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  Wednesday 1st of February 2006 and February 2006 started as January ended, at  sea. Before continuing I just want to remind you of those in need. I hope that you joined www.greenpeace.org and www.amnesty.org last month.
You still have the chance to join  Greenpeace and Amnesty now. They need every cent they can get. It's as simple as visiting their web pages and join. You only need your credit card number and expiry date. I did it and it took me 23 seconds.
Well, I spent my morning watch listening to music and drinking tea. I  opened my last package of “ Fitness ” bread.
We're soon arriving to Jebel Ali and it will be nice and I really hope I can go ashore to replenish. I'm also afraid to arrive. I'm afraid that we will get
I can do like one Captain I was working with: He called the company and complained about one in the crew eating too much nutella®. - It's no good to have him onboard eating nutella® all the time. - We will keep him. He's very cheap for the company. He was pissing and moaning about this guy eating nutella® all the time. So I was more than a little chocked when I found out that the Captain had been eating so much nutella® that we had to lift him ashore with our crane on deck. Yeah - yeah, I will be very careful with that nutella®. I really hope that I can avoid the mess room. That's one of the reasons that I'm not going there now. I'm training and when we have the nutella® I'm used not to go there. HEY! If I'm not in the mess room I will never notice when we get the nutella® onboard. That's how I operate.  Hmm, maybe I should call the company and ask them to fire our Steward. Let's face it, it's him putting the darn thing on the table. Maybe we can sack our Cook as well. He's ordering the stuff. I think a saw one of the ABs carry the things to the store and darn! Bosun operated the  provision crane.  Yeah!! Let's sack them all. It's their fault that I'm looking like an antiaircraft balloon.
Hmm, the more I scream the bigger chance that no one will notice that I eat all the nutella® myself. Even better, I will say that everyone else eats nutella® and looks like antiaircraft balloons. No one will ever suspect that I eat nutella® in my cabin when no one sees me. My own shortcomings will never been discovered. When someone opens the mouth I will just babbling on and on. - This useless guy eating nutella® every day. - We don't want people that eats nutella® onboard. It's very hard to get rid of them. Hmm, nutella®, I really don't need it. My t-shirt fits me very nice now, well, don't misunderstand me. I'm not ready for any Mr. WET T-shirt contest. Not yet! But I'm ready to relieve Chief Officer for his dinner and then I will be on deck kicking behinds in my jogging shoes. I'm back tomorrow. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 2nd of February 2006 and I woke up in cold sweat after dreaming of the Mr. WET
T-shirt contest. I can imagine the ghastliness. I bet my money on the “Sveriges Tjockaste  Hip Hoppare 2005 ” award.
When I came on my morning watch we were in Gulf of Oman. At 23:41 yesterday I reached Ra's al Hadd TSS and changed from 007° to 000°. I relieved Chief Officer on a course of 320° taking us to the TSS off Ra's al Kuh in Iran. This TSS was implemented at 00:00 UTC 1st of December 2004. Very help full, before it was anarchy off Ra's al Kuh with all ships entering and leaving Strait of Hormuz. I would love to have a map here, but this side is already blown out of proportions. Up till now 171 pictures and before I'm going to my night watch it will be 173 pictures. I prepared 2 pictures, 1 with 2nd Officer and Motorman and 1 of our Steward handing me some pumpernickel. But more about this later. Yeah, back in 2006, I uploaded all pictures I took on board again in April 2014  Picture # 173 back in 2006
 Picture # 620 in 2014
Captain came to the bridge for his tea at 10 o'clock. We had a chat and I asked him if he knew what pumpernickel means. (We already know because we read about it on www.aladdin.st). - No, I have no idea, he said. I uncovered the story for him and he was impressed. - How do you know all this stuff? - Nationalencyklopedin, I answered. - Pumpernickel means a farting Santa Claus, he said. I thought it was a very good explanation so I had to go back and make some changes in my INFO BOX above. And talking about going back. I'm writing on and on and no pictures for a long time. I opened my picture folder and prepared a picture (#174) of Captain and Chief Officer when I came for my morning watch this morning.  Picture # 174 back in 2006
Picture # 621 in 2014
Ok Ok back to the story, after my watch I did a little paper work and I played a little on the computer in the deck office. There is a game called Clickomania and it's very addictive When I relieved Chief Officer for his dinner 2nd Officer was on the bridge. We talked about this and that and I told them that I would try to take a TAXI to Dubai tomorrow afternoon. - I will check if my salary is on the account, I said.  They were both screaming and crying in laughter
- I will see tomorrow, I said. - Yeah-yeah blah-blah
They went down for dinner and our 3rd Engineer came on the bridge. He just got  e-mail from the company that his reliever can't come until the Suez Canal. Impressive!
Yesterday they told the rest of the crew that they could not sign off in the Suez Canal because lack of time or something. They have to wait until Algeciras. Today it's OK for 3rd Engineer to sign off. Yeah, I think he has to stay until Algeciras as well. When Chief Officer came back on the bridge I went down to the galley and I found our Steward. I asked for some pumpernickel for my night watch and breakfast tomorrow. Well, it’s soon time for my night watch and it’s over and out for this time. If I can get ashore tomorrow you will be able to see this in a few hours. Otherwise we have to wait until Algeciras in Spain. Anyway, if you can see this you still have a new update to look forward to when we arrive to Spain.
Life is beautiful! Yeah yeah, uploading my web page will be something to think about tomorrow. Tonight we're busy kicking behinds in the Persian Gulf. I came on my night watch about 8 NM South of the TSS in the Strait of Hormuz. It was dark and the horizon was full of lights from ships, fishing boats and from as what Captain said, smugglers.  Well, I made my tea and I ate some pumpernickel and I enjoyed the night. I like it a little busy and time turns quick.
First we changed course to West and then a couple of changes to a SW course. We had to give way for all the tankers that were leaving the Persian Gulf and thus coming from my starboard side. There were an incredible Sea-fire (Marine phosphorescence) and I asked the AB on my
 Sea-fire (Marine phosphorescence)
 Sea-fire (Marine phosphorescence)
The green and red lights are from our reefer containers
Well, surprisingly  enough it was nice to go off my watch at midnight.
 +++++++++++++++
Friday 3rd of February 2006 and I was called for at 05:00. Ugh! My favourite time of the day. We were about to arrive to Jebel Ali. I'm happy that it's hot outside and not -10°C as in
 Sweden. Go out on deck in -10°C 5 o'clock in the morning is not what I wish for. At 06:00 we had all fast and at 06:20 we started to discharge.
I had planned to go ashore with Assistant electrician after 12 o'clock. Turned out that he would be busy with reefer containers and he had no time in the afternoon. So he had to leave at 9 o'clock in the morning. He was soon back very disappointed. - All shops are closed and don't open until 5 o'clock, he said. He had been at the computer street to buy a laptop but all the shops had been closed. Come back at 5, they had all said to him. I had asked one of the stevedores and he said that they will open  at 2 in the afternoon. I decided to give it a try and at 12:05 I was on the gangway fresh out of the shower and with a shopping list from the crew.
 Walking towards the gate through Jebel Ali container terminal
I waited at the gate for about 40 minutes for a TAXI to come by. I asked the guard about a TAXI. - You have to ask over there, he said and pointed at a tree 50 meters away. Well, after checking the area around the tree I went back to the guard.
Well, I realized that if I should manage to get to Dubai and back before 16:00 I had to kick some behind. I hijacked a car and we got to the main gate. I went to the Immigration office and gave them my passport and seaman's book. - Your picture! 
Typical, I had forgotten my passport pictures in my cabin. They told me that there was a photo machine in the next building. I found the machine but I didn't have any  Scooby dollars.
10 of these Scooby dollars were needed. I was looking for people but not a cat in sight. I went to a cantina and I changed some money. - Do you need coins or bills? - Hmm, machine? Coins? Hmm, give me 10 Scooby coins, I said.
Back at the machine I found out that bills were the only payment accepted, unfolded. Back to the  cantina and after much trouble I got my pictures. I had wasted all my local currency on the pictures and they didn't come out as I had been hoping for.
I ripped of one picture and I went to the gate and I was really hoping that they would accept the poor quality of the pictures. They looked at the pictures, and I'm pretty sure they had never been introduced to a picture of this quality before. At least not as an ID. My picture was approved and I foocked off out of there. Finally, more than 1 hour after I had left the ship I was in a TAXI on the way to Dubai. It was almost a construction site all the way from Jebel Ali to Dubai.  Leaving Jebel Ali container terminal and it is just desert
 Approaching Dubai and it is a big construction site
 Approaching Dubai and it is a big construction site
 Approaching Dubai and it is a big construction site
 Indoor skiing
  Outskirts of Dubai
 Amazing how much they are building
And as I upload these pictures 2014 we have the final result of all this construction. Dubai almost went bankrupt and Abu Dabi had to step in with money Skyscrapers coming up everywhere. We passed 1 sign were they promised 1 Jaguar with every apartment. So obviously it's not that easy to sell the condos. Hell, give me 2 Jaguars and the condo for free, I would still not want to live there. We arrived to City Center Shopping Center at 14:50. This was the only place open according to my driver. But there were plenty shops and I managed to find everything except a GPS dongle for the Chief Engineers laptop. I had to run around because I had to be back onboard at 16:00. I had planned to go back at 15:00 or just after and at 14:50 I went to the Carrefour on the 2nd floor. So I already knew that I would be a wee bit lat I grabbed a shopping cart (big size) and I started to ask for the bread section. - We don't have black bread, they told me. I was in a bad mood, at least to say disappointed. I did not even hope to find  linseed. I went to the oatmeal section, 15kg should last for a few days. I saw one of the personnel and by chance I asked for pumpernickel.
He showed me to the health section (Bread section? Stupid me) and I filled my shopping cart with pumpernickel.  The guy could not believe his eyes when I took all the pumpernickel.
- We will get more on Monday, he said. I could not believe my luck. Next to the pumpernickel there were bags of linseed. I took what they had, 5-6kg and now the  Carrefour guy were about to faint. But how could he know that I was preparing myself for the Mr. WET T-shirt contest the SUMMER  of 2006. 
When I came back onboard at 15:55 they could not believe their eyes either. - What the h••l?! But we old-timers on www.aladdin.st remember when I used to carry all the linseeds and diet powder between the ships.  But it was good exercise, all that carry around things.
When I came back they were about to launch our rescue boat. Our draft mark needed to be painted and they took the opportunity to do it in Jebel Ali before arriving to Ad Dammam where they had complained about our draft mark last time.  Launch the MOB boat to paint draft marks
 Launch the MOB boat to paint draft marks
 Painting the draft marks
Well, we left Jebel Ali at 21:18 and at 24:00 I was off to my cabin. +++++++++++++++
Saturday 4th of February 2006 and we arrived to Ad Dammam, Saudi Arabia at 16:00. Last time here our agent saw our whiteboard were it said “No shore leave”.
- Don't you like Saudi Arabia? He asked. This time I asked about shore leave and Ad Dammam. - We have a big shopping center, he said. Just what I need, an internet place. Last time in Dubai I noticed that I could not see any pictures on my page. I also got an e-mail from J “50-skylten” Andersson that he could not see any pictures  on my page.
I will see if I can come ashore tomorrow afternoon and solve the problem. No one here has ever been ashore in Saudi Arabia before. It has been prohibited to go ashore before. But by now we're used to breaking new grounds on www.aladdin.st. Wish me good luck tomorrow and if you can see the pictures you know that I managed to fix the problem. Well, anyway, it was nice to go off my watch at midnight after a full day of action. It started in the morning at 11:17 in the eastern approach channel to Ad Dammam. At 10:34 I changed course from 325°, to 277° to pass south of Hayr Abu ath Thamah. I was quickly closing in on one ship ahead of me. She was doing 9 knots and the course varied between 168° and 173° 
My next course was to SW and I didn't want to overtake her on her portside leaving me between the Hayr Abu Amamah shoal and this ship. I decided to overtake her on her starboard side and that gave me the option to turn around to starboard and leave Persian Gulf in a jiff if the need should arose. CPA varied between 0,6 and 0,8 depending on her course and I was almost next to her when we started to swing to port. I forgot all about listening to music and dreaming about home. I threw myself over the emergency override and put her hard to starboard. I looked at the rudder indicator, nothing happened.
 !!!!
I jumped over the control panel and I was at our remote control for the steering engines in 1, 5 seconds. ( I knew that my healthy lifestyle would pay off one of those days)I turned both of them off and then on. There was no alarm on any of them at this time so I started both of them, no time to check which was running or not. I jumped back (Now I wished the Doctor and the nurse that forced me on the training bike in Hamburg back in February 2005 had seen Super Swede® flying through the air)to the emergency steering tiller and hard to starboard again. Fåck!! Nothing happened again. - This is not happening, I thought. I saw this ship coming closer and closer and within 20 seconds we would have hit the ship. - It's the emergency tiller that is not working, I thought. I stopped the engine and I switched over to hand steering and now it was too late for hard to starboard. I put hard to port and the rudder worked and I got hard to port and we passed just aft of her. We missed the ship with, yeah, not many meters. I called Captain and he came to the bridge. I explained what happened and we found out that steering engine #2 was not working. It just worked to port and not to starboard. Even when running 2 steering engines the steering didn't work because #2 blocked the steering. +++++++++++++++
Sunday 5th of February 2006 and I was called for at 05:40. I can't say that I was happy to go on  my watch. But we used 2 cranes and the cargo operation was going in a nice rate. 2 cranes and it's no problem follow what's happening. When they use 4 cranes you have to run around like a track horse.
At 1145 our Agent came onboard and I gave him my passport, seaman's book and a picture so he could arrange a shore pass. I was in a hurry, shore leaves expired at 1600 and ETD was 1800. He came back with the stuff at 14:15 and said that it would take another 30 minutes to get the shore pass. - Never mind. Now it's too late, I said and went to bed. At 18:20 we completed loading and pilot ordered for 19:00. Pilot arrived just after 8 o'clock and we left Ad Dammam at 20:48. +++++++++++++++
Monday 6th of February 2006 and I brought my camera to the bridge. I don't want to miss any good pictures any more. I was relieved by 2nd Officer at midnight yesterday and he caught sight of my bag with linseed. I wish I could have a picture of his face when he discovered the linseed.
- What the BIP! Is that? He asked. - Linseeds, I answered. - Looks like bird food, he said. He tried some and, well, he wasn't impressed. AB on the 12 - 4 watch tried some as well. Hmm, I think they will leave my linseeds alone. No risk of coming to the bridge finding that someone has  been eating all my linseeds.
Well , I saw plenty dolphins on the way to Jebel Ali. They were jumping up and down in the water, but the only thing I managed to catch with my camera was water splash. Luckily enough we passed a fishing boat that I took a picture of. So now you know that I'm looking in the bottom of the crate for pictures. After the setback with my shore leave in Saudi Arabia there hasn't happened very much exciting things onboard to take pictures of. But I think you understand that it will be hard to beat the picture of the Sea-fire (Marine phosphorescence). I admit that the fishing boat is a long shot, but I'm desperate. At 10:50 I started to call Jebel Ali Port Control on CH 69. There was an unbelievable babble on the VHF. People screaming hello, rrr. aribarri and stuff like that. - If listening to the stuff makes you mad after 4 hours, imagine screaming arri barri in the VHF for 4 hours, I told Captain. - I'm getting crazy just after 17 seconds of demonstrating it for you, I continued. At 11:00 Jebel Ali Port answered. - Call me back 1 hour before ETA, they said. At 12 o'clock they asked us to drop anchor. -Pilot will board you at 18:00. When I came to relieve Chief Officer for his dinner at 17:30 we were still anchored and  no sign of us going to the pilot station. Captain was on the bridge telling us stories from the good old days.
The crew was fishing on the poop deck and it was a very nice evening. If we are delayed until tomorrow morning I will have the chance to go ashore and upload my web page and to see if I can fix the problem with the missing pictures. Yeah - yeah, we now the story by now. If you can read this you know I have been ashore. Otherwise it's until Algeciras in Spain. In Spain I can send and receive e-mails from my ordinary e-mail address as well. I have not been able to read my e-mails since New Year’s Eve so the inbox must be full of SPAM by now. Last time in Jebel Ali we passed a Tony Roma’s  on the way back to the ship and I wished I had an extra hour. I took J “50-skylten” Andersson to a Tony Roma’s and he loved it.
- When Aladdin recommends a place you just know that the food is good, he said. He told me that his friend loved Japanese foods and J “50-skylten” Andersson remembered my   recommendation of Koto in Gothenburg, the best Japanese restaurant in the world.
Well, J “50-skylten” Andersson sent his friends there and  they were impressed by the place. So next time in Gothenburg visit KOTO at Viktoriagatan.
Hmm, now I got hungry and I will have to eat pumpernickel before my night watch. I really hope I can go ashore tomorrow afternoon so if we stayed another 12 hours on the anchorage would be very nice. But saving money is not bad either, but I'm a little concerned about the pictures on my web page and I would sleep better if I knew it worked the way it should. Well, at 19:30 I heard that they started our main engine so I guess that we're going inside. I'm out of here! We were underway when I came to the bridge at 19:45. Pilot should board us between buoy #2 & 3 and we were stopped waiting for the pilot. At 20:25 the pilot came onboard and we had all fast around 21:45 something. At 21:55 the stevedores started to take off the lashings from the containers. +++++++++++++++
Tuesday 7th of February 2006 and loading operation were in full swing when I came on my morning watch. We loaded with 3 cranes and we expected to be ready around lunch time.
It was my first watch with the new AB on my watch. We got 2 new ABs and 1 new Motorman onboard just after midnight and the off signers left just after 9 o'clock in the morning. They were taken to a hotel by the agent and their flight is leaving Dubai 03:00 at the 8th of February. That gives them some time for disco.  I'm sure they won't have any problem killing the time in Dubai. I remember last time I signed off in Dubai. I got so motion sick from the ride to the hotel that  I had to go to bed before 8 o'clock in the evening and I felt like a battle ground when I woke up at 4 o'clock in the morning.
We completed cargo operation at 12:35 and we left Jebel Ali at 13:18. Next stop Algeciras, Spain and that is a few days via the Suez Canal. I relieved Chief Officer for his dinner. - Do you need anything from the slop chest? He asked. - No no, that's a “NO GO AREA” for me, I answered. - I'm going to have two tubes of Pringles®, he said. - Well, maybe some Pringles®, I said. At the slop chest I took two tubes of Pringles®. 0% trans fat it said on the container. What the BIP does that mean? I'm sure there are 0% fat from strawberries as well. Well, it would have been a waste of time to go to the slop chest only buying two tubes of Pringles® so I bought two Ritter white chocolate as well. I finished all the Pringles® before my night watch and I felt terrible when I came on the bridge. It reminded me of a Captain I was working with. He was sitting on my watches complaining about one of the crew members eating Pringles®. - I don't like that he eats Pringles®, he said. - Any normal person eating Pringles® like that would be ashamed and give their own notice, he said. - They should give their own notice, that's what I should have done if I were eating Pringles® like  that, he continued.
One day I passed one of the crew cabins. Door was open as usually on Swedish ships. It was dark inside and I just passed. - What the ...??!! I went back and I could perceive Captain in the dark. - What the BIP are you doing in there? I asked - Oh, I'm checking the new carpet. Well, he was searching for Pringles® because we had impounded his keys to the Pringles® store. Believe me when I say that I was chocked. After sitting listening to all complains about the crew  eating Pringles® we were very surprised finding him on the floor after all the Pringles he had had. We had to lift him ashore because of all the Pringles.
+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 8th of February 2006 and The Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea were like a mirror when I came on my morning watch. Haze and sunshine it the normal weather here. I steered 140° towards Ra's al Hadd TSS and nothing much happened during the morning. 10 minutes before I got of my watch I approached some small fishing boats.
Already from a great distance I could see the sea boiling between the boats and fishes jumping up and down, splashing in the water. When I came closer I could see that it was dolphins jumping in the water. The other day I told Captain that we never saw any dolphins. A few years ago we always saw plenty dolphins. This trip I have only seen a few and on the way to UAE 2nd Officer told me that he had seen dolphins in the afternoon. - Who cares? I would have said a few years ago. Today it's a big deal. Now you only see a few dolphins and back in the days they came in big shoals. I was lucky to have my camera with me on my watch, finally it paid off. I have never seen  so many dolphins before. There must have been at least 100 dolphins playing around steeling fish from the fishermen.
It's nice with a digital camera. I just took picture after picture and I managed to get some good ones. Most of them I threw away, but I kept a few that I liked.  Dolphins outside Oman
 Dolphins outside Oman
 Dolphins outside Oman
 Dolphins outside Oman
 Dolphins outside Oman
 Dolphins outside Oman
 Dolphins outside Oman
Well, nice to be back at sea and old routines again. During the evening I had my constitutional on  deck and it felt good. I still have a little agony from yesterday. But now it's no more chocolate and chips.
When I relieved Chief Officer at 20:00 NE of Ra's al Ya on the island Mastrah in Oman, he had just changed course to 215° from 197°. I made myself a pot of Earl Grey tea and I were munching on pumpernickel and drinking tea while chatting with Captain. He told me that 3rd Engineer is going home in the Suez Canal. Hmm, they change every day now.
During my night watch it was the same idiots going on on the VHF radio. This must be the best, sorry, cheapest people they could find to run their ships. “ Banana Port Control ”, “ Banana Radio ”, “ Pilipino Monkey ”, “ Indian Monkey ”, “ Russian a-hole ” and all the other bull they came up with. I was sitting on the bridge thinking that it must be horrible for their wives and children. Imagine being dependant of a guy screaming “Banana monkey” in a radio hour after hour. Then I realized that I'm the one that should be scared. I have to compete with this people. I'm looking for a job in a shipping company: - Do you want salary? They ask me. - We have one guy working for a bag of peanuts already, they say. When I got off my watch at midnight we had 1 hour 20 minutes to go until Ra's al Madrakah where we will change course to 221° and we will keep 221° until Jazur al Halaniyat or in English: Kuria Muria Islands. It will be nice with some sleep after a day full of action. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 9th of February 2006 and we had gorgeous weather when I came on my morning watch. We steered 241° towards Ra's Fartak in Yemen. From there its 250° in to the Gulf of Aden. We had about 2 hours to go when I came on my watch.
Plenty time to enjoy tea and a few bananas in the nice weather while the crew was working on deck. Today they are working with the #2 crane and I could not help taking a picture. I went out on the bridge wing and I took a nice picture of the action. Action pictures like this keeps my visitor coming back to www.aladdin.st for more action.  Working in the crane
 Working in the crane
Around 09:30 I saw some splashing on my starboard bow and I grabbed the binocular. There were whales jumping in the water. There were many of them and I called Chief Engineer and Captain. (The only two having time to watch the scenery) But when we came closer they got scared and while we passed the whales they didn't jump and splash. But I managed to get a picture of them when we had passed them. Now we had many pictures with fishes but after the disappointment with the missing pictures on www.aladdin.st I will throw in the picture of the jumping whales as an extra bonus.  Well, we have grown tired of poor and blurred photos of different fishes by now. I managed to get almost 2 hours of walking on deck before my night watch. Tonight we retard ships time by 1 hour and that means that I will have 5 hours on the bridge. I managed to have a hot shower and a diet drink (Where is my sponsor deal?) before my watch. I installed our Kockum's cargo program on my laptop while drinking my diet drink. Now I can sit in my cabin and familiarise myself with the program. I got e-mail from my friend saying that he could not enter my web page. First the  lost pictures and now this.  Hmm, did I pay my bill? I have to launch an investigation at arrival to Spain.
Well, I will never have to launch an investigation on where my linseeds disappear. The other day when I came on my watch I found 3 linseeds in the sink on the bridge. - Strange, I thought for myself. But on the night watch I caught the AB in the dark. Something triggered the motion sensor on the surveillance camera and there he was eating linseeds. We reached Ra's Fartak in Yemen at 22:35, our new ships time. I changed course to 250° towards Aden. My watchman was busy eating linseed on the bridge.  Our Steward on the bridge making a phone call
 My watchman
 My watchman eating linseeds like there is no tomorrow
 My watchman eating linseeds like there is no tomorrow
 My watchman eating linseeds like there is no tomorrow
Who would have thought that the linseeds should be so popular. On other ships they don't bother to try the “bird food” But the crew were hungry, something happened when the other Captain signed off, suddenly no food and the crew were hungry. +++++++++++++++
Friday 10th of February 2006 and it was nice weather when I came on my morning watch. We were just East of Ra's al Kalb and South of Ash Shihr Terminal in Yemen. I remember when we  loaded crude oil for Korea at Ash Shihr Terminal.
I made some tea and I enjoyed the weather. At 10 o'clock I made myself a Linseed Surprise® and Captain came for tea at the same time. This time I caught his reaction with my camera. He starred at my Linseed Surprise. It was the first time he had seen such a temptation
- Do you want to try? I asked. Well, later on I found out that they will open the slop chest today. Hmm, should I buy some Pringles® and chocolate or should I go for my walk on deck? I will ask Chief Officer when I relieve him for dinner. I do whatever he says and I don't need to have any agony.
I also found out that Linseed is linseed and not Lint seeds  as I have spelled it until now.  Hmm,  where did I get Lint seed from? Also strange that there had
 I'm off to relieve Chief Officer and you will soon know what the decision  will be regarding walking on deck or Pringles®. You can make a bet with someone just to make it a little more exciting.
Yeah, Chief Officer told me it was better to take the walk on deck to lose some weight. When he came back from dinner I asked again just to make sure. Maybe he had changed his mind and I could have gone to eat chips instead of the stupid constitutional 
- Yeah, it's Friday. Weekend and relaxing with chips is good. Hmm, luckily enough I have  self discipline. So when I came down I went out on deck for almost 90 minutes of walking.
 +++++++++++++++
Saturday 11th of February 2006 and it was blowing force 5 from South when I came on my morning watch. We had passed Strait of Bab el Mandeb during the morning and we were in the Red Sea.
I had time for 2 cups of tea before reaching Abu 'Ali Islands and it was time to change course from 346° to 320°. I kept 320° during my watch and when I got of my watch we had about 25 minutes to go until next course change at Jaza 'Ir az Zubayr.  Abu 'Ali Islands and a MÆRSK container vessel is South bound in the Abu 'Ali Channel
When I came down in the mess room at lunch there were my new uniform from the company. White shirts (long sleeve and short sleeve) and black trousers. - What if the cloths are too big? I asked Captain - Then you have to stop your diet. - Do's it mean that I have to stay in the company for 20 years if I accept the clothes? +++++++++++++++
Sunday 12th of February 2006 and I started my day as usually with tea and black bread on the bridge. Now it was blowing from the north and it was a little gloomy and grey.
Yeah, now I can't keep my mouth shut any longer. This is the worst crew I have ever been working with. I'm coming onboard teaching them how to load and discharge the containers, and how are they thanking me? Destroying my diet with nutella®! Yeah, believe it or not. But after my watch I went to the mess room and I ate lunch for the first time in a long time. I finished the lunch with nutella®. This crew is good for nothing, they should have confiscated the nutella® jar preventing me from eating the darn thing. I skipped my evening walk (I really can't wait for them to send home the crew) and I had a terrible agony. But I'm not to blame and that made the burden a little easier to carry. I was reading in the newspaper that we got in Saudi Arabia and I saw an ad from Nestle  where they confirm that Nestle isn't from Denmark.
What is the world coming to? I read in The Sea, issue 179 Jan/Feb 2006. The sea is published by The Mission to Seafarers 4 Filipino sailors have been marooned aboard a ship outside Bahrain since March 2005!!! The 36 year old tug “Audrey” is caught up in a financial dispute between the owner and a chartered and are stuck at the anchorage 2 km offshore. Local authorities refuse to let the vessel come in to port. The sailors are living without air-conditioning in scorching temperatures with little food and fuel. The crew is afraid of leaving the ship because they fear that they will never get paid. Back wages are reported to be 17000 US$. That's a lot of money when your family is hungry. Families are sitting home waiting for their husbands and fathers to come home. And they are waiting for money for food.   I would like to read in the newspaper that there had been a crowd burning down the tug owner's office. I also would like to read that they had confiscated all the properties of the tug owner.
A dream come through would be to read that the tug owner is sitting alone on the tug waiting for the dispute to end. Needless to say, without A/C and food. And I would not mind reading that the tug owner had received a “jolly” good beating. 
I would like to see ads in the newspaper were Nestle and an all other companies dissociate them  from companies like the tug owner. Nestle as one of the biggest companies in the world could have ads in the newspaper were its stated that:
All people employed by Nestles can read and write and they are not hungry when they go to bed at night I would like to see big shoe manufacturer promises that all their employees are working in human conditions. Companies promising in ads in the news paper that they take care of the environment. Well, it's better that the people are protesting against a far away country than running the streets demanding democracy and food on the table. The world would look different for sure. I spent the night watch eating linseeds with the AB. I usually put the seeds in water and swallows them without tasting them. But the AB ate them like snacks and I picked up the idea. Now we are eating linseeds like peanuts. +++++++++++++++
Monday 13th of February 2006 and we were about 3 hours SE of Gulf of Suez when I came on my morning watch. At 1104 I changed course to 310° and entered Gulf of Suez and Strait of Gubal.
Two of our ABs had washed the bridge deck during the morning and I took a picture of them. They signed on in Jebel Ali and the AB on my watch speaks very good English. He will also change watch to 12 - 4 watch in Algeciras when I change to the 12 - 4 watch. 12 - 4 watch is the best watch, we can go ashore in the evening. Especially in Jebel Ali and in Dammam when everything is closed in the afternoon but open until 23:00. So this watch is perfect for us. In Brazil we can take an evening stroll in the city looking at all the people.  Washing the windows
 Washing the windows
After my watch 3rd Engineer and I started our lifeboat, rescue boat, emergency generator and emergency fire pump. 3rd Engineer is our former 4th Engineer that has signed on as 3rd engineer. Our British 3rd Engineer signs off tonight at the arrival to Suez. We will get an Ship mechanics from Germany tonight. A ship mechanic is a multipurpose rating. This is something they tried with in Sweden some 20 years ago. A mixture of an AB and Motorman/ Fitter. We called Suez Port control 2 NM before passing #2 buoy and they gave us order to drop anchor at #15 anchorage at the outer anchorage. At 20:40 we dropped our anchor and we were just ready when we started to heave up the anchor again. At 21:30 the anchor was up and the pilot came onboard at the same time. At 22:16 we dropped anchor at anchorage #10A, the inner anchorage. Bosun and I were freezing like dogs when we dropped the anchorage. It was like winter and Bosun told me that he would bring his parkas tomorrow. +++++++++++++++
Tuesday 14th of February 2006 and we were still anchored at Bahr el Qulzum (Suez bay) when I  came on my morning watch. It was 16 - 17 ° when I came on my watch. Sunshine and no wind. Chief Officer told me that the pilot would be onboard at 09:30. We had place #11 in the second convoy.
- Good! I have time for tea. I enjoyed my tea and watched the small boat driving around trying to sell stuff to the anchored ships. Later on I told Captain that they could have done good business. Now they try to sell you old souvenirs and rubbish that no one wants to buy. They should sell DVD movies and magazines and they would be very busy selling stuff. Well, at 09:30 I went to the Fo'c's’le with our Bosun. It was time to heave up the anchor. Pilot came onboard at 09:45 and we left the anchorage for the Canal.  Floating market at Suez anchorage
 Waiting for the pilot
 Pilot boat is coming
 AB on the wheel
 Captain calling the kitchen
 Our Steward is bringing cokies
 Captain checking the provision - Will it last?
 The ferries are not allowed to operate anymore and they are anchored
The anchorage was full of ferries that were not allowed to operate. The Red Sea ferry Al-Salam Boccaccio 98 with more than 1300 passengers, mainly Egyptian workers returning home sank on route from Duba, Saudi Arabia and Safaga, Egypt 2nd of February. Some 300 passengers had been rescued and about 200 bodies recovered (In Arab News 4th of February 2005) the rest is missing. Hmm, we had just got underway when Captain asked for cookies. - No no! I thought. Not cookies on the bridge. He searched our drawer and he called our Steward to bring cookies for the bridge. - No cookies on the bridge, he said to me. - Yeah, the AB ate them all, I said. 
The AB had the hand steering and he started to laugh. - They are eating cookies like there are no tomorrow, I said. Our steward soon arrived to the scene with cookies and biscuits and Captain crossed the bridge in 2  steps. He opened the drawer and checked what our Steward had brought.
He ripped 2 strawberry cream something open immediately at sight. - What about some linseeds? I offered. - Not today thanks. I was happy for myself-discipline and I kept myself to the linseeds and diet drinks. Hmm, one of the strawberry cream something went down. - But it was a mistake. I really thought it was linseeds and when I discovered the mistake it was too late to do something about it. Well, that's life. Well, this time we got 2 pilots onboard and I asked them how long time the sentries are on duty. - Maybe 6 hours, they said. This can't be good for your brain. To sit, no, to stand looking out in the blue for hours. After 8 months there must have happened something to your brain. How do they expect these people to go back to a normal life after that.  Passing a Mosque in Suez
 Passing a Mosque in Suez
 Passing a military something
 Suez Canal
 A sentry along the Suez Canal
 A sentry along the Suez Canal
 Our bridge
 A sentry along the Suez Canal
 A sentry along the Suez Canal
 Passing more military stuff in the Suez Canal
 Passing more military stuff in the Suez Canal
 Calling for food
 Passing something in the desert
 Passing something in the desert
 2nd officer comes to relieve me on the bridge
Later on we passed 2 guys knocking on a concrete jetty with sledgehammers. - What the .....? I told Captain that this must be worse than guarding the sand. This is the same as trying to knock down Mount Everest with a sledgehammer. You will never live to see the end of it. It will take millions of years. What the BIP are you thinking when you're going to work in the morning? - YEAH!! Another 10 hours with the sledgehammer, Yippee! - I didn't drink any Danish milk this morning. I feel so good! After 10 hours a day for, not many years, you're ready to burn Embassies and stuff to get some excitement in your life. At 12 o'clock I went down to our mess room and I had some chicken soup. I asked AB on my watch to come to my cabin. - You wanted to see the videos from my camera? I asked. Bring your CDs with your music! He's buying a video camera and now he wants to see the video I take with my camera. Maybe he will  buy a ordinary camera instead.
- I will first go to the market, he said. After lunch we went down to our Suez cabin where the Suez crew stay during the transit. I had just arrived when Motorman came back with candelabra he had bought. It was falling apart right out of the box. I was not surprised. - Let's go to watch the video, the AB told me, here is nothing to buy. - I told you that 2 hours ago.  His new candelabra is falling to pieces
 This is the best stuff money can buy
 Market in the Suez Cabin
When I came to the bridge at 17:30 to relieve Chief Officer it was cold and rainy. I decided not to go for my walk on deck today and I went down to my cabin to write a few word on the web site. I didn't feel very good about it, but the weather left more than a little to wish for. Soon time to sign off and it will be spring. I called good 'ol “50-skylten” last Saturday. I asked him if he were ready to go to Funky Town when I signed off. - Don't you have a break from school in April? Last time we were in Funky Town representing the Skånska Hip Hop community he was mostly  interested in the internet.
Maybe a little scared to be far away from home. I don't know. - Come on now. They are waiting for us at the pub! I said. - I have to go to an internet cafe, he said. 
What the ....? I have internet. - But you're only disturbing me, he said. - Of course, I have to take action if I caught you on internet checking Division 47, Norra, Äppelknyckarbyxan IF's latest stand in the table while the party is in full swing, I said. Well, there are many MCs to battle but we see what happens. Well, I didn't have to battle our pilot when I came on my night watch. We had left our pilot in Port Said at 19:45 and I were happy to hear that when I came on the bridge. At 20:30 we started our sea passage and when Captain left the bridge at 21:00 we kept course 305° towards the TSS NW of Port Said. When we left Port Said the wind was increasing and it was blowing force 5 from NW and it was 13°C, not a very nice evening. I drank my tea and had a chat with the AB.  It had been yet another black day in the history of my eternal diet. Before Captain went down from the bridge I called him:
- HEY! Before you leave take a look at this, I said. I pulled out our drawer and he could not believe his eyes. 
- Yeah, the AB ate them all, I said. 
All of the sudden they were two against me and I burned more than a few calories trying to convince Captain that it was the AB and not me eating all the cookies. At 22:23 I changed course to 288° and we will keep that course for 2 and half days. It's about 11:50 miles to next waypoint. At midnight when we were relieved 2nd Officer opened the drawer and he stared in to the drawer - Where the BIP is the cookies? He just stood  there glaring in to the drawer like the glower would make cookies materialize. The only thing appearing was a bag of oatmeal.
He starred down the drawer and I told him: - Don't waste your time! You glower down that drawer won’t make any cookies materialize.  - Our AB ate them all. The good 'ol times when you thought about the rest of the crew is over!
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Wednesday 15th of February 2006 and it was 11°C when I came on my morning watch. Wind force 6-8 from NNW and it was almost like being in the North Sea.
Tonight we're going to retard ships time by one hour again and then we have Spanish time onboard. We also got the names of the new crew coming in Algeciras. We will change 6 crew members. 2nd Officer & Engineer, Electrician, Bosun, 1 AB and 1 Motorman. No Swedes among the new crew, but as the Captain said on my former ship: - Swedish crew is no good, its better with Filipinos, he said I were a little confused. No good, was this before or after he had had a living hell teaching the Swedish crew how to ballast the ship and how to navigate in ice.
I thought for myself, still confused. - Wasn't it a Swedish AB dropping the anchor for him not long ago? Hmm, maybe the Filipinos are using a special technique still not known to the Swedish when dropping the anchor. Then I must ask why he didn't teach them the technique when he teached them how to ballast the ship.  Or maybe, I say maybe it's the Pilipino shanty that he likes. I don't know, but maybe there is a whole band playing while dropping the anchor. This is nothing we can afford in Sweden with each crew member being so expensive. We have to pay for drunks going home enjoying the summer on sick leave.
I don't understand, there must be a reason for him to say that it's better with Pilipino crew. Hmm, he must have meant a Filipino Captain or maybe he was so drunk he thought it was a Pilipino helping him dropping the anchor. Or God help, maybe it was a drunken Swedish AB rushing up on the bridge dropping the anchor. One thing is for sure, it was a Swedish crew (with help from Russian paramedics)  that had to carry him ashore. Or maybe the Swedish AB was good and the Swedish Chief Officer was no good. I was told everyday that the other Chief Officer was useless and no good.
 - Ahh, that's why he came back as Chief Officer calling himself the new Superintendent. They could not use the useless Chief Officer so they had to call in the new Superintendent. What a waste of talent! They have to send the brightest shining star  on the “Swedish Shipping sky” just to do the Chief Officers job. What a twat!
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Thursday 16th of February 2006 and the wind had decreased a little when I came on my morning watch. It had changed from a force 6 - 8 from NNW to a force 6 from W to WSW and the temperature  was 14°C.
When I relieved Chief Officer for dinner it was stil only 14°C. When he came back I asked him what he thought: - Shall I go for my walk? It's very cold. He suggested dinner and I went down for some soup. Then I went on deck for my walk and it was not so bad. Actually it was very nice. There was no wind. We were just drifting since the afternoon. We have to adjust time for arrival to Algeciras @ 12:30 on the 20th of February 2006. Engine department took the opportunity to do some work on the engine. +++++++++++++++
Friday 17th of February 2006 and we were still drifting when I came on my morning watch. We were adrift South East of Sicily. All the ships we had overtaken after the Suez had passed us yesterday afternoon again. It was NedLoyd America and MSC Carla. We all remember the drama with MSC Carla when she went down outside the Azores November 1997
I thought it was a tradition not to name a ship after a wrecked ship. At 10 o'clock we started our engine and we were going again. Our slop chest opened at 18:00 and they threatened to kick my a•• if I didn't bought Pringles® and some chocolate. So what to do? I had to buy 2 tubes of Pringles® barbecue. I ate 1 and I sneaked in to Captain's office with the other tube. - Darn! I forgot my Pringles® at Captain's office. I didn't bother going back to get the Pringles®, instead I went to the bridge with some chocolate for Chief Officer. Otherwise there wasn't much happening onboard. I heard on the news that Henke Larsson is back  with Helsingborg IF. It was nice to hear Skånska on the radio. I haven't heard Skånska for many months now.
Well, anyway, we remember when the king had to call Henke and ask him to play soccer. Henke were not late to put on his soccer shoes (or whatever they call the shoes they use), a true sportsman.  Well, I'm off to my shower and then I'm off to show Captain the pictures of MSC Carla in 2 pieces outside the Azores. I will also show him the pictures of Maersk Holyhead when she hit a bulk carrier. I got these pictures from “Unge Herr Sjöofficeren” so we all owe him thanks for the pictures.  Just click for the PDF document, but you need Acrobat reader. Click on the Acrobat logo and download the program, it's for free. But I think you have the program already.
Ok Ok, we will be even more grateful if “Unge Herr Sjöofficeren” could send us a translation. We all understand Poe error humano o técnico but the rest is an enigma. Well, we can watch the pictures imagine what was going through the heads of the Officer on the watch while waiting for the translation. I know because this is exactly what happened to me when we approached Ad Dammam last time. I only wish that Dr. Lard  in Hamburg could see me jumping (swinging myself) between the steering tiller and the control units for the steering engine and then finally to the wheel. No more exercise bicycle and ECG for me.
We were just entering the Sicilian Channel when I came on my night watch. Plenty fishing boats and I had to change course for a fishing boat first thing when coming on my watch. +++++++++++++++
Satrudat 18th of February 2006 and the wind were gone when I came on my morning watch. We were just passing North of Cape Bon in Tunisia and we left the Sicilian Channel behind. We were steering 288° and at 11:27 I changed to 270°(t)
Saturday and that means happy hour with France Telecom's scratch and phone cards. I called my friends in Sweden and they were enjoying themselves. It was nice talking with them and now I know they are OK. I spent the evening in my cabin writing on my web page. The Ship mechanic and our 2nd Officer wanted me to join them for Counterstrike. Counter Strike is a computer game were they shot  at each other. Yeah, maybe 12 years ago when I was 9 years old. So they have connected the computers and play over the network. I never played the game before and I don't have time. Maybe tomorrow when I change to the 12 - 4 watch I have time in the evenings.
 Ship Mechanic and 2nd officer playing counter strike
 Ship Mechanic and 2nd officer playing counter strike
 2nd officer playing counter strike
 Ship Mechanic playing counter strike
Well, it was soon time for me to go for my night watch and I had to leave the Battle of the ship office. The smell of gun powder followed me all the way up to the bridge. +++++++++++++++
Sunday 19th of February 2006 and when I came on my morning watch we reduced the main engine to 90 rpm (manoeuvring speed). At 08:10 I had 90 rpm and I reduced to half ahead and then I reduced every 5 minutes and at 08:30 we were stopped and adrift. We're going to arrive too early in Algeciras and we need to stop for a few hours.
 AB's washing
 MSC Asli passing us outside Algeria
 MSC Asli passing us outside Algeria
Today Captain complained that I had sent 4 e-mails. It was too much work to send the e-mails and I should be happy that they didn't charge me for the e-mails. According to the ISM manual this and that. - Fåck the e-mails! I'm soon signing off.  So no more e-mail from Pegasus. I will send from my own address when I have access to internet. After lunch our Ship mechanic came to make a phone call. He was surprised to find me  on the bridge. I have changed with 2nd Officer and from now on I'm on the 12 - 4 watch.
Our daylight signal, 2 black balls, showing vessel not under command (visit my web ship for all about light and shapes) felt down in the strong wind and the AB (also changing to 12 - 4 watch, he likes my music and wants to stay on my watch) came to the bridge to change the flag line. The AB is changing to my watch and now the last hope for my linseeds is gone. This is the AB teaching me how to eat linseeds like peanuts. Well, it's good, we talk about the good 'ol times and eating linseeds. The time flies when you're having a good time and that's good.
AB going to change flag line
Well, no more e-mail from Pegasus and I appreciate if you don't send any e-mails to me on Pegasus. 2006 and no e-mail onboard, who could have imagine something like that? Well, we arrive to Algeciras tomorrow afternoon and I hope I can upload my web page tomorrow. +++++++++++++++
Monday 20th of February 2006 and it was blowing full gale when I relieved 2nd Officer at midnight. It was blowing from West and we got the wind and sea against us. At 00:30 we received a TELEX and they wanted us to be at Algeciras Pilot at 08:00. Now they changed it from 12:30 to 08:00 and there wasn't much we could do. Especially with a gale blowing against us.
At 03:00 we passed Cabo de Gato and at 04:00 we were South of Almeria. Our AB got network coverage on his phone and I tried in my cabin. But there was no network coverage and I didn't want to go to the bridge. Sleep is more important and I will send my e-mail tomorrow. I'm not yet used to the 12 - 4 watch and I woke up at 10:40. It was not possible to fall asleep again. We were close to Algeciras and I had network coverage on my phone. I connected to the internet and I sent my e-mails and I checked my server and there were some 128 e-mails on my server. After deleting spam and the other stuff I didn't wanted there were still much to download. This is what I like with Outlook, you can download the headers and then choose what to do before you download the messages. But still it is expensive. I got one message from my phone company and it said: “You have fåck all left on your pre paid card” I spent 200US for some e-mail and to upload some stuff on the internet. When I came on my watch at 12:00 it was time to get the pilot and we had all fast in Algeciras at 12:54. We started to discharge at 14:00. At arrival we got provision and I got 15 cases of diet drinks. We also got service people for our SAT-C and speed log onboard and later in the evening there were 2 guys coming from TRANSAS for the ECDIS. But then we were ashore. I went ashore with our Ships mechanic, Assistant Electrician and the AB on my watch. I'm on watch with my AB and the Ship mechanics is watching the gangway. We finished work at 18:00 and we had an appointment in the deck office at 18:25. I was in my cabin when the Assistant electrician called: - Are we going ashore? He asked. - Yes, meeting at 18:25 in the office. That's 15 minutes from now, I said. At 18:25 we meet at the office and at 18:30 we came ashore. We went down on the jetty and we waited for the bus to come. There is a bus going around picking up the Stevedores and we can go with this bus to the gate.  On the bus on the way to the gate
 Ashore eating hamburger
We jumped on the bus when it was on the way to the port from the gate and we had to take a 5 minutes raid until the bus reached the end of the line. On the way back our Cook stopped the bus and he joined us. It was not very nice weather. Gloomy and grey, windy and the rain was in the air. No sign off any taxi outside the gate and we had to walk to the city, well, a 30 minutes’ walk is only doing us good When we reached the town our Ship mechanic left us, he went to the shopping mall. He was looking for  hamburgers. The other went to make phone calls home and I went to an internet place.
I spent an hour uploading my pictures and sending e-mail. I also paid my bill for my internet hotel. It seems like some pictures , between arrivals to Itajai and arriving to Persian Gulf is not shown on my web page. Before Itajai and after entering the Persian Gulf we can see the pictures. - BIP! I have to see what I can do, maybe I have solved the problem until arrival to Itajai and I can go to internet cafe. This is at least to say annoying. I went to the shopping center and I bought all the pumpernickel they had and I returned onboard with a taxi. I meet our Ship mechanic at the gate and we took the bus back to the ship. +++++++++++++++
Tuesday 21st of February 2006 and I woke up at 10:30, still not used to sleep until 11:40. 10 minutes later they called me for departure. I went to the bridge and prepared everything for the departure. We tested the engine, ahead and astern. Steering gear is tested and at 11:12 our main engine was ready and we left Algeciras at 11:30.
I had time for a quick shower before my watch at 12:00 and we entered  Strait of Gibraltar at 12:30, just when my tea was ready. I passed Tanger and I was relieved at 16:00 on a course to SW. Passing showers, but the sun was shining at times.
+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 22nd of February 2006 and we were just NW of Cap de Mazagan and Cap Blanc du Nord when I came on my watch at midnight. We kept 225° until 02:34 when we reached Cap Bedduza and I changed course to 217°(t).
When I got of my watch at 04:00 we were just West of Safi. Hmm, Safi was my second port as a sailor and I remember us loading phosphoric acid there. The ship was rolling heavily due to swell from NW. We rolled between 9 - 10° and I could not enjoy my tea. But it was nice to go to bed especially when we had retarded ship time yesterday night so it was 5 o'clock in the morning for me. When I relieved 3rd Officer at noon the rolling was not as bad as during the night. The sun was shining and I managed to check our compass with the sun. The ship was rolling but if we don't do this every day there will be complains from port state control and other inspections on the ship. I haven't done it in over 1 week now due to overcast sky. I was also in for an, at least to say, unpleasant surprise during my watch. I opened my drawer on  the bridge and our off signing 2nd Officer had left a booby trap for me. I got a chock when I found a strawberry wafer in my drawer.
- What the BIP! Sabotage! - This is the worst I have ever experienced during my 22 months at sea. Well, except maybe Veritas Tankers. This was hitting me like a bolt from a clear sky. I had been in a good mood. I have instructed our new 3rd Officer to hide everything edible on the bridge. - When you or our Steward is bringing cookies to the bridge hide them for me, I said while trying to look angry. - Oh! Yes, I promise, he said shaking in fear. And now this. The other night (First or second night watch) we (me and my AB) launched a search and rescue operation on the bridge. we knew there were cookies and perhaps even nutella® on the bridge. - Hey! I found something! The AB screamed from one corner of the bridge. I was at his side with in 0,0 and he had a pile off biscuits, cookies and yes, I knew it, a jar of nutella® in front of him.
I spent the evening writing on my web page and I killed a few hours in our Chief Engineer's cabin together with Chief Engineer and the Ship mechanic. When I came back to my cabin I had about 1 hour before going on watch. So I tried to edit all the missing pictures on my web page and I hope that this will help. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 23rd of February 2006 and we were west of Western Sahara when I came on my watch at midnight. No traffic until the end of my watch when there were plenty, I think Russian, fishing boats. They were huge and I thought about the fishermen blaming the seals and even the sea birds for the lack of fish.
It was nice to go to bed at 04:00 and I slept until 11:40 when 3rd called me for my watch. It was nice to come on the bridge when the ship wasn't rolling. I could enjoy my tea without holding on to something all the time. I was happy that I could have my evening walk on deck listening to music. +++++++++++++++
Friday 24th of February 2006 and I was in a good mood after my evening walk and  hot shower. I started my watch with a cup of tea, well, first I turned on some good music.
When we came on our watch they had just changed course to SW and this is the course to Nouakchott pilot. ETA 09:00 so it was not much sleep after the watch. At 08:40 they called for Stand-by fore and aft. I'm at the poop  deck together with 1 AB, 1 Ship mechanic and 1 Motorman. If we don't expect bad weather we use 3 stern lines and 2 spring lines aft. Take the opportunity to visit my web ship to refresh your memory about the different mooring lines.
We usually have a tug boat aft, but this time the tugboat just left the pilot and then disappeared. Nice, we don't have to think about connecting the tugboat. At 10:00 o'clock we had all fast in Nouakchott. We were moored along a jetty sticking out from a sand dune and there were sand as long as I could see. North of us there were a big ship wrecked on the beach. There were a reefer ship moored in front of us and in front of her were a small military ship. That's all, 1 jetty and sand. I could not see the city. Never mind we didn't have any shore permission. I asked about the beach. Our Agent told me that it was not allowed to go ashore. I don't know if it were because of lack of time or if it was a prohibited area for foreigners  Sahara desert and the jetty in Nouakchott on the right hand side - Click HERE for bigger picture
And as you can see, there is nothing wanting me to go ashore
 Motorman STAND-BY on poop deck for mooring
 Making fast the spring line on the poop deck
 Making fast the spring line on the poop deck
 All fast at Nouakchott, Mauritania
 AB have taking down the Q and B flagg
Going ashore, never mind, here is nothing but sand. Of course here is sand, we're smack in Sahara. It  is one of the largest cities in the Sahara and I can't say I had any wishes for going ashore. But I was a little disappointed because there were a inviting looking beach just a few minutes’ walk away. Well, I can have a shower. Nouakchott is not ISPS approved and thus we keep security level 2. Well, no big difference from security level 1, we have a sea side watchman, our Assistant Electrician. The whole ISPS code is the paper tiger they came up with to fight terrorists.
They cannot stop half naked pirates without shoes in canoes taking ships, but they expect this ISPS to stop terrorists with billions of dollars and training. We have a seaside watchman  saying peace and love to everyone coming with a machine gun.
Sounds crazy with canoes chasing ships 2006. Well as we know by now we're not serving any bulls••t at aladdin.st. Here is the TELEX about the canoes so you can read for yourself. At www.aladdin.st everything is true.  We use our ship's cranes for the cargo operation
 We use our ship's cranes for the cargo operation
 Desert for as long as you can see
 Putting the containers on the jetty
 Putting the containers on the jetty
 Nouakchott container terminal
 Nouakchott container terminal
 Nouakchott container terminal
 Discharging containers from the cargo hold
 Discharging containers from the cargo hold
 Discharging containers from the cargo hold
 Discharging containers from the cargo hold
 Nouakchott container terminal
When I came on my watch at 12:00 we discharged with 3 ship cranes. They don't have any  cranes ashore and the discharging went very slow. We had to discharge 152 containers and they expected us to be ready to leave at 20:00.
At 13:15 they finished discharging from BAY #30 and then we only discharged with 2 cranes, one from BAY #9 and one from BAY #29 We had nice weather and it was real nice to walk around on deck. I stopped by at the gangway for a  chat with our Ship mechanic every now and then. Every time I passed him at the gangway it was Yo! Motherfoocker! And waving hands with fingers in all directions.
This thing with the fingers in all directions and Yo!! Motherfåcker has gone global. Now you see it all over the world and I must say that I was a  little wondering, well, what happens if someone comes up with a music style to which they eat doggy poo on MTV? Will the whole world do the same? People gathering in the street corners eating doggy poo, I hope not.
Pegasus very own MC watching the gangway in Nouakchott
 Pegasus very own MC watching the gangway in Nouakchott
 Pegasus very own MC watching the gangway in Nouakchott
 AB on my watch
 AB on my watch
 AB on my watch having dinner in the DUTY mess when we got off our watch
The watch was soon over and I had a Diet Drink with Assistant Electrician before going off our watch at 18:00. We saw plenty pelicans fly by us and I took a picture of them. They were a little too far away, but it's better than nothing. Well, we had our dinner and at 19:40 we were called for departure. First they did a stowaway search and I prepared the bridge for departure. We left Nouakchott at 20:06 and I managed to get 1 hour of sleep before my watch at midnight. It was nice with a little sleep, no chance for sleep in a long time. STCW 95??!! What's that? Hmm, it will be nice with a few days at sea so we have a chance for sleep.  Pelicans
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Saturday 25th of February 2006 and it was nice weather when I came on my watch. 3rd Officer had been busy with fishing boats all watch. But when I came at midnight we passed the last 2  fishing boats. Yesterday I had brought a bag of linseeds and when the AB caught sight of the bag he asked:
- Please! Please! Can't we open the bag? Well, needless to say, we spent the watch chewing linseeds.  Saturday night and not very much to do, I tried to activate the crew with movie. (A movie is a good excuse for eating snacks!) But the AB on my watch and the Ship mechanic were busy playing computer game. I stayed for a while watching the battle in the AB's cabin. But I grew tired of all the action and when I was ready copying the files I needed to my hard drive I left.
Ships time retarded 1 hour and I had plenty time to walk on deck before my night watch. +++++++++++++++
Sunday 26th of February 2006 and I felt really good when I came for my watch at midnight. No  agony for eating and I had spent 2 - 2,5 hours on deck walking and burning calories.
The AB was busy gluing together the next 6 months of his  life. He put together 6 months from an almanac and suddenly 6 months did not seem like that long. He was pointing on a date in July/ August.
- Here I will sign off, he said. - We will be there in a jiff, I said. Sunday and I gave the movie a new try. At 20:00 I managed to  get our Assistant Electrician and our Ship mechanics to the dayroom. I had borrowed a DVD from our Chief Engineer.
This is the first movie I watch since coming onboard 12th of December last year. We don't have a welfare found like on Swedish ships so we have to bring our own movies and stuff. I suggested that we should pay 10$/ month and then we could buy movies in Dubai. Well, the argument was that most of the crew did not understand English and they didn't want to pay for something they could not understand. We meet in the dayroom at 20:00 and it took us about 15 minutes to set up the DVD player and surround system and whatever they call everything.  Preparing for a movie
 Preparing for a movie
 Watching a movie
 Watching a movie
 Watching a movie
We managed to get the real cinema feeling in the dayroom. It took me 1,2 second to POP open my Pringles® and they were almost gone when the movie finally started.
Almost like on the real cinema. When the commercial is over the candy is gone and you feel sick  and want to go home sleep. Well, our movie was about a boy and a girl with an exploding necklace running away from a prison.
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Monday 27th of February 2006 and the AB and 3rd Officer were happy when we came to relieve  them at midnight. Yeah, surprise surprise. It's always nice to go off your watch.
The AB on my watch has taking a fancy to my Diet Drinks and he search the refrigerator for my Diet Drinks first thing when coming to the bridge. His behind sticking out from the refrigerator when he is searching every corner for a Diet Drink. His beaming of joy when he finds my drinks. Then he grab my bag of linseeds and he pours linseeds in to his hand and starts to munch. It's time to retard ships time again and at 21:00 the ship time will be 20:00. By then I were watching  a DVD with the AB on my watch. It was something about FBI agents on an island. Pretty good.
We had prepared our dayroom with Diet Drinks and Pringles®. After the movie I went for almost 2 hours of walk on deck and I didn't have any agony for the Pringles®.  Our 3rd Officer checking the life boat
 Watching movie
Its 18 hours between the meals, there is nothing in the refrigerator at night, well, 7 slices of white bread for 18 persons. Dinner at 17:30 and next meal is 11:30 the day after. This is very good for me, the 11:30 meal I sleep over (good for the company) so I eat 1 meal a day + my own black bread and oatmeal for lunch. At midnight I have my tea and some oatmeal. This is good for my diet, but it's a little worse for the rest of the crew working  all night long without food. Start working at midnight and facing a 6 hours watch running around on deck checking the cargo operation. No food before or after the watch.
The AB on the 12 - 4 watch keep lookout on the bridge between midnight and 2 o'clock when he goes down to clean the accommodation until 4 o'clock. The other night he came back at 4 o'clock. - There is new polish on the floor outside the Office so you can't go down there, he said. - Hey! It's 4 o'clock in the morning. Why do I want to go down  there? I asked.
- Maybe for eating, he said. - What the BIP is there to eat? I asked. He realized that there were nothing in the refrigerator and we were both laughing. +++++++++++++++
Tuesday 28th of February 2006 and no different from yesterday. The 8 - 12 watch was happy to be relieved and I were in a good mood after my night walk on deck.
AB on my watch is an  EX military, I don't know what he was. Commando and secret missions in Afghanistan and I don't know all. When I heard all this I knew this was the guy to send on a secret mission, not less dangerous than the missions he did in Afghanistan. OK, I will tell you the story from the beginning, it started after departure from Algeciras in Spain.
The other day I passed the deck office when our Assistant Electrician was watching a CD with pictures. He got this CD by mail in Algeciras.  - Hey-Hey! Who's that girl? I asked
I was in love  and I really pestered our Assistant about information about this beautiful girl. Our Assistant became wary and he refused to speak about the girl anymore.
- Hmmm, what to do?
I never understood his relation to this girl, was it a friend or a girlfriend? It seemed like he didn't want to talk about it. I interrogated him, but nothing. When we were on watch in Nouakchott I got a little more info, even though I had to drag it out from him. 2 days later when we he showed me pictures from his holiday he told me that he would never show me any pictures of any girls again.  Well, a roadmap for love were needed. But first we needed to know about the relation between Miss Daisy and our Assistant so that's why I sent my AB on the mission to find out about their relation. - How can I find out? He asked. - Use some of your special technique used behind enemy lines in Afghanistan. Use your imagination. How do you do behind enemy lines? Improvise! I said. I gave him a few examples.  Hiding behind a curtain eavesdropping were not one of them. But I suggested that he could say that he missed his wife in Alaska and then ask if our Assistant had someone special he missed.
- If he says that he miss Miss Daisy you have to go back and find out if this is the Miss Daisy on the pictures. - That's not easy, he said. Try it like this: - Hmm, Miss Daisy is a pretty unusual name. I know only one Miss Daisy.
If our Assistant answers that he only knows one Miss Daisy we are in deep sh••. If he says that he knew several Miss Daisies there are still hope. One thing is for sure and that is that you will be able to read all about the progress on www.aladdin.st I spent the evening listening to German Hip Hop that I got from our Ship Mechanic “MC Johannes” a few days ago.  Albatross following us outside Brazil
 Albatross following us outside Brazil
February was a short month and now it's over. But we don't have to say bye-bye, just pop over to the month March and the adventure continue.
    
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To www.aladdin.st since December 2005
Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011
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because of the effect the bread has on your digestion.
Bab means gate, narrow strait
Fire in the Bosun store under the Fo'c's’le! We had a team of smoke divers ready to enter the Bosun store, closely followed by MV Pegasus official photographer (me)
We were soon mustered and the crew were counted and we entered the lifeboat. Well, I was lucky that my diet had been so successful. Otherwise there had been no chance for me to get the seatbelt on.
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