that it was no problem if we needed a day to fix the ship after we had left the ship yard. Then I also starred in disbelieve wondering:
- Who is this guy? What is he talking about? Who hired him and what is he doing here?
Tuesday 11^th of September 2007 and it was a beautiful day when I woke up at 0750. After the GOOD MORNING® pep meeting I did paper work with our 2nd Officer. We filled up oil record books and stuff. We tested the ODME and we managed to keep ourselves busy until coffee break.

At 1110 we had the pilot onboard and not long after we had internet connection. I received a e-mail from someone that had found “MY” blog on Greenpeace's web page.
- Hmm, strange, I have no blog on Greenpeace web page. Actually,

It took me a while to find this Greenpeace blog... this is a really nice picture :) http://weblog.greenpeace.org/defendingourmediterranean/2006/07/birthdays_night_watch_foo.html

Thank you very much for your website!

I haven't written a word there.

Well, I got the link to “MY” Greenpeace blog and I checked it out. Well, it says that it's by me, but I have not posted it and for sure I didn't edit it.

Well, we had all fast at EXXON Dock 4 at 1715 and we started to load at 2015 and we expect 30 hours for the first parcel, so there will be opportunities for the crew to go ashore wasting money.

Wednesday 12^th of September 2007 and it was raining when I woke up, no painting. Well, I don't have to worry about paint in the water. I have our 2nd Officer to do the paper work with Loading Master as part of his training.

Yesterday when we arrived our Loading Master came onboard and we got right off with the paper work. Same procedure as always and I went to get a cup of tea. When I came back 2nd Officer told me that it was no chipping and painting on deck.
- What!!??
We sign the same paper every time and it says no chipping on deck. So I told Loading Master that here is nothing mentioned about painting.
- We painted on deck every time. Last time Loading Master told me no problem as long as we're not painting the hull, I said.
- But if it rain there will be paint in the sea. We had one ship here and it was a BIG problem, he said.
- We will stop painting if it rains, I said.
But no problem, its raining cat and dogs and no painting.

Our Captain and Chief Engineer had planned to go shopping in the afternoon. I prepared a shopping list for them and I was just about to complete the darn thing when Captain called me on the radio at 1325 something.
- We will depart at 1700 due to an approaching storm!
I calculated departure draft and stability with 1600 as estimated time for stop loading. We started to fill our ballast again and at 1435 they stopped loading when we should top off 1CT.

Our 1st Engineer was a little disappointed for the missed opportunity to go ashore. He want to buy a new computer, his SUNKEN 450 can't keep up with his war game.

We had all fast at Dock #5 1818 and our 1st Engineer and some of the crew left just after 7. I gave my shopping list to the 1st Engineer and now I'm waiting to see what he can get for me.

Well, I don't expect much from the shoe shop. They cancelled my order on internet because I was paying with a Swedish card. They must send your order to your billing address and that's not going to work for me.
But he can pay the shoes cash in the shop and they can send them to our Agent.

Well, we were waiting and waiting for them to start loading us again. At 8 o'clock they said that they would start at 10 o'clock, depending on the storm. I surfed the net and I stumbled across a job offer, Skipper.

Well, rake leaves , take care of the bath bowl, sweep the stairs, pick up litter and to look after the compost etc. The exciting part was to take care of the bath bowl, and to look after the compost didn't sound tedious either. And you can call yourself a Skipper! Well, that's a Captain and I'm sure you can impress a lot of people sitting in the bar telling stories from the seven seas.

OK, you don't need to mention the compost, it might take the sting out of the Skipper part of the job description.

And seriously, I don't think the bath bowl part will turn any heads Saturday night down at your local pub. And for sure, picking up litter is not the first thing that springs to mind when hearing that someone had discovered the world as a Skipper.

I don't mind the caretaker part of the job, but it's nothing for me. By now we have all read about my first job when I was 12 or 13. Picking potatoes on a farm. I arrived Wednesday morning and on Friday afternoon Farmer John gave me a chocolate bar:
- You don't need to come on Monday!

At 2345 they called us on the radio and asked if they could take their gangway.
- We put it back on when the storm has passed, they said.
- We have crew members ashore, I expect them back within the hour, I said.
I took the opportunity to ask when he expected to start loading.
- Most likely not until tomorrow morning.
OK, I hope I can get a full night sleep then.

Thursday 13^th of September 2007 and it was gloomy and grey when I woke up. When I was drinking my GOOD MORNING tea in the mess room Captain told me that the storm had passed 4 o'clock in the morning with a hurricane force.

The forecast promised a sunny afternoon and then there is a possibility to get some paint on the ship.

At 0910 the loading arm was connected and then it was waiting again. I managed to upload the latest stuff to our Chief Engineer's web page before lunch. At 1345 our Agent called and told us that the pilot would be onboard at 1500. We are going back to Dock #4 to continue loading. Well, I'm not very impressed by EXXON, always problem.
Well, we had all fast at Dock #4 at 1548 and Captain and Chief Engineer went ashore at 1700. Now I hope they have better luck with my shopping list than our 1st Engineer yesterday, he came up with ZIP.

But he managed to find a new lap top and I haven't seen him outside his cabin today. But I can hear the war going on in his cabin.

Well, shifting to Dock #4 didn't improve anything. They have some serious problem with the vapour return. In the civilized part of the world they recycle the vapours but here they burn the gases. You can imagine burning the inert gas, the whole purpose to inert the tank is to prevent fire.

Friday 14^th of September 2007 and they woke me up at 4 o'clock. After 20 minutes in the shower I was in the CCR with a bucket of tea and we completed first parcel of gasoline at 0505.

- STAND-BY, we will start the second parcel in 30 minutes, the terminal informed us on the radio.
It took them 3 hours to start and we had a few stops during the afternoon due to problem with their vapour recovery. But it looks like we will be ready early morning and then it takes about 6 hours with the paper. So we will spend the day here tomorrow as well. But the sun is shining and they have spent the day painting on deck.

I'm considering a movie tonight. When I opened my door there was a box of SNICKERS®Almond. Our Captain and Chief Engineer was a shore yesterday and they returned with a box of SNICKERS®Almond. So I might watch a movie munching on some chocolate. But as I told Captain yesterday:
- This will be the kiss of death for my diet!

Movie or not, there was some hard decisions to make and our 1st Engineer saved me. He bought a new computer the other day and the CD drive is not working. Well, anyway, he can't get it to start. So he sent our Engine Boy ashore to fix the computer. They came back and our 1st Engineer came in to me with his computer bag smiling.

It didn't take long before the smile was gone. When he tried the DVD drive nothing happened. He went to get the Engine Boy. Engine Boy told him that the DVD was working in the shop but now notin' happened.
- Well, what do you expect when you buy a Sunken 250?
There was notin' stopping me and I went on:
- Well, this is what happens when you enter a shop asking for the cheapest lap top!
Now he was slightly displeased, but I just went on and on. I could not help myself, but when he called me the day he had set up his new computer it was a very different tune.

He was sitting at his desk with two lap tops, one Sunken 250 (The new) and a Scooby Doo 7218M (The old). The first thing he said when I came in to his cabin was:
- Now it's high tech! NASA called, he said holding TWO empty water bottles to his ears. Yes, you read it right! Not one but two bottles so I guess it was very high tech.

In a slightly different mood than when he bought the computer

NASA is nowhere to be seen

OK, now you think I'm a terrible person laughing at his misfortune. But I could not help myself, the contrast between him with the empty water bottles at his ears screaming “NASA is calling” and today with the computer jacked up was at least to say hilarious. It might be hard to understand, I understand that and I asked him to hold two empty water bottles to his ear so I could get a picture.
- He refused, surprised?

Well, after picking myself up from the floor I continued to pester our 1st Engineer. By now his DVD player refused to eject the DVD.
- This will be great when you bring this back to the shop. They open the DVD only to find the “Sauna Action Vol. 3” in the player, I said.

He was still busy with his computer when I left for my cabin. Not to watch the movie but to put my latest pictures on the internet. Or as I told our 1st Engineer a few weeks ago:
- Here will be BIP all to write about when you have signed off!
Well, I gave him one more hot tip before leaving for my cabin and the computer.
- Next time buying a computer, do it like me. Ask for their best computer and not the cheapest. I left before he had a chance to say something.

OK, I decided to watch the movie anyway and I'm out of here. STAY TUNED!

Saturday 15^th of September 2007 and they called me at 7. A shower and a bucket of tea and I was ready to assist our 2nd Officer in the CCR. At 0815 we were ready and at 1150 our Agent left the ship and all paper work was ready. Now we only wait for the cargo to be realized and we can leave. The ship channel was closed during the hurricane and we expect inbound traffic so we can't leave until earliest 1500.

Our crew was busy spray painting while waiting for the pilot. We spray deck with some old paint we found so we get 2 layers of hard top over the slop tanks.

We found some old red hardtop and 100 litre of old blue paint for the hull. So we use this as second layer before spraying the Hardtop FLEXI and thus we saves thousands of dollars. Not only that, we get more space in the paint store and we save the environment. Otherwise this paint would just have been stored in the paint shop until too old. We also have some 300 - 400 lit Jotamatic that we will finish and then we will have only one paint system for the whole ship.

Like it is now we have barrier and 3 layers of Penguard under 2 layers of Hard top FLEXI on deck. On the superstructure we have Jotamatic under the FLEXI. When we paint poop deck we have to whistle while painting and painting the funnel, yeah, that requires that the crew wears a colourful hat while painting. But now we have changed to barrier and 3 Penguard under 2 layers of FLEXI on the whole ship, easy.

When they started the spray painting I went to get the 1st Engineer.
- HEY! Come watch the excitement when the crew is spray painting!

Well, he couldn't care less. Well, what to say? Anyway, our pilot will be onboard at 1600 and we are off to new adventures. And one more thing before leaving. I just want to tell you that I was off to show our 1st Engineer to get the DVD out of his computer yesterday. I felt bad when I came to my cabin so I returned and I showed him the good ol' “Paper clip” trick.

We left Beaumont at 1600 on a sunny day and it will take us some 6-7 hours to get out.
Sunday 16^th of September 2007 and my “wake up” glance through the window gave me hope for a nice day. I started with a bucket of tea in the mess room. I had promised myself yesterday to go serious with my diet so nothing to eat. Well, I must admit that I squeezed in small sandwich.

After breakfast the chipping and blasting was in full swing. It was also time to discharge the slop, so and I and one of the ABs discharged the slop. We managed to get rid of about 175m3 of slop before our ODME stopped us, content 999ppm and we're not allowed to discharge any more of the slop.

Our 1st Engineer was after me all afternoon.
- HEY! We take a swim at 3!
Last time at Wal-Mart he bought an inflatable chair and now he wanted to test it. So the engine crew spent the afternoon in the pool and they were lucky with the weather. We had some passing showers after lunch, but this was soon over and the deck was dry again.

After dinner it was time for a swim again. And we meet at the pool at 7 and this time I joined them. (with my camera) I have to look for one of those things you can put your camera in when you want to bring it for scuba diving.

Evening in the pool

Monday 17^th of September 2007 and I woke up to a beautiful day. Sun shine and the sea was like a windmill pond and our blaster and chipping machines were soon up and running.

One of the two SPM's are out of order and 3 ships waiting so I expect and hope for a few days at anchor. Then there will be some heavy duty a kickin' in the spray paint department.

At 1600 we dropped anchor at TUXPAN anchorage. After dropping the anchor I went to the fo'c's'le with our 1st Engineer to see our Bosun.
Our Bosun was busy repairing the greasing pipes to our winches with plastic steel. When we have time we will see if our Fitter can do something about it, but the pipes are not easy to reach if you want to change them.

Well, not long after I had the 1st Engineer in my cabin drinking diet drinks like there was no tomorrow and now I understand why I'm always low on diet drinks.

Our Engine crew had been busy during the day to assemble the framework to be used when lifting the accommodation ladder. The plan was to move the accommodation ladder when we had dropped the anchor to prevent rolling and an accommodation ladder swinging around on deck.

They were finished with the accommodation ladder just before 8 o'clock and I was off to my shower after instructing the night watches of their tasks during the night. Painting and washing, preparing deck for spray painting tomorrow.

I had managed to be on deck walking for almost 2 hours after dinner, I'm walking around checking the painting and chipping. I also give a few annoying pointers to the crew when passing.

Tuesday 18^th of September 2007 and it was a beautiful morning when I looked out the window. The crew prepared deck for spray painting and some of them started the chipping. The work was in full swing and I returned to my office. There was an e-mail from Captain, they expect us to stay anchored until the 22nd of September due to the guerrilla attack on one of the pipelines.

I managed to keep myself busy with our ballast valves and emergency pump to our valves. We have a hand pump to our sea chests in case the hydraulic to the remote valves breaks down. We have on for our overboard valve to the tank cleaning lines as well. The pumps are mounted on deck and as you understand that's not the best environment. So we decided to store them in the Bosun store instead and I will have the night watches to paint them.

Reminds me(while writing this) that I have to change the painting order. I told Bosun to paint 8 times with primer and 3 times with top coat. But if we store them in his store we can stick to our original painting scheme.

- Phew! Was it nice to be back in my cabin 10 minutes after 8 o'clock.
I had been there for 5 minutes when our 1st Engineer came and he took a nose dive in to my fridge first thing.
- I take a diet drink!

We talked about the day and, well, after a while I could sense that he had no plans on leaving soon and I needed a shower. I had to ask him to leave, but I was quick to add “See you in 20 minutes” so he shouldn't be sullen.
- Oh! It was nice with a shower!!
I had been on deck walking until 8 o'clock checking the crew working. From 4 to 5 until 8 is the most important time of the day. Well, our GOOD MORNING PEP meeting are also important. But in the evening is important to pick up all the works from the day so we can finish it.
Sometimes late changes of plans are necessarily. When we changed to Jotamatic, we have almost 400 litre we need to finish and I had forgotten to take the drying time in to account. Jotamatic needs 6-7 hours to be dry for recoat, a dramatic change comparing to our ordinary primer.

Well, this is life when you walk around with your index finger up your nose. I knew our OXFORD blue takes a long time to dry, I also checked the Jotamatic but I must have been over enthusiastic and forgotten all about it. But no problem, I threw my working orders around and we are on the right track.

Our crew use all kind of headgear to protect them from the sun.

Most of the headgears are made from old cardboard boxes and they are very skilful in making them.

As I said, pretty much were done during the day and I'm pretty pleased with the day, grey jotamatic with spray and tomorrow we will spray white and red (weather permitted). Tomorrow we can finish off quite an area with blue topcoat over the primer and then it will be ready for red hardtop.

But we see what happens tomorrow, with this crew noting is impossible. As I said, it was a pretty productive day.

The only dark cloud on an otherwise blue sky was when I discovered that our 1st Engineer had turned my office in to his office.

Well, that was another day onboard M/T Barcarolle and it was nice to enjoy my evening diet drink after my shower. Well, now I'm off to pester our 1st Engineer.
Even though my entertainment centre is on full blast I can hear him winning the war again.

Wednesday 19^th of September 2007 and DARN! The time turns fast, already Wednesday and soon a new month again. It looked like it would be a nice day for painting when I looked out the window.

We kept our GOOD MORNING PEP meeting short, there is plenty to paint on deck. I had the spray painting team to set up the spray painter and one of the ABs was painting. The rest of the deck crew was on chipping detail.

When things were up and running I could return to my office for some heavy duty paperwork(relaxing)
I filled up the purging results(reading the news), I organised and throw away old papers(writing e-mails to some friends) and I placed an order for rolls and brushes(I was drinking tea watching the videos that our Chief Engineer sent me). Our Chief Engineer send us 3 or 4 funny videos every day via the net work and I can keep myself busy for quite a while.

After the coffee our Electrician and I started without cargo valve to 4CT. There is something Scooby Doo with the signal and the computer don't get the right open/ close signal. We tried to calibrate it on the screen and it worked about 2 times and then it showed wrong again.

Well, things were replaced but it never worked the way it should, but we see what happens tomorrow.

The indicator units for the cargo valves are in the engine room. Our engine crew is lifting one of the pistons on the main engine and when I was in the engine room I took the opportunity to get a few pictures of the action. They were lifting the cylinder head when I came down.

Work with the main engine
Why do I put pictures of the action in the engine room? For the excitement? No no, but by now you must think that the sun is shining from the deck crew's behinds and I just want to show you that there are action in the engine room as well.

Thursday 20^th of September 2007 and it was a beautiful morning when I looked out my window. I'm recalling telling you that the first thing I do when I wake up is to check the weather. Well, this is not entirely true. I put my entertainment center on full blast on the way to the window.

And at the window I open my fridge and pick out a diet drink. I take a sip from the diet drink on the way to the shower and after my shower I'm off to my morning tea.

Well, they sprayed white paint during the day and all chipping hammers were up and running during the day. Tomorrow they will paint the last on starboard slop tank and they will start spray paint on port side.

Tomorrow I have to start the day with Bosun in 3DB, we have a leak and we can't strip our ballast tanks. Going down in the double bottom is nothing I'm looking forward to, but I hope we find the leak.
Well, anyway, all this Scooby Doo business in the double bottom will be good training for our 2nd Officer, he have to check the tank for gas and then he have to issue a work permit. I will bring my camera so you will be updated on all the fun.

Friday 21^st of September 2007 and it looked to be yet another beautiful day. I have been onboard for almost 2 months and we had only 1 day with some rolling in spite of all the hurricane warnings.

By now they guys knows what to do in the morning and I was soon enjoying the sounds of the chipping hammers. We had planned a fire drill for 1015 and Bosun and our extra AB will start the spray painter after lunch.

Our 2nd Officer and I were busy with our ballast. We tried to get the stripping up and running, but the pump is sucking air from somewhere. So we will go down in 3DB to have a look. But it was almost time for the fire drill when we were ready with the pumping.

But first it was time for a fire drill and life boat muster. After the muster we should connect our fire hoses at the accommodation and we should connect hoses until we reached the fo'c's'le. We were two teams, Fire group 1 and Fire group 2.

I was in charge of group 2, the deck team and 1st Engineer was in charge of Fire group 1, the, yes, the engine crew.
The first team to have water through the nozzle on the fo'c's'le was the winner. Team 1 was on port side and I headed Team 2 on starboard side. We should use all our hoses, starting with the hose on bridge deck. There is one hose on port and one on starboard side on all deck and you don't win a million if you figure out on what side each team took their hoses.

I don't want to mention any names, but one team was soon declared the winner and we could have a follow-up discussion on deck.

When we were ready with the fire drill it was time for the double bottom. Our 2nd Officer measured the gas before entry and he issued a work permit. (He will know this job before very soon)

It was our Bosun, 2nd Officer and I that was going to enter the tank. One AB on watch on deck with radio.

We were full of vim and zip, we were in high spirit and I even handed out new gloves. This was not the ordinary working gloves, these were coated with rubber, or something like that. It was like Christmas on the sunny deck. Well, I promised you pictures from the adventure so I entered the tank first and thus I could take pictures of Bosun and 2nd Officer when they came down in the tank. Internet is always the first thing on my mind when planning the job.

OK, Mats! I'm sorry for the missing Skåne flag over the logo. But I think you got the picture by now. Our 1st Engineer kept me up all night with his war game so I'm tired and I don't have time for the drivel to put the Skåne flag over the Laurin logo. I was sitting in my cabin minding my own business when he entered my cabin trying to hide a MICRO POP in his pocket.

Well, anyway, he was in my door and he told me he had problem with his new computer and his new game he bought last time in Beaumont. Now he buys a new game every time in Beaumont hoping to find any game that works on his new computer.
- The computer turns dead every time I load my game. The screen is black, he said.
- Maybe it is some secret night mission, I suggested.

We tried to get it up and running on his computer, but we failed.
- Can we try to install it on your computer? He asked.
Oh no! We don't want to go down that avenue again. But I'm a nice guy and we installed it on my computer and it worked like a clock.
- Strange, he said.
- Well, high-end, I said.
Sunken 250 is not the first brand to spring to mind when thinking of a high-end computer. It didn't took him long to start shooting, but when he started to shoot at teddy bears it was too much.
Well, the outlook for a quick end to the war was slim and that's why I'm up all night writing on my web page drinking diet drinks full of caffeine so it's impossible to sleep.

HEY! I have things to do!
Hmm, where were we? How did we end up in the middle of the war? OK, the double bottom. OK, When I was at the bottom I called them and told them it was OK to enter. I was at the bottom stand-by with my camera.

I was in the lead down the tank, but now I let them pass and go first so I could take some pictures. Once again I praised my decision to go through the Commando soldier training and I threw myself through the openings in the tank like a cat.

We didn't discovered any leaks on the pipes a when we should enter the last compartment to check the bell mouth it was stop for me. There was a pipe across the hole and I had to stay outside screaming pointers to our 2nd Officer and Bosun.

Well, there were bubbles coming out from the bell mouth so the valve is leaking. OK, we need to remove the valve and check it out. The valve to 3DB is in 4DB so I have to empty this tank. And maybe we have time tomorrow, if we are not going to the SPM to start discharging.

OK, I'm off to bed, but by now I have had so many diet drinks it will be impossible to fall asleep before 3 o'clock. Tomorrow will be another long day and I hope they can start spray red on deck. OK, toodle-oo and good night!

PS/
Today Captain ordered 30 cases of diet drinks for me and we will get them when we are back in the US. So now our 1st Engineer can come try to finish them.

Saturday 22^nd of September 2007 and I did not even need to check out my window for the weather. The sun was shining in to my cabin.

We started right of with the ballast valve. Our 2nd Officer measured the gas and issued an ENCLOSE-SPACE ENTRY permission. It took them about 2 hours to remove the valve and they found a piece of rope in the valve.

After lunch our 3rd Officer and 1st Engineer took the MOB boat for a tour. The deck crew were busy with the valve to the ballast tank. Our 1st Engineer asked if he could borrow my camera.
- I want to take a few pictures of the ship and we can burn them to a CD for me, he said.
- OK, remember to have the sun in the back when you take the picture, I said.
- Yeah-yeah, blah-blah! I know this already, he said.

They left us with the MOB boat and I can't say that I was full of expectations, but if our 1st Engineer returns with a few good pictures it would be a nice bonus.

They took the MOB boat forward and they disappeared under the fo'c's'le.
- What the BIP are they doing there if they want a picture of the ship? I thought.
They we out of our sight for a few minutes when they suddenly took off with the sun in the back and I thought that this will never be any pictures of the ship. Then they turned around and came back in full swing, almost hitting a small whale swimming in their track.

I started to scream at them:
- Take a picture of the whale!
The only one hearing me was Captain and he called them on the radio.
- HEY! Aladdin wants' you to take a picture of the whale!

Well, the MOB boat was soon onboard and when I asked 1st Engineer for my camera he told me that he had put it in my cabin. There was a lot of pictures but none of the whole ship, plenty of half the ship and some pictures that I don't know what it is.
- Why didn't you take some pictures of the whale?
- We didn't see any whale.
- This was a once in a life time opportunity to swim with a whale, I said.

Well, our ballast valve was at place just after 5 o'clock and I was in high spirit. At least for 10 minutes, when I tested to strip I could not get any vacuum at the pump.
- This is not true!
Can it be possible to have two leaking valves at the same time? So I have to send down the crew in 1 and 2 DB tomorrow and my mood was bad. DARN!

All wearing the uniform that our 3rd Officer brought
Last time in Beaumont our new 3rd Officer got back his missing luggage and we could get our uniforms. Our Captain is going home next time in US and yesterday we planned to take a picture today.

Saturday night and my spirit should be high, but I was only thinking about the darn ballast. OK, we have to check the double bottom tomorrow again.
Well, my day is down the drain and I'm off to see a movie. How unlucky can you get, 2 (or more) leaks in the ballast system. Maybe it's the same darn rope in all the valves. Well, I hope I will be back tomorrow night with good news, then it will be a totally different tune. I will jump up and down in joy!

Here is one for Mats

Sunday 23^rd of September 2007 and I woke up at 0810 when Captain knocked on my door.
- The crew is about to launch the lifeboat and I will go to the bridge and relieve 3rd Officer.

I was not in the best mood, I was still worried about our ballast line. But obviously not enough to lose any sleep over it.

We planned the lifeboat drill yesterday when I was in a good mood, the repaired ballast valve was on the way down the double bottom. But later on I learned that there was yet another leak to find in the ballast system. So I wanted to start right off with this job (Yeah, sure, that's why I'm sleeping the whole morning), as early as possible.

But now we had to launch the lifeboat and we will do it by the crane and not by free fall. We need to launch the MOB boat and that requires our 2nd Officer and 2nd Engineer. They will take the lifeboat crew to the lifeboat. The lifeboat is by now seaborne aft of us, hanging in the wires.

So they will bring two ABs, 3rd Officer and one more Engineer to the lifeboat and we have rigged a pilot ladder on port side so they can board the MOB boat.

I can't help it but I must make a remark. Today the 2nd Officer and the 2nd Engineer launched the MOB boat with the remote launch in the boat. They pulled the wire to release the break on the wire winch and they disappeared down to the water. I will never forget when our 1st Engineer released the brake yesterday. I had borrowed my camera, remember? So I could not take any pictures of all the action.

But I was hanging on the rail when he released the MOB boat and they disappeared the 10-15m down to the sea. He was looking at me with eyes big like saucers, full of fear. All the way down he screamed:
-ALADDIN!
- Now you're by your own even though I wish I could be there holding your hand! I screamed after him when he disappeared.

Well, anyway, the lifeboat was soon up and running and sprinklers were tested. They disappeared forward on starboard side and when they came back on our port side I almost shat myself. There was smoke coming out from the exhaust pipe.

And I mean smoke, I thought the darn thing was on fire and so did Captain on the bridge. Man, you couldn't see the sky for all the smoke and I can't recall ever seeing something like this before.

I had to call them on the radio, I was worried that they would kill themselves filling up the boat with smoke. “THROW YOUR SELF OVERBOARD!”

Are they still alive?
What the BIP are the other ships at the anchorage thinking? I decided not to speak any more Swedish on the radio. There is a Broström ship waiting at the anchorage as well. It's Bro Promotion, Swedish flag and I imagine the whole crew standing on deck watching us.
I hope they don't mind me putting the Broström logo here. But this logo is already well known on www.aladdin.st!
Well, anyway, I'm imagining the crew screaming of laughter pointing in our direction. - Look, there is a PanamaGreek ship!

Well, anyway, it turned out to be nothing serious. One of the cylinders didn't ignite or something like that. But anyway, it was vexing. But they got it under control after a very swift action from the lifeboat crew and they could continue the test of the lifeboat.

The life boat was recovered just in time for coffee and after the break I will send my best guys down the 1double bottom to look for leaks.

We measured th tank for gas and oxygen content and they went down the tank. Two guys in the tank, one at the tank hatch and I was in the CCR opening the valves.
- CHIEF! NO LEAKS!
I was very disappointed.
- MOTHERFÅNKER!!!!!!!!!

I went out and we measured #2 double bottom for gas and oxygen content. I went back to the CCR and not long after they called on the radio.
- CHIEF! WE HAVE A LEAKING PIPE!
- GOOD, VERY GOOD!!!!!!!!!

Why am I beaming of joy when they found the leak? Well, now my worries are over (I really really hope there is not a 3rd leak. I mean, then we are talking MAXIMUM misfortune). We repair the pipe and if it's not possible to repair it there is nothing I can do. But it would have been embarrassing to arrive to Pajaritos with 3 barrels of Jet fuel. We are allowed to have a maximum draft of 36 feet in fresh water in Pajaritos. And if I can't get the ballast out of the ship we can't load any cargo.

So arriving with 3 barrels of cargo on a MAX draft would raise more than one eyebrow.
- What the BIP is this?
- I can't get out the ballast!
- Why?
- I don't know!
Embarrassing, but if I say that we have a broken ballast pipe and we can't strip the tanks there is nothing more for me to do. Well, I think you understand what I mean.

Our Fitters went down to check the pipe and there was a crack and our 1st Engineer and I went down to check it out. Our 1st Engineer was mighty impressed when he saw me proceeding through the ballast tank.
- You were like a horizontal line through all the openings.
- Well, it's my old commando training and we learnt how to move like cats, I said.

OK, I have to stop here. I'm off to bed and I don't want to wake up tomorrow by a knock on my door. Our 1st Engineer kept me up all night again and it's already past midnight. But more about that and plenty more drivel and balderdash tomorrow. Now I'm off to bed and I hope I can fall asleep after me drinking more than one can of diet drinks.
I will read a few pages in my book (Not my language course) and now I'm going to suffer from severe agony and that will not make it easier to fall asleep.

OK, I'm back after a good night sleep. Well, even though I slept well I was tired when my alarm went off. As mentioned before our 1st Engineer kept me up until late. It's the same every night, I'm sitting in my pyjama trying to remember what have happened during the day when our 1st Engineer come skidding in to my cabin.
- Problem this and that! Moving files! Not working! Sunken 250!
I never learn, by the sound of his voice I think his cabin is on fire and I rush away. Wearing only my pyjama and then he is vexing me all day long about my lack of manner coming to his cabin in my pyjama.

But yesterday when I installed his war game I ran in to, well, there is only one word that springs to mind, it was pure ghastliness. And believe me, this is nothing you want to fell in to nose first.

OK, let's slow down and take it from where we finished yesterday, in the double bottom. They were ready with the pipe at 1915 and I will try it tomorrow when the glue is cured. I went to my cabin and I took a shower and at 8 we were in the pool.

I was in a very good mood after the ballast adventure and I had a good time in the pool with the Captain, Chief Engineer and 1st Engineer. We were out of the pool at 2130 and not long after our 1st Engineer came screaming about problem. By now we are about to kill ourselves if we have to read this story over and over again so I will leave it.

Monday 24^th of September 2007 and I was tired as usually when my alarm went off. It's the same every morning even though I had a good night's sleep. But anyway, I was full of vim and zip looking forward to test our ballast pipe in the morning. We tested the stripping and everything was working beautiful and we could start today's training of our 2nd Officer.

We need new tools for deck and our 2nd Officer, Bosun and I were sitting in the “ADMINISTRATION CENTER”, I was offering diet drinks. Our 2nd Officer wouldn't mind a diet drink but our Bosun declined.
- I got problem with gases. Too much carbon dioxide!
- That's not from the diet drink, that's from hard work, I said.

We ordered from catalogues and the spirit was high, was it due to the working ballast line or was it because we spent other people's money? When we were ready our 2nd Officer had to write an “WORKING ALOFT” permit and when we were ready we received an e-mail.

Next voyage was changed. From loading Diesel and Jet fuel in the US for Pajaritos to loading full cargo of Naphtha in Pajaritos to Port Comfort in TEXAS. Our 2nd Officer made a cargo plan and he brought it to our Captain.

2nd Officer handed over his first cargo planning to Captain and luckily enough for you I was there with my camera. So now you can see this historic moment

Our 2nd Officer delivering his first cargo plan

Well, what do you know? When our 2nd Officer had given his cargo plan to Captain it was almost time for lunch. OK, I had time for a diet drink before going to the mess room and the lunch.

When we were finished eating we had a chat in the day room and I returned to my cabin and a new diet drink. 15 minutes before 1 o'clock one of our Mess men came to my cabin with a blue boiler suit.
- Chief! Can I work on deck after lunch?
- Hey Hey! Is that new gloves you're wearing?
- Yes, but...I'm sorry..It was not my meaning.. Excuse me.. it will never happen again....
- MOTHERFÅNKER!!!!!!!!! You don't have a very bright future in this company!

But I'm a nice guy so he could go help the crew on deck. All the Mess men coming on the ship they want to go on deck and start as Deck Boys. I think most of the ABs and OS onboard started as Mess men.

Our Mess man was soon busy with a paint brush. They had chipped deck under the MOB boat and now they are busy painting BARRIER.

While on deck I took the opportunity to take pictures of our SLOP tank on starboard side. Now it's finished and it looks good. They are busy spray painting SLOP tank on port side and I hope it will be ready tomorrow.
They will start spray white and then it's the touch up of the deck and it should be ready. But we have to see when we are going to the SPM to start discharging. We expected to go along side today but there is no news for us.

Finally the hell hole over the SLOP tank is ready

Now it's not embarrassing to pass the slop tanks anymore. Before they looked like, well, there is only one way to put it: They looked like shit! But the crew have been working very hard and all the credit goes to them and our Fitters!

Finally the hell hole over the SLOP tank is ready

We have spent a lot of paint. When I came in Panama and I saw the state of the deck I and ordered about 2000 litre of paint. If I remember it right it was 1500 litre red paint for deck and the rest was primer. We had over 1000 litre of primer onboard. First they looked at me like I was out of my frigging mind. We have done about 70% of the deck and we have already spent 1500 litre red topcoat + 1000s of litres primer.

But it's no problem, I handed my list to the shipboard management and I have the paint in next port. Next time in the US we will get almost 1000 litres of paint and thinner. But I must say that I like to work with this Captain and Chief Engineer, they are very interested in having a nice ship. Whenever we want to make any improvements they are very keen on get it done.

A slight difference from when I tried to get my office and the CCR in good order when I joined the ship first time. I ordered some bulletin boards. “WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY BULLETIN BOARDS” and I ended up with zip. But if you ask me I think it was very good. They took over my responsibilities to order equipment for deck.

This shipboard management is very engaged and involved in the process. They order spray painters and equipment and everything works very smooth. Whenever I run in to trouble I just step in to their office (with the hat in my hand and bowing and scraping my feet) and I ask for advice and hints. It runs very smooth, but now they will sign off. But they will be back in December and as it looks now we will go home together end of February 2008.

I ordered 1000 litre of red paint for the deck when I came onboard Marimba. Lo and behold, I was called to Captain's office together with the off signing Chief Officer.
- What is this?
- It's the pain order!
- We don't have any money on the paint account!
Our order was reduced to a box of crayons. OK, I must admit that there was nothing to paint on deck. Most of it was rusted away. But I was surprised when they told me to hurry up and get dressed two day later.
- We have money on an electronics account we must spent. If we don't spend it we don't get any new money next year!

We took off with smokin' and screaming tires. We bought rice cookers, vacuum cleaners, irons, drinking fountains, water boilers, microwave oven and all kind of stuff. Something is wrong, but I don't know what.

I don't understand this, but when Laurin's heavy weightier says that this is the right way it must be. I mean, they said that I wasn't good enough and the word from Laurin's heavy weightier must mean a lot. Especially after being able to keep Marimba in NEW BUILT condition all these years and then they top it off with the remarkable success with Marimba on the ship yard. The Chief Engineer was never late to point out how hard he was working and that it was him PERSONALLY that had put Marimba in to her glorious state

It was like walking around in a dream. Please pinch me so I wake up! It was no dream and I thought I had turned crazy (Or was it a back flash?) What is it they can see that I'm not able to see?

Tuesday 25^th of September 2007 and I woke up at 8 and I was in my office in 2 steps. Darn! I didn't felt a sleep until very very late. I heard the engine alarm at 4 o'clock something and after that I don't remember anything so I must have felt asleep.

The guys got right on the chipping and spray painting machines and our 2nd Officer and I could start with the MASP and to prepare the papers for the next voyage. When we were ready we started to check our gas meters, shall be done once a month.

We were ready 15 minutes before lunch and I was on my way to my cabin to get a diet drink. Well, I ran in to our 1st Engineer and the rot begun and it kept on until after lunch so I missed my diet drink.

When we were finished eating we had a chat in the day room and I returned to my cabin and finally I could have my diet drink. 15 minutes before 1 o'clock one of our Mess men came to my cabin with a blue boiler suit. He asked if he could go on deck working and I said yes.
- Thank you very much, he said.
That's the spirit we're looking for.

The agent and the Authorities were onboard just after 3 o'clock and we had FREE PRATIQUE a little later. Now thing starts to happen on the eight day on the anchorage. The Broström ship will go to the SPM tomorrow and maybe we will do the same, but we go to #2 SPM. TOSCA arrived today and PEMEX can't make up their mind, TOSCA or us first.

Wednesday 26^th of September 2007 and the first thing a saw when looking out my window was Bro Promotion on the way to the SPM. Then I noticed the dark sky and the rain. No painting so at our GOOD MORNING PEP meeting I sent all guys on cleaning deck and Bosun and one AB (Our next Bosun?) on greasing detail.

I kept our 2nd Officer busy

I got reactions about me givin' a darn (shit, but darn sounds better) about our ballast line. Well, maybe I wasn't clear enough. I will try to explain again, OK here we go:
We arrive to discharge port (Max draft 36 feet FW) with no cargo. Of course they will ask where the cargo is.
- We cannot load more than 3 barrels (Out of 314 000) because we can't discharge our ballast and we are on maximum draft after JUST 3 barrels.
If you have forgotten about load lines and draft and stuff make a quick stop at my web ship to refresh your memory.
- HEY! Wasn't our 1st Engineer out driving our MOB the other day? Yes he was, and there was a draft mark in one of the pictures.

Actually there were several pictures with our draft mark forward. So I throw in an extra picture just to sweeten up the whole experience.

Well, at arrival to Pajaritos we are allowed to have a maximum draft of 36 feet. When we are leaving we are allowed to have 39 feet maximum draft. Explain that if you can!

Well, any way, it would be embarrassing to say “ I don't

Archimedes principle
Physical law of buoyancy, discovered by the ancient Greek mathematician and inventor Archimedes, stating that anybody completely or partially submerged in a fluid (gas or liquid) at rest is acted upon by an upward, or buoyant, force the magnitude of which is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body.

know ” and it turns out to be an easy problem to fix. But if you know what's wrong and there is nothing to do about it, well, what can I do? It won't help very much to run around worrying about it. So finding the broken pipe made me happy, NOT THE BROKEN PIPE! If we can repair the broken pipe it's an extra bonus but if it's impossible there is nothing I can do and thus no one can blame me for not loading the ship. But I had my best guys on the job and the ballast system were soon up and running.

Well, the rain disappeared after lunch and the crew could start chipping and painting. There was a few drops falling every now and then, but they managed to keep the chipping machines running for a few hours. Our HARDTOP FLEXI is finished, otherwise we would have been ready to the first bridge on deck. Captain has to see it next time coming onboard and, well, I haven't seen any crocodile either.

So, at dinner our Chief Engineer asked if I had time for some HTML lessons during the evening. We have planned to do it one of the upcoming evenings because he is soon going home. So I went to his cabin at 1930, after my shower and we started.
So now we are all looking forward to the exciting uploads on his web page, there is plenty to write about.

Thursday 27^th of September 2007 and it was a gloomy and grey morning when I looked out of the window. OK, our crew built a tent on deck and they were soon up and running with the chipping machines.

I spent the morning with 2nd Officer doing paper work and lo and behold, it was lunch time before very soon.

After lunch there was a sun ray breaking through the clouds and the OS on watch could start paint, for 5 minutes. Then the rain started again and the wind picked up. I could see Bro Promotion disconnecting her cargo hoses at the SPM. There was a PEMEX ship and she left SPM #2 and they both dropped anchor again.

After the coffee break I went forward with our Bosun to put 2 extra shackles of anchor chain in the water before the arriving storm. They said it's a new hurricane making landfall in Pajaritos and we expect strong winds in TUXPAN. Port of TUXPAN is officially closed for 2 days as it looks now.

Well, we see what the future has to offer. But a more imminent adventure is about to happen onboard, www.aladdin.st is proud to present:
We have heard about the wheel of fortune, but never before the “POT OF FORTUNE”. But by now we are used to uncharted territory on www.aladdin.st and it's not the first time we break fresh ground. But this time we will go even further and it will be live coverage on the radio.

OK, here's the story. I have ordered a new external 750GB hard drive from HP to my new computer and I want to sell my old LaCie. The crew were interested and someone suggested a lottery, 5 US per head.
- We meet in my office at 1720, I said.
We decided to have a “Personal Safety Meeting” as well so we meet in my office at 1700. We were soon finished with the meeting and the crew demanded that we started with the LUCKY DRAW.

When we decided to have the LUCKY DRAW I was very explicit. NO COINS only bills. Now they tried to pull my legs, all the crew were sitting shaking a box of 1 cent coins. When we had sorted out this mishap I wrote their names in a word document in the order they handed me the 5 US. The Engine Apprentice showed up and decided to join in the very last moment. When everyone had paid I printed the list and cut out stripes with their names on.

I handed out the stripes and they rolled them in to small rolls and we put all the paper rolls in a helmet. It should have been called the HELMET OF FORTUNE but “POT OF FORTUNE” sounds better.

I called our 2nd Officer on the bridge:
- STAND-BY for the “POT OF FORTUNE” LIVE on the radio.
Our 2nd Officer, he had paid his 5 US but he had watch on the bridge so we had to send the LUCKY DRAW live on the radio. As I said, we're breaking fresh ground on Barcarolle.

We have chosen our Bosun to draw the winners and I made a last minute change, 2ND PRICE IS A CASE OF BEER. We updated our 2nd Officer on the bridge about the new changes. We could hear how excited he was over the radio.

The 2nd price was totally unexpected and the surprise made all crew screaming high and there was no end to the excitements. Everything was LIVE on the radio so our crews scream was heard all over the ship. OK, the joy delayed the LUCKY DRAW with a few minutes.

LUCKY DRAW

It took a while for all the frolic and lark to stop.
- Hmm, the frolic and lark never stopped.
Well, any way we could soon start and after a few try our Bosun got the winning ticket.

LUCKY DRAW
They handed me the ticket and the disappointment was great when I announced the winner:
- And the winner is...................
ALADDIN!

NO, our Cook won the 1st price, he grabbed the hard drive and he was running to the galley while screaming of joy. The rest of the crew could not bear the suspense anymore and they demanded that our Bosun should pick the second ticket. Said and done, Bosun picked the second ticket and one of the ABs opened it slowly. Everything to keep them under suspense as long as possible and to get the most out of the 5 dollars.

2nd price

One of the ABs won the case of beer and they were all happy. A gloomy and grey afternoon had turned from tedious to exciting in my office. The already demand that I will sell lottery tickets for my camera. Hmm, we have to see about that.

Exciting afternoon in my office
After the excitement we went for dinner and I was sitting eating (salad) when I could hear our Captain and Chief Engineer coming. I could hear them all the way from the staircase, screaming and singing. So I understood that they had heard our LIVE transmission on the radio. I could not help wondering what the other ship at the anchorage was thinking when they heard us on the radio.

OK, I was busy with my web page during the evening and I have also planned to finish a movie I started yesterday. But when I was finished with my web page it was pass midnight, yeah, you guessed it. Our 1st Engineer was running in my cabin all night asking questions about his computer and media player.

So I spent most of the evening in his cabin and I decided to skip the movie. I got a bunch of books from our Chief Engineer. None of them is a language course. So it will be some reading before going to sleep.

Friday 28^th of September 2007 and it was no good weather when I checked out my window. I didn't expect them to open the port during the day so we have to come up with something to do for the crew. Gloomy and grey, but the tent was up in a jiff and the chipping machines were soon heard all over the ship

Our Deck Boy was helping Bosun to prepare our cargo hose on the cat walk, time for the annual pressure test. Well, it's not until November 2007, but as we say: 1 step ahead.
While they prepared the hose I was in the engine room to pick up the hand pump so we can pump up 21 bars in the darn hose.

Our 1st Engineer always helpful got the pump for me. We were in the ECR and he asked if he should come on deck to help.
- Yes please, if I can take a picture of you and the two 2nd Engineers!
I always carry my camera with me, you never know when there is an opportunity to get a nice picture.
- No we are. . . . OK, now I must warn people of delicate nature for things to come. I understand that your parental filter is off, otherwise you wouldn't had made it this far. But foul language are about to come up!!!!!
- No! We are fucking tired of YOU and YOUR camera, he said while thinking: YEAH!!! I WILL MAKE IT TO INTERNET ONCE AGAIN!!!!
-OK! I thought, playing hard to get.
But it's the same story every time. OH NO! I DON'T WANT YOU TO TAKE MY PICTURE!

- Psst, I can tell you a story. But don't tell anyone.
But the other day when I was sitting sweating over some heavy duty paperwork (reading the news) in my office our. Well, I prefer to let him be anonymous.
- HEY Aladdin! How do I erase pictures from the camera?
I turned around and there he was with my camera. I took the camera and I checked the picture. So now I seen it all, he had taken pictures of himself. And I can tell you that I understood why he wanted to erase them.
- YOU CAN NOT PUT THEM ON INTERNET! He screamed when I was laughing.

Well, on deck and our Bosun prepared the hose for the pressure test. We could not find a flange with a connection for the hand pump so our 1st Engineer took the flange down to the work shop. He drilled a hole and he put a connection on the flange.

When the flange was on there was the problem to get it tight. Bosun had brought a sledge hammer and a striking wrench.

But it didn't took long before he had to go get a bigger sledge hammer.

When the flanges were tight the pumping begun, the hose was 995,3cm between the flanges when we started to pump. We had to retighten the flanges several times during the test and it took very long time to get the 21 Bars. We must have filled a lot of water in to the hose. The hose was brimmed when we started and we had to refill the pump several times before we reached 21 bars. When we were ready the hose was 1106 cm long, a difference of 111cm.

When we had 21 Bars we left the hose for 30 minutes to see if the pressure decreased. If not it's tight, but after 30 minutes the pressure was 18 bars and we discovered several small holes and we decided to discard the hose.

We were ready just in time for dinner, OK, I had 10 minutes for a diet drink when we were ready. Now the night watches will be busy cutting the hose in pieces during the night.

Saturday 29^th of September 2007 and the sea was like a windmill pond when I woke up. I was in a good mood when I meet our Chief Engineer and Captain in the stairs on the way to the mess room.
We were sitting in the mess room drinking tea while watching Bro Promotion going to the SPM.
- Nice weather, the sea is like a mirror, I said.
- The sea is black of oil, Captain said.
He had watched the TV and the river was full of oil and now the sea and anchorage was covered in oil. I left the table and had a glance on the water.
-HOLY SHIT! What ass hole is responsible for this?
We are anchored at the mouth of TUXPAN River and when the water is coming out the water hit our ship and is thus changing direction and stream aft. So on the other side of the ship we have clean water and this is what I see from my cabin.

If you throw an apple in the sea you're facing 25 years of hard time
So as I said, an oil company claiming to be “GREEN” is nothing but a laugh. Well, more like a cry. But when they are onboard to do vetting inspections it's a totally different tune. They are saying obvious and self-evident things desperate to keeping appearance.
- 2+2 and 5 by 5 and banana peel.... blah-blah-bla.....segregate the waste...blah-blah...check list this and fåcking that

They don't have any shame and they really believe us to admire them:
- Oh, where did they find this TOP GUN?
Either they are stupid or they think we are stupid or it's just a special kind of very conceited people. Like the Captain we lifted ashore in Russia, he was back after a few months as Chief Officer telling the crew:
- Hey, I'm the new Superintendent!
He must have been in a very bad mental state. That's the only explanation I can come up with trying to understand his brazenness and conceit. But the worst was that the crew accepted it, I was the only one leaving. But, well, maybe it was hard to find a new job. And when you have hungry children you need a steady income.

Port SLOP before and after
It was a beautiful morning and the crew could finish Port SLOP and they finished starboard side up to the bridge. So if we had had the paint it would have been ready as I had promised our Captain. But, yet again, so far no sign off any crocodile.

I was busy with our Electrician checking our ODME. Calibration failure and we found out that it was the light that had broke down. When we opened the small lid to the sensor the sensor was working. So it was not very hard to figure out that it was the light.

Surveyors and sampling crew arrived 5 minutes before lunch. Our Surveyors set up their computers and printers in my office. The table was full of equipments.
- PRINTERS!
Otherwise they ask for copies for everything and now its payback time. I told them to print copies for me on everything and I didn't have to do any copies at all.

All the other times they ask for millions of copies and when I ask if they don't have a copy machine at the office they are coming up with all kind of evasive answers. When I ask who need all these copies I get the strangest answers.
- My old Grandmother....... My neighbour....... They can come in handy.......

When the calculation and sampling was ready they left and I had some time to attend our 1st Engineers computer problem, a never ending story.

I was in my cabin writing on my web page when the pilot came onboard 5 minutes after 5. I could see that Bro Promotion was disconnecting the cargo hoses from my window. I called Captain on the radio and he thought it would be another hour before it was time to move from the anchorage.
- Good, then we can eat dinner together! I said.
Captain is leaving tomorrow and his reliever is onboard so we have one extra at the dinner table. We had our anchor up at 1812.

Well, hmmm..................

Picture by our Chief Engineer
First thing I did when coming on the bridge just after 6 was to copy the pictures our Chief Engineer sent to me. I asked if I could put them on my web page.
- Yes, of course.
- Good, now I can complain that I'm on the internet as well.

OK, honestly, by putting these pictures on the net I'm doing my last desperate try to get my inbox brimmed with “ I love you ” letters. But I think it's stupid to try, but you never know!
At least I know that there will be a fierce reaction from J, but this is not the reactions I'm looking for.

Loading Master was in my office when I came down from the bridge. I introduced our 2nd Officer as our next Chief Officer.
- You better off being nice to him. Maybe it's him KICKIN' you “A” next time, I said to the
He promised to be nice and they did the paper work together while I was serving them juice and giving pointers to the 2nd Officer.

When I and our 2nd Officer checked deck before start discharging he told me that his wife had been on my web page and that his son is there every day watching PAPA turning in to a Chief Officer

When I was on deck Captain called on the radio and asked if I had talked with my brother. He is on Tambourine and they arrived when we went to the SPM. I told him that I thought it was a better idea to do this tomorrow.
- Maybe they have a Saturday night party over there.

We were 4 Swedish ship in TUXPAN, I don't think it ever happened before. Then it must have been a very long time ago. But Bro Promotion was the only one with Swedish flag.

Our crew is fishing on deck in the evening and one of our ABs, always the same gets a big fish every day. Today our Mess man came from deck with our AB's latest catch.
- Hey! Take a picture!

We started discharging at 2205 and we stopped a few minutes later due to problem with the shore hose. I was sitting in the CCR starring out in the blue when I could see our WHISTLING GUY's reflection in the window.
He was standing in the door to the CCR trying his best with the ZIP IT WHISTLE® But I will not bother putting any new video on my web page. No improvements of what so ever with his mediocre try to do the ZIP IT WHISTLE®

But I think we will finish the day with another video! Have a good sleep!

Sunday 30^th of September 2007 and yet another month has come to an end. I should have been sleeping, but it's the last breakfast with our Captain. I think he will leave around lunch time so I'm up to see him off.

OK, I'm running in to some technical difficulties so I have to start all over again.

Sunday 30^th of September 2007 and I woke up at nine, half of an hour before my alarm should have went off. I had planned to be up for the last Breakfast with Captain, but I didn't came to bed until 3 - 3 thirty something and when I didn't managed to fall asleep at 4 o'clock I changed my alarm to 0930.

- I'll be darn! I had started writing on my page yesterday and my plan didn't go down as planned. So now I have to rewrite the whole story.

I started my day with a shower and a bucket of tea, but of course I checked out my window first. I could see the deck crew painting on deck.

Port SLOP tank
I took my camera and I went on deck, well, of course I finished my tea first. I took a few pictures of our SLOP and the pump in 8CT. Obviously, take a look at the before and after picture, our crew have been working very hard.

Cargo heater before and after
At 1330 the pilot boat came to pick up our Captain. It's his time to go for holiday and we will see him again in December. I promised him that we would have the Christmas party on a fresh painted deck.

- Psst, easy for me to promise. The crew has to work like horses and I can sit drinking beer telling the whole world how hard I have been working.
- I made this ship look very nice.... The sun is shining from my arse.... I'm the best..... I work so hard..... Without me fåck all would have been done...... Saving this ship and that ship.....
And every time there is a representative from the company onboard I will take the chance to really bring out myself. I will hang on to the representatives arse like a sticker laughing at stupid jokes.

Well, anyway, the pilot boat left when our Captain had got his luggage onboard. The Captain on Tosca is also signing off today and they took off to pick him up before returning ashore. The last thing I screamed after the Pilot boat was:
-It would have been finished to the first bridge if we only had had the red topcoat!

When the Pilot boat was gone I went to the pool, our 1st Engineer sleeping in his pool toy again.
- OK, I will get this guy, I thought.
I went to my cabin and I changed to my swimming trunks and I sneaked back to the pool. I had planned for an award winning belly-splash next to our 1st Engineer. But he woke up just when I was about to set my plan in motion.
- Hmm, maybe I was better off. Maybe he would have had an accident in the pool when I had landed next to him and then no one could have taken a swim there again, ever. If you understand what I mean?

OK, I think we had have enough of September by now and we continue to the month of October the year of our Lord 2007


Tweet



OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured

Jiffy (also jiff)

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

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? NJET PROBLEMA! Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

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

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.



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