The Wind Up to Russia

I write this particular article four months after I decided that I would never, ever, go back to Russia again (or not soon anyway). Whilst most of my Russian-based articles were written on the day or next that the events occurred on I have needed distance for this one, I needed to be able to look back in retrospect and with the knowledge that this particular experience is definitely in the past.

Why I made such is a decision is less to do with Russia and the Pacific Endeavour than a serious desire to have a change of career, to move ashore and up the ladder and that was not going to happen over there. I resigned as Technical Advisor/Chief Engineer with Swire Pacific Offshore within a week of arriving back home from Russia and from the second trip on the Pacific Endeavour. I could have possibly done another two trips or so, had the company been more amenable to possible future employment ashore but the offer of a positing in West Africa was well, not suitable to me, my wife and son. They said "you must do the hardship tour first before gaining one somewhere nicer", so I said "goodbye".

I must though admit that although I had a great time in Russia, met loads of great people and established myself as part of the team it was not all positive in this backward outback! Working on the ships was difficult, the Russian crews were seemingly unable to let go of their inherent arrogance to listen to reason and common sense, and thus they made our job as advisors extremely difficult to the point of not us being required onboard at all. We were the spare cogs in an un-greased wheel.

A View of the 6000 Volt Switchboard
Photo Copyright © Ieuan Dolby, 2007

As an example to the stupidity we faced daily; these large ice-breaking platform supply vessels are diesel-electric. They rely on a generated 6000 volts to power the main propulsion machinery and everybody knows that 110 volts can kill, never mind 6000 of them. To work on this equipment requires permits to be filled out, a series of checks to be worked through, earth bars to be fitted and should it be on the main switchboard a series of keys to be turned in sequence (up to 24 of them) which allow access if all conditions (like the simple one of the power being off) are met. So catching a Russian electrician with a large screwdriver and hammer attempting to prise open one of the cabinet doors (behind which was an extremely live and sparkling breaker), whilst wearing flip flops and without having discussed anything with anybody else, the Chief Engineer included, was to say the least extremely frightening. His actions not only endanger himself but those around him, the vessel and its equipment so …….. am I running away, In this case I probably am?

Had conditions been different, had the company given us more authority to be able and to be seen to be above the master in rank, and had the company backed us up in any decisions that we made, then I think I would have still been there today. I would of course have still been frustrated at the lack of advance, still annoyed at the arrogance around but able to politely if slowly produce change. Instead the company office in Russia continued to waver and hedge, to treat us as intermediaries, voices to pass on the messages to the captains and chiefs and to leave us without a leg to stand on during confrontation!

I'm not bitter. I made a choice to depart for better things. I have left behind the disastrous hotels, the minus 40 degree temperatures, the train journeys from hell and the car journeys back again. But I have also left behind a challenging job that I had enjoyed, I never managed to say goodbye to many people who enlivened and kept humorous many a tricky situation and I have lost the pleasure of working on a state of the art vessel on a project that was at the forefront of the oil industry today.

But I have gained so much more! I have moved ashore to a steady job and with a company that is forward thinking, that has given to me the opportunity to move up the ladder and they have given me the authority that the position requires.

So from Russia with erm, warm feelings, I say goodbye!

Ieuan Dolby
Author and Webmaster of SeaDolby.com
Copyright © Ieuan Dolby, 18th January 2007