March 2009
Sunday 1st of March 2009 and March started just like February ended, drifting off Lagos. And we have no news about the cargo operation, and we might be here waiting for a few more weeks.

Maersk have bought Broström and we will see what happens during March. We will be operated from Copenhagen and they will close Broström�s office in Norway. We have been operated from the office in Norway up �til today and I don't when they close down.
But I hope we don't have to worry about methanol cargoes when Copenhagen takes over. But again, I don't know when Copenhagen is taking over, maybe after Lagos if it takes much longer before we can discharge the gasoline.

The crew spent the day painting on deck with a short RAIN break at 16:30.

Monday 2nd of March 2009 and I will start the day by inspecting DB 3 Port with our Bosun. Hot on deckGloomy and grey morning, good, it will not be like a sauna in the DB.

We had one AB on watch at the hatch when Bosun and I went down the ballast tank. 2 of the ABs were preparing a sun cover on deck over Port slop tank. When the sun is shining it's hot in the sun and we hope the tarpaulin will make it a wee bit cooler while grit blasting.

We were back up from DB 3 Port ten minutes after nine and I went for a shower. When I was ready I filled up the tank inspection report and it was almost time for lunch. White cabbage only and I was off to my language course in my cabin.

Tuesday 3rd of March 2009 and today we had to start with another tank inspection. DB 3 Stb and Always something to do on deckwe changed anodes on the ballast pump and tank cleaning pump while we were down in the tank.

It was getting hot even if it was a gloomy and grey morning and when we came out of the tank at 09:20 I Always something to do on deckdashed off for a bottle of water at my office.

I wanted to go for a shower, but our Bosun had to prepare the new anodes and I had to go out and measure the tanks for gas before he could go down to put on the new anodes. It was almost 10:30 when I could take my shower. Very nice with a hot shower after climbing around in Always something to do on decka hot and dark ballast tank.

Luckily enough there wasn't much mud in the tank, otherwise we would have been brown of mud when coming back up.

While we were in the ballast tank our 2 ABs were putting the used grits through a mesh so we can use it a second time and our OS and one of the ABs started to grit blast after 10 o'clock.

I had a plate of white cabbage when I was ready with the tank inspection report and I was off to my language course in my cabin. Well, I spent most of the time reading a book I started yesterday. But I got 20 minutes of study and I will do the rest tonight.

During the afternoon we got an e-mail and it looks like we will go to the SBM next week to start discharge our gasoline. Seems like they have a Methanol cargo in Jose, Venezuela for us after Lagos. Not exactly any dream cargo, hopefully it will be changed.

Wednesday 4th of March 2009 and today it's time to inspect DB 2 Stb blah-blah boring boring. This waiting and drifting off Lagos is driving me up the wall by now.

Thursday 5th of March 2009 and today it's time to inspect DB 2 Port blah-blah boring boring. This waiting and drifting off Lagos is driving me up the wall by now.

Friday 6th of March 2009 and today it's time to inspect AP. Bosun had to inspect the tank by himself, I didn't managed to get through the manhole. But give me one more week with my “20 seconds diet” and I will swing myself through the manhole. Blah-blah boring boring. This waiting and drifting off Lagos is driving me up the wall by now.

Saturday 7th of March 2009 and no tank inspection today. We finished all the tanks for this month and our deck crew can spend the day on blasting and the steam pipes. We must be able to use the Attackedsteam if we have to do cleaning to methanol. Problem! U-bolts, nuts and bolts were ordered when they started the “STEAM PIPE” project. Well, I don't know what happened, but it seems like only the nuts was ordered.

Luckily enough we have a “KICK ASS” Bosun and we're still on the right track. Well, we had to hold an ISPS drill. By now Maersk have taken over, or is in the process of doing so. Well, anyway, Maersk wanted us to do one more ISPS drill.
What a waste o time.

One of our 2nd Officers got dressed like a criminal and he was hiding on deck ready to attack the crew. After the meeting (Without the 2nd Officer) I had our watches to go on deck, same as we should have while discharging in Lagos. After a few minutes our gangway watch reported a stowaway.

The stowaway came as a bolt from a blue sky for our OS. It was only me, Captain and the 2nd Officer that knew about this drill so our OS got a little scared when our 2nd Officer in disguise sneaked up on our OS at the gangway. 2 minutes later our OS reported that he was held to a knife point and the hoodlum demanded to be taken to the bridge.

I went out on deck to try some of the latest negotiation methods I have read about. Yeah, our hero has studied the ISPS binders where he read and learnt: Stay calm, co-operate and stuff like that. Well, that didn't work and luckily enough our hero masters a few different martial art styles that came in handy.

I could see that our OS was scared senseless and when I applied some of the negotiation techniques from our ISPS binder the “violent criminal” relaxed is guard a bit. As soon as our hero noticed the “violent criminal” holding our OS as hostage relaxing his guard our hero did a quick Jackie Chan and the “violent criminal” was knocked unconscious and our hero saved the OS.

As our Chief Engineer said:
- This will look good in our CV when applying for jobs when we go ashore!
We can put Police , Bomb searcher, negotiator, security expert, anti terrorist expert and anti terrorist fighter. For sure, yeah, I guarantee that we will be doing a better job than the clot searching my bag last time flying from Houston to FUNKY TOWN.
Imagine Farmer John, searching luggage for 25 years at the airport and he can't tell if the suitcase is closed properly when he is finished with the bag.

Sunday 8th of March 2009 and the day was spent painting on deck. Well, the crew was painting, I was scratching my arse and picking my nose.

Monday 9th of March 2009 and 3 weeks waiting today. Will it be another week drifting of Lagos? Our crew started the day by taking out our cargo hoses for the FRAMO emergency pump from Engine workshopunder the fo'c's'le. Time to pressure test the hoses. Engine department is working on the working air today so no Engine workshopblasting.

We don't have any flanges for the hoses so we needed our Fitter to make them for us and thus I had to go down to the engine department and while there I could as well take a few pictures. I know how much they appreciate being on www.aladdin.st because the engine department always turns Africagreen of envy when I take pictures of the deck crew.
- HEY! Why are you only taking pictures of the deck crew?

And while on it I could as well take a picture of our Cook on deck. I guess that you already have noticed the deck crew painting in the back. No working air for the grit blaster so it's painting day. We prepared the hoses for our FRAMO emergency pump and they are ready to be pressure tested tomorrow.

Well, what else did I do on an eventful day like this drifting off Lagos? I had a 90 minutes constitutional and 1 hour in the swimming pool. Well, that's a normal day, but today I also spent time in our gym. Yeah, you got it right, I was spending time in the gym. Lifting weights preparing me for California WOW when I'm coming home.

I don't even dare thinking about what the girl telling me how handsome I was will say when I step in to the gym mid May. I mean, If she thought I was handsome when I weight 1 cubic ton her eyes will pop right out of her head when the NEW dashing Aladdin steps in to the gym again. And I can as well tell you. Much thanks to our Cook, pushing and supporting me I have lost quite a bit. All my trousers are too big and as I told our 2nd Officer today:
- I thought it was because I was old. But it must have been because I weight a cubic ton that made it hard for me to move.

Tuesday 10th of March 2009 and today is the hose pressure test day. Our Bosun was in progress when I came on deck after having my GOOD MORNING tea. Our 2nd Officer on the 4 to 8 watch Pressure test the hoses for FRAMO emergency pumpwas with me eager to learn the tricks of Chief Officer's trade.

Luckily enough it's a stainless steel hose so it was pretty quick to get it to 13,5 Coffee breakbars and after 9 o'clock we had 13,5 bars in the hose and we will check the pressure again in 1 hour.

After 1 hour it was still 13,5 hours and I could go to my office where I made a pressure test certificate and now the hoses are good for another year.

Well, our 2nd Officer wants me to show him the secrets with wall wash and analyse of the wall wash.
- Can you show me the wall wash after lunch?
- Of course! This will be fun, I replied.
I guess that he is really waiting with bated breath to relieve me. The salary, status and relaxing all day long. I don't know if he wants the responsibility, but it comes with the territory. At 13:00 I knocked on the bulkhead to his cabin, he is living next to me.
- Get out of bed motherf@cker!
- WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT??!!

At 13:10 he was still a no show so I was banging the bulkhead again.
- Get out of bed motherf@cker!
- WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT??!!
- MOTHER@CKER!! I screamed and I was off to kick in his door.
I was kicking in his door just to discover an empty cabin.
- WHAT THE .....??!!
Well, I found him on deck outside our sample locker. He had sneaked down when I was banging on the bulkhead. We took a bottle of methanol from the sample locker and we were soon back in my Wall wash trainingoffice. Within minutes we had prepared the wall wash kit (Including a bottle of soy sauce so we could get 3 wall wash samples. 1 with soy sauce and thus high in colour)

First wall wash was taken straight from the superstructure. Should be normal values. Second wall wash was from the same spot as the first wall wash Wall wash trainingand should then be clean due to previous methanol flush over the bulkhead.

When it was time for the third wall wash I asked our 2nd Officer to bring out the soy sauce and I told him to splash the soy sauce on the bulkhead. We took the third wall wash and we were off to analyse the wall wash samples in our laboratory.

I had prepared our Spectrometer during the morning so it was just to get Wall wash trainingright on with the analyse. The first test we're running is the colour. Yes, the second sample was clean and they soy sauce sample had the highest value. Surprised?

As the pedagogical wiz I am I tried my best to explain what we did. But my student was well prepared and he had read the instructions already so we never ran in to any problems.
We did the chloride and hydrocarbon test and it pretty much worked out the way we had expected. So now our 2nd
Before
After
Officer is ready to relieve me as Chief Officer, at least regarding the analyse of the wall wash. But is he ready to take on the pressure from all the responsibility?

A small bowl of white cabbage for lunch and dinner. Almost 90 minutes in the track and a few minutes in the gym. 1 hour in the swimming pool and no evening snacks and I feel and look good

Wednesday 11th of March 2009 and it's time for our Chief Officer “to be” to purge the bubble system to our ballast/ bunker level measuring system. But first it's tea and blah-blah time at the I needed something from our 2nd Officerbreakfast table. Well, blah-blah, I don't know. We don't want to rush Busy on deckin to the job and we had to plan the job, and what's better than planning it over a cup of tea and a walk down the memory lane.

Our crew was busy chipping while I showed our Chief Officer “to be” the bubble system territory.

But there is more to learn for our Chief Officer “to be” and after lunch he will check our ballast records and ballast reports. There is plenty to keep track on, when to change ballast, different methods and how to report. We also need to log all this and I have made a binder where we keep records and report receipts voyage by voyage.
Our Bosun, always busy
Our Bosun, always busy
Bosun working with our steam pipes
Today we got a message from our Agent and MAYBE we will start discharging early next week. SBM or STS operation. Discharge operation 7-10 days and when we're out of here it's soon time for me to go home.

After dinner I was off to my cabin and my language course. 1 hour in the swimming pool and a movie and I was ready for bed.

Thursday 12th of March 2009 and today I spent a few minutes showing our Chief Officer “to be” a few tips on our cargo computer.

We started right off after the morning tea. OK, I must admit. I didn't pay him the attention he deserved. I was busy with our MARPOL. But he had attended the NAPA course in Sweden and after a few pointers he was up and running.

Swimming, almost 90 minutes walking up and down the catwalk and a few minutes in the gym and I felt good when it was time to go to bed.

Friday 13th of March 2009 and when I came to the breakfast table for my GOOD MORNING carrot I found that the kitchen department had prepared tuna for me as well. After our tea I Always something to dowent on deck with our Chief Officer “to be” and we looked at the piping on deck. Good for him to know when it's time to relieve Enough alreadyme in May.

The crew is busy chipping on deck and we will start the grit blaster after 10 o'clock. And today and tomorrow is the last we will see of the grit blaster until departure Lagos. No idea blasting if we don't have time to paint and we don't know when we're going to start discharge. But latest news is that we will discharge at the SBM next week. And SBM is good news, no authorities running around looking for gratitude�s.

Saturday 14th of March 2009 and today we will look at the flow meter to our ODME. But first morning tea. Our Bosun was on deck preparing taking off the pipes from the overboard line when I and our Chief Officer “to be” was in my office drinking tea talking about the good old times.
Saturday morning
Saturday morning
Our Electrician helping me with the flow meter
We cleaned the pipes to the pressure difference sensor and I needed some advice from our Electrician about the pressure difference sensor before cleaning it. Our Electrician was busy until the coffee break so I took the opportunity to show our Chief Officer “to be” how the 1% oxygen Always something to donitrogen tank and the bleed and block valves is working. We filled our nitrogen tank to 10 bars and we operated the system and it worked well. Our Chief Officer “to be” is ready to take over.

We will see if it's cleaning for Methanol after Lagos and then we will run our ODME on the way to Venezuela. By then our Chief Officer “to be” will have an extensive training in tank cleaning, wall wash analyse and running the ODME and I can leave the ship in his hands without having to worry about the ship when I have moved on to new adventures.

After the coffee break our Electrician helped me with the pressure difference sensor in our flow meter and no I know how to clean it the next time. Always problem with the ODME and the flow meter. Of Always something to docourse, all the shit from the slop tanks ends up in the pressure difference sensor and if the flow meter can't measure the pressure difference the flow meter will give a fault signal to the ODME and we can't run it. I can use it in manual mode, but that's a FY FY when we have a vetting inspection.

So I was in a good mood when we were finished with the flow meter, I had learnt something new from our Electrician. And it's always fun to learn new stuff. We had removed the pipes to blow them with air. But it's easy to destroy the pressure difference sensor with air. But now I know that I can open the equalizer and Always something to doblow the pipes through the sensor. And thus I don't need to go through the hassle to remove the pipes from the sensors. Really not that much space to work in as you can Always good music in the kitchen. Well, at least since yesterday afternoonsee on the above pictures of our Electrician in the small box.

Coming for lunch (white cabbage) and I was meet by Østkyst Hustlers on full blast. Verdens længste rap, our Cook loves the song, all 80 minutes of it. I have my USB stick, yes the very same I bought in Ventspils wend me and our OS was ashore. God, this was more than 2 months ago. In January and the times turns very quick.
Well, anyway, my USB stick is full of FUNKY music and every time our Cook is passing my office he do some of his moves.
- YO! EXCELLENT MUSIC!
- Of course, always good music in my office.
- What is it?
- Danish Hip Hop!
- Do you think you can copy some Danish Hip Hop for me?
No Problem and yesterday I had 2 CDs for him. 1 with “Our Cook's Danish favourites” and 1 with “Verdens længste rap”. And of course, there is only space for Verdens længste rap on a CD, its 80 minutes long.

Well, now it's “Verdens længste rap” blasting high on the Richter scale every time I'm coming Exercisein to the galley.
-DAMN! This is good music!

Well, tomorrow it will be a rest day, at least regarding the gym. 6 days per week in the gym should be plenty to achieve a V-shaped torso until I sign off middle of May (2009). But I will still go for my constitutional and my 1 hour in the pool.

A daily constitutional will keep the Doctor away and I'm not the only one that has realised this. Our Chief Engineer is on his daily constitutional the same time as me. He's on deck and I'm on the cat walk.

And I needed my constitutional, dinner and everything worked beautiful. Green beans, filet and salmon. Things didn't get out of hand until the dessert, chocolate mousse and whipped cream. It would have been OK if I just would have stopped after the first helping. But I have a social responsibility and I had to go in to the crew's mess room for a bit of socialising.
- Hey! Sit down relax, have some chocolate mousse!
- No thanks! I'm on diet!
- Hey! Sit down relax, have some chocolate mousse!
- No thanks! I'm on diet!
- It's Saturday for Christ�s sake!!
- OK! Just a little!

It became more than just a little! MOTHERF@CKERS!!

To make things worse, I meet our Fitter in the pool at 6. We had made an appointment earlier today to meet in the pool at 6 o'clock.
- BE THERE! Last Saturday I was waiting for you, he reminded me again.
Danish Hip HopOK, last week I was delayed by our Cook's blueberry cake with vanilla custard. And I'm still suffering from agony from that splash out. Comparing to that the chocolate mousse was a starvation cure. Today I had to make a movie for our Bosun and I was 2 minutes late to the pool.

Well, anyway, I usually walk back and forth in the pool for 60 minutes. Very good exercise trying to run in water. But I ended up talking with our Fitter for 30 minutes before he left and thus I only had 30 minutes of my aquarobics.

We wasted 30 minutes talking about the good old times but he didn't miss the opportunity to scold Danish Hip Hopme before he left for his cabin.
- The worst thing you have done was when you gave the “Verdens længste rap” CD to our Cook. Now it's on full blast every time I'm coming in to the kitchen. And he is walking around with lustrous eyes. And the only thing he says is “This is damn good music”.
- But it's good! I said.
- Yeah, it is.
- Do you want me to make a copy for you?
- YES PLEASE!

Well, at least I got 30 minutes of my aquarobics and I needed it after the chocolate mousse. After my shower I made a copy of the “Verdens længste rap” and I went to our Fitter�s cabin to give him the CD. He became like a child at Christmas.
- THANK YOU!

Sunday 15th of March 2009 and I didn't woke up until lunch time.
- DARN! It will be hard to fall asleep tonight.
The crew spent the day painting on deck and I ate too much ice cream. So Sunday turned out as a bad day. Well, we got some important painting done on deck. But for me it was a bad day, ice cream isn't that good for the diet. But I got 90 minutes up and down the cat walk and 1 hour running back and forth in the pool.

Our Cook's day turned to shit when I told him that I had made a copy of “Verdens længste rap” for our Fitter yesterday.
- So I'm not the oldest Hip Hopper onboard anymore?
Well, our Cook was a wee bit disappointed, but he is still the best Cook in the company.
- ME!!?? No worries MC Porky is still the chubbiest Hip Hopper onboard.

Monday 16th of March 2009 and we have been her for 1 month. We arrived 16th of February and we have been drifting off Lagos for 4 weeks by now. I really hope that we will see some action this week. A few more days here and I'm going bonkers.

We have a little problem with the draft sensor forward and our OS started to remove the non return valve after the coffee break. Our OS has planned to apply for the Merchant Marine Hot on deckAcademy.
- Priceless experience to have when you become a Chief Officer, I said.

Our Electrician has the flange with the manometer for blowing the pipe. He also has the chemical we pour in to the pipe.

He had found the flange but he had never done this before so he didn't know what chemical we were going to use.

I have forgotten which one we used last time. But it was something with clean. A few months have passed since I and our previous Electrician was working with the forward draft sensor. And then it was freezing cold and I didn't pay all that attention. Yeah, we still remember the drama in the Hot on deckGreat Belt on our way to Norrköping.
- Maybe the stuff you use when you clean the boiler, I suggested.
- Then we will block the pipe, our Chief Engineer said.

After a while our Chief Engineer had found out what chemical we would use and the Electrician told me that he would bring all the stuff forward.
- No need for you to come. I can do this by myself, I said.
- I never done this before so I would like to see how it's done.

That's the spirit. 2 days ago he showed me the way around the pressure difference sensor and now he wants me to show him the way around the draft sensor. Well, it was our previous Hot on deckElectrician that showed me and now I have passed on the knowledge. I like to learn new stuff and its gems like learning about the pressure difference sensor that makes it fun to work. And when I do the pressure difference sensor on my next ship I will have our Electrician in mind.

Our Electrician was a wee bit too enthusiastic and it didn't take long until our OS found himself out of job. Our OS and I were watching our Electrician working with the non-return valve to the bubble system. It was very hot and I wished that I had brought an ice cold diet drink.

Well, it didn't take long before our Chief Engineer showed up and he was soon holding a wrench in his hand. By then I really wished that I had brought something cold to drink for me and the OS. There wasn't really that much for us to do.

It was nice to be back in the gym after my Sunday off. 90 minutes up and down the catwalk and 1 hour in the pool and I had no more agony for eating the ice cream yesterday.

Tuesday 17th of March 2009 and how the hell will I spend yet another day drifting off Lagos. Today we have planned for a fire drill and that means that we will kill some time. Latest news from Fire drillthe Agent: Still waiting for berthing prospects and that means that they don't have a f@cking clue.

At 10:15 the fire alarm went off. The crew was quickly mustered at their muster stations. Fire drillTwo smoke diving team to enter the engine room.

And luckily enough I had my camera easy accessible in my pocket. So I will have some extravagant action pictures to upload on the internet for all of you to see. And the Fire drillcompany will know that we're kicking behinds sometimes and that we're not only kicking back in the swimming pool all day long.

When our two smoke diving teams left for the engine room our Chief Engineer took the Technical Squad and me for a workout of our CO2 system. We use CO2 to fight fire in the engine room.

CO2 is like nitrogen and will take out the oxygen from the Fire drillengine room and thus extinguish the fire. As you understand CO2 is very dangerous for any on left in the engine room when the CO2 is released so it�s VERY important to do a head count before releasing the CO2. So as soon as the alarm goes off we have to do a head count ASAP.

We learnt everything there is to know about releasing the CO2 and just when the Technical Squad thought the lecture was over I asked a question about the remote stops for the fuel oil pumps and fire dampers.

The remote stop cabinet was next to the CO2 release cabinet and our Chief Engineer could go on with the remote stop cabinet with only a short stop for a breath. With the help from my stupid question our Chief Engineer managed to maintain our interest for a few minutes.
Fire drill
Fire drill
Our Chief Engineer lecture us
As soon as our Chief Engineer sensed our lack of interest we moved out to the CO2 room to check Slowing downout the manual release in case of malfunction on the remote release.

When we were ready with the fire drill we went to the bridge for a life boat muster. Captain instructed the crew on what to do in case of grounding and then it was life boat muster.

When our 2nd Officer had drilled our crew on their duties in the life boat our Chief Officer “to be” informative oil spill drill on the bridge. When we were alone on the bridge I asked him to do the Qualified Individual Notification drill. We call a Qualified Individual after every oil spill drill as part of the drill. This is the people we call in case of a real oil spill and they will put things in to motion.
Before
After
Before & After for the company
I took off to my cabin as soon as we were ready with the drill to work with some pictures I had taken off our deck this very morning. I got an e-mail this morning from our Inspector. I don't know if he had been inspired by my “Before” & “After” pictures from Barcarolle. Well, anyway, he asked me if I could take a few pictures on our deck.

I guess that he will be disappointed, Bro Provider is not even close to the state Barcarolle was in. But why not? I went on deck and I took a few pictures. At least we can see some difference and Exerciseon the picture on your right hand side above you can see how it will look when we're ready. The pink paint is Red Hardtop that we have mixed with white to be able to see where we have painted first layer of top coat. Easy to understand that it will be hard to see the
Before
After
difference between first and second top coat if we paint both layers with red.

No, the best “Before” & “After” pictures from Bro Promotion will be the pictures of me. Gym, constitutional and the pool every day and hopefully the girl at FUNKY TOWN International will get a different impression next time I fly out of there. And no ICE CREAM next weekend. Our Cook has talked me in to indulging once a week.

- WHO THE HELL DO I TRY TO FOOL??!!
Our Cook has talked me in to.... I don't need anyone to talk me in to indulging. It's hard with this Cook, truly the best Cook in this company. Baking fresh bread every day and I love bread so it's not easy around here. Pastries and cookies fresh made every day and birthday cakes on every birthday.
But I will shape up from now on. Tomorrow our Cook will try to make real pumpernickel and that's healthy, at least in my book.

Wednesday 18th of March 2009 and how much more of this shit are we going to have to take. BRING US INSIDE! How hard can it be to plan ahead. I mean, if we were the first ship ever to come to discharge gasoline in Lagos I would have understood it. But after thousands of ships discharging at the SBM it can't be that hard to make a rough estimation, for f@ck's sake!

We're pushing 5 weeks here now and I have lost enough man hours with this double watch bull shit. Looking for pirates when the crew could have painted and blasting.

I'm under a lot of pressure from the company to get the ship to look good. Yeah, we have the example from yesterday fresh in mind.
- Can you please send a few pictures of the deck!
So I really don't have the manpower to look for pirates. Painting, blasting, greasing and change steam pipes. Luckily enough we have the A-team working on deck and things move on. But we're also doing stupid jobs. Blasting the N2 line. New at the shipyard and they didn't paint the line. So it's all rust and now we have to waste time blasting and painting it. But now we never have to do And the lucky winner is our Cookthat again. After blasting and paint 5 layers this will be good for another 10 years, I hope.

The afternoon didn't bring any good news. Well, quite the opposite, berthing prospects. Earliest in April. MOTHERF@CKER! We cannot use the grit blaster because then we use fresh water and that�s something we're running low on. We have about 350 tonnes and we use about 9 tonnes per day.

But it was good news for our Cook, well, not entirely. He is running very low on provision. But he won the “GUESS THE PILOT BOARDING TIME” prize. He was the only one guessing that the Pilot would board in April. 6th of April and he had given up all hope on taking the prize. Today there were only 3 bets left. 22nd and 23rd of March and 6th of April. So our Cook came closer than anyone else. Our Chief Engineer was the first one to congratulate him and I took the picture.

Thursday 19th of March 2009 and I woke up to a gloomy and grey morning. I woke up at 7 so I had already finished my first diet drink when I got my wakeup call at 07:30. Rain is in the air Plenty to do even if it is rainingand thus no painting off deck today. No worries, we have plenty to do. The crew started by hosing down the deck to get rid of the blasting grits. Hopefully we will have a few showers during the day to fresh off deck so we can finish the red paint tomorrow.

I transferred the last of the fresh water from port technical FW tank to the engine and now this tank is ready for inspection. Should have been done last month but of course, we cannot inspect the tank if there is water in the tank.

We have 5 tanks on deck for tank cleaning methanol and I had planned to test the methanol this morning. (Excellent opportunity for our Chief Officer “To be” to get some practise and for me to kill some time) But I changed the plan due to rain and I will do it after lunch. Weather permitted.

Friday 20th of March 2009 and #1 methanol tank was off spec yesterday so we wanted to check Our next Chief Officer?the methanol again to make sure. But first our tea.

We did the test and the methanol is off spec and just to make sure our Chief Officer “To be” took a second sample. 10 ppm Chipping in the sunshinechloride in the methanol. When I checked the tanks yesterday I just got a feeling that the hatch was not closed properly when I opened to check the ullage. So maybe that's the reason for the high chloride content.

When we were ready I went to the bridge to relieve our 2nd Officer so he could go on deck to work with our fire hoses. Not much else for me to do and our 2nd Officer in charge over the fire equipment has plenty to do.

From the bridge I could see our OS (By now he has the time to become Chipping in the sunshinean AB) and one of our ABs chipping at the manifold.

Our 2nd Engineer has his birthday today and I ran in to a delicious looking cake by accident. I resisted the cake, but when our Cook came with a teaspoon I grabbed one as well. FOR SAMPLING ONLY!

I spent my hour in the pool after dinner and I had survived yet another day. Boring like h... but at least the time turns quick and we have a new weekend coming up again.

Saturday 21st of March 2009 and today it's time to test the release for our free fall lifeboat. But first our morning tea. Our Chief Officer “to be” had asked me if he could use 2 of our best Early morningguys for this job.
- No problem!

Our Bosun and one of the ABs were stand-by for the job and when I came to the lifeboat our Chief Early morningOfficer “to be” and the guys had prepared everything. When they went to the lifeboat after the morning tea I made a quick stop at my office before going to the lifeboat.

There are always one or two important papers lying around in my office that I have to attend to. Our next Chief Officer took the seat and it didn't Early morningtake long to test the release. Lifeboat tested and our fire hoses had to be tested as well. So I relieved our 2nd Officer on the bridge at 10 and he was off to test the fire hoses.

Our forward draft sensor is blocked again and I had planned to do this after lunch. But I decided to do it on Monday instead so our OS can concentrate on the chipping of the winch.

And chipped he did. He finished the winch in one day, that's the spirit we're looking for. Our OS, this is the next generation of “REAL” sailors and this is just what we need. I'm confident that he will be an excellent Chief Officer one of those days.

Sunday 22nd of March 2009 and I could hardly get out of bed. Well, not exactly out of bed. My bed felt apart yesterday and I had to sleep on the floor and I could hardly move when I woke up. Back pain and crippled with rheumatism. At least I knew how to spend the Sunday, putting together my bed.

Monday 23rd of March 2009 and 5 weeks since we arrived to the roads of Lagos. And today I gave my notice to the company. So I'm out of here next port after Lagos.

Today we brought in the grit blaster and I can't say that I care about the deck anymore. I will discharge the gasoline here and then I will wait for the sign off. A few days ago Captain and I Well, I'm speechlesstold the Chief Engineer that they had to burn the garbage. Our containers are full.
- We don't have time.

I suggested that it was his job to plan the jobs as head of the department or do it as they do it on deck, work overtime. Obviously there were plenty time the day after. Cleaning of the steering engine compartment. I could not believe my eyes when they brought up old hydraulic hoses on deck.

They had been there for years and suddenly when our poop deck is full of garbage they decided to clean out the steering engine. Must have been very important if they took the time to do the job because there was no time to burn the garbage. I called the engine department trying to get an explanation.
- What the hell is this? Yesterday we talked about how our poop deck was full of garbage and we needed to burn the garbage. And now you have the time to bring up all this shit.
- Oh, I told Motorman to dump it on the outside.
- I have pictures of the hoses and if one of them goes on the outside I will report you!

The sad thing is that we have had garbage containers in every port since I came onboard, hell, in Amsterdam they even brought the container to the poop deck with a barge so it was only This is it for me. My service is not required anymore.to pour the garbage in to the container. But now they decide to bring up the shit.

Well, anyway, yesterday our Captain told me that he took over the responsibility for the garbage. A new experience, well, its shows how smooth things are running onboard when Captain takes over things.

So now there is one AB full time to sort the garbage and put it in to small bags. We changed one AB for a Fitter to come here to change steam pipes, well, he is in the engine working.
What do I think? Why don't we send the whole deck department down to the engine department? I don't care, if they can have one AB sorting the engine garbage then I'm out of here. The deck is not very important, obviously and I no longer care what the rest of the deck crew is doing. No more blasting while I'm here and I'm not considering myself as the Chief Officer any more. Discharging and I'm out of here.

I have been onboard for almost 4 months chasing the ABs so we can get things done on deck. And believe me, there is plenty to do. And my job is NOT to do the job, but to plan and to make sure it's done. Well, no more of that.
From now on I will be the nice guy. The guys can spend the weekends in the pool with the engine crew. From now on the crew will see what a nice Chief Officer I can be. No more tyrant that keeps track when the crew are having lunch 10 minutes too long and only nagging on the crew about work.

Really, obviously the job done on deck is so insignificant that we can have 1 AB full time to sort the garbage and then there is no need for me to make myself unpopular among the crew always pushing them.
- Hell yeah! I will order party whistles and colour full hats instead of grits and paint.

Tuesday 24th of March 2009 and yeah, you guessed it. We're still drifting off Lagos. Today we will start a new MEGA project, cleaning under the fo'c's'le and I will keep the ABs on the 12-4 watch busy for at least a few days. ABs on the 4-8 watch goes down from the bridge around 06:30 so it�s pretty pointless to start anything when they finish work at 08:00. So they are doing This is it for me. My service is not required anymore.some cleaning in the morning. AB on 8-12 is busy with the garbage.
And of course, I have explained the importance to drink much water when it's hot for the crew.

I relieved our 2nd Officer on the bridge at 10 so he could attend to his fire fighting equipment. Looking out over deck didn't do anything to improve my mode. What a sad sight, no one painting, chipping or blasting. It�s like a ghost ship.
Bosun/ Pump man busy cleaning out his store and after lunch the watch will start under the fo'c's'le.

Well, lunch time and I wasn't hungry. Same yesterday and it most likely thanks to our Cook's new Pumpernickel like bread. I had 3 slices (without butter) to my morning tea and I'm still full. But I had a few asparagus and a spoon of ham salad for lunch.

OK, we're pushing 6 weeks drifting of Lagos. Our Cook, a truly remarkable Cook. Not only the best Cook but he have managed to feed us every day. I don't think he has served the same meal twice during his time onboard. Of course, egg and bacon every Sunday morning and the white cabbage for me, otherwise I think he have managed to come up with different meals every day. Different cakes and desserts. OK, we're running low on the ice cream by now.

We pretty much have everything except toothpaste. Our OS have brushed with salt and bicarbonate for the last week. Yesterday I asked if anyone had toothpaste and today I found a tube on my desk. I was already looking for our OS, I had to give him money for something (top secret ) and I brought the toothpaste with me. He became like a child at Christmas when I handed him the toothpaste (and the money) He didn't want the money. But I forced him to take them. I need to get rid of all my cash so I can't buy any more (top secret ) stuff from him. And I can't take any money for something that someone gave to me. Well, I don't know. But the toothpaste was found in my office. Well, anyway, he became very happy
- THANK YOU!!!
The AB next to him asked if I had toothpaste for him as well.
- No, but you can share with the OS
- THANK YOU!!!
They were for sure happy went they went forward to start clean up under the fo'c's'le.
- Don't forget to drink plenty water! I screamed after them.

Wednesday 25th of March 2009 and still drifting off Lagos. Today we have to start and steam out to the Atlantic again. We do this every 3rd or 4th day. We drifting with almost 1 knots in an ENE direction and when we are coming too close to shore we're starting the engine and we leave for the deep water and hopefully the pirates will stay behind.

Today I found out that it was our Electrician that had put the toothpaste in my office. I thanked No morehim on behalf of our OS. Well, what a shitty day this day turned out to be. I'm down to 1 diet drink and really no use to save it for better times. I popped it open and it was gone with a gulp.

Ok, I have half a bottle of the diet drinks our Captain's daughter bought for me in Sweden. But after that its finito. Tomorrow will be a day without any diet drinks, only water.

Leaving Lagos and we will need to be gas free. The pump in 3P needs to be repaired and I have made a long “TO DO” list for deck. Plenty welding and our 1st Engineer and I were on deck in the afternoon to check out the things to be done.
- Plenty to do, I will have the Fitters to start preparing as soon as we have time, he told me.
That's the spirit we're looking for.

Captain have sent a request to sign off me and our Engine Apprentice to our Agent and we only wait No morefor the confirmation and I can go home.
My brother signed off in Lagos a few years ago and I quote:
It was BIPPING nice when you had passed the immigration at the airport. Everyone wanted gifts and gratitude�s, including the Agent. And that's even though he had robbed the company blind overcharging them for the launch

Well, anyway, who will relieve me if I go home? Of course, our Chief Officer “to be” and I drilled him about the ODME and paper work during the afternoon. Tomorrow we will continue the introduction and then we wait for the Agent to confirm my flight out off Lagos.

60 minutes constitutional and almost 1 hour of aquarobics in the pool and I finished my last bottle of diet drink watching a movie. And thinking of it, water and tea will be great for my health. All these diet drinks can't be very good for me.

Thursday 26th of March 2009 and we're still drifting off Lagos. We continued with the training of the new Chief Officer after our morning tea. I showed him around in our stores and he told me he would do some cargo calculations this very afternoon.

Our OS and AB on the 12-4 watch finished clearing out under the fo'c's'le yesterday. They Always busycollected 2 bags of garbage (can as well take the opportunity when we're lying here for only God knows how long and we have plenty space for garbage) and today they finished sweeping deck under the fo'c's'le. I have more important tasks for them and they started to clear out Bosun's workshop on the poop deck.

They will clean Bosun's workshop and throw all the old stuff (can as well take the opportunity when we're lying here for only God knows how long and we have plenty space Always busyfor garbage) we don�t need anymore. Then they paint the workshop and all the tools and it will look very good when it's ready.

After lunch (a small spoon of chicken curry) and Always busymy language course I went to pester our Fitter while he was repairing something with our water fountain.

When he was ready we went to pester our Chief Officer in the gym. Well, I can't say that he was happy to see us.
- AH! Here they are! I said.
- WHAT!!??
- The weights. The “Small boys” team was looking for their weights. Our Cook and Bosun. Our fitter with the fishing rod in the back- PORKY!! GET OUT!!

At the coffee break in the afternoon our Cook and Fitter helped our Bosun with the fishing.
But today they were out of luck. Not a fish in sight and we're used to having the fish chasing the hooks. After 3 seconds in the water there are a shoal 4-8 watchof fishes chasing the hook.

The 4 to 8 watch was putting back the gratings on port manifold and tomorrow they will be our sweep brigade and start sweeping deck and that will keep them busy for quite a few days. We have many important things to do on deck and then less important jobs like painting and blasting falls behind.

I spent the evening watching movies and reading. Well, first I spent an hour in the pool and I spent time pestering our Chief Officer on the bridge.

Friday 27th of March 2009 and yet another day drifting off Lagos. At least it seems like our Engine Apprentice and I will sign off when we're going to the SBM. But when?

Coming back from the pool and I had my shower. Coming out of the shower donning my pants and I was on the ninth hole in the belt. One hole more than yesterday and I was in an instant good mood.
I was on the bridge talking with the Chief Officer when the phone went off the hook around 19:30. New orders, go to Cotonou, Benin for an STS operation.

Saturday 28th of March 2009 and I was already awake when Captain called me at 07:25. I had been up and had a hot shower at 06:30. After a few night without sleep I felt asleep at 9 o'clock yesterday. Captain wanted the density of our cargo.
- M/T Delos wanted to know the density
- I'll be up in a minute!
5 minutes later our Mess man called to wake me up. At 07:30 exactly. I don't know how he manage, but its 07:30 exactly every morning.

Coming on the bridge with the density I started by asking if anyone knew what our Cook was putting
Before
After
in his bread.
- Yesterday it was nine holes in my belt. I had 2 slices of bread and today I'm using the tenth hole. I'm about to disappear!
Angry crewI was in a good mood after a few days with a bad feeling about me being stuck in the eighth hole. This morning it's 10 holes and I'm soon off to the workshop to make new holes in my belt.

I was on deck when I heard our Bosun and Fitter screaming on the deck below. I went down to check it out. They had their coffee break on deck and the sea was full of plastic floating by.

Well, not nice to see the plastic, but it was nice to see the Bosun and Fitter angry. Since day one on my first ship I had told everyone not to throw garbage overboard. And most of the time they think I'm crazy when I run after them screaming when I see someone throwing anything overboard. But now we can see how it looks and I hope our Fitter and Bosun continues to tell everyone they meet on the seven seas to keep the garbage onboard.

Language studies during the lunch break and still no news about the STS operation. We have been in contact with M/T Delos. She is waiting here as well so I guess we're only waiting for the supply boat to get us the fenders, hoses and the Loading Master.

I received my flight details after lunch:
Booking ref 3FROX9
AF  813  L  30MAR    COOCDG       2305  0610+1
AF  174  L  31MAR    CDGBKK       1920  1145+1


Sunday 29th of March 2009 and we were still waiting for information. Our Chief Officer and I had time to discuss paperwork after our morning tea.

The called me at 09:30 and we were going to pick up the Surveyor and finally some action. They gave us 1 hour notice for the Surveyors. We heard them calling Delos on the radio.
- -M/T Delos, this is the Surveyor. We will be onboard in 1 hour.
- We're on the way to Lagos for provision.
I'm less than impressed by this operation. It started in Ventspils where no one knew what we were loading and it didn't become better in Amsterdam. Everything is by chance and the planning seems Finally, something is happeningto be done by guesswork. They don't know from one minute to the next what's happening. Is there any one in charge around here?

Well, I thought that we were going to measure the ship when the Surveyor came onboard. But they had to wait until we were alongside Delos.
- Better we do it now and save the time, I suggested.
I was surprised, they will pull samples as well.
-OK, let's do the sampling and we save a few hours, I suggested.
They are taking a composite and they told me that they could take it from the manifold when we started discharging.
- Hmm, I guess this sample is for their cars because they already took samples in Lagos.

We have experienced many different Agents during the days, but our Agent in Lagos must take the price. The company had sent several requests for info about my trip home, but so far they have managed to come up with ZIP.

No cargo operation today. MT Delos, as I found out from our Surveyors. They had found stowaways onboard and they had to go to Lagos and handover the stowaways to the authorities.
- They will be back around 19:00 and we will most likely do the mooring operation tomorrow. Daylight operation only.

I asked the Surveyor if the authorities would shoot the stowaways. I remember when we were loading crude in Congo a few years ago. We found 2 stowaways and we could not leave them in Nigeria when we were loading the last parcel.
- If we take them ashore here they will shoot them.
Luckily enough we could leave them when we passed Cape Town on our way to Taiwan.

Monday 30th of March 2009 and we have been waiting for 6 weeks. Hopefully there will be some action today both with the cargo and with our sign off.

Coming on deck after my morning tea and I could see M/T Delos receiving the fenders from a supply vessel. She was on our port side and they were busy for quite some time.
M/T Delos
M/T Delos
M/T Delos getting the fenders

Luckily enough we had a new Chief Officer onboard so I could be in my office doing cargo calculations while they took up our anchor. They finished the ullageing at 11:00 and that's the Finally, something is happeningsame time we had our anchor aweigh. 7 tonnes less than in loading port and that's very good measurement, especially when we're rolling in the swell off Cotonou.

M/T Delos is a sister ship both to Barcarolle and Bro Promotion so hopefully they will take all our cargo in one lift. Action on the bridgeDepending on the Chief Officer on M/T Delos. We have almost 98% in all of our cargo tanks and in the slop tanks.
Our cargo is 29,9°C and when we loaded in Ventspils it was just above 0°C.

So I loaded 94,5% in Amsterdam and it turned out to be perfect. Almost 98% in all tanks at discharging and I had calculated for the cargo to be 32°C. I have heard M/T Delosnumerous stories when they have loaded full cargo and when they arrive to the tropics the cargo is on deck because they haven't calculated with the expansion in the heat.

But this is Swedish flag and we don't want any cargo on deck. I came back on the bridge just in time for the final approach at 11:50. I was a little worried that I would miss the opportunity to take pictures of this adventure if I had to stay in my office doing cargo calculation.

We finished calculations at 11:30 and I M/T Delosgot a few pictures to put on my web page. And more important, I also had the time to pester our Captain and Chief Officer.

First line at 12:00 and we had all fast at 13:24 and we could go to drop our anchor and to receive the cargo hoses. I had expected us to start discharging early morning. But this operation is not planned that way. We're going to have spent most of the day before we will be able to start the discharging.

I have given up the hope of getting home today. But Captain told me that things were in progress and now they have a Agent in Cotonou. So things are in motion. Our Agent in Lagos could not help us and the original plan was to do the STS without any Agent. But obviously they found a Agent in Cotonou to take care of our transport to Cotonou International Airport.
M/T Delos
M/T Delos
M/T Delos coming alongside

At 3 o'clock we had no news about neither the cargo hoses or about any service boat for me and the Engine Apprentice. Well, as I use to say: More days more dollars.

- When are the cargo hoses coming? I asked our Surveyor.
- They are coming with the tug boat.
- And when is the tug boat coming? I asked.
M/T DelosWell, this is what we have to work with. A full day is gone and we have not discharged a drop of gasoline. They cancelled our flights for tonight. The service boat will never make it in time and we will take the same flights tomorrow night.

I spent the afternoon doing paper work with M/T Delos. We had to Our kitchendo all the checklists and I sent them over to M/T Delos for signing with a heaving line. And then they send back their documents for me to sign.

Our Cook can't believe that I will sign off.
- Who will I have morning tea with now? He asked.
- I'm sure you will walk in through the door tomorrow morning, he continued.

At 18:30 there were still no sights of our cargo hoses. My bags are packed and I only need to pack my computer. A shower and I will throw away my shirts and I'm ready to go. Tonight or tomorrow? No one knows.

Well, we will not leave tonight. Captain called the Agent this very morning and after that he tried several times to get in touch with the Agent. In vain, no reply, phone disconnected. But around 7 he got a message from Sweden that it was too late to send a launch.

The hose arrived around 8 o'clock and maybe we will be discharging at midnight and I can go to bed. Hopefully my last night onboard.

Tuesday 31st of March 2009 and will this be my last day onboard?

I was tired when I got out of bed. I didn't go to bed until 02:30 this morning. Start discharging at 23:06 and we had to top off all tanks until 95% alarm deactivated. We have a new Chief Officer but I'm still Cotonou roadsresponsible so I kept him company in the CCR. I started with my morning tea in the CCR together with the Chief Officer. At least I hope he will be the new Chief Officer. Our Company had found a new Agent, the previous one only took cake of crew signing off supply vessels and not tankers??!! Well, that's how they run things in Africa.

We see what happens, more days more dollars. I was on the bridge discussing tank cleaning with Captain. They don't want us to do tank cleaning and we are ordered to proceed to Gibraltar for orders when we're ready here in Cotonou. When I was on the bridge I could see Laurin's Marimba anchored on our port side. And where do we know Marimba from.
- Hmm, yeah.
- Do you want to join Marimba as Captain?
And when I arrived to China they told me that they never told me that I was signing on as Captain and I left the ship. Treating people like this and when I was back home from Barcarolle they needed, I think it was 6 Chief Officers and they asked if I wanted to join.
- Yeah, sure!

I was in the CCR with our (hopefully) new Chief Officer when we heard the Pilot boat calling us on CH 71. Captain answered on the bridge and we could hear the conversation in the CCR. They told Captain they were to come pick up two off signers and they wanted to know the colour of our ship Finally Chief Officer, or?so they couldfind us. Our (hopefully) new Chief Officer and I thought it was a done deal and it was all laughs in the CCR.
- HEY ! Let me take the first official picture of our new Chief Officer, I said.
- Yeah, looks like you will go home today.

But it didn't take long for us to stop laughing. OK, I don't understand this. Our new Agent arranges for a boat to pick us up and obviously there is no communication between the Agent and the boat. We're doing a STS operation and the pilot boat didn't have a clue. He asked us to be at the fairway buoy so he could pick us up.
- We're 15 miles from shore doing an STS operation and we can't move.
- OK, stand-by. I will call the Agent, the guy on the pilot boat said.

I told our former official new Chief Officer that it would be easy to work as an Agent down here. - Yes, if you can send a bill you can be an Agent, he said.

As you guessed, well, instead of going home for holiday we swing right by to April 2009!



       
                  



                                       

You are visitor no.
To www.aladdin.st since December 2005

Visitors to www.aladdin.st from different countries since 26th of September 2011


Send me an e-mail My web page directory