Locopilla

Short visit in Brisbane,
third largest city of Australia with their 1,9 million souls.
We got a lift in to the city's core by a very kind stockbroker & he got us to some of the best bars in town.
At one place I wasn't allowed to go inside because of my Tapout tshirt haha, wtf.
I got myself some souvenirs & a great last experiance of Australia.
Now we are heading for Shanghai & the weather is beyond expectations,
the pool is once again filled up & we no longer have to advance the clock 1 hour every night.
I'm gonna try to write some more tomorrow.

You'll see, I got back on board by 22hundred last night & at the same time we started the stowaways search.
When that was done, nothing found, I assisted with the departure procedures.
No longer than ten minutes after we had started things up we got an alarm on high temperature.
The suction-chests for seawater was both clugged with jellyfish.
So I spent the night lifting up & replacing the highsuction chest.
Thus including cleanseing the clugged one.. mh yummie.
At half past three I was finished,
today have been a tough day & I'm desperately longing for bed.

22th

First that day I assisted in the engine department at arrival.
Then the deck cadet rang down & asked if I would like to go ashore.
Only a half hour later we’re signing the ashore-papers & started to walk of the ramp.
Just as we sat our foot on the cay the heaven opened up & a heavy tropical rainfall came down upon us.
Even though, we walked for 20 minutes to reach the gate & the kind guards let us inside their boson.
They thought we looked ridiculous thus we were soaking wet & tried to call the seaman’s service so we could get a ride.
It was Sunday,
so they didn’t open until two o’clock & we went back to the vessel to change clothes & eat lunch.
And as a good sign the weather had switched over to a clear sunny sky when we left the ship for the second time.

When we started to approach the city I got this fantastic impression & instantly wanted to stay there a long time. The people were relaxed & toke pleasure in the easiest things.
In their gardens they had bananas, mangos, grapes, pineapples
– all kind of fruits. Everywhere you went you saw cats, chickens, dogs, parrots & lizards.
Sadly almost every market was closed,
but we kept walking & finally found a bar/restaurant with maritime interior.
Even if it was three-four in the afternoon it was such a heat,
we sat down in the shadow & ordered cold beverages.
The owner was a mademoiselle & since we sat there for several hours we actually got to know her to the point where she drove us back to the harbor.
She made a good sale that day haha.
When the sun had gone down two more crewmembers found the bar it was a good way to end our ashore experience.

I will post another time when I had time to get the rest of my pictures & write some more.

Back at Figaro we started the stowage search after a quick change of clothes.
By midnight we were at open seas again & I could go to bed after an extraordinary day.

Now we got four new crewmembers onboard.
They are working on the OPCON’s prototype
– a system that is going to take surplus energy from the vessels machinery & use it to produce electricity instead of going to waste.
So there are many people in the engine areas nowadays which is fun.

The fire exercise that I have been working on together with the deck cadet went over expectations.

Before I go down to do the evening round I planned to take an hour to exercise,
today it's drag-muscles day.

I'm sitting in the engine control room, listening to sweet music for my morose mind.
It's Saturday night, though I don't really feeling it haha.
The machinery roars as we're driving at full speed to the harbor Le Port.
Which is located on the french Island Réunion, east of Madagascar.
Once more the seawater has increased to around 30 degrees & the air outside is thick & humid.

While the days pass me by my appoach to life itself is chaning.
Although my moments of reflection is limited,
the distance to all that is ordinary & common makes it possible for me to see the bigger picture of it all from a more prosperous perspective.
Speaking for myself, what is important, what is of true significance?
The yearning desire of a brighter tomorrow or the idea that the present is worth dying for.
We only got this one chance to either illuminate our existence or fuck it all up.


Your arm around my shoulder made ​​me feel dauntless,
I never felt lonely & home was where we had each other.
That sense of well being is what matters to me.

Durban 18^th

Much has happened since I wrote here last time.
First of, we came to Durban the 18^th – a day out of the ordinary.

At half past four that morning I got a phone call from the Bridge watch announcing that we’re soon to receive pilot into harbor. After I got dressed & freshened up I went down to the engine control room.

Second engineer & I started to prepare for arrival = a lot of running around. Then I went up to the fire station to assist the two smoke divers who should be standby when the helicopter appears. There were two pilots coming onboard, one woman & one man. Safe & sound they got to the bridge looking comfortable with their responsibilities of getting us safe into port.

It was a successful arrival with the tugboats in front greeting us with their water cannons as it was our first time to appear in South Africa after the official birth of the ship. When the ramp had been lowered & the stewardess had started to get the cargo ashore the real work started. Together with the first engineer I began the inspection of the cylinders, piston grooves & scavenge air receiver on the main engine. For several hours we sweated both outside & inside the engine. You can see the picture below of the scavenge air belt. It was roughly 80°C in there & we had to put on an extra suit over our overalls as protection. So we looked like one of those guys in white suits dealing with radioactive materials. The last half-hour of cleaning inside the belt I felt like I was going to faint right on the spot. Dehydrated & all dirty I was finally complete & got myself a shower before I entered the galley to enjoy a well deserved dinner.

When the sun had started to go down it was time to start the stowage search. A company with specialized trained dogs came onboard, we guided them through the engine areas & they were impressively effective. The cute dogs seemed to like their jobs but it must be very tiring to do that all day in this kind of heat. Both dogs & leaders got as many cookies they liked before they went up the elevator to search the rest of the vessel. As far as we know they didn’t find any stowage’s, but it’s not rare that there is a few hiding in the cargo, hoping to get an easy route out of the country.

Later that evening I got to do the whole departure procedure surveyed by my trainee-supervisor. It went fine though I was pretty dead beaten by the day so far. And we wasn’t finished until midnight because there had been a delay with the pilot who should get us out on the open water.

So after that 18 hour working day it was unfortunately time for a night of interrupted sleep, four different alarms went off – forcing me to go get down to the engine control room. You can image how glowing I felt the next day when I ate my porridge trying not to fall asleep in it. I still haven’t recovered myself from it all.

Now we’re Southeast of Madagascar steering forth to Port Reunion, expecting to be there by Sunday morning.  Till then.

Outside my cabin the sun is going down once more,
it colorizes the sky & sea so stunningly that I don’t want the moment to go by.

Soon I will put on my training gear & get loose in the gym.
During the day I’ve been constantly hungry even though I haven’t been doing any kind of exhausting work.
Mostly I’ve put my mind into arrange this weekend’s big drill,
which is generally focusing on fire fighting & common safety knowledge.
Now when I reflect upon it though… It could be the heavy sea’s that enhance this state of appetite.
Anyways, we’re steering east/northeast & will take onboard a pilot for Durban early next morning by helicopter winch.

I managed to take a picture of Cape of Good Hope around half past four o’clock one morning.
I ran out from bed with the camera in my bare boxers, keyed up as a child on Christmas morning.
Roy, who’s apparently up smoking very early in the mornings laughed & flirted mockingly as he saw me.

Later that day we sailed passed the southernmost point; Cape Agulhas
I have so far seen; Fly-fish, Dolphins and alot of strange birds.
Still on the list is Whale, Sea turtles, Porpoises & African Penguin.








Here's a picture I took when the Second Engineer is welding some handles on a manifold. 

Tomorrow by midday we’ll have reached Good Hope of Africa,

the weather has already gotten a bit rough & our big beauty of a vessel has started to rock n roll it’s way forth.

So this Sunday I’ve put my efforts into an environmental-certificate test & later rewarded myself with some last sun-drenched time by the pool.

Usually there is no hard work on Sundays,

which is cherished because the crew need that time to clean their clothes, cabins & so on

– also to rest & get their mind of the work for a while.

The crewmembers from the Philippines’ have a half year contract onboard & they’re only home for three months.

I do admire their devotion to it;

most of them have big families back home who they provide with love & security by sacrificing their own comfort by choosing this way of life.

It isn’t going to be any workout for me tonight,

partly because of the heavy seas & besides I need a full day of body recovery to cope with the upcoming week.

Now it’s time to pick it up a notch, tighten the total energy intake & be more effective during the sets.

My mind has mostly been elsewhere than onboard today.

The gift I’ve opened up last night got me melting from the inside & out,

it utterly made me in high spirits.

First I didn’t comprehend it all but that’s me alright.

I’ve been giving it all a lot of thoughts since I left ground that morning in Gbg.

You know I’m glad to have you in my life & I think highly of you no matter what.

Give me an honest chance to patch up this absence when I get back.

Erm hi, I’ve just eaten ox filet with banana sauce in a freshly baked pita after a pretty superior workout. My body & soul are peacefully balanced, waiting to fall into a night of profound sleep. But first I’m going down to the engine room to do the evening round. For now & a long time onward (hopefully) I’m doing the duty watch, thus meaning that if there is an alarm in the engine department I have to get down there & sort it out – regardless the time. In my cabin I have an alarm panel & I also got a beeper on my belt. Otherwise the working hours & everything are the same as before.

Though it’s Saturday there’s a calm vibe going through the accommodation tonight. There are just a few members in the recreation room drinking beer & listening to indie rock. Yesterday we all got invited to the bar by the Chief Engineer, it was pleasant – those who showed up brought their own drinks because earlier the Captain opened up the beverages store. We played poker & told bold seaman’s stories until it was time to withdraw to our cabins.

It’s now gone two weeks, just before I go to bed tonight I have a red gift to open up,

haha that’s right – I’ve saved it as agreed.