Friday 1 st
of August 2014
and my alarm went off at 7 fifteen and I gad been awake for a few minutes already. I had my vitamins and the lemon flavoured magnesium “FIZZ” drinkbefore I went for my shower. I had prepared my “diet bet” yesterday, but I decided to have breakfast before posting my “diet bet” in the mess room.
I finished my breakfast and I went to my office at 8 o'clock to start the crew. Continue to paint on bridge deck and our Pump Man will check all our Scanjets. As soon as they were on deck I read my “diet bet” the last time before printing it. I brought it to the mess room and I posted my newimproved (impossible to fail) “diet bet” on the bulk head.
Took about 2 seconds and our 2nd Officer was glued to the poster dreaming about millions of dollars.
Well, it is not going to be that easy, I hopeWell, I might sign off without any money, but it willhopefully be without 500 kg of lardwhen I walk over the gangway in 4 months.
Well, I will see how this turns out, maybe I can find some self-discipline and start with sit ups, which would be good. And some other gymnastics, but when I'm back in my cabin after the dinner I just have my showerbefore making tea. And so far I have not opened my Thai books
But surprisingly enough I started some Learn Thai with Mod and Alif Silpachai videos, but just listeningand not looking. Will it be better today?
I was soon back in my office and Pump Man was cutting 4 bolts on the door. The bolts are too long for our anti pirate bars and it will take an eternity to open the door in case of fire etc. So I had our Pump Man to cut the bolts.
I started by making an inventory of our test gases for the gas detectors and our test tubes for toxic gases.
I also get my paper work back in the order I like to have it and all this while the music is blastinghigh on the Richter scale. Time wasquick and it was soon time for a coffee break with our Engineers in the duty mess.
We went out to check the life boat davit after the coffee break. Look like we're going to dry dock in January and the work to prepare have started. January, perfect then I will be home. Dry dock is for sure something I can live without. Then I prefer to stay home in Bangkok having a good time, and it is the best time of the year in Bangkok.
And I'm luck with my reliever, he likes to be home in the spring and in the autumn, the worst time in Bangkok and I can stay on the ship. A win win situation.
Pump Man and 2nd Engineer
HOLD ON! The hair has to look good
So, he is satisfied with his hair
Well, first we were supposed to come alongside 5 to 6th of August. Then it was changed to the 8th of August. Now it is on the 11th of August. Departing on the 13th of August and we will notbe in Fujairah until the end of August.
So as I need to have my ballot in Sweden before the 14th of September it looks like I need to send it from Mombasa, Kenya. Coming to Fujairah and we don't know what happens and I really need to get my ballot to Sweden in time.
When I left home it was about how Jews were attacked in Sweden on the news all the time. How Swedish people attacked Jews,
spitting on them, trashing there stores marking them with swastikas
This was “Swedish” people attacking them. Strange, no one mentioned Sverigedemokraterna (also called Sweden’s Nazi party). They are always blamed for being Nazis, racists and xenophobic.
No one mentioned anything about racist etc., only that Swedes were attacking Jews. This has been going on for a long time now. And where is Timbuktu? Waving his passport making embarrassing songs about Jimmy Åkesson. Timbuktu is for sure an embarrassment!
Article from back in 2010
Yes, this is nice Swedish people, coming, no escaping war or whatever and then they behave like this. They should be sent back “home” immediately and they Swedish passports should be confiscated. And who the hell gave them a Swedish passport?
Coming to what was once the best country in the world where you could be anything for free. All schools were for free if you had to grades to be admitted. Now we have 17 years old that don'tknow the clock and how many mm it goes on a decimetre!!!
Yes, I'm sorry, but I heard this for the first time when I was back home and I find it beyond comprehension. And when they can't find job they blame it on racism. So we're in a hurry here, so all couch potatoes get out of the sofa and go to vote. No time to lose!
The day came finally to an end, time for dinner. But first a constitutional. I have an hour ofconstitutionalat the lunch break, I have time now since my “diet bet” have kicked in.
A little bit hungry, but I munch on a few apples and the feeling of hunger willhopefully soon disappear.
I had broccoli and some meatballs for lunch. I had asked our Cook to save the remaining meatballs for dinner and I had them with cauliflower for dinner. A good day!
+++++++++++++++
Saturday 2 nd
of August 2014
and I started my day with my vitaminsand the lemon flavoured magnesium “FIZZ” drink as soon as my alarm went off at 7 fifteen. Shower and I had 2 slices of black bread with cheese for breakfast before going to my office.
The crew is waiting and we start with a “tool box” meeting and we do risk assessments for today’swork. And today we have plenty dangerous jobs to do. Removing razor wire so we canset the pilot ladder. We will change our team with armed guards today. We will grease and test our deck crane, so work permit and risk assessment are required. I will also have 2 guys on deck chipping and painting during the day.
So it is a cubic ton of paper work to do before we can start the real work. The new armed guards will come around 10 o'clock and our crew removed the razor wire at the pilot ladder on port side. There were no sign of the boat at 10 and it was around 11 o'clock when they arrived.
The old team left and it was lunch time. We will have a meeting with the new armed guards at 1 o'clock. First it was 12 thirty and my constitutional was interrupted. But even though today'sconstitutional was foocked up I'm confident that I will soon obtain my V-shaped torso thanks to the “diet bet”
Saturday dinner and I'm allowed to eat whatever I want, well, except for any sweets. Lucky that I added the “sweets” to the items NOT allowed to eat. I was full enough and to top that with a cubic ton of ice cream would have been a disaster. So I was drinking tea for one and a half hour while speaking with the Engineers, a 2nd Officer and one of the armed guards that kept us company. He had been at a safari in Kenya and I want to go to Kenya.
But Kenya have had trouble the last few months and I can as well go for safari in South Africa or Tanzania.Tanzania, I like Tanzania more than South Africa. Lat time I was on board my plan was to stop work for more than 3 months a year.
My last holiday ever would be the trip to Las Vegas. I wanted to see Las Vegas and as I don't drink anymore going for holiday seems to be a waste of money and time. I have always gone for holiday to drink and have a party.
Las Vegas was fun even though I was sober, and the safari was very nice. So maybe continue towork 6 months a year and go for new adventure holidays.
I meet a guy on the airplane to Las Vegas and the couple on the sunset cruise in Zanzibar. They had all been in Amazonas and I'm thinking about to fly to Brazil to have a cruise on River Amazonas.
Our 2nd Engineer have been in Sweden and he really likes it. I told him that he could forget about moving to Sweden.
- Why?
- You have an education, having a job and making money.
- So?
- Not the kind of people we want to come to Sweden!
Saturday night and I took the time to watch a movie before going to bed. Monday, that's when I have planned to open my Thai books and to take the time to Learn Thai with Mod and the Alif Silpachai videos. Slow start but I'm up and running with the diet. Stopped smoking and only 120 cans of snus remaining before I'm going to give up snus. Thai language learning, in the pipe line.
+++++++++++++++
Sunday 3 rd
of August 2014
and I woke up at 10 o'clock. We're still drifting outside Mombasa and the deck crew is busy chipping and painting on deck. I ran in to all of our Engineers when I passed the duty mess on my way to the office.
I took the opportunity to have my daily allowance of black bread and cheese in the duty mess.
2nd, 4th, 3rd and Chief Engineer in the duty mess
We're running out of cup brushes and I was in the tool stores looking for new ones. Only cup brushes for the engine department, but I took 3 different ones for our Pump Man to try. 2 dayand two sections of deck ready so if we can keep this rate the deck will soon be ready. Almost 2 weeks waiting and then about 2 weeks to Fujairah. So there will be time for chipping and painting, of course weather permitted.
We were lucky with the wire cup brushes, I gave Pump Man three different kinds and we can use 2 of them. So we haveenough to last us for a while. And we have plenty old paint I will get rid of, we're changing from Sigma to International and it is good to get rid of the old paint.
We have 140 litres of old Sigma paint that have never been used as they changed to new Sigma paint. So this paint have been around for a while and I will try to use it on deck saving millions of dollars for Maersk.
Barcarolle 2008 - Deck is black, green, grey, blue and red. And we saved a lot of money
And the environment, instead of throwing old paint we use it on deck. Barcarolle back in 2008 and we remember how we used all the old paint not in use any more on deck. And when we get rid of the old paint, taking up a lot of space in the paint store. And if we never use the paint we can't fill up with enough paint for long voyages as space are used with this old sh**t.
Before we finish for today we read an interesting article from Bangkok Post
Doctor sick of all the 'trash'
One thing is for sure, there are all kinds of people out there.
+++++++++++++++
Monday 4 th
of August 2014
and I was a wee bit tired when my alarm went off quarter past 7. But I felt better when I had had myvitamins and the lemon flavoured magnesium “FIZZ” drink.And I turned cartwheels down the ladders to the mess room when I came out from the shower “hotto”
2 slices of black bread (1 slice cut in to 2 is still only 1 slice) with cheese and a bucket of teabefore I took off to my office where the crew was waiting.
Pump Man and 2 ABs got started with the greasing of our winches on the poop deck. And when they were ready they brought up old mooring ropes from the rope store. To be brought ashore in Mombasaand we might get Papaya, Mango and pineapple in exchange for our ropes.YUMMY!!!
The day passed by quite quickly. Tool box meeting with work permits and I prepared all the paperworks for the hot work tomorrow. So our toolbox meeting will be running smooth tomorrow morning and we will have more time for all the important work required to keep the ship “ship shape”
And we're not only keeping the ship “ship shape”, there is also time to keep me, I was about towrite “ship shape”. But I willhopefully be much smaller than the ship.
Captain scolded me this morning for eating “giant” portions of food. Only one plate allowed according to the “diet bet” so what to do? But he is right, if I want a V-shaped torso I have to eat like a guy with a V-shaped torso.
So at lunch and dinner I took a wee bit less, hungry, of course. But only for a few days until I get used.
I was, well, typical, hungry and I was looking for 5 star hotels in Mombasa on the internet. Serena luxury accommodation in Mombasa. Same hotel chain I had my best meal at in Tanzania. So now I havesomething to look forward to when coming alongside in Mombasa. The Serena Beach Resort and Spa offers a number of dining experiences, and a selection of bars, coffee shops and café areas, both inside and out. Choose from; the central Fountain Restaurant, the charming Jahazi Grill seafood restaurant, the central Sokoni Terrace brasserie and a wide choice of inside and outside bars.
Well, I also discovered that Serena arranged safaris in Kenya. I hope to leave Roy Maersk in Tanzania and I will have a look at Kilimanjaro and a 2 day safari in the area. Then I will shoot of to Victoria Falls for 2 or 3 days before going back to Bangkok. That's the plan.
Victoria Falls - Don't you want to take right off to see the wonder?
Maybe because of my age- Agony strikes hard! I have wasted my life going around the world dead drunk
A few years ago my travel adventures was to sleepon a side walk in West Berlin or to be chased by an imaginary police car while riding a tuk tuk with an Australian Nurse in Agra, India etc. What a waste of money and time! This is more fun, for sure!
Well, checking Mombasa for fine dining and I discovered that Serena arrange safaris from 2000 US to 5600 US, 3 to 10 days and if I take 10 days I can experience plenty gaming drives aroundKenya and to see gorillas in Rwanda. And have a look at all these GOODIES
and tell me you don't want to get right on the airplane and take off to Africa. Well, I for sure do want to take off.
The only thing I was worried about was that it is a TENTED CAMP.
I don't want to camp. I did enough camping back when I was 15. We were a bunch going to Gillelejein Denmark. Only for drinking beer and party. Of course, putting up the tent was boring, wellhonestly, we were too drunk to give a shit. So the field in the marina was full of tents laying flat on the grass. We used our tents like sleeping bags. I remember a couple, I think from UK, they had put up a tent next to our “camp” Of course, when we came back5 o'clock in the morning we didn't notice their tent and we walked right over it.
I'm still haunted by memories waking up on that field and I have never sat foot in a tent or done any campingsince then. OK, I was lying, no, actually I remembered it now when I wrote this. I must have repress this horrid experience. We were 18 or something like that.
Me and my friend had been at a party, I don't know where. And as this was in the middle of nowhere, deepest country side in Skåne and no way to get back home. We went in to a caravan and we woke up ina piss yellow caravan that had seen the best days many years ago. Home sweet home on the wall and it was a horrible experience. If I can't afford a hotel I skip the holiday and I stay home. And safari in a tent, no way. But I had a look at Serena’s tents and now we're talking camping. I'm ready to take on camping in Africa any day, with PLEASURE!!!
Living in this tent and no problem to camp
Living in this tent and no problem to camp
Of course, this camping adventure comes with a price tag. But this will most likely be my next VISA RUN. So my dream is to have covered Victoria Falls and the Kilimanjaro and one more safariin Tanzania before taking off to Kenya.
Why didn't I started with this several years ago? Las Vegas, my last holiday. I was sober and I had the time of my life. 9 days in Tanzania, sober and I had the time of my life. I have spent night with the police in Hong Kong, Lisbon and East Germany. Memories, of course, but nothing like the baby giraffe or the Lion in Tanzania. So my next visa run is planned, now we have to see how the situation is in Kenya in a few months’ time. There had been trouble lately.
+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 5 th
of August 2014
and I was not as tired as I had expected when my alarm went off quarter past 7. And after a few vitaminsand the lemon flavoured magnesium “FIZZ” drink Iwas full of vim. A hot shower and I was ready to take on the world.
Took me quite a while to fall asleep yesterday and I hope I can get to sleep way quicker tonight. Well, I went down for 2 slices of black bread with cheese in the mess room. Abucket of tea and at 8 o'clock we went to my office for toolbox meeting. Hot work on the provision crane so there are a lot of paper works and checks to do before we can start the job.
So my office was full of people today, the deck crew, 2nd and Chief Engineer and our 2 Fitters. I sent the deck crew to paint keeping one of the ABs that we will use as fire watch. Paper work, test gas detection instruments, risk assessment, tool box and the gas measuring ready and they could start the job. Cutting the old handrails and they had prefabricated new hand rails to weld back on when the old handrailsare removed.
Our 2nd Engineer and Chief Engineer was there to make sure our Fitters did a good job. I instructed them yet one more time about goggles and the AB on fire watch was instructed to keep an eye on the Fitters.
If he see them without the goggles he would remind them. We don't want anyone to lose their eye sight. I left for my office and some paper work to sort out. A lot of paper work and as we expect 2 more days for the hot work I prepared work permits and risk assessments for tomorrow.
I also prepared for entrance to void space #6. We're testing all the bilge alarms in thevoid spaces. We have strings from the float up to deck so we can test the bilge alarms without having to enter the void spaces.
But we need to get down to void space #6 to rested the alarm. Force ventilation had been running since 6 o'clock in the morning.
But we were running in to a lot of other jobs and I had given up the hopes to be ready with thebilge alarms today. Pump Man started to repair the stripping line on cargo pump 1 port. He was ready around 2 o'clock and we could start with the bilge alarms.
We were ready around 4 thirty in the afternoon and they just finished the hot work for today. We hosed down the bridge deck and the guys opened up for our anti-piracy water spraying stuff we have along the ship. They went inside for a shower and I took off for my constitutionalaround the accommodation.
I was not all that happy about my diet today. Our Cook had made some very good frikadels for lunch and I had a few to many. Only one plate allowed and it was brimmed with frikadel andcauliflower. Healthy, but a wee bit too much, and our Cook had some of the frikadels over and Iwill have them for dinner.
Our Engineers informed me about safaris in India.
They have Tiger safaris and I spent the evening checking it out on the internet. Well, I don't know, the African safaris seems more exciting but if it is a Tiger you want to see India it is. But the parks in India are quite small and it might be like a Legoland safari. 1400remaining wild tigers in India, half of the remaining wild tigers in the world.
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to 3.38 m and weighing up to 388.7 kg in the wild. The global population in the wild is estimated to number between 3,062 and 3,948 individuals, down from around 100,000 at the start of the 20th century, with most remaining populations occurring in small pockets isolated from each other.
So no time to lose, the tiger will soon be extinct and if I want to see a tiger I'm better off hurry up. They are walking around in China with giant erections with the best luck in the world thanks to all the wild life disappearing. Tigers, Rhinos, Elephants and sharks soon nothing left.
It is 2014 and people are still using a tiger tooth or eating shark fin soup for good luck. No need for driving licence or a safety belt. It is better with a good luck charm hanging from the rear-view mirror. 2014, why don't they convince the Chinese that they will have the biggest erections and baldies will look like Bob Marley if they eat rats and cockroaches. That would be something!
+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 6 th
of August 2014
and I was kind of surprised when my alarm went off quarter past7. I slept very good and as it was pitch dark in my bed room I thought it was in the middleof the night. But I was soon realising that it was my alarm. I staggered out in my room and I turned off my alarm. Time for myvitamins and the lemon flavoured magnesium “FIZZ” drink
We had a toolbox meeting in my office after breakfast and they were soon up and running with the hot work. Our Pump Man was looking for hose clamps and we went down to our store room. Wefoundall in the stores and we decided to try our luck at the work shop.
We ran in to our new 4th Engineer from Denmark. He didn't know where to find hose clamps so our Pump Man and I continued to explore the engine room area. First stop the Engine Control Room and as there wasn't any one in the ECR we took the opportunity to touch everything.
Our Pump Man took the seat and he was all over the engine control and of course, I took pictures. Didn't take long for us to grow bored in the ECR. We didn't find any hose clamps and we left theengine room. Soon time for lunch, yeah, time is really quick when you have a good time.
And according to the latest news we will have to wait for another week before we can come alongside in Mombasa. Will be nice to come alongside to discharge the cargo and I will try to come ashore toSerena Hotel for dinner.
And who knows? Maybe I will be lucky and find a safari helmet for upcoming safaris and adventures. I will of course ask if anyone knows of aplace to buy a safari helmet when we come alongside. Well, we will see, but our Agent should be happy to get our old mooring ropes and I expect him to go the extra mile to help me find a safari helmet.
I can't wait to check-in at Suvarnabhumi International in full safari uniform. Theywill think that it is a dashing adventurer coming to check-in. Now I will have to go through the trouble finding an airline flying from Bangkok to Dar es Salaam or Nairobi. Jo'burg, South Africa is Thai Airways only destination in Africa.
I will not give up my safari until I have seen a “wild” Giraffe drinking water. A Tiger would be nice to see, but even at the national parks in India it is hard to see them as there isn't many of them remaining.
Well, that will be a problem to solve when back home in Bangkok. The day passed pretty quicklyand our Fitters was almost ready when the day came to an end.
Our 3rd Engineer and 4th Engineer was busy with the ventilation mushrooms for the engine room when I came to check the progress on the welding. Looks like they will be ready tomorrow.
Good, as soon as they are finished we will go down to inspect some ballast tanks. If we're lucky we're ready with them on Saturday.
We were supposed to launch our MOB boat today, but we were rolling slightly and we cancelled the job and we hope we can do it tomorrow instead. Well, will tonight be the first night I open my Thai books? They are still laying untouched on my bed side table.
Busy with the flaps on the ventilation fans
3rd and 4th Engineer - Busy with the flaps on the ventilation fans
3rd and 4th Engineer - Busy with the flaps on the ventilation fans
+++++++++++++++
Thursday 7 th
of August 2014
and I can't say that I was turning cartwheels out of my bed when my alarm went off. But it was not bad, and when I had had my lemon flavoured magnesium “FIZZ” drink with my vitaminsI was ready to take on the world. I hot shower and breakfast and I was off to my office.
We did the paper work for the hot work and this will be the last day with hot work. Platform willbe ready today. But at what time? Will we have time to paint the first layer today?
The work was up and running in the provision crane and I went down to the engine room with the Pump Man, I have forgot what we were going to do there. But we ran in to 2nd Engineer and we had a picture taken
We left the engine room and we were soon running in to more excitements, whales! We had 2 big whales swimming next to us and I was lucky to get a few pictures.
We are steaming slowly outside Mombasa for a few hours, then we stop the engine and we drift back. Then we start the engine again and we continue with this to keep inside Kenya Navy safety area.
So the whales are swimming about the same speed as we're keeping so I had time to have a real good look at them. And they are really beautiful swimming with us
Today is the second day and we cancel the MOB boat launch. Not really any weather for it and we're busy. But as soon as they are ready with the hot work we will put more effort in to this. Sothe MOB willhopefully be water borne tomorrow.
We have water ballast tanks to inspect and we will start with one tomorrow morning, or if we can launch the MOB as soon as we finished that job. And I need 2 guys to paint the new rails on the platform under the provision crane.
I have been on enough ships where they have welded and never bothered to paint the freshly welded steel. Or they have managed toget one layer on the seel and after afew days it looks like shit and the steel work is wasted.
So to get the new rails painted with 5 layers are high on our TO DO list. We have 2 extra Fitters from India on board and they are busy. We have some more work on deck to be done.
But the hot work has to be done in the engine room as we can't weld on deck no matter how many risk assessments and work permit we make. So it haveto be fabricated in the engine work shop and we will screw it back when on deck.
At 16:45 they completed the welding and no time for painting today. But I had time for a shortconstitutionalbefore dinner. Busy today and I had to skip my constitutional at lunch. Well, one and a half hour at the dinner table talking about the good ol' days with the guys and I was off to my cabin.
Internet wasn't much to write home about and I could not continue my searches for new adventures. Captain have been talking about Greenland and I saw a movie yesterday and they were on Greenland.
I started to look for tickets to Greenland and Iceland for the next summer. Yeah, you know you're old when you're looking for tickets to Greenland. ALMOST 3000 US FOR A TICKETFROM COPENHAGEN TO NUUK, GREENLAND! I was in shock, I had expected 500 US. So it is between 6 and 7000 to fly from Bangkok to Greenland.
These prices willhopefully have come down by the time I want to go. I will try to find a package tour including Iceland. Yes, there is no doubt any more, our here is getting old.
Greenland covered in ice in, well, not in the summer. But there will be ice and we're very close to the Northpole. And as we refuse to give up after theTigers, frogs, elephants and whales etc. Kill them all and the Polar bear is soon history and I might catch a glimpse of one when on Greenland.
Yes, soon time for me to die and I will try to cover as much as possible before we leave this shit behind. So Greenland is on my wish list. Summer time and I can stop by in Sweden to visit my Nephews
I'm also busy with our 2nd Engineer, I asking him about the national parks in India.
But he had never been to any of the national parks in India and I suggested that he should join mewith his son. He is 5 years old and it is about time for him to see the wild life. And maybe he will grow to respect the nature. I have found one park with Lions,Asia’s last lions. 1400km³ of national park 5 hours from New Deli with car. And obvious “MUST GO”
Then there are a few parks with wild Tigers and Elephants. So I will choose 2 or 3 different parks in India for next year. But first I will be off to Africa.
Well, before you go to bed you can watch Sverigedemokraternas latest vid! Click HERE
Med 39 dagar kvar till valet så släpper vi nu en lite längre film om oss! SD2014! Upp ur soforna!
+++++++++++++++
Friday 8 th
of August 2014
and I was full of vim when my alarm went off at 07:15. lemon flavoured magnesium “FIZZ” drinkand vitamins and I was off for breakfast as soon as I had had my“GOOD MORNING” shower.
I mug of tea and 4 slices of black bread, well, 2 slices but they are cut inhalf. So it give me two “double deckers” with cheese between.
No more hot work so it was only the deck crew in my office at 8 o'clock. We have to make a risk assessment and work permit so I can send 2 guys to paint all the new steel our welders have put up around the provision crane
We started the force ventilation in DB 6 Port at 8 and we will go down toinspect the tank after the coffee break. And that gave me plenty paper work to do before we can enter the tank. Risk assessment, work permit and I have to test our gas detectors. Good, plenty to doand time flies.
We entered the tank at 10:45 and the tank look like the other ballast tanks we inspected last time I was on board, like new.
We were soon at the bottom of the tank and we worked our way aft. Last time we inspected the tanks Pump Man left me behind. This time, I left him behind. Ihave given up smoking and I movedaround like one ofthose PECIAL FORCES Commando soldiers. Well, think Steven Segal 30 years ago and you have a pretty good picture of me moving around in the ballast tank and this time I had to wait for our Pump Man.
Pump Man, always a few steps behind
Yes, smoking, give it up! It is 2014 fer foock’s sake and everyone knows it does nothing good for you! I feel like a million since I gave up. We are using Ove Wrist in Fujairah and snus is available. But I have decided not to waste any more money on tobacco.