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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”
  Tuesday 18th of March 2014 and I woke up to a gloomy and grey day, chilly, but still possible to wear shorts. Way better than expected. Pilot will board us at 08:45 at Seki Saki Pilot station, hell, Seki Saki sounds like something you ask for at a Japanese Restaurant. We have a few hours to  the anchorage where we will stay until 16:00.
We started the pre transfer tests after breakfast, everything except the high level alarms that will be tested on the anchorage. I checked all the cargo valves and the line up before lunch as I'm planning for a power nap after lunch. Looks like it might be a long night. First jetty, only to discharge 3680 MT and then we will shift to another terminal to discharge the rest of our cargo. But I was surprised, the weather was very nice, well, gloomy and grey, but no need for any winter clothing.  Shorts and shirt was fine.
I was ready with the pre transfer checks 20 minutes before 12 and I went to the mess room. They were having soup and I was stopping to pester them a bit. Lunch at 12 o'clock but I was really hungry and when I saw the guys going to the kitchen for the main course I decided to join them. And if I can finish my lunch earlier I can be in bed earlier as I have planned for an afternoon nap. I skipped the soup and I went straight for the chicken curry and Biff a'la Lindström. There was a tray full of avocado so I was pretty full  when I left for my bed. And I was lucky, I managed to get an hour of sleep after lunch.
Pilot will board us at 15:45 and the action can start. On signing Captain and 2nd Engineer came on board at the anchorage and the off signers will leave when we leave Tokuyama. All high level alarms were tested before the Pilot came on board and I went to the bridge with the Pilot. The anchor was up just after 4 o'clock and we took off towards Idemitsu Kosan. There was a Mooring Master coming together with the Pilot  and we had 2 tug boats connected.
The sea was like an windmill pond and the sun tried to break through the clouds. A wee bit chilly on dec, but it was OK to be outside. And if we can get the sun to beat the clouds it would be very nice. But the sea water temperature sunk from 20°C to 14°C between Seki Saki Pilot station and  the anchorage. So the water is cooling down the area.
So I will not be sad when it is time to leave Japan behind. Singapore for order so we will hopefully leave the cold behind  Leaving the anchorage with a tug boat
 Approaching the Idemitsu Kosan Terminal
 Approaching the Idemitsu Kosan Terminal
 Cadet on the bridge wing
It took us an hour to get to the Idemitsu Kosan Terminal and we had all fast at jetty #5 just past  dinner time and I had time for a very quick dinner before I had my office full of Japanese people.
We started right away to take samples, they have to be sent for analyse and pass before we can start discharging. The Surveyors hardly made it out on deck, they came in to my office and they shook my hand. And I gave them a normal handshake and they started to scream in pain. - TOO HARD!! TOO HARD!!  - SORRY SORRY! I forgot myself, I use to do some SUMO wrestling
They got started with the sampling and the Loading Master, Superintendent and another Japanese  guy asked if I had dinner for them. I took them to the kitchen where the Cook was cleaning.
- Do we have dinner for my 3 new friends? I asked. They were happy when they came back to my office. The Pilot had a kind of string between his cap and shirt collar to prevent it from flying away with the wind. I asked the  Loading Master what they called it in Japanese. The Loading Master found one on the internet and he showed me the picture on his phone.
- Yes, that’s it! The Loading Master wrote it down for me in Japanese. I also asked him to write down alarm clock but that was the same in Japanese according to him. So no need for any  more Japanese. I handed the note to our 2nd Officer when he came to show off with his Japanese cash.
- This is what you have to buy on top of the other things on my shopping list. - AYE AYE MOTHERFOOCKER!!! 
- Don't disappoint me! I still have our 2 Danish Cadets going ashore in Tokyo fresh in mind  Ville, Valle & Viktor in the CCR
We started to discharge at 20:30 and we will be ready just after midnight and then we will have to wait for the Pilot until 07:45 tomorrow morning for shifting to the next jetty. +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 19th of March 2014 and we completed discharging 6 minutes after midnight. Paper work ready around 1 thirty and now we only wait for the Pilot so we can shift to the next jetty. Expected to shift at 8 o'clock in the morning so if I'm lucky I can get a few hours of sleep before that. My alarm went off at 7 and I was soon in my office where the Agent was waiting.
Paper work and then it was time to leave and I just had time for the quickest cuppa in the world. 2 slices of bread and cheese went down with the tea, but it was very quick. Departure 10 minutes past 8 o'clock and all fast at the next jetty an hour later.  Cadet taking positions
 Cadet taking positions
 Cadet taking positions
We started discharging at 11 thirty and we expect to leave Japan tomorrow afternoon. Maybe bound for Malaysia to load LSWR again. I finished the paper work and night orders and I was  off to bed as soon as I had had my lunch. I was dead tired and I felt asleep immediately. I had asked our 2nd Officer to call me at 2 thirty.
But it was 4 o'clock before I was out of bed and I was still tired. It looks like we will be ready to leave around 2 to 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Pilot booked for 14 thirty so the guys have a chance to go ashore. I sent my shopping list with the first group going ashore with the boat. They came back with foock all, a disappointment. Our 2nd Officer is going with the second boat and I told him that I had my hope in him now. - You are my best guy! I don't have much hope for the darn thing for my caps, but an alarm clock should be easy to find. And some EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil for my salad. We have olive oil onboard, but I doubt that it is EXTRA VIRGIN. This is some cheap shit they sell as TOP GRADE olive oil to the ships sending a hefty bill to Maersk for EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil. So I'm better off arranging my own TOP GRADE olive oil for   my salad. I'm really in to the salad thing by now and the only problem is that the plates are too small.
And the feta cheese or whatever it is are very good with the salad. Well, the guys went ashore and our 3rd Officer and I were busy stripping tanks during the evening and time passed very quickly. And I was in for yet another disappointment when the guys were back just after 10 o'clock in the evening. No alarm clock, no string for my cap. OK, I had not really expected them to find the string for my caps. Alarm clock was in Japanese only, except the big ones that I didn't want. But they found 2 bottles of EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil and I'm already looking forward to my salad tomorrow.  Jatuporn Prompan is deeply fearful of the possibility of civil war
I read Bangkok Post on line before going to bed, not any good news. Jatuporn Prompan is deeply fearful of the possibility of civil war and there doesn’t seem to be an end to it. The other day it was an oath taking ceremony and today it is civil war. Read full article HERE My friend spent a month on Sri Lanka in December instead of in Bangkok because of the protests. But as I told him: - Don't piss your pants! As long as you are with me there will be no problem! +++++++++++++++
Thursday 20th of March 2014 and I woke up an hour before my alarm was set to go off at 10 o'clock. If I start work earlier my rest hours will become red in the afternoon, something we want  to avoid.
I went for a cup of tea and I brought my bucket to the CCR to check out when we can expect to be ready here in Tokuyama. Looks like we will be ready around 3 o'clock and we can leave around 5 o'clock. Good, I can't wait to leave Tokuyama behind. Our 2nd Engineer and Captain will leave us today and they enjoyed their last lunch with us and it was soon time to leave the ship. They were waiting for the boat to bring them ashore and our 2nd Engineer was in the CCR for a few last hugs. The weather had turned bad and they could not board the boat from the ship so they had to go  ashore to get on board  the boat. The wind had picked up during the night, from looking like a mirror to choppy.
That worked better, the sea was a wee bit too choppy and they could not board from the sea side. So we gave them lee when boarding the service boat on the shore side. They got on board and they took off with some of our crew waving fare well. As soon as they were gone we rushed back inside the accommodation. It was a wee bit chilli in the wind. And there was a constant drizzle, but I can't complain, we have been very lucky with the  weather and no need for the winter clothes, not even today with the wind and drizzle.
We left Tokuyama 10 minutes past 5 o'clock in the afternoon and the wind have picked up and we expect a wind  force 7 to 8 during the night and tomorrow.
And I really don't have time for this, we have plenty to do on deck and wasting days with bad weather is nothing we want. I was ready with the ballast at 7 o'clock and I went to look at a movie with our 2nd Officer. We turned off the first movie after less than 10 minutes, and the second movie was stopped after 20 minutes' It was a real turkey and we could not stand any more, at least not today. - We see the rest tomorrow Well, I might have the time to Learn Thai with Mod and the Alif Silpachai videos and to read my Thai books. I have not had the time since we arrived to Tokuyama. +++++++++++++++
Friday 21st of March 2014 and I was pleasantly surprised when my alarm went off at 07:15. No rolling, we had expected rough weather. So we can inspect 5 P/S ballast tanks today and there is  a chance for us to complete all the remaining ballast tanks before arrival to Malaysia. Looks like we will load LSWR at Kerteh SBM for a STS (Ship to Ship) operation with the Thai ship Amity Star outside Singapore.
And there is plenty more stuff to do so we need all the good weather we can get. I had my tea and 2 slices of bread with cheese before I went to my office to make work permits and risk assessments. We started in ballast tank 5 Port, gas measuring and it was clear to enter. Of course, the guys had  started the forced ventilation at 6 o'clock to avoid wasting any time. We were back up on deck in time for the coffee break. Well, no coffee break for our hero.
He had to prepare for entry in to ballast tank 5 port. So when the guys were ready with their coffee drinking we entered the tank. I went down with our Pump Man and we had one AB as guard at the hatch. We completed 2 tanks before lunch and we will inspect two more tanks tomorrow. But first I will have to do the job taking long time. I fill ballast tanks 5P/S and then I will have to pump out the water from ballast tank 6P/S. And as we will inspect ballast tank #4 tomorrow I will have to  start the day by pumping out that ballast.
And then of course refill them when we're ready and this will take a few hours. Same today, it was 16:40 before I was ready with the ballast pumping and I had to spend the time around the CCR the whole time. Not exactly any problem as I  have my entertainment center in the CCR.
And I filled up my inspection reports so it wasn't a total waste of time pumping ballast. Of course, no coffee break and lunch so I took the opportunity to take my constitutional  Walking on the port side only as we had quite strong and cold wind coming in from Starboard side. Salad and constitutionals and I will soon look good. 
 Our Pump Man maintain our IG valves
 Our Pump Man maintain our IG valves
 Our Pump Man maintain our IG valves
I had expected this day to be a completely waste of time, ballast tank inspections and pumping  ballast. But it turned out to be quite a productive day, at least for the crew. I have a long work list on my whiteboard and I was able to remove many of the items, totally unexpected. So I was in quite a good mood when I went to my cabin to enjoy a cup of tea 20 minutes before 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
+++++++++++++++
Saturday 22nd of March 2014 and it was, well, not gorgeous weather. But it was a beautiful morning and I started to discharge the ballast tanks 4P/S before going for breakfast. Sounds like  we have a Superman  on board, start work before breakfast. Always ready to kick an ass  or two. Well, sad to say, there is nothing Superman with our Hero.
The sad truth is that our Hero has the problem with his alarm clock and today the alarm didn't went off. Might be to some of the heavy rolling throwing my  alarm clock to the floor yesterday. So our Hero just made it in time to the CCR for to 08:00 “Good morning PEP” meeting.
I got the jobs we need to have done handed out to me boys and I started the ballast. Then I went to enjoy my 2 slices of black bread with cheese (and that's even though it is Saturday and I can eat pretty much what the foock I want) with my tea. So yes, I put a lot of hope to the “Best looking guy in town '14” diet. I was soon back in the CCR and we started to prepare for the tank entry. There is a lot of paper  work and I had one of the AB's to open the hatches.
I told Pump Man and the AB to have their coffee before 10 o'clock so we didn't had to waste any time waiting for people drinking coffee. Our Hero? He hasn’t had the time for a proper coffee break or lunch break since 1974. But that's never mind, we get the work done. We were ready with double bottom 4 port and starboard 10 minutes before 12 so there was time for a shower before the lunch  ระวังเสื้อสีแดงมาแล้ว
We had a fire and oil spill drill after the coffee break. Coffee break? Our hero was busy doing the tank inspection reports. I went down to the CCR just before 3 thirty and we could get started  with the fire drill.
Fire in the pump room and we demonstrated the use of the CO2 fire fighting equipment in the pump room. When we were ready I tried to get a picture of the crew with the foam monitor spraying water in the back. But they had the sun in the back, only way to take the picture and it didn't turn out very well. Better than nothing, but not good. The whole water spraying effect disappeared in the sun shine. Well, maybe next time and we can have the sun coming in from astern.  Ready with the fire drill
I brought the crew on tank deck for the oil spill drill. We used our oil spill pump and we also trained the crew in the use of our oil spill shovels. I had the crew to imagine taking up oil in to an empty drum with imaginary shovels. When the mastered the technique we were finished with the drill. And when we were ready I went to my cabin to make the drill reports.  COME ON GUYS!!!! The oil is not getting in to the drum by itself! USE YOUR SHOVELS!!!
 That's more like it! Not good, but more spirits than the first try
It was almost time for dinner when I had finished the reports, but I had time to read Bangkok Post online before leaving for dinner. More bad news: “Bomb blasts in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and  Chon Buri have raised the political temperature a day after the Constitution Court voided the Feb 2 election.
Anti-government protest leaders warned that pro-government red-shirts angered by the court ruling might seek to incite confrontations or violence.” Just what I want to come back home to, car bombs and grenade attacks, what are they turning FUNKY TOWN in to? Walking down Sukhumvit and you wake up dead after walking by a car bomb. And it can go very quick, the older people remember when Beirut was called  Paris of Middle East. At least vague, now most people are thinking about bombs and civil war when they hear Beirut and Lebanon and that's even though that was very long ago.
And it goes quick, the epithet “Paris of Middle East” was forgotten within very soon, will it be the same for Thailand? As I said, my friend spent a month on Sri Lanka and even though it wasn't dangerous in Bangkok you have to take precautions when you have 2 small babies. And who knows, this can turn in to a something very nasty in a blink of an eye. Group mentally, a group in whatever colour on their shirts coming down the street. They caught sight of a guy wearing a green hat. - What did our leader Kim Ill Långkalsong say? Yes, the green hats are dirty dogs and retarded Out comes the machete, killing dirty dogs cannot be all that bad. Yes, I hear you, it will never happen. But this is what they have always said and suddenly 1 million people slaughtered by machetes in Rwanda. A foocking bright future! Well, and I discovered that they are using www.aladdin.st as a reference on The Nation WEBLOG.  I don't know what it is, some kid of forum. And on a forum it doesn’t take long before they start throwing pie at each other. But how did www.aladdin.st end up in this? For sure nothing I have asked for. Read the full blog/ forum topic by clicking this LINK! If you can't see the link there should be a whistle when you move your pointer over the link. So just try word by word with your mouse pointer until you hear the whistle.
 Forum, could be a very good thing. I remember back in 2003 when I started to get SMS from something called THAIVISA.  - What the  is THAIVISA?
Turned out it was Sue that had enrolled me to this forum and I stopped these stupid SMS first thing, cancel the membership was not possible. But then I thought it could come in handy with the forum. Never know when you need to ask for something. So I started to read the forum, and generally, after two posts they start to throw pie at each other and I have never posted one single post after 11 years as a member. Imagine posting. Dear members! I'm going bald. Does anyone know where to buy hair on spray can? Best regards Aladdin If not the first answer so for sure in the second answer: • You know nothing about Thailand! • I'm a millionaire and you have nothing • Thailand and Thai people are good for nothing so you can't buy hair on spray can Yes, usually don't take long before they start to throw pie at each other and I stay out of it. +++++++++++++++
Sunday 23rd of March 2014 and I woke up around 5 o'clock in the morning. I managed to fall asleep again and I woke up again at 10 o'clock. I went to check out our Videotel computer to see if the update for our crane course was ready. It was and the crew will start taking this course in the afternoon. And when they are ready I will do the course as well.
 Our deck crew takes a Videotel vidoe course
 Our deck crew takes a Videotel video course
 Our deck crew takes a Videotel video course
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Monday 24th of March 2014 and the ship was rolling a wee bit we decided to skip the ballast tank inspection today. We also need to pressure test our cargo lines and we got started with this  first thing in the morning.
We filled up our cargo line with water from the residual tank. Problem to vent the air from the cargo line and thus it was impossible to get the required pressure with our hand pump. So we needed to use our fire pump to get the pressure we needed to pressure test the cargo line. Our Pump Man  needed to put a 6" reducer on the manifold and he asked He Man to help him.
We were rolling so we could not use the crane for the heavy stainless steel reducer. But with the help from our hero the reducer were soon on the manifold. The whole pressure test operation was completed just before 5 o'clock and I will have me boys to drain the lines tomorrow. +++++++++++++++
Tuesday 25th of March 2014 and we had finished our pressure test yesterday so draining and blowing the lines remained. We did this while I pumped out ballast from DB 1 S and DB 5 P so we  can start the inspection of the #1 ballast tanks.
We finished the first tank at 11:00 and I filled the tanks again. Now I had to empty 1 Port and 5 Stb so we could go down 1 Port tank. I finished everything 10 minutes before 5 o'clock. I decided to skip emptying DB  3. I called the Engineer and I told them that I was ready with the power pack.
Now we have 2 more double bottom tanks to inspect and we're ready. Safety meeting tomorrow so we will only have time for 1 tank tomorrow. Can't say that I was excited about my constitutional as my head phones are foocked. I usually bring a bag of headphones, but typically, when needed I had forgot them at  home. I was searching high and low for a pair of new headphones. Constitutional without  music is as fun as picking up doogy poo. And my diet can't take any cancelled constitutionals. Well, cannot say that I have had any real constitutional the last few days.
Not even time for a proper lunch or coffee break. Always in the tanks or pumping ballast. Now it looks like we will load in Singapore after discharging the cargo from Kerteh at the Malaysian STS area just outside Singapore. Singapore to Vietnam and we have to go up a River in FW so this promise to be exciting. But we see, anything can happen before that. +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 26th of March 2014 and we had retarded ship's time by an hour during the night so it was like sleeping 1 hour extra. I went to the bridge for an alco test first thing and then I was off to the CCR to pump out the water from ballast tanks 3 P/S. The last two tanks to be inspected.
We did 3 STB in the afternoon and we will save 3 Port until tomorrow morning, maybe it is a wee bit cooler in the morning. It was darn hot to climb around in the tank during the afternoon. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 27th of March 2014 and today it is time for the last tank to be inspected. But the first thing I did after the morning bucket of tea was to do a cargo plan for maximum departure draft  11m. And of course, we had to do risk assessment and work permit. The tank looked almost as new.
I had a gas detector training extravaganza with the guys at 11 o'clock and this took us until lunch time. We blew our cargo lines to check that we didn't have any blocked drop lines and then I made a few CAPs and paper work and suddenly it was dinner time. Salad and some sausages only. I have cut down my breakfast by 50%. One slice of
But will it be enough to cut down breakfast by 50% to obtain the V-shaped torso before going back home in a few weeks time? There isn't really any room to cut down more on the food. +++++++++++++++
Friday 28th of March 2014 and I spent the morning hours with our 3rd Officer and the fixed gas detection system. But we will have to continue tomorrow as we had a management meeting after the coffee break. We have started to prepare for the next vetting, but we will be very busy the  next week. Loading and discharging and then loading at the discharge port and 2 or 3 hours to Singapore to discharge.
My Review Man idea have backfired a wee bit, now I get e-mails from people asking all kinds of questions. And I'm very busy. +++++++++++++++
Saturday 29th of March 2014 and we were staring the day with work permits and risk assessment. I decided to go down the pump room to try to change our hydro carbon gas detectors yesterday. So we spent the time until lunch in the pump room. It was nice to get out of the pump room around 10  o'clock, it was like a sauna. But the other guys had to get back down to the pump room to calibrate the sensors. I was in the CCR checking the gas values  while enjoying the AC.
We were 30 minutes late for lunch, but in a good mood after having changed the gas sensors. Afternoon and I will do a vapour tightness certificate and we have pressurised our tanks with the IG gas during the morning. 16:30 and the vapour tightness had passed and I made a certificate. I went to the bridge to see how it went for our AB painting there. I ran in to two guys at the  pool. The company are down on  the knees and they are just laying around doing nothing.
I was in my cabin uploading the picture of our heroes’ sun bathing when our 2nd Officer came in to  my cabin. He saw the picture and he got upset.
- You can't upload that! The girls will go crazy! - Dream on! - This is exactly the reason why I had to leave home. Always asking for extensions of my contract because of this problem +++++++++++++++
Sunday 30th of March 2014 and I woke up at 9 o'clock. We launched our MOB boat after the coffee break and when we were ready our Inspector from Maersk started to check out the ship. He came on board at 10 o'clock and he will be on board until we're leaving Kerteh on Tuseday. So this will be fun and time will fly.
+++++++++++++++
Monday 31st of March 2014 and we were supposed to get to the SBM at 13:00, but no news until late afternoon. Pilot expected to be on board at 21:00 and now we have been up all day long and we're facing a long night. Anyone really believing that they take this rest hour regualtion serious?  Of course, it looks good. No work during the afternoon, but no sleeping either. It is not like you can sleep 24/7 waiting for the job to start.
I spoke with one Vetting Inspector about this and they were aware of the problem. The only way to do it is to ban all night work and the Vetting Inspector was talking about new rules, but we both thought that this would come to nothing. Maybe I get lucky after dinner and I can catch some sleep. 
No sleep, and Pilot was delayed until midnight so it will be 24 hours without sleep before I can go to bed. But this will be a problem for April 2014 as march has come to an end.
    
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