Aladdin's adventure onboard m/t Nord Supreme - August 2023 to November 2023

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!

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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? 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.

“The postings on this site are my own and don't represent Norden's position, strategies or opinions. All views are my own”

m/t Nord Supreme

Picture from https://vesseljoin.com

Name:	NORD SUPREME
Type:	Oil Or Chemical Tanker
DWT:	49552
GT:	30108
Year Built:	2015
Engine Type:	MAN B&W
KW:	9960
HP:	13542
Length:	183 m
Width:	32,23 m
Draft:	13,3 m
Tanks:	12 + 2 slop tanks
Volume:	52100 m3
Pumps:	Marflex

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Wednesday 16 ^th of August 2023 and my alarm went off at 4 o'clock. I had a shower while the tea water was getting ready. They start to serve breakfast at 7 and I hope it is better than the lunch I had yesterday.

The breakfast was OK, much thanks to that they were able to provide me with a pot for my tea. And that was the excitements for breakfast. I was back in my room and I returned my key card at 08:20. My driver came to pick me up at 8 thirty.

We drove to the immigration and I took a picture of the sign at the gate and my driver got upset. He told me that it was very forbidden to take any pictures. This was the police station and it was big trouble to take any pictures.

I was thinking about my friend and our trip to Laos. He was told that you would end up in jail if you took any pictures of any official buildings in Laos, especially police stations.

And he was really scared every time we came close to any government buildings etc. Anyway, we passed a police station, really not looking like a police station and we would have missed it if the Driver would not have called it out.

Police station in Vientiane, Laos

I asked the Driver to stop and I went out to have a picture. My friend shat his pants but I managed to tell him in to have a selfie in front of the police station. We went to see if we couldhave one of the police officers to join us.

Well, he was not so hot on the idea, never mind, we got ourself a selfie and we were soon on our way to look for birds again.

Police station in Vientiane, Laos

It took an hour at the immigration; I was waiting outside while the Agent took care of all the necessary documents. It had been holiday yesterday and they were closed, the reason why I could not join the ship yesterday.

We left immigration and we drove to the port, I was joining by boat as it was not allowed to walk on the pier. The Agent took my passport and he went to see the Port Captain and when he was ready, we could get down to the service boat that would bring me to Nord Supreme.

I can see m/t Nord Supreme through the fence

Quality tonnage in the port

I can see m/t Nord Supreme when we leave the port

Approaching m/t Nord Supreme

I climb on board and I am soon in the CCR and I am pleasantly surprised. It looks very nice and next door is my new office and after having been many years in Maersk it was very nice to see mynew office.

And I had not been able to see much rust on deck walking from the gangway to the accommodation so I was pleased with my first impression.

I was taken to my cabin and I will move in to my room when the Chief Officer leave tomorrow morning. So one night in the guest room.

View from the guest room

I prepared my stuff that I need in the CCR, tea cup, snus, loudspeaker, stamps and othernecessaries. I changed my clothes and I went down to the CCR.

I brought two rolls of snus and we have two young Danish crew members and their eyes turned big like saucers.

How much of the snus did you bring? They asked and it turned out that they were using snus. And I thought NO NO NO! I have experienced this before, I carry snus around the world and people see this and suddenly I have them on my door every day asking for some.

I gave them a little taste of the quality snus, they usually use the bagged type. But now they got the real thing. And my worst fear turned real, they loved it!

My office

My office

Action in the CCR

Action in the CCR

Action in the CCR

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Thursday 17 ^th of August 2023 and I was in the CCR at 4 o'clock with a cup of tea in my hand. We expect to be ready around 8 and I took the opportunity to familiarize myself with documents and stuff while waiting.

Chief Officer left at 7 thirty, his flight leaves just after 11 o'clock. We completed loading 6 minutes after 8 o'clock and the Surveyors left us just after 10 o'clock and we left the jetty at 10:30 and we have 19 days to the Panama Canal.

I go to move my things to my room before going to the bridge.

My room

My room

My room

My room

View from my room

I liked my room and the only thing missing is a kettle, but I will see if I can arrange for a tea kettle to my room. I went to the bridge and we were just about to leave and when we had the last lines to let go our Agent called.

Cargo was cleared by custom so we could leave immediately, no need to drop the anchor to wait for the cargo clearance.

I left the bridge and I had time to arrange some things before lunch. And after lunch, well, this time only, I bought some chocolate. And from now on I will be serious with my diet again.

The bridge

The bridge

The bridge

The bridge

Time to leave Santa Panagia

Our best man on the wheel

Leaving Santa Panagia

Leaving Santa Panagia

I spend the evening on the bridge and we are steaming towards Gibraltar Strait south of Sicily when I come on watch. It is a gorgeous afternoon/ evening and I enjoy my tea while looking out for ships and other excitements.

There were many seabirds but I had not brought my birding camera this time so no chance for me to ID the birds.

Sicily, an island, but it is a darn huge island so we will spend the rest of the night before we leave Sicily behind us on our way to Panama.

Sun is setting in the Mediterranean

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Friday 18 ^th of August 2023 and my alarm went off at 3 forty and I was on the bridge 15 minutes later. I turned on the kettle and I was soon enjoying a cup of tea. It was dark until 5 thirty when the sun started to rise behind us.

Time turned quite quickly and it was soon 8 o'clock and I went down to have the meeting with the crew in my office before they will start work on deck.

Early morning in the Mediterranean

Good Morning Meeting

The crew having their breakfast at 8 o'clock so we will not have the meeting until 8 thirty, first time I experience this, but it was OK, no hurry for me to get down to the CCR.

We went through the risk assessments and we did work permits and the crew took off out on deck. I kept myself busy with our Cadet. We will pump out ballast water and we will sort the paper work from the loading port.

I was in a good mood so I offered our Cadet some snus and he ran away to get a tea bag. I was wondering what the duck? He came back with the empty tea bag and he started to wrap it around my Swedish quality snus. What a waste!

+++++++++++++++
Saturday 19 ^th of August 2023 and we are proceeding west through the Mediterranean and we expect to pass Gibraltar tomorrow evening. It is nice weather and the crew relaxed around the pool in the afternoon.

Good, they will be full of VIM on Monday morning.

Saturday evening and the crew relaxing

Saturday evening and the crew relaxing

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Monday 21 ^st of August 2023 and I come on the bridge 15 minutes before 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I spot a gull flying at the starboard side bridge wing. I have left all my birding equipment back home, but I decided to try my Canon G7X pocket camera.

We were now in the Atlantic Ocean and I will report the bird in eBird, but I was not sure about the ID so I sent the pictures to birdforum.net to get help with the ID. And I was soon learning that it was a Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull, my first thought was a Greater Black Backed Gull because of the pink legs, it was a huge bird. But with the help from the birdforum I could avoid making a tit out of myself and report the correct ID.

+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 22 ^nd of August 2023 and today it is time for the monthly fire drill. So, we had the fire alarm to go off at 10 thirty and we mustered at the muster station. Today we had a fire in theengine room and we could test the water mist system.

We also had two smoke diving team to attack the fire, but this is mostly to have the crew train with the smoke diving equipment.

We would have used the water mist or CO2 to extinguish the fire in the engine room.

Time for our monthly drills

Time for our monthly drills

Time for our monthly drills

Time for our monthly drills

Time for our monthly drills

Time for our monthly drills

Time for our monthly drills

Time for our monthly drills

Time for our monthly drills

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Wednesday 23 ^rd of August 2023 and I had been on the watch for an hour when a bird came in from south, flying over deck and I discover that it is a huge heron. Grey or Blue but I was surprised so I did not get any pictures until the bird had passed on the way towards North West.

I got a couple of poor pictures with my pocket camera and I was really regretting not to have brought my “birding” camera.

I sent the pictures to birdforum to see if they could give an exact ID, but the pictures were too bad. So, I will just report the bird as a Heron S.P.

Heron flying over us

Heron flying over us

An hour later I had a bird looking like a Gannet / Booby hunting fish at the bow. This bird was way too far away for any pictures, but it came aft and I gave it several tries with my camera.

Really not easy to get the bird with the small camera and I am mostly aiming by chance. Many pictures were taken but almost all of them were for nothing.

But I got three pictures that I could send to birdforum and they ID the bird as a Red-footed Booby and I could report the bird to eBird.

Red-footed Booby

Red-footed Booby

Red-footed Booby

Thanks to the Birdforum I could identify this bird.

Looking for birds at Planicie Abissar da Madeira

Looking for birds at Planicie Abissar da Madeira

Evening at Planicie Abissar da Madeira

The bird landed in the topmast forward and it looked like it prepared to stay overnight, first time I see a Gannet / Booby landing on a ship.

They spend their life on the ocean, coming ashore just to have babies.

Rare Bird Alert in eBird

+++++++++++++++
Thursday 24 ^th of August 2023 and the Red-footed Bobby woke up at 7 o'clock and I could see the bird doing the “Good Morning” routines. Starting with preening and then some stretching, flapping the wings while sitting in the mast.

After about 30 minutes and the bird went back to hunt for breakfast at the bow.

Preening

is a maintenance behaviour found in birds that involves the use of the bill to position feathers, interlock feather barbules that have become separated, clean plumage, and keep ectoparasites in check.

Though primarily an individual function, preening can also be a social activity involving two or more birds, which is known as allopreening.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Red-footed Booby

Early morning on the Atlantic Ocean

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Friday 25 ^th of August 2023 and coming on the bridge in the afternoon and I am soon to discoverthat the Cadet and 2nd Officer don't know how to check the gyro error against the sun without the computer program.

They do it by a computer program and I told them to grab a pen and a paper.
-I will show you how to do it by the tables, I said.

They were at least to say enthusiastic to learn and they brought paper and a pen. Our Cadetbrought a calculator and I took it from him and I told him that I did not want to see any calculators. We do everything by head!

We took a bearing to the sun using the gyro repeater in the wheel house. I showed them how to use the tables and we were soon having the gyro error.

They were happy and they prepared to leave.
- Whoa whoa! Hold your horses!

I told them to stay and to do one by themself and when they were ready, they were eager to get down to their video games and what not.
- Whoa whoa! Hold your horses!

Now I asked them to one each, BY THEIR OWN! They had helped each other with their own gyro error. Now they had to do their own while the other one was looking. And they were very happy whenthey were ready.

And they were happy because of the right reason, not because of that they could leave. I could tell that they thought it was fun and from now on they will not use the computer. Now they know what the computer is doing for them and it is as quick to do it in your head as to do it with the computer.

My Students learning to take the gyro error against the sun

My Students learning to take the gyro error against the sun

My Students learning to take the gyro error against the sun

My Students learning to take the gyro error against the sun

My Students learning to take the gyro error against the sun

My Students learning to take the gyro error against the sun

My Students learning to take the gyro error against the sun

My Students learning to take the gyro error against the sun

They are happy, their first ever gyro error without computer help

My student left and I got company of one Masked Booby hunting for fish forward. I ID the bird as a juvenile Northern Gannet, but I managed to get some poor pictures and I changed the ID to a Masked Booby.

But just to make sure, I sent the pictures to the birdforum.net and they confirmed the ID and I made a report in my eBird app.

Masked Booby

Masked Booby

+++++++++++++++
Saturday 26 ^th of August 2023 and I get my 4-egg omelette to the bridge at 6 o'clock and I enjoy it with a bucket of tea. Then I can avoid eating breakfast at 8 o'clockhopefully being able to keep my eating routines from back home.

Well, I had had some bad days getting chocolate and bread so I am not yet satisfied withmy diet. But the future looks bright, I have finished all the cookies on the bridge, well, almost, but the remaining cookies tastes like “please, throw me in front of a bus”

And there are strict orders not to bring any more cookies to the bridge, and if they do they have to hide them.

Our Good Morning Hero arrive with breakfast

And I was joined by yet another Masked Booby in the evening so I got a couple of more useless pictures. I really regret not having brought my camera with me.

And there should be plenty birds and crocodiles passing through the Panama Canal.

Masked Booby

Masked Booby

Masked Booby

Masked Booby

+++++++++++++++
Sunday 27 ^th of August 2023 and we have avoided a tropical storm. But coming on the bridge 4 o'clock in the morning and the sky was covered with black clouds and we had rain. But no wind and the Northern Atlantic is still looking like a windmill pond.

Day light is breaking at the Mid Atlantic Ridge

Steaming towards The Caribbean

Day light is breaking at the Mid Atlantic Ridge

Day light is breaking at the Mid Atlantic Ridge

Strong rain passing in the evening

Strong rain passing in the evening

Strong rain passing in the evening

We are clear of the rain

+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 30 ^th of August 2023 and we are at the Nares Abyssal Plain, North American Basin and I spot two Caribbean Martins hunting insects over the deck when I come on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

And I spot a Brown Booby in front of us 35 minutes later and it was joined by another Brown Booby after about 30 minutes and they were hunting in front of the boat for about 30 minutes before one of them left.

I saw 2 Caribbean Martins at 4 an hour later I discovered that they were 3. A little later I counted 4 of them flying together around the boat. I saw the last of them at 19:30 when it was getting dark

We are getting orders to get on full speed in the evening. We are now on a priority booking and we will transfer the Panama Canal directly and we need to be in Cristobal before 02:00 on the 4th of September. Transfer will be AM on the 4th of September.

+++++++++++++++
Thursday 31 ^st of August 2023 and we are 450km NE of Puerto Rico when I come on the bridge. We had retarded the ships clock by an hour during the night so it was like coming up 5 o'clock in the morning.

I had my tea and I was enjoying the morning, the North Atlantic Ocean was yet again like a windmill pond. We have been very lucky with the weather and we are surrounded by hurricanes and tropical storms.

I see the first bird at 05:50 and I can make the below report to eBird.

Atlantic Ocean – North American Basin – About 435 km NE Puerto Rico

Day light is breaking and we flush one Brown Booby sleeping on the water. It takes off and starts to hunt for breakfast in front of the boat.

Joined by a second Brown Booby after about 10 minutes, most likely flushed by the boat as well.

Around same time I see that the Caribbean Martin start to hunt on deck. First, I only see one and then a second bird. Most likely the birds from yesterday that have spent the night on the boat

I am in the CCR doing super important works and at 10 o'clock I see one Masked Booby flying by the window. And I will be busy reporting birds to eBird in the afternoon. I was at my desk doing super important paper works when our Cadet came down with a paper.

Masked Booby been observed

He had seen the bird from Monkey Island and as he had started to be interested in my bird observations, he knows how to ID the boobies now and I came down to report the bird to me.
THAT's THE SPIRIT WE ARE LOOKING FOR!

Atlantic Ocean – North American Basin – About 400 km NE Puerto Rico

Masked Booby flying in from behind to join one Brown Booby hunting forward of the boat. Masked and Brown Booby hunting together.

August come to an end while we are steaming towards the Mona Passage in SW. I will be in the Mona Passage when September start.

You just need to click HERE to find out all about that adventure.

I joined m/t Nord Supreme 17th of August 2023 in Siracusa, Italy. We did the following voyages before I signed off in Panama on the 12th of November 2023

Voy No.

Load Port

Cargo

Discharge Port

33-44

Ciracusa, Santa Panagia, Sicily, Italy
I join the ship

Gasoline MAX 300900 Bbls

1) Esmeraldas, Ecuador
2) La Libertad, Ecuador

33-45

Texas City

Deer Park, Houston

ULSD, approx 183.300 Bbls

MTBE, 125.000 Bbls

Veracruz, Mexico

33-46

Galena Park, Houston

Last voyage on the Trafigura charter

Nafta RON 80 (Gasoline), approx 300.900 Bbls
Loading 7 different parcel to mix on board to Gasoline grade

La Libertad, Ecuador - 4 STS operations
Cancelled due to bad weather

Punta Arenas, Ecuador - 3 different STS operations

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Voy No.	Load Port	Cargo	Discharge Port
33-44	Ciracusa, Santa Panagia, Sicily, Italy I join the ship	Gasoline MAX 300900 Bbls	1) Esmeraldas, Ecuador 2) La Libertad, Ecuador
33-45	Texas City Deer Park, Houston	ULSD, approx 183.300 Bbls MTBE, 125.000 Bbls	Veracruz, Mexico
33-46	Galena Park, Houston Last voyage on the Trafigura charter	Nafta RON 80 (Gasoline), approx 300.900 Bbls Loading 7 different parcel to mix on board to Gasoline grade	La Libertad, Ecuador - 4 STS operations Cancelled due to bad weather Punta Arenas, Ecuador - 3 different STS operations