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“The postings on this site are my own and don't represent Maersk Group's position, strategies or opinions. All views are my own”
 August 2012 - Part 3
 Wednesday 22nd of August 2012 and the ship is sold and at our “Good morning PEP” meeting it was like “YEAH, LET'S GO CRAZY”...
 ... and we did both our Pump man's strange greeting and...
 ... the more popular group hug
The crew will continue with the cleaning of the accommodation and our Bosun and Pump man will change a valve to one of our foam monitors. And then they will continue with the fire hydrants. When the crew left my office I finished the work I started yesterday, to sort out all the paper work before we deliver the ship to the new owners. I studied my Thai books after lunch and when I returned to my office we had received new discharge orders. We will discharge 12,000 MT of the Jet fuel in Gore Bay before we continue to Botany Bay to discharge the remaining cargo. Both places are in Sydney, Gore Bay is in the residential area and we will pass very close to the opera house.
Bosun and Pump man changing the valve to the foam monitor
 Bosun and Pump man changing the valve to the foam monitor
They have to use a tripod to lift the top of the foam monitor while removing the old valve.
Then they will put the new valve and lower the top of the monitor back in place. A pretty nifty crew From there we have to leave Sydney and go to Sydney airport and hour or 2 from Gore Bay. Gore Bay is located in the middle of a residential area and the neighbours are complaining about the noise. Well, the terminal has been there long before they built any houses and of course, the house owners want the terminal gone. So they complain about noises from the ships. The cars passing outside the terminal makes more noises than the ship. Well, anyway, we will have a Noise Expediter onboard during the discharging. First time ever and the Noise Expediter is on his first mission, and I think it is the first ever Noise Expediter in the world. So yes, we're making history and I'm looking forward to it.
The crew is washing everywhere preparing for the new owners
So I had to scrap the cargo plan I had already done, and we might have to change the reducers  our Pump man put on #1 and #3 manifold on port side. Botany Buy require 2 by 10" and as we will have the  same side along side in Gore Bay we might have to change. Well, I guess that we will get more information.
But there is no time for reducers today. Our Pump man and Bosun have to finish the foam monitor and then of course, drinking a beer disturbing  our Cook while munching on a sandwich.
And as alcohol is not allowed onboard it has to be an alcohol free beer. And I never understand the point of drinking alcohol free beer. Beer doesn’t taste any good and if I want to drink something for the taste I choose tea or a Diet MAX. I really hope  that we can get some of those onboard in Sydney.
Beer, I only drink beer when I want to get social  and a good  time. Well, most of the time I make a tit out of myself when I'm trying to get social. 
 Bosun drinking beer (alco free, no alcohol allowed onboard) while disturbing our Cook in the kitchen
 Skånsk music blasting high on the Richter scale in my office and Bosun & Pump man shows their best moves
I was in my office blowing air pipes to the ballast tanks when our Pump man and Bosun came to discuss tomorrows work. I had my music from Skåne on full blast and they gave me their best moves. Well, I wish I could get moves from our 2nd Engineer. I was late for dinner and our 2nd Engineer and 2nd Officer was in the day room when I came for dinner. - Good, I will have a quick dinner and then we go to kick arse! I said. I was eating my dinner and I was in a good mood looking forward to some sparring. Suddenly our  2nd Engineer stands next to me.
- My arm hurts - Pain is good! - I cannot do any boxing today - Where is our Rumanian champion - He went to bed - Did you scare him to bed? - Tomorrow we can kick arse... - You're not in more pain than that you can hold your ice cream, I said Well, this was a disappointment. And tomorrow, well,
But I'm very happy about my diet, and I'm also happy that we will arrive to Australia on Sunday. This is getting very boring and some action around here is very welcome. And I will see if there is any time to go ashore to arrange some Diet MAX by myself. I have given up sending my “BEST GUY” to get the Diet MAX for me.  +++++++++++++++
Thursday 23rd of August 2012 and I was early for breakfast, I don't know why. But I suspect  that it is due to the temperature on the water in my shower.
So I enjoyed my black bread with our Chief Engineer and 2nd Engineer around the breakfast table and when I finished my breakfast I dashed off to my office and the “Good morning PEP” meeting.  - Assholes and Motherfoockers!
- Good morning Boss!!! - Are you ready for today's excitements? - Yes boss! We discussed today's work at our “Good morning PEP” meeting and the crew will continue with the   washing of the accommodation and our Pump man and Bosun would change the last of our hydrants.
But first we were going to blow the air pipes to  DB 1 P and 2 P. The tanks show full so the air pipes are blocked with something that prevents the air to reach the ballast tanks.
The work was in full swing (I was in the day room drinking tea  ) when our 2nd Engineer came. We were going to test  our IG plant and as the engine department was going to work on the IG plant they  wanted to do the test run ASAP.
We had to take a break with the air pipes and when we had the IG plant up and running we opened the P/V valves to purge the cargo tanks with IG. When we stopped the IG I went to measure our ballast tanks for gas. Our Pump man and I held  a “pre work safety meeting” while we had one AB to open all the ballast tank hatches and when he was ready we went on deck to check the tanks for gas. We had some spray coming over deck on port side, but as soon as we were over on starboard side it  was very nice on deck.
We finished the ballast tanks just in time for lunch, meatballs and onion and I read my Thai books after the meal. And I felt good when I had finished my books, I think I have manage to read my Thai almost every day since we left Singapore. Well, the afternoon passed by quit quick and our Pump man and Bosun turned the blind on the IG line to slop tank port after the coffee break.  Pump man and Bosun open the blind to slop tank P
 Pump man and Bosun open the blind to slop tank P
Our port slop tank has been blinded and we decided to open the blind and we will purge the tank with IG on Sunday. Arrival to Sydney pilot station Sunday afternoon but the Pilot will not come until  5 o'clock Monday morning. They are obviously not expecting any high discharge rate because the Agent told us that the Pilot was booked for the morning on the 19th.
2 days alongside and plenty time for the guys to go ashore to find Diet MAX for me. But as I said, this was a message from the Agent and this is pretty much standard e-mails. We will discharge 12,000 MT at Gore Bay and I can't see that this will take 2 days. But who knows we will see. But one thing is for sure, it will be nice to arrive after 2 weeks. 2 boring weeks. I have millions of Maersk T-shirts and the only problem is that I only have 2 sizes, “too big” and “way too big”. The previous crew must have taken all the small and medium sizes and I'm left with the XXXXXXL. And the Filipinos are not very stocky. But our 4th Engineer decided to give it a try, he is quite sturdy so he might be lucky.  4th Engineer searching high and low for a T-shirt in his size
 4th Engineer searching high and low for a T-shirt in his size
 This one was too big
 4th Engineer searching high and low for a T-shirt in his size
 4th Engineer searching high and low for a T-shirt in his size
 4th Engineer lucky? Is this a T-shirt in his size?
 He decide to try it on
 Finally, he finds a T-shirt in his size
Yes, another, if I say it myself, successful diet day had come to an end with the dinner. I had some chicken and meatballs from the lunch with bell pepper and onion. And I really feel great. Our 2nd Engineer asked if I wanted to try the Indian sweets. - What is that? It was some nuts and I asked what else, it looked like almond paste. - Sugar, lot's of sugar. - Grounded nuts and sugar? - Yes - So it is like marzipan or almond paste, but with nuts instead? - Yes Now I was interested, almond paste is my favourite. - Try, he suggested - I'm on diet! I will have an orange instead I left the table for the fruit bowl and LO AND MOTHERFOOCKING BEHOLD, I missed the fruit
 bowl and my hand ended up in the almond paste basket. Why is this always happening to me? I looked around, only me and the 2nd Engineer in the mess room. And 2nd Engineer was sitting with his back against the almond paste.
 I filled my mouth with the Indian sweets and I grabbed a orange. Of course, I could not return to my seat with my mouth full of almond paste. So I acted like I was studying the oranges.
- Which oranges were good? I asked or 2nd Engineer He never noticed anything so I went for a second helping of almond paste. And the bet, I never said that I won't eat. Just that if they catch me... And it was quite exciting to eat the almond paste and I don't know if it would have tasted as good if I didn't risked to have to pay 1000 US to each and everyone seeing me eating. +++++++++++++++
Friday 24th of August 2012 and we have had nice weather yesterday and it was a nice morning with slight wind. So the crew could start washing down the superstructure with the rust stain remover.  We finished our “Good morning PEP” meeting and we skipped the group hug as I had forgotten my camera in my cabin.
Pump man continued the work that he started 6 o'clock in the morning, to put 12" reducers on all the manifolds on our port side. One of our OSs assisted him and our Bosun was in charge in the crane lifting the reducers. We will have to change 2 reducers at Botany Bay because they only have two 10" cargo arms so the guys will be busy between Gore Bay and Botany Bay. I think it is about 2 hours or something like that from jetty to jetty so this will be a touch and go. But I have not heard anything about any regulations against changing reducers alongside in Botany Bay.  Pump man and one of our OS at the manifold
 Pump man and one of our OS at the manifold
I completed 2 different discharging plans for Gore Bay and time turned quite quick and it was soon  time for lunch. Meat and onion/ bell pepper and some cantaloupe for dessert and I felt very good. And my belt, 2 holes already and I'm kicking arse with my new improved EXTREME diet.
I told the guys at lunch that I would bring my 1000 $ “PROMISE” to all my future ships and I will soon look good. And for sure, I won't let myself go  with the food as soon as I have posted my 1000 $ “PROMISE” in the mess room. And it is easy to understand the importance of doing this ASAP after joining a new ship.
Our 2nd Officer study my 1000$ “PROMISE”
I finished my Thai books after lunch and I went on deck to check out our pipe line to fill  heavy ballast. We will pass Philippines in the middle of september, peak of the hurricane season and we might have to fill up 2 of our cargo tanks with ballast when we leave Australia.
After that I went to do a test run of our ODME. Flushing the flow meter and it went from 67m³/h to 0. Calibration and test run and everything was working and I went to the bridge to pester our Captain. He was on the bridge wing drinking coffee when I came up on the bridge. And of course, I was soon running in to more paper work. We have sent a pre arrival message to VOPAK in Botany Bay already, but as we will discharge 12,000MT in Gore Bay before VOPAK we need to change a new message. We didn't know about Gore Bay when we sent the first message to VOPAK  so changes needs to be made.
It was a beautiful evening with the wind coming in from behind so I decided to take an  evening  constitutional. I could not find the headphones for my iPod and I had to use my “back up” headphones. Of course, the quality was not the same as I'm used to and the enthusiasm over the constitutional disappeared after half an hour in the track.
 Sun is setting during my evening constitutional
 Sun is setting during my evening constitutional
 Sun is setting during my evening constitutional
I discovered that our Mess man had filled up my jar with flaxseeds, yes I say mine because it is only me eating the flaxseeds. I'm having, well, I had 15kg and I was worried that it would be hard  for me to finish the flaxseeds before Hong Kong.
But I'm having 2 cups every day and we're down to
So my flaxseeds will hopefully last all the way to Hong Kong and I will be back home to my  own flaxseeds after a few days  of “Sight seeing” in Hong Kong.
And I will look dashing as an extra bonus. I mentioned that we're expecting to pass the Philippines during the peak of the hurricane season so Captains wife and daughter will leave us here in Sydney. He mentioned this during the lunch when we discussed heavy weather ballast and the first question after mentioning it was:  - So what's going to happen in Hong Kong? PARTY!
- AH! That’s why your family is going home, because you want to party He was asking me for the Hong Kong plans  every time I ran in to him. Is he ready for the concrete hat? Well, we will find out in 3 weeks or so when we arrive to Hong Kong.
 +++++++++++++++
Saturday 25th of August 2012 and I was early in the mess room for my black bread and tea. No hot water in the shower so it was a very quick shower this morning. Quite nice actually, I had plenty time to enjoy my tea before I went to my office and our “Good morning PEP” meeting.
The crew would continue with the washing of the last rust stains around the superstructure. Our Pump man was going to lose and tighten all the bolts on our HEAVY WEATHER ballast pipe so it will be easy to remove the blinds if we need to fill the water on our way to Hong Kong. And of course, a group hug before the crew left for deck.   We will start our IG plant after lunch to give our cargo tanks a quick blast with IG so we are comfortably under the 8% oxygen level in our cargo tanks when we arrive to Gore Bay tomorrow.  And we will have an emergency steering and fire drill at 4 o'clock so I hope that I will be ready with the IG by then.
We stopped the IG 20 minutes before 4. We closed all the P/V valves at 15:35 when I had measured all the tanks, around 4,5% to 5% oxygen. Took me 5 minutes to pressurise the cargo tanks when we had closed the P/V valves. And I caught Bosun and Pump man in a hug when Pump man was closing the IG main valve on deck. Well, this is one of those times  when the stupid hand greetings would have been more appropriate.
Captain was going for a walk on deck with his daughter in the afternoon. I was in the CCR, we had just started the IG purging and I had Captain's daughter's toy dog in the CCR. And when they passed the window I had the toy dog  doing the internationally recognised movements for  “why are you leaving me here, I also want to go on deck”. 2 minutes later I  heard Captain's daughter crying outside the CCR.
I was afraid that she was missing her dog when she had seen it through the window and that they had come back for the dog. She was crying and screaming and I asked what was going on. Well, it was not because of the dog, it was because they had to go inside from deck again. There was some smell from the IG on deck so they cancelled their constitutional.
Well, I was happy because it wasn't because of the dog. The girl already dislikes me and every time she  see me she is running away to have a look for a stick to hit me with.
Time turned very quick during the day so I must have kept myself busy, but now, 11 o'clock in the evening when updating my web page don't remember what I did. I did a discharge plan for Botany Bay, where we will discharge the rest of the cargo after Gore Bay and we did the IG thing, but except from that,  I don't remember.
Well, I remember taking  pictures of our 2nd Officer preparing pizza for dinner. And he had some recipe for some, well, it looked like  cake but it turned out to be pancakes.
Well, he was really busy and I was wondering if he would make it in time for dinner with our drills and stuff during the afternoon.  Before the drill group hug
We were going to meet in my office before we would go to the steering engine department and at 4 o'clock it was time for our drills, we would start with an emergency steering drill and when we were finished with the steering we would have a fire drill. TEAM BUILDING all the time, and when we have the engine department with us... Of course, we take the opportunity for a group hug. I don't know why, maybe he was thinking about his cooking when our 2nd Officer took the picture because the picture turned out bad. Well, it is Ok with some help from Photoshop. Well, anyway, we left for the steering engine department and we turned the steering engine in to local control and we steered the ship while we had a telephone link to the bridge.  Emergency Steering gear and we have headphones and a mic to communicate with the bridge
When he is not making pizza he is playing DJ
 Emergency Steering gear and we have headphones and a mic to communicate with the bridge
And of course, some beat boxing
 Our steering engine room
 Our steering engine room
And the big green doodah just right of the centre is the steering engine on top of the rudder
 Our 2nd Engineer steering from the emergency steering
 Our 2nd Engineer steering from the emergency steering
 Our 2nd Engineer steering from the emergency steering
 Our 2nd Engineer steering from the emergency steering
 After the EMERGENCY STEERING drill group hug
We had to stop the drill because there were plenty big whales ahead of us so we wanted to steer well clear of them. I got a picture of our “AFTER” the emergency steering drill. And when we came  up on the poop deck from the steering engine we could see the whales. Big whales  jumping in the water.
But of course, I didn't get any pictures. Time for the fire drill and we had fire in the steering engine compartment and when we were ready I went for a shower preparing myself for dinner. Saturday and my bet is of for the dinner So I'm looking forward to our 2nd Officer's cake or whatever it is he is making. He was busy making pancakes with chocolate and ice cream when I came for dinner 10 minutes after 6. By then the pizza was finished, well, almost finished. But our Cook had made
And I'm looking forward to it. It was nice with some French fries and stuff for dinner today, but I would have managed as well with my meat and/or fish with onions. I skipped my flaxseed in the afternoon to make some room for our  2nd Officer's surprise dessert. It was good, but I would have managed without. But one day per week isn't that bad and I never had any agony for my gormandizing.
Well, before we go to bed we can have a look at yet another stupid slide show on www.aladdin.st Förr kom Polisen till dagis o var snäll, bjöd på karamel, nu e d risk för smäll
 Well, we will arrive to Sydney tomorrow morning and as I expect a few pictures to be taken I decided to split this page in to yet another page to save us some downloading time. So let's swing over to Aladdin's adventure in Sydney.
And if we're lucky we can start with yet some FUNKY  music from Skåne, so let's hurry to check it out...
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.
 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.
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Skånsk Hip Hop extravaganza.
music to enjoy. Of course, the volume has to be on full!
music from Skåne 
And I'm VERY satisfied with my third day on the EXTREME diet even though we had a set back with the boxing 
    
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