Aladdin's adventure onboard Rainbow Warrior - June 2006 - Part 5

Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior defending our Mediterranean 2006

“Aladdin's adventure on board Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior was updated with new and bigger pictures during March '14 while on board Roy Maersk”
I also update with a few names I found on the internet while looking for information about the Mediterranean Tour 2006.
I usually never put names on my web page, but these names were all over the internet so why not?

Monday 19 ^th of June 2006 and I was called for at 07:30. I was tired, I went to bed around 03:30 something after the correction of the List of Lights and writing on my web page.

I started my day with a bucket of tea, it was a long time since I had my bucket of tea. I have been drinking tea from small cups at my restaurant on the jetty for the last few days.

Then I and the new Skipper checked our charts, now they want to stop for diving a little everywhere. We just ordered charts for the trips we received via e-mail some weeks ago. No one mentioned anything about diving, but we were set to go and we didn't need to order any new charts.

AT 08:30 I took the safety tour with the new people coming onboard yesterday, 3 people from Greece, or was it four? I don't remember, well, one from Brazil, Itajai. Now you can imagine what I told him about Itajai.
- That's right! The girls I met on the walking street.

There were one guy from New Zealand and a journalist from Germany, she will be with us for a few days. Our Video guy was after us all the tour with a big camera. When I was finished I could go and have my breakfast at the restaurant and I uploaded the latest for my web page. Last time at a restaurant for a few days.

We didn't need any pilot for the departure, we only waited for the immigration to be ready, and

hi Aladdin,

Raymond send me a message saying that he couldn't manage to write on
your mail box @aladdin, so he asked me to give you this following message :

Bonjour Aladdin,
Grand merci pour les passages en franeais de ton site !
Et aussi pour les photos ! J'ai copie toutes celles qui ont une legende en
franeais...et plein d'autres avec la legende en anglais !
Bon voyage,
Edouard

Try to translate ! or ask me for the translation...

we expected to depart at 11:00. But it took until 15:30 before we were cleared to leave and we left at 16:00.

We wanted, no needed, to leave early so we could make it to a place about 2 hours East of Genoa. They had planned to dive there and of course they wanted daylight.

Our French volunteer told me that she sent me amessageto my inbox. A GIRL SENDING ME A MESSAGE, I was at least to say excited and I dashed off to read this message. disappointment, it was from Amoureux Raymond!

Journalists and photographers on board Rainbow Warrior when we're leaving Genoa

Our new crew member - A video guy and diver from Italy

Running a dive shop in Egypt. Became world famous when he grew tired of waiting for the Great White and he threw himself
down a step and got a video of the Great White sharks. BBC bought the rights for that video as soon as they saw it

Our Video guy busy with his camera

Our Video guy busy with his camera

Our Video guy busy with his camera

Our Video guy busy with his camera while our Doctor admires his job

Journalists and photographers on board Rainbow Warrior when we're leaving Genoa

He is using a CANON, a sign of a Professional Photographer

Another new crew member - A Photographer and diver from New Zeeland

Became world famous for taking the world famous picture of the whale fin for Greenpeace.
And yes, you know the picture, everyone knows the picture

And he is taking this picture

Our Photographer from New Zeeland taking pictures at departure from Genoa

Another new crew member - World famous Italian Volunteer and Assistant Cook with her camera

Bringing ashore the Journalist after departure

Bringing ashore the Journalist after departure

We left Genoa at 16:00 and the ship was full of camera people and journalist. I was writing in the log book and fromnowhere there was a guy taking my picture. There were cameras everywhere and I was busy trying to dodge the cameras. Where is my bag?

When we had left the port of Genoa behind they launched one of our inflatable and returned one of the Journalists and his wife back ashore.
We have 5 inflatable onboard, they used the big inflatable that we call AVON to return the Journalist. Then we have 2 smaller that we call NOVI 1 & 2 and we have 2 called LANCER 1 & 2, but they mostly use the AVON and NOVIS. It was a gloomy and grey afternoon, but it was nice with all the new people on board. Crowded, but it was fun and deck was full of activities.

Our Webbie, Hiba Aboulhosn is making banners for underwater use

Our Webbie, Hiba Aboulhosn is making banners for underwater use

Our Webbie, Hiba Aboulhosn is making banners for underwater use

Our Webbie with the Australian Deckhand

The Police shows up at Porto Fino

Our divers getting ready on deck

Spanish Deckhand stand-by in the boat

Porto Fino - Police escort the divers from the marine reserve

Imagine these Police coming back home in the evening
- Darling!! My beloved children!! Today it is cake
- DADDY DADDY!! CAKE!! WHAT HAPPENED?
- We were on a terrorist escorting detail
- DADDY DADDY! TERRORIST! BUT THIS IS DANGEROUS
- Someone has to do it! Are you ready for some cake
- DADDY DADDY! YOU ARE STRONGEST IN THE WORLD!

Porto Fino - Greenpeace boat and marine reserve boat escorted by the Police

Imagine these Police coming back home in the evening
- Darling!! My beloved children!! I'm home after a dangerous day on the job escorting terrorists
- DADDY DADDY!!
- What have my beloved children been doing today?
- DADDY DADDY! WE HAVE DRAWN PICTURES FOR GREENPEACE!!!

We approached Dolphin Harbour, of course the name was in Italian, but I forgot the name. But the meaning is the Dolphin Harbour and is located some 10 miles West of Genoa. When approaching the “ Guarda whatever ” came out to meet us. They wanted to know what we were doing and they escorted us just to make sure we didn't make anything illegal. When Greenpeace is nearby, the police are nervous and the kids are drawing pictures.

There came a boat with 2 divers from the Marine reserve and they showed our diver where to dive. While they were diving I was walking and you can put me down for 3 hours today. I gave up at 21:00 and that's when the diving operation was completed and we started to search for drift nets and the Flipper murderers.
I managed to get a few beautiful pictures of the sky while walking.

A beautiful sky outside Porto Fino

A beautiful sky outside Porto Fino

A beautiful sky outside Porto Fino

I took a shower and I went to make a sandwich in the mess room. On the way back to my cabin and my List of Light I meet our new Doctor. She was jumping up and down beaming of joy.
- ALADDIN! It's soon time for us to go on watch and we're going to be on watch together all night long.
Well, they are so sweet and I'm happy all the time. My old friend from Sweden was the one starting all the “ group hug ” and “ Do you need a hug? ”. At first I thought he was crazy, the elevator doesn't reach the top floor or the top floor is not fully furnished . But once again, don't rush in to any judgment. Now I realise that he was on to something with all this GROUP HUG stuff

We have the example from me sitting in my cabin with a hangover 9.9 on the Richter Scale, but their hug offer and their offer to help me correcting my List of Lights made me feel better, a lot better.

The day after we had a meeting in the mess room, I had a hangover force 9.4 on the Richter Scale. It takes several day to achieve peak performance again, this is something that comes withage. Well, the meeting was a 0,2 on my enthusiasm meter, I was busy trying to hide and the sweat was running down my face when someone came up with the idea that we all should introduce ourselves. Believe me, this was a full 0,0 on my enthusiasm meter.

It was coming to my turn, if I close my eyes they can't see me was the last thing I thought when I heard:
- Who's the guy in the funny hat?

But again, a hug did the difference, our Italian friends where in the mess room to say goodbye and Bon Voyage. Yeah, you guessed it, I was busy trying to hidemyself and, well, it wasn't very easy. I'm sticking out like a sore thumb.

Once again, I was staring in to the ceiling, they can't see me if I can't see them. But one of the girls was elbowing her way towards me and she gave me ahug. I was embarrassedwhen the whole mess room started to scream. I wished I could sink through the floor and disappear. But it was very nice to get the hug, this is the kind of encouragement and spur I need when sitting and feeling useless with my hangover.

Well, I'm out of here, its 23:45 and my new lookout came and asked if I'm coming for my duty.

+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 20 ^th of June 2006 and when coming on watch at midnight we were steaming South towards the Corsican Channel. We had had a meeting with our Action Co-coordinator yesterday evening so

Fez
is a city in northern Morocco, founded in 808 with a population of 564 000 (1993)

A Fez (pl. fezzes) also called Tarbush, close-fitting, flat-topped, brimless hat shaped like a truncated cone with a black tassel on top.

The Fez is made of felt or cloth with a silk tassel and is worn especially by Muslim men throughout the eastern Mediterranean region either as a separate headgear or as the inner part of the turban. The Fez worn by women is made of rich materials and adorned with ornaments. The Fez is formerly the Turkish national headdress.

The name originates from Turkish fes, perhaps via French fez. The tarboosh, which is of ancient Greek origin, is similar to the modern fez. As Muslim countries in the 20th century generally abolished national dress, the tarboosh was being abandoned.

we knew what to look for on the radar.

It was my first watch with my new lookout and we spent the time drinking Diet Drinks.

When I came on my watch at 12:00 we were about to stop at Isola Capraia for diving. At 12:05 the diving crew disappeared with our AVON boat. I was circling around just South of Isola Capraia on a pitch 1 and we could see a big boat approaching. It looked like the French Coastguard, well, they have their eyes open every time Greenpeace is around.

Our Web Master from Lebanon spent the whole afternoon on the bridge. I don't want to say that I have inspired her with my hat. But she found a FEZ in the mess room and now she wears her Fez all day long. And of course, we ended up in a discussion where the name FEZ came from.

Our Webbie from Lebanon on the bridge

Our Doctor and Bosun doing something

And there is time to pester Aladdin

Enjoying the afternoon on deck

Our Webbie from Lebanon on the bridge

There was time to eat

DOUBLE TROUBLE - Now both of them are on the bridge pestering me and drinking my diet drinks

It was nice to have someone to talk to while waiting for the divers to return. Our Lebanese Doctor was also on the bridge learning how to do knots.

Believe it or not, it's only me and the Doctor drinking Diet Drinks onboard. But we managed to get our Web Master to drink a Diet Drink with us. I just had to take a picture of our two beautiful Lebanese girls drinking Diet Drink together.
- Please! I don't want my friends to see me drink a Diet Drink, our Web Master said.

Our Web Master interviewed me about my walking.
- Does it take you 14 seconds to complete 1 lap? She asked.
- Please, I don't know, I said honestly, even though I could have told her that I usually complete 1 lap in about 3 to 4 seconds.
She did a wee bit of calculation and she said:
- So yesterday you did about XXX ( I don't remember the figures she came up with, but it was high numbers) laps in 3 hours, that's a long walk.
- Seriously? I don't know, I answered.

She told me that they want her to be a little less action (The Greenpeace action) oriented and to write more about the daily life onboard Rainbow Warrior on her web page.
- I can give you a video of my lap. I took a video while walking my lap a few weeks ago, I offered.

My lap

Well, anyway, if you think you can handle the excitement I haveuploaded the video for you to see. So make sure you're sitting comfortable and bring the popcorn.

Our Web Master wanted to know all about the radar, compass and eco sounder. I just started to explain the different stuff for her when our divers returned and I got busy with other things. Wecontinued South towards Isola D'Elba and Isola Di Montecristo, no one knows exactly where we are going.

One Action co-coordinator says South of D'Elba and the other one says Isola Di Montecristo. Both of them said that we should proceed with 4 to 5 knots so this is what I did. Of course keeping a look out for driftnets and other environmental crimes at the same time.

Our Web Master was busy the whole afternoon interweaving people about this and that. She askedif I wanted to read her BLOG about me walking. She also asked how it felt to walk like that.

The boat is full of people, 28 persons onboard and, well, it's crowded. I was on my round to check the fire hoses and life buoys when I ran in to two of our volunteers from Greece doing banners on deck.

Well, I had to make a small detour on my evening walk, but I'm prepared to give up some of my comfort to save Flipper and his Swordfish friends. Here is enough room to save both flipper, find driftnets and to lose weight.

She is writing about my lap

Greek activists making banners in my track

Well, anyway, I didn't have many laps today, our new 3rd Engineer wanted to copy some of my music to his MP3 player and at 19:00 we had a briefing in the mess room. Our two action co-coordinators wanted to discuss and handed out our tasks in the event of us finding any drift nets during the night.

I was sitting there watching our co-coordinators go through the different possible scenarios if we found a drift net. Our Video guy was busy filming everything. I kept my eyes shut, if I can't see him he can't see me.

I'll be darn! When I opened my eyes he was next to me zooming in on my tea bucket. Nothing is sacred anymore, I know there are people willing to eat worms just to make it to the TV but I prefer to stay unknown.

But then, I don't think Greenpeace are managing to sell any video of my tea bucket, who would like to buy something like that? But if they do manage to sell it, maybe they could try to sell my old underwear as well.

Well, I spent the rest of evening writing on my web page. Web page, hmm, as I understand now, it's not called a web page any more. Now they call it a BLOG. Well, anyway, I have a little agony for the missed constitutional. But tomorrow I will be back in the track losing weight.

De-briefing in the mess room about driftnets

De-briefing in the mess room about driftnets

De-briefing in the mess room about driftnets

+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 21 ^st of June 2006 and we passed 2 drifting fishing boats when I came on my watch at midnight. We were searching an area centred about 15 NM SSW of Isola Di Montecristo for drift nets. We kept an eye on these two fishing boats when we steamed westward until a longitude of 009° 56.0' EAST when we changed course to 180°. We steamed south until 041° 58.0 North. We changed back to course 090° and we continued for about 1 hour when we decided to change to a NE'ly course to check out the two fishing boats, but it turned out to be two drifting trawlers.

We were drifting South on Isla Di Montecristo when I came on my watch at 12:00. Our AVONdeparted with our divers at 12:15 . Well, they were stopped by the police after 2 minutes. But it looked like the police just wanted to ask a few questions because they were soon continuing towards the diving spot.

Swimming

Swimming

After lunch they launched NOVI-1 as a guard boat for the swimmers. Good idea if some of our swimmers starts to drift away. Well, after 30 minutes the outboard engine stopped and it was impossible for them to start it again.

I threw them a line and I pulled them back. I pulled them along the hull under the sewage outlet.

Hmm, can you guess what happened when the passed the sewage? Yeah, the outlet belched sewage water over one of the girls in the boat, NICE!
I was quick to suggest that it might be a good idea to fall overboard.

When our swimmers were back onboard they started to do some training with the boats, all the new people were trained to get alongside Rainbow Warrior. They also trained to make fast the inflatable in the painter and to release the painter.

The crew really need to know how to manoeuvre the attack boats if we run in to some action, but so far nothing. Except the police showing up.

Training with the attack boats

Training with the attack boats

Enjoying the afternoon on deck

She shows her tattoo

She shows her tattoo

Our Cook and Assistant Cook busy in the kitchen

Our Doctor enjoying herself on deck

Our Swedish speaking Greek girl and our Chief Engineer

Our Webbie try to get a photo of our Chief Engineer

After my watch I went for some tea and bread and when transfer my pictures from the camera to my computer I felt asleep. Second day without walking and I don't feel good about it.

Hmm, it would be nice to go home now and celebrate the summer, I really wish that I could.
- Maybe I have to go home and X-ray my bad foot?

When I woke up I took a shower and I went on deck for a look at the evening sky. The deck in front of the bridge were full of people and I joined the “ Let's see who can waste most aluminium ” contest. I had 3 quick Diet Drinks, but I didn't make it all the way to the rostrum.

Our Swedish speaking Greek member of the crew told us the story about the Princess on the pea, I thought this was a Swedish story. But our Australian girl knew the story. But no one in Greece knows the story.

I don't remember how we came in to the subject, but I was talking with our Swedish/ Greek girl and she told me that no one knew the story in Greece. She thought it might be a Swedish story or a story by the famous Dane HC Andersen. I asked the Australian girl and she knew the story.

Well, anyway, I asked our Swedish/ Greek girl to tell us the story just to make sure that we never forget it. And I don't think that anyone that heard the story will ever forget it.

Our Lebanese Web Master came up with the idea of making n utella ®toast. Hmm, n utella ®is very dangerous for the diet and I had to leave deck.

Evening, and has been crowded in front of the bridge since we left Genoa with all the new crew members

Evening, and has been crowded in front of the bridge since we left Genoa with all the new crew members

Evening, and has been crowded in front of the bridge since we left Genoa with all the new crew members

Our Greek activist tells the story about the Princess and the pea

Our Greek activist tells the story about the Princess and the pea

Crowded on deck

Evening beer

Eating n utella

Eating n utella

Eating n utella

Writing something

Long time ago and I don't remember - But I hope they are not dancing

Yeah, looks like it is dancing

Our French volunteer removes condense from the bridge windows

Of course, when I beautiful girls do something it won’t take long before someone comes to help

I spent the last hour before my watch writing on my web page drinking a Diet Drink before going onmy watch at midnight. It's strange how the times flies when you’re busy, but I glanced at my wristwatch and it was a few minutes before midnight and I grabbed two cans of Diet Drinks and I went to the bridge to relieve our Skipper.

+++++++++++++++
Thursday 22 ^nd of June 2006 and we had a quiet night watch, well, quiet in the meaning that not very much happened. But I was babbling along with our Doctor and our Italian Campaigner. Among other things we spoke about Spaghetti Carbonara and our Italian Campaigner told me that he would make Spaghetti Carbonara for the Doctor, me and him some quiet night. And he is from Sicily, where Spaghetti Carbonara comes from so this promises to be good.

He went down to make Italian coffee for him and the Doctor. I said no thanks because I only drink tea. We didn't found any driftnets during our watch and we were soon relieved by Chief Mate and our Spanish Deckhand. She's on the 4 - 8 watch now and the Australian girl works daytime.

But when I was ready to leave the bridge our Chief Mate gave me a hug, what's going on here? This came as a bolt from a blue sky. And I was at least to say baffled when I left.

When I came on my watch at 12:00 our Italian Campaigner, Greek Campaigner and the Action coordinator were on the bridge. I finally got all the different people right. Our Campaigner is the guy that knows everything about the politics and legislation, he also plan the campaign.
Our Action coordinator is the guy in charge of the action, for example when we find a driftingnet we call our Action coordinator and he decide what we will do. Well, he is the one deciding if and how we will throw any bricks. Or take the decision if it is better to chain our self to something

Campaigners and coordinators on the bridge

Campaigners and coordinators on the bridge

Swedish speaking Greek activist on the bridge

We also have a Greek Trainee Action coordinator and a Greek Campaigner onboard. They arehere to learn when and how to throw the bricks and stuff like that.

Our Greek Trainee Action coordinator was on the bridge learning how to read a chart and how to take positions and stuff during the afternoon, but at 13:30 we started the boat training. Both NOVI 1 & 2 were launched. They practice to connect and disconnect the painter to the inflatable and to connect the hook from our crane to lift them back onboard in full speed (8knots)

Yes, knowing how to handle the attack boats are important. But before we start the slide show with my pictures we can have a look at the 2 pictures below. Picture by one of our Photographers on board. A slight difference in quality, enjoy!

Boat training, and as we can see this picture is taken by oe of the professional photographers on board

Boat training, and as we can see this picture is taken by oe of the professional photographers on board

Our French volunteer during the boat training

Boat training.

After my watch I went around the ship with a rubber hammer to check our powder extinguishers. I turn them upside down and knock a little on them with the rubber hammer. This is done monthly to prevent the powder to pack itself to a stone. When I was ready I went to my cabin and our Lebanese Web Master came to my cabin.
- Can I copy your pictures?
- Of course!

She told me that the BLOG she wrote about my walking was ready
- I can copy it to you, she said.
- Yeah, that would be fun. I can put it on my web page, I said.
- I can give you the picture from Genoa also. I have 2 videos of you when you're drunk, she said.
- What!!!
- I think it can be good for you to see them, she said.
- Believe me! I don't want to see them!
But it was a shock to see the picture of me camping on deck, I had no idea until then that I had have a power nap on deck.

You can read her BLOG below, and I will put her picture of me camping. Yes, turned out that it was our Webbie taking the picture of me camping on deck. I have never told anyone before, but I'm the lover of open-air life. All the outdoor activities had made me tired and I knew that it would be a long day after with many activities.

So now I know who took the picture

This is 8 years ago (2014) and I never saw the videos, and I have no wish to see them EVER

Our Webbie's blog

Sports on board???

Have you ever thought of the amount of space we have got when living on a ship, or when you're waiting to defend the Mediterranean? A small cabin that we share with one or three others, lots of tight corridors and stairways, which you slip on easily when the boat is rocking; the “mess”, a "social" room with banks and tables in which you can eat, meet or just rest and hide from the sun; the kitchen, our cook's sacred space, and not to be messed around with; the radio room, our only thread of communication to the outside world (thank god for that!); the engine rooms full of machines and loud noises, that could easily make you go deaf (I don't know how the engineers on board handle all that noise all day!); and most important of all, the bridge, the center of our ship, and what will become Aladdin' sports center.

Lots of rooms but very little wide-open space, and only water around us.

Why Aladdin' sports center? Well, despite the little space we have got on board of our ship, Aladdin, the second mate, has managed a way to do his daily jogging. For 3 continuous hours, non-stop, he walks in circles on the deck around the bridge (and note, that it is only a 5 by 5 metre room).

I was sitting there on the deck, trying to nurse my starting seasickness, and here was Aladdin, with his big happy smile, passing before my eyes every almost 40 seconds, just like a clock ticking. I was getting dizzier and dizzier by the minute. I could actually hear him approaching every time with his loud music coming out of his earphones, and a mechanical step that felt eternally ongoing. So I did the counts: there are 10 800 seconds in 3 hours, which means he did around 270 rounds. I leave it up to your math skills to calculate the distance he walks every day.

“It's good! You also relax and hear music. When I'm in the city I walk 4-5 hours, but here, it’s okay, I just go in circles.” Would you have done it?

I don't know how creative one can get about doing daily sports on board... if you come up with any ideas, let me know, Aladdin might be doing it next.

“DOLPHINS! DOLPHINS!”

It almost sounded like an alarm this afternoon. All crew on deck ran to the fo'c's'le, (which is the abbreviation of "for castle", or in other words the front-deck of the ship). Looking down the water, it was my first time seeing dolphins swimming along our ship. “Why are you waving at them Phil? It's not like they can see you. I said.

- Of course they can! Watch them. This one is swimming on his side. He is checking us now! Can you see it? They know we're watching them. Watch! Watch! They fight for the best place to ride the wave. It's like they're surfing!”

I stayed there watching them until they disappeared in the sea swimming away from us, it seems that they like faster ships. Apparently we were not entertaining enough for them. All I could think of was that movie, (I can't remember its name right now), but mainly, it tells the story of this free diver that lived with the dolphins, physically and mentally, to the extent of one night, losing his diving line and swimming the sea with them in response to their calls, to never come back again. I've always been curious to know what it would feel like to have such strong communication with those friendly dolphin swimmers; to be able to hear their calls; to ride the waves with them.

Anyway, back to the bridge deck, or I'd call it our jog-deck. Aladdin is still going in rounds and rounds. And I need to take my next ginger pill before I get more seasick.

When I was doing my walk, and yes, it was nice to be back in the track after 2 days of doing nothing. She ran after me and she asked:
- Did you see the videos?
- I'm not ready for them yet, I said.

If you ever going to see them videos on www.aladdin.st? Ohh yeah, fat chance, or as ICP would have put it “I would rather punch a gorilla and try to run away with a banana hanging out from my arse”.

Our Lebanese Web Master told me that she had given my web address to her brother. I told her that that wasn't so good because now he will see her in my sofa and he will come and force me to marry her, or kill me. 5 seconds in the sofa and they force you to marry their sister/ daughter. We all heard about all the strange traditions people having South of the Alps. I'm a open minded guy, but I don't mind staying single or at least alive.

First time I see the pictures of me on deck

I refused to look at the videos

First time I see the pictures of me on deck

I refused to look at the videos

First time I see the pictures of me on deck

I refused to look at the videos

We were on deck talking when our Action coordinator wanted us to launch the inflatable. They had seen a line of echoes on the radar and they wanted our boat crew to check it out. Drift nets aregiving a line of echoes on the radar screen. There is a fishing boat at one end and in the other end there is a marker, and between the boat and the net there are buoys to mark the net.

We were about 20 Nm South of Isla Di Ponza when we launched our inflatables and our boat crew discovered that it was long liners. Long liners are long lines with hooks, also marked with buoys. These long liners catch everything coming close to it, so I hope they will be illegal soon.

Our French volunteer ready to board the attack boat

Preparing the attack boats

Our Swedish speaking Greek activist

Our video guy

Sending away the attack boat

Our Greek Goddess waiting for the attack boat to return

On the bridge waiting for news from the attack boat

Our Webbie is also waiting for a story from the attack boat

.

Our Webbie is also waiting for a story from the attack boat

Waiting and waiting

And yes, the lighter is for me

Webbie waiting to interview returning attack boat crew

They are back with bad news

Our Assistant Cook

A cup of coffee after the action

Looking for a new spot to look for driftnets

Well, it was false alarm and the boats were recovered just after midnight and I took over the watch. But as someone said, it was a good exercise and training. But the most important thing was to not allow setbacks like this let us down. Keep up the spirit all the time, especially when this is the second night with a false alarm like this.

+++++++++++++++
Friday 23 ^rd of June 2006 and we continued our course towards SE looking for drift nets. It was our Doctor and the Italian Campaigner on watch together with me. Our Campaigner went around checking how much people that was up and awake. When the 2 last went to bed around 1 o'clock he told us that he will go down and make Spaghetti Carbonara.

I'll be darned! We could not find the eggs, we looked everywhere but we came up with zip, nada. What to do when you don't have eggs and you want Spaghetti Carbonara? Our Campaigner came up with the good idea to make a new kind of Carbonara without the eggs.

Our “ Cuoco bravo ” had the Spaghetti ready when I came down to immortalize the moment and we took the plates and the big padella back to the bridge where our hungry Doctor was waiting for us. I had never had this kind of pasta before and I named it Spaghetti Alessandronara

He had forgot his glasses

He had forgot his glasses

Coming up the stairs to the bridge with pasta

And we're ready to eat

Drinking diet drinks

A smoke after the spaghetti

This turned out to be a success and we did pasta on every night watch after this, well, almost all of the watches. Sometimes we were busy with driftnets. And actually, the rumours spread about our Doctor, Italian Campaigner and my pasta nights during my watch. People git green of envy and the Spanish girl was always sullen coming on watch at 4 o'clock.
- No one making pasta for me
And it didn't take long before we we're joined by our Italian Assistant Cook. She is like me, insomnia so she spent most of the nights on the bridge and she didn't left until 2 or 3 o'clock. Good with company.

And with the previous camping experience FRESH in mind, it was a great success and people are still talking about it. Well, talk of the town or not, we had a camping styled meal on the bridge. This was delicious, and as I always said, spaghetti shall be cooked by Italians and after the meal we were in an upbeat mood.

Our Cuoco had a cigar and I had a cigarette together with our Doctor.
- Aladdin smoking?
- Well, what can I say?
Our Doctor can smoke and drink Diet Drinks so it can't be that bad? Can it?

I bought a packet of Camels of our Captain, I'm under a lot of pressure here. With all the beautiful girls onboard I only have one chance. I must try to be the He-man they expect you
to be when from Skåne. And is there any better role model then the Marlboro man?
- You know, Cowboy hat, sleeping out and camp fires.

And the Marlboro Man is the only man known to the western World that can smoke two cigarettes at the same time as he is changing a broken light bulb. There is a man (just a rumour so I cannot confirm it) in Northern Himalaya that is known to do the same, but then, we're used to hear many

The multiplication table

a list of multiples of a particular number, typically from 1 to 12

strange stories from that part of the world, people that sitting in a tree for 80 years and rattle off the multiplication table, so I will not be surprised.

But the Marlboro Man is the guy you want to have around when it comes to changing a flat tyre, changing a light bulb or pre set the channels on the TV. But so far no one of our girls has been very impressed. Hmm, I must mention that our Greek Trainee Action coordinator (She looks like aGreek goddess) always asking me.
- What's that in your hand?
And when I'm coming on deck with my hands on the back she's chasing me on deck to see what I have in my hands.
- If I see you smoke again I will kick you're a••!

Hmm, where were we? Once again we got off the track at www.aladdin.st, well, we had just finished our Spaghetti Alessandronara and we were enjoying our tobacco while watching the radar when we saw some echoes, it was around 03:00 and we decided to go check them out.

Our Campaigner said that this looked like a drift net and we called our Action coordinator and the Trainee Action coordinator and the Trainee Campaigner. The made a decision to launchour NOVI - 2 and go and check out the buoys and at 03:55 our inflatable was seaborne.

Some 20 minutes later we got the call from our Action coordinator that it was a drift net, but when they started to recover the net they discovered a turtle in the net. So they sent divers to save the turtle. Well, we didn't get the net onboard. You can read about the adventur on Greenpeace's web page by clicking THIS LINK!

There were two fishing boats with drifting nets and they managed to get the names and number on video and picture with our AVON. They used the AVON to bring our video guy and photographer to the fishing boats

Our Video Man hungry

Video Man and Photographers leaving for the drift net

Video Man and Photographers leaving for the drift net

Our Webbie in her new hat

Our Webbie taking pictures for Greenpeace's blog

Our Webbie taking pictures for Greenpeace's blog

Early morning sandwich

Our Attack boat marking the end of the drift net

Using the attack boat as a bow thruster

I was off to bed at 06:00 and I was called for at 10:50. When I came on the bridge I had my last cigarette. Now I have had enough of this stupid cigarettes, when I joined I didn't smoke. But as soon as the girls came on board I started. And the only reason? To look good. We were steering 017°(t) towards the rock Scoglio La Botte, 18 meters above sea level.

We reached the rock at 13:00 and we launched the AVON with our divers just before 14:00. While we were waiting for the divers to return the crew enjoyed the sun on deck. Most of the crew were off duty today because of the night work with the drifting net. They had been busy to almost 10 o'clock in the morning. So rest is needed before our night action.

Our diving team were back at 15:20 and we steamed slowly in the area for a few hours to keep our mobile phone network coverage until it was time to start the search for the drift nets.

Scoglio La Botte

Scoglio La Botte through the binoculars

Our Greek/ Swedish Trainee Campaigner busy with her computer

Our Greek/ Swedish Trainee Campaigner spent most of the day in front of her computer writing reports for the media together with the other media people. They are sitting most of the day inour computer room and they are dependent on mobile network and the satellite to get all their IMPORTANT reports to the right people.

I went for a little sleep after my watch, I had not had too much sleep the last 24 hours withall the drifting net action. When I woke up it was time for a little writing on my web page.

I was soon on the deck where most of the crew was sitting in front of the bridge discussing the problems of the world.

I was up and down between my cabin and deck, I really needed a cigarette and when the urge was too strong I went down to my cabin and my web page. The crew were smoking o deck and if I would have stayed I would have nicked a fag. And I was lucky that my neighbour, our Bosun was sleeping after many hours of work.

Our Bosun is in charge of the slop chest and thus the cigarettes and I really didn't want to run in to him. But I did second worst and I meet or Actionco-ordinator outside the cabin. He is living together with our Bosun and he arranged a carton of Marlboro for me, SHIT!

The crew were enjoying the afternoon on deck and of course, I was there to pester them

Enjoying the afternoon in the hammock

She was bruised after the driftnet action and she wanted me to take a picture of her leg

Baking bread

Baking bread

The smoking mad me thirsty and I went to the galley to make me a cup of tea. Our ItalianJournalist was busy baking bread. She screamed when I came in to the kitchen:
- OH, DISNEYLAND

Earlier in the afternoon when we were steaming close to Isla Di Ponza she told me that it was a very famous island. I was puzzled, Isla Di Ponza? What the foock is Isla Di Ponza?
- Famous??!!!
- Yeah, it's a very famous place, she said.
- Disneyland, Cape Horn and the Land of the Midnight sun, that's famous places.
Just to show her I took her out on deck where there was sitting about 10 people.
- Who knows Isla Di Ponza? I asked.
No one knew the place, and mind you, there were sitting at least 2 Italians in the group on deck
- Who knows Disneyland?I asked.
As no surprise everyone knew Disneyland.

Evening on deck and it is crowded in the hammock

Evening on deck and it is crowded in the hammock

Evening on deck and it is crowded in the hammock

German 3rd Engineer and activist from Brazil

Our Greek Goddess

Campaigners

Our Greek Goddess rolling a coffin nail

Our Doctor (my lookout) helping with the laundry

What's so f***** special with a hammock?

Campaigners planning new attacks?

Seems like the hammock was popular back in 2006

Here is an article from Scoop World about today's adventure on board Rainbow Warrior

+++++++++++++++
Saturday 24 ^th of June 2006 and we were searching for drift net when I came on my watch at midnight. We searched an area SWoff Napoli and we had to be on a position about 40 miles WSW of Napoli at 05:00 to be able to do it to Napoli anchorage at 10 o'clock. We're changing Skipper and Radio Officer and our Italian Journalist will leave us as well.

When I came on my watch at 12 o'clock we were anchored off the city of Napoli. I had my morning tea in the mess room and I could see on the blackboard that they were going to sendour AVON ashore at 16:30 with people to see the Sweden - Germany soccer game. They talked about it yesterday, but then it was just a joke. No one had expected that there would be a chance to go ashore to see the match. We have 2 Engineers from Germany onboard. And our 3rd Engineer was crazy about football.

And our 3rd Engineer never gave us a chance to forget about his enthusiasm about football and the German team. The only Swede on board could not care less about football. There is funnier stuff to do.

Napoli - Click HERE for bigger picture

I meet our Greek Goddess first thing when coming to the bridge and she said hello.
- This must be the record, I said.
- What?
Yesterday when she saw me smoking she boxed me and she told me that she would not talk to me again. But I'm used to it by now.
- It's impossible to be angry at you for more than a few seconds Aladdin.

But it usually takes some 40 seconds. But the previous record of 13 seconds was beaten and 2seconds will be very hard to beat.

I discovered a US navy ship anchored next to us andI asked the crew if they could prepare a basket of fruit, or at least if we could make a fewnice drawings or anything nice we can come up with.
- We can bring it over to the US Navy as a token of our appreciation, I said.
Hmm, I can't say that the crew were enthusiastic about the idea.

One of our Italians told me that the reason for them to be here was that US Navy had their Mediterranean HQ in Napoli
- You can be happy that it’s not the Chinese HQ
- Then I probably had been dead, he answered.

Well, while at anchor we were surrounded by small yachts coming to have a close look at Rainbow Warrior.Everyone was shouting and doingthumbs up, it's a wee bit different when you show up with Ewing Oils tanker. The only thing you got coming your way then is bricks and insults. Now it was all PEACE and LOVE!

And the evening's soccer game, well, no one knows. We're looking in the Italian news paper but we can't seethe game in the TV schedule for tonight. And at 15:00 I'm still not sure about the shore service with our AVON. But if there is I will for sure go ashore to upload my web page.

For sure there will be no time to go on bars of shady character where the business idea is to get your drunk in the darkness to the extent that all the girls' looks like Cinderella and you start to buy 35€ drinks for the girls, but maybe I can stop for a Diet Drink.

On deck having a good time

Here we go with the hammock again

Here we go with the hammock again

Our off signing Skipper and Radio Officer left us just before 3 o'clock with the AVON and 10 minutes later they called us and asked if we had a spare Greenpeace flag. The agent wanted to fly a Greenpeace flag from the flagpole at the office.

Well, the first tour with people ashore left just before 16:00 and I took a shower while waiting for the 2nd tour. I also had time to give my cigarette carton to our Swedish/Greek girl. The wholeGreek team had beenon me about the NON-STOP smoking.
- Take them, I'm giving up.

I also ran in to our new Skipper and Radio Officer before leaving and finally we left Rainbow Warrior around 16:30 and they dropped us in Napoli marina.

We meet our German 2nd and 3rd engineers at arrival and we were running around the city looking for a place where we could watch the game. Well, after a few hundreds of “ Oh yeah, over there they have a big screen TV ” we had been around Napoli more than one time.

And surprisingly enough we felt that running after another Piaza with no SPORT bar would have made us kill our selves so we went to a trottoaria. I was looking for a Ristorante for a Spaghetti Carbonara, but everything was closed.

We're leaving Rainbow Warrior behind

We're leaving Rainbow Warrior behind

We're leaving Rainbow Warrior behind in the attack boat

We're leaving Rainbow Warrior behind in the attack boat

We're leaving Rainbow Warrior behind in the attack boat

We're leaving Rainbow Warrior behind in the attack boat

We're leaving Rainbow Warrior behind in the attack boat

We're leaving Rainbow Warrior behind in the attack boat

We're leaving Rainbow Warrior behind in the attack boat

We're leaving Rainbow Warrior behind in the attack boat

Coming ashore in Napoli

Coming ashore in Napoli

Our Bosun in Napoli marina

Napoli marina/ beach

Napoli marina/ beach

Napoli, as exciting as it gets

We found a restaurant

Napoli, as exciting as it gets

Our 3rd engineer looking for a place with a BIG screen TV

After a while he was happy with any size TV

Rainbow Warrior anchored off Napoli

I'm walking around Napoli looking for a “NICE” restaurant and a internet place

I came up with foock all

Our Italian Campaigner and “after midnight” Cook drinking a beer at the Trottoaria

2nd Engineer from Germany at the Trottoaria

3rd Engineer from Germany at the Trottoaria - And he is NOT happy. No TV to be found in Napoli

Our Greek friends arriving

We were quite a crowd

Our Webbie

Bringing more beer

We were quite a crowd and all were well behaved

What's so funny?

We were quite a crowd and all were well behaved

Greek activist

Our Doctor

Soon time to return to Rainbow Warrior

We ordered some drinks and snacks and after a while 3 of the Greek volunteers came and joinedus at the restaurant.
- HEY Aladdin! We were just talking about you.
- What??!!
- Yeah, we saw the American flag and we started to talk about you.

After a while our off signing Skipper joined us and then our Brazilian Deckhand showed up with our two Lebanese girls, and suddenly we were quite a crowd.
But everyone had the same opinion about the people working at the place “ They are crazy ”

Pick up time in the marina was at 19:00 because Rainbow Warrior was to leave Napoli at 20:00 to continue the search for drift nets. Our Trottoaria was 3 minutes walk from the pick-up place and I had got everything on my shopping list.
• Toothbrush for our Chief Mate
• 6 eggs (Italian) for our nightly Spaghetti Carbonara
• Napolatena something cakes for our Spanish Deckhand

When we were back we held a briefing on the bridge about the nights search and we left the anchorage at 20:25 without having watched the game. We did not even come close to a TV.

+++++++++++++++
Sunday 25 ^th of June 2006 and we were steaming West looking for drift nets when I came on my watch at midnight. We kept the course until 00:45 when we were SW of Isla Di Venttene and thenit was time to change course to South.

Yesterday our Campaigner told me that he had received a report that the fishing boat we found the other day had got their net confiscated by the police. They also took some 200 kg of small Sword fish and I don't know, but there was maybe a 1000€ fine as well.

When we had changed course our Campaigner left for the galley, now we had real Italian eggs and Spaghetti Carbonara was on the menu de notte. And I needed to document the cooking. He is from Sicily, the home of Spaghetti Carbonara and I need to see how he does it.

I was soon down in the galley to immortalize our Cuoco bueno grande essere affaccendato nuovamente. I won't be surprised if he starts to receive offers from 5 star restaurants.

This my friends is how Spaghetti Carbonara “ORIGINAL” looks

No sauce, mushroom or any other shit they can come up with

The best Carbonara ever

The best Carbonara ever

After the Carbonara we sat down and started to look for driftnets

It was delicious and I can't help it, but I was full and green of envy when our Campaigner disappeared out on deck for a cigar. Well, the Doctor and I stayed inside in the sofa looking for driftnets.
- I would like to join you, but I gave up smoking (again)

This is what I call Spaghetti Carbonara, the original. I have been eating Spaghetti Carbonara at many places all over the world. When they serve me Carbonara with mushroom I just send it back to the kitchen. But the worst Spaghetti Carbonara was when (nu e d din tur att skämas Erik!) they dropped a bowl of spaghetti with two stripes of bacon on it in front of me.

They had poured milk over it like you do with corn flakes, needless to say the bowl was back in the kitchen quicker than it had left the kitchen.

We changed course towards West at 04:00 and that was the course we kept when I came on watch at 12:00. We had about 3 hours to go before reaching the diving area. They had planned to dive at the Cape Palinuro, famous for the underwater caves.

Volunteers cooking lunch

Volunteers cooking lunch

Volunteers cooking lunch

Here we go with the hammock again

Here we go with the hammock again

Our Italian Volunteer/ Assistant Cook

Our Italian Volunteer/ Assistant Cook

Greek activists enjoying the sun

We reached the area at 15:00 while we had a meeting with the whole crew. They stressed the need to save our water. Someone said that it was not necessary to take a shower every day. I'mused to two or three showers per day. Now I'm down to one a day, I have a quick shower in my sink and a real shower in the shower in the evening.
- I'm going to have one shower per day, I said.

Then there were a lot of other does and don’ts, most don’ts and then the diver had CPR trainingwith our Doctor and they could leave Rainbow Warrior at 16:05 and I was off my watch. We had to steam slowly in circles because they made fresh water and the ship needed to be moving. But they got permission to stop for 30 minutes so the crew could take a swim.

The crew also prepared the grill for the evenings BBQ while waiting for the diversto return from their adventure. BBQ or not, I'm always on diet

Australian Deckhand prepare the BBQ

Australian Deckhand prepare the BBQ

Our Spanish Deckhand takes over the BBQ detail

Our Spanish Deckhand takes over the BBQ detail

Well well as the old English Teacher would have said. I'm homesick and I have been since we left Singapore. And I can't understand why, I'm never homesick on the ships and I had had a good time here. But still I'm very home sick and it didn't make it better when I called my friend good ol' 50 - Skylten. He told me that he just returned home from our common friend. Our friend and his girlfriend had started a fight because of me.
- What!! I'm on the other side of the globe!

I don't know if I ever told you the story about the special soft drink they have at Christmas in Sweden. Well, never mind, I'll tell you again. Our friend's girl friend had never heard the story before and good ol' 50 - Skylten brought the girlfriend to the summer house in her boyfriend's (our friend) in his car. They drove alone and good ol' 50 - Skylten was bored and told her the story about the soft drink.

I was out with my friend and his (by now EX) girlfriend drinking coffee on the town. The Christmas commerce was in fullswing and we were in a hurry to get away for some serious Christmas shopping.
- OK, let's go!
- OK, help me finish my Christmas soft drink (We call it Julmust in Sweden), I said.
- I'm not drinking Julmust, my friend said.
- You drank 7 at our Christmas dinner yesterday, I said.
I could see that the eye of his EX girlfriend turned black, but I never gave it a thought.

Well, we left the place and when I came out she asked me if we had been eating Christmas dinner yesterday. What could I say?
- I don't remember, I said.
The Christmas spirit turned sour just because of a few Julmust. This story is by now known as the Big Christmas Squabble and you can read all about it by CLICKING HERE

The crew are swimming

The crew are swimming

The crew are swimming

The crew are swimming

The crew are swimming

The crew are swimming

We had our swim and BBQ and it was a relaxed evening on deck. At least until 23:00 when we launched our attack boats to check out a driftnet. This adventure will be available by clicking HERE

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 links to the next page.

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.

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? No hay problema! 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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