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“The postings on this site are my own and don't represent Norden's position, strategies or opinions. All views are my own”
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Monday 14th of October 2024 and my alarm went off at 03:45 and I had two buckets of tea in my room. I bought a water kettle in Belem, but that is for 110V so I cannot use it onboard. But Our chief Engineer gave me a kettle yesterday.
So, I can enjoy some tea in my room in the morning. I will speak with our Electrician to see if there is something we can do about my 110 V kettle.  I go down to the CCR around 5 thirty and I meet the 2nd Officer. We are discharging and it looks like we will be completed with the discharging at 3 o'clock tomorrow morning. I made a “cup” of tea first thing. Then I enjoyed my tea while going through the documents in the computer in the CCR. They have a new system, well, it started just before I signed off m/t Bord Superior in China back in April 2024. So, there is a little bit refreshment in the operation of the programs to do. I was soon having my second “cup” of tea. I was starting to get the hang of it regarding our new maintenance program. This was not operative last time I was onboard. I am familiar with the SMS since last time on Nord Superior.  Early morning and our 2nd Officer busy with important things
The boys are going ashore and I asked them to buy an “expensive” on 1 to 3 USB cable for me. - Don't buy any shit! Should be around 20 US $! They came back, and the USB cables, yes, he bought two as there wasn't any 1 to 3 cables. They cost 5 US each and I gave him 10 US and the cables. - You can keep the cables, I said Our Bosun will go ashore in the afternoon and I asked if he could be so kind to buy me a hair trimer. Our OS had bought one yesterday and I got it to see if I wanted the same. I went to try  it out. It was a very small machine, USB charged so it would be perfect as a travel accessory. If it works, that is.
The little wonder for hair trimmer worked beautifully and I asked our Bosun to buy one for me when he goes ashore in the afternoon.  Getting ready for the beach 2025
Terminal asked us to reduce the discharge rate in the morning and two hours later they asked us to reduce again. This time to 300 - 350m3/h and we will not be ready 3 o'clock in the morning. Now it looks like tomorrow night and no one was sad for this. If we are ready tomorrow night we cannot leave until the morning the day after. +++++++++++++++
Tuesday 15th of October 2024 and they stopped discharging when I came to the CCR at 6 o'clock in the morning. I think the shore tanks are getting full. We started discharging again after one and a half hours. And at 11 o'clock they asked us to reduce to 200m3/h and now it looks like we will be ready early tomorrow morning.
They will  hopefully ask for reduced rate again, would be perfect to complete discharging at 6 o'clock in the morning.
Tank cleaning when we are out of the river, we will load Palm Oil in 4 different ports in Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras for Spain and Italy I got my new hair trimmer so I am ready for any adventure they throw my way. +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 16th of October 2024 and Pilot board us at 7 o'clock and it is time to leave Vila Do Conde. And it looks like we are going back to Houston to load Caustic Soda to come back here again to discharge.
We got the new information yesterday and our Loading Master came onboard after completion of the discharging just before midnight yesterday. He told me that he had just approved the vessel for next voyage. Yeah, I do not mind Houston and back, that's another month we can put behind us.  Time to leave Vila Do Conde
 Time to leave Vila Do Conde
 Captain and our hero
 We left the jetty behind at 7 thirty and it is about 9 hours with the Pilot before we're in the Atlantic Ocean where we will turn north towards Houston, USA. I went to my office to prepare the paper work for tomorrows tank cleaning. And of course, to file all the documents from the discharging operation. There is a lot of, well, papers to take care of. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 17th of October 2024 and we met in my office at 6 o'clock in the morning. And at 6 thirty we started the tank cleaning We will wash the tanks for 90 minutes, 4 tanks at the time so  it will take about 4 and a half hours.
But there is a cubic ton of paper work to do before we can start the job. Risk Assessment and discuss the tasks Of course, a “tool box” meeting regarding the dangers we can encounter while washing the tanks. I had had our Bosun to put all the washing machines at 180°: and a pitch of 3°: per turn. That means we will do a cycle from  top to bottom on 60 minutes and we will run for 90 minutes.
C/O will be in the CCR pushing the buttons while the boys will be on deck keeping an eye on things. Starting to flush the tank cleaning line at 06:15 and at 06:30 we started cleaning the cargo tanks.  Checking the water coming out from the manifold
 We completed stripping around one thirty in the afternoon and the crew were blowing all the lines. We will drain the lines during the night and the crew will pump out the last water from the tanks using a Wilden pump. So, this promise to be an exciting job. I was in my room at 2 o'clock and i went to enjoy my afternoon tea on the bridge at 16:00 We were reaching Guiana, leaving Brazilin water behind in the late afternoon. No birds to report and I was a little bit disappointed. But it was a gorgeous evening, birds or no birds.  Getting dark quickly NE of Guiana
 Getting dark quickly NE of Guiana
 Getting dark quickly NE of Guiana
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Friday 18th of October 2024 and we met in my office at 6 o'clock. Tanke entry today so there will be a lot of enclosed space entry permits to be done. And that means a lot of paper work.
Tool box meeting and we discuss the risk assessment and when everyone had signed the entry permit and risk assessment we went on deck. We will start in CT 1 Port.
There is only one risk assessment for the day, no need to make a new one for each tank. But we need to make entry permit for each tank we are going to enter. Measuring gas, and this we must, of course, record. Checking the BA set and the crew entering the tank need to sign as well as the two guys I use on deck to assist the crew down in the tank.
Bosun, assisted by one other crew member will go down the tank to pump up the last water with an air driven Wilden pump. The two assisting guys on deck will send down the pump, hoses and equipment. And when the tank is empty, they will have to heave up everything to deck again. And it all starts all over again in the next tank and in the next tank until we have completed all 12 cargo tanks.  Bosun with the air driven Wilden pump
 Cargo tank 1 port
 Cargo tank 1 port
 Cargo tank 3 port
 Cargo tank 3 Port
 Cargo tank 3 Port
 Our hero taking pictures
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Saturday 19th of October 2024 and we have 4 more tanks to do. We started in the CCR at 6 o'clock with the paper work. At 7 o'clock I spotted a Red-footed Bobby flying over deck. And there was another small bird flying by that I could not ID.
Good, finally some birds I can report to eBird. And at 13:45 I spotted one frigatebird and a few minutes later there was another Red-footed Booby flying over deck. I called the bridge to ask them to write down the position for my eBird report. Two reports already and the day is young. +++++++++++++++
Sunday 20th of October 2024 and we have left Trinidad behind when I come on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the morning. We are steering towards Houston on an North Westerly course. I am joined by one Masked Booby around 6 thirty and I start my eBird app.
The bird is hunting around the ship and there are soon more Masked Boobies joining the bird. At 7 o'clock there is 6 of them and 15 minutes later I can count to 7 of them. There is one swallow, but I cannot ID the bird.  Masked Booby
 Masked Booby
 Masked Booby
 Sooty Tern
 Sooty Tern
 7 twenty and I spotted one bird flying across our bow. I managed to get a picture for ID purpose. The bird was flying low, it was raining and it was too far away. But I think I got it right when I ID the bird as a Sooty Tern in my room later on. I have my bird guides as e-books and I think I got the ID right. I have not yet grown to like the e-books, but what to do when I am going around the world, for sure, not possible to carry a ton  of bird guides.
The e-books are for sure better than no bird guides and I hope I can get  used to use them. Not so easy to search in the books, and well, a lot of hassle.
But again, I really do not want to carry them around so this is what I have. At 7 thirty the birds were gone, only one Masked Booby remained. But they came back 15 minutes later and I could enjoy them hunting show around the ship. And it looked beautiful with the rain bow. I tried to get pictures of the birds with the rainbow, but that did not turn out so very well.  Gorgeous morning in the Caribbean Sea
 Masked Booby
 Masked Booby
 Masked Booby
Been onboard for one week, and I have already put colour to: • Brazil • Guyana • Trinidad & Tobago • Venezuela Coming on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and we had three Brown Boobies and two Masked Boobies hunting around the ship. The first picture I took was of a Barn Swallow sitting on the rail in front of the bridge. The bird was sitting between me and the sun, but I gave it my best try. Starting to get dark around 6 o'clock and suddenly there was a Peregrine Falcon taking off from under starboard bridge wing. I think the bird have spent the day on board and it came out to hunt after dark.  Barn Swallow
 Barn Swallow
 Masked Booby
 Brown Booby
 Masked Booby
So, we have 2 Barn Swallow on board so I hope they are OK. On board m/t Nord Supreme there were rests of small birds under the forward mast after the falcons had have their meals on some small birds they had caught.
8 o'clock and I was in my room watching a movie for 15 minutes before I went to bed and I was a sleep after a few minutes. +++++++++++++++
Monday 21st of October 2024 and it was pitch dark when I came on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the morning. A bucket of tea and wait for the day light. Will there be any birds today?
I spotted the first bird just before 7 o'clock and I started the eBird app. 15 minutes or so later and there were two Brown Boobies and at 07:20 I had three Brown Boobies hunting around the boat. And there was a lot of flying fishes so they had enough for breakfast. One Barn Swallow was flying over the deck so there was a little bit of excitements going on in the morning. And the crew have started to remove the last steam pipes that needs to be replaced.  The crew starts to work on deck early morning
 The crew starts to work on deck early morning
 Brown Booby
 We are just passing Beata Point, Dominican Republic. Steaming towards Jamaica 140 km South of the Beata Point when I came on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. No birds to be seen but one Masked Booby, looked to be a young bird, arrived at 16:20. I had seen one Barn Swallow flying over deck, otherwise nothing and at 5 o'clock the Masked Booby was gone. And no more boobies were seen during the afternoon. I spotted the Barn Swallow 2 more times and I am almost sure it is one and the same Barn Swallow flying around over the ship and I only reported one.  Masked Booby
 Masked Booby
 Masked Booby
 Masked Booby
 Masked Booby
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Tuesday 22nd of October 2024 and we were 110 km East of Jamaica when I came on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the morning. Pitch dark, but when I turned on the deck light for the Bosun to check the gas in the tanks I must have flushed one bird.
The bird was flying by just outside the window, not possible to ID and it was reported as a passerine sp. in eBird. Brown Booby, look like a young bird arrived to hunt in front of the boat at 07:15 and five minutes later an adult bird arrived. My first bird ever for me reported in Haiti. If we continue like this, I have soon put colours to all the countries around the Caribbean Sea.  Brown Booby
 Brown Booby
Coming on the bridge quarter to 4 in the afternoon and we are steaming towards West passing north of Jamaica. We had to get started with a stowage plan first thing. Next voyage seems to be loading in Houston. Then we will go to load in Bahamas to discharge in New York. There is one Brown Booby coming to hunt in front of us and I turn on my eBird app first thing. The bird was soon disappearing again. Later on, when the stowage plan was ready there were two of them showing up.  Brown Booby
 Brown Booby
And at the same time there was one Peregrine Falcon trying to land on the bridge wing. I think I scared the bird moving around on the bridge. So, I just saw the bird when it took off again and I never got any pictures. The Peregrine Falcon was hunting around the boat and the Brown Boobies disappeared very quickly after the falcon showed up. I managed to get some pictures of the Peregrine Falcon, the flight pictures were not so good. But I was lucky and the bird landed in the MOB boat davit just below me and I could get some pictures. It was a joy to watch the falcon flying around hunting around the boat. We are inerting our cargo tanks and my AB went to measure the last tank and it was after dark, well, the sky was orange from the sun setting in the west. I spotted one bird and at first, I thought it was the falcon that had started to hunt again when I turned on the deck light.  Peregrine Falcon
 Peregrine Falcon
 Peregrine Falcon
 Peregrine Falcon
 Peregrine Falcon
 Peregrine Falcon
 Peregrine Falcon
 Magnificent Frigatebird
But I looked again and it was too big and I discovered that it was one Magnificent Frigatebird sailing in front of our boat. A gorgeous sight, the frigatebird with the orange background. +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 23rd of October 2024 and the AB on my watch discover the Peregrine Falcon sleeping outside the wheelhouse window. Still pitch dark but I put my camera on 2 seconds and MAXIMUM ISO speed to try to get a picture for ID.
The bird took off around 4 thirty. I spotted one Red-footed Booby in the top mast just before 6 o'clock and it started to hunt in front of the boat 10 minutes past 6 o'clock.  Peregrine Falcon sleeping outside the window
 Red-footed Booby
 Red-footed Booby
 Red-footed Booby
Time for some country music
20 minutes before 7 and there is one Great White Egret landing on the port side manifold. The bird came in from our starboard side and was flying over the deck. I was afraid to miss the bird with my camera, but I was lucky that the bird landed. We have two Red-footed Boobies hunting in front of the boat. At 7 o'clock we flush two Brown Boobies sitting on the water and they join the Red-footed Boobies hunting in front of the boat. So, there have been quite some morning action regarding the birds. Four different species and I was happy when I turned off my eBird app at 8 o'clock.  Great White Egret
 The crew starts to work on deck early morning
 Red-footed Booby
Bosun have started to prepare for the greasing of the deck crane. So, I will make work at height permit and a risk assessment when I come down from the bridge. We will have some of our drills at 10 thirty and I have a lot of things to do before that. We will have a safety meeting in the afternoon and then we have completed most of the safety things for this month. The evening offered small surprise, two Cattle Egrets on deck. Captain was on the bridge and suddenly he says that there are two white birds on deck. I had a look and it was two Cattle Egrets and they took off around 6 thirty. One Great White Egret flying towards Cuba and one single Brown Booby hunting in front of the boat. Not much, but I was happy for the Cattle Egrets.  Brown Booby
 Cattle Egret
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Thursday 24th of October 2024 and we are in the Yucatan Channel between Cuba and Mexico when I come on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the morning. Slow morning regarding the birds.
One Brown Booby in the forward mast, sleeping overnight. Took off just after 6 o'clock. A little bit later and I spotted two Broen Boobies hunting in front of the boat. Turning off my eBird app and I discover one Magnificent Frigatebird soaring in front of the ship. The bird looks to be still in the air, but it is moving very quickly. I try to get a picture, only get a wing before the bird was in the sun too far away for any pictures. Well, the wing goes to my eBird report.  Magnificent Frigatebird
Leaving Yucatan Channel behind when I come on the bridge at 4 o'clock, well, quarter to 4. I went down to the CCR to make a stowage plan first thing. Captain and 2nd Officer fill it up in the excel sheet before sending it ashore. We are steaming towards Houston passing over the Banco Do Campeche. No birds to be seen, but one Brown Booby showed up and it turned out to be a Rare Bird Alert so I had to try to get a picture before the bird disappeared. But it was a slow evening regarding the birds, one booby and one small bird flying over deck that I could not ID. The bird was reported as a passerine sp. in my eBird app.  Busy on the bridge
 Changing navigation light
 Changing navigation light
 Brown Booby
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Friday 25th of October 2024 and it is dark until almost 7 o'clock in the morning. The day light I breaking in the east and it is a very beautiful morning.
I spot one Brown Booby at 7 and at 7 thirty there are three of them.
We pass on drilling ship, Turritella. We had spotted her already coming on the bridge 4 o'clock. A lot of light and good visibility. She is the first one, further north there are plenty offshore oil installations. We are about 510 km SE of Galveston, and we will encounter many platforms coming closer to Galveston and the anchorage/ pilot station.  Gorgeous morning
 Brown Booby
 Brown Booby
 Brown Booby
 Passing Turritella
We are closing the last overdue maintenance jobs and one of them is the PV breaker on deck. Our Bosun are busy changing the water in the PV breaker and I get a few pictures of the action. A few minutes before 8 o'clock there is one Masked Booby coming to hunt. The Brown Boobies was a Rare Bird Alert, same as the Brown Booby back at Yucatan Channel yesterday evening. The Masked Booby turned out to be a Rare Bird Alert as well. We still do not know if we will anchor ( hopefully) or taking the pilot very early tomorrow morning in Galveston.
Straight from the bridge down to the CCR to start preparing for arrival. Loading plans and tests.  Bosun working on deck
 Brown Booby
 Bosun working on deck
 Masked Booby
 Masked Booby
 Brown Boobies
 Masked Booby
 Masked Booby and Brown Booby
On deck at 10 thirty and I spot 8 Brown Boobies hunting around the boat. Another eBird report that I can send. Good start on the day. We are about 75 km SE of Galveston, Texas when I come on the bridge quarter to 4 in the afternoon. We were stopped to do all the tests before entering US waters and we were on our way towards Galveston again just after 4 o'clock. There were a group of Brown Boobies, 6 of them and after a little bit there were 8 of them. Hunting in a group like I have never seen Brown Bobbies do before. I tried to get a picture and I managed to get 5 of them together. There was one warbler landing on the starboard bridge wing, and I got help from www.birdforum.net with the ID. Jeff Hopkins provided me with the ID, a Yellow-rumped Warbler.  I managed to get 5 out of the 8 Brown Boobies
 Yellow-rumped Warbler
 Yellow-rumped Warbler
 Yellow-rumped Warbler
 Yellow-rumped Warbler
My final count of Brown Boobies ended at 9 birds. The Brown Boobies were joined by a group of three Masked Boobies so it was quire some action around the boat. We are heading towards north and Galveston in the Galveston Fairway and it is a gorgeous evening. I turn off my eBird app when it is starting to get dark. One minute later there was an American Kestrel landing on deck. Too far away and no good light and but I tried to get a picture.  Masked Booby
 Masked Booby and 2 Brown Boobies
 American Kestrel
 We meet one south bound ship in the Galveston Fairway
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Saturday 26th of October 2024 and we are anchored east of Galveston when I come on the bridge at 05:30. No running water when I woke up, but they had fixed the problem so I returned to my room for a shower before returning to the bridge.
Watching the sun rising over Galveston anchorage. I could report 4 tern/ gull sp. to eBird. Too far away for any proper ID and I was a wee bit disappointed. I was about to turn off my eBird app when I discovered one Peregrine Falcon sitting on the rail on bridge deck. Just a few meters behind me and I had missed the bird. The bird saw me moving and took off and this is how I discovered the bird. And I never got any pictures of the bird.  Sun is rising over Galveston anchorage
 Day light is breaking at Galveston anchorage
 Evening and nothing to report but a group of gull/ tern sp. and it was too dark for any pictures so no ID of the birds. A gourgeous evening and the time passed quickly even though there was no birds to watch. +++++++++++++++
Sunday 27th of October 2024 and we are still anchored when I come on the bridge 5 minutes before 4 o'clock in the morning. A bucket of tea and 20 minutes past 5 o'clock and I started my eBird app to report a group of gulls. One of them sitting on the rail on deck.
I tried to get a picture but the bird took off when I came on the bridge wing. The bird landed in the sea joining a bug group of gulls on the water. They were relaxing in the light from our flood lights on deck. But as I never got any pictures there were no proper ID. The birds were gone long before we had daylight around 7 o'clock in the morning. Afternoon, and I spotted 6 Brown Pelicans flying by. Some stopped to hunt for fish and I could get a picture. Gorgeous evening with a beautiful sunset and I could check the gyro error by taking the bearing to the sun.  Brown Pelican
 Brown Pelican
 Brown Pelican
 Brown Pelican
 Checking the gyro error against the sun
 Checking the gyro error against the sun
 Captain testing to be artistic with my camera
 Captain posing for some action pictures
 Captain posing for some action pictures
 Lates news is that we will come along side tomorrow afternoon, but still no updates. 4 to 5 hours up the Houston Ship Channel and we expect Pilot before lunch. But again, it can as well be cancelled and most likely so as we had no confirmation when I left the bridge 8 o'clock in the evening. +++++++++++++++
Monday 28th of October 2024 and I could report 30 ++ gull sp. before 5 o'clock in the morning. Hunting around the boat in the light from our flood lights on deck.
Otherwise, nothing, a warbler landed but took off before I could get any pictures so no ID. +++++++++++++++
Tuesday 29th of October 2024 and the normal gulls around the ship in the morning and I did not bother to report them to eBird. Looks like we will have Pilot tomorrow morning and we expect a US Coast Guard inspection.
And we had a fire drill before lunch just in case they want to see a fire drill during the inspection. Coming on the bridge quarter to 4 in the afternoon and I get the news that our Pilot will board us at 18 thirty. That means arrival around 23 and a full night for me. I go to bed and I manage to get 2 to 3 hours of sleep before they call me 20 minutes before 11 o'clock in the evening.  Approaching Pasadena
 Approaching Pasadena
Coming on the bridge and we pass under a bridge and we have a few minutes to go to reach Pasadena ITC Terminal. We turn around and back up to jetty #1, starboard side alongside and we will connect four 8" hoses. +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 30th of October 2024 and our Surveyor and Loading Master come onboard at 00:18 and we start loading at 04:18. We will do 2 line displacements before I can go to bed. It took us until 8 o'clock before I could go to bed.
28 Hours awake with 2 to 3 hours of sleep, so sleep was needed. Coast Guard inspection while I was sleeping, ZERO remarks so the spirit was high. We had some crew going ashore and I had given them I shopping list. I was asleep when they came back, but I am sure I can have a diet fizz drink tomorrow. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 31st of October 2024 and we are still loading the first parcel when my alarm goes off at 5 o'clock in the morning. We expect to be ready with the first parcel in the afternoon, hard to say, the rate changing all the time.
I went to the bridge to see if I could see some birds. There were some Snowy Egrets and Neotropic cormorants. At least hundred Laughing Gulls flying around and I managed to get a few poor pictures.  Laughing Gull
 Laughing Gull
 Laughing Gull
We were supposed to be ready around lunch time with the first parcel, but it was not completed until after 8 o'clock in the evening. Had spent the evening and afternoon to top up our tanks and it was not ready until 20:18. It was almost 10 o'clock when we started with the Alkylate parcel. We have loaded Blend Feedstock, 302.000 Bbls and we will load 17.000 Bbls of Alkylate in 2 tanks. The Blend Feed stock is 6 different chemicals that we have blended onboard. We will discharge everything in Bahamas to mix it in a shore tank. The Alkylate is the last component that needs to be blended with the feedstock to get gasoline.  In the CCR
We will load everything back onboard again in Freeport, Bahamas and we will deliver it to New York as gasoline. If taken from Houston to New York, it would have had to be carried in an USA flagged vessel. The John's Act or whatever they call it. So, this is why we have to discharge on Bahamas and to load it again. There are oil terminals around the Caribbean Islands just to receive oil from Alaska so they can get it without using USA flagged vessels. I was in bed at 10 o'clock trying to sleep which was next to impossible and I need sleep as we expect to be ready in just a few hours. This is exactly how exciting the end of the month of October 2024 will come to an end. November 2024, how will it turn out? Just click HERE to find out! 
    
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