|
Saturday: 23rd November 2002 1230hrs. Ha, Ha Day off today. And then no hahahahah! Why does it always go wrong? Day off is supposed to mean my work book which is sadly gathering dust in my cabin (I think that is where it is anyway!) but generally I regard it as time to sunbathe on deck or talk to TJ or Pietro on the bridge. Not worth going up to the bridge when Peter the mate is there as he just grunts. Him and the Chief should really get on. Maybe I should stick the two of them and Albert into a room together - I am sure that he would soon have them "gruntless". Well, I had walked around deck. I had been up to see Pietro and I had found my work book and put it on my desk - makes it look like I am working should anybody walk past or go into my cabin. I had done all of those things but then the general alarm went off. Ouch eeks, screech! I did the right thing and turned up at the Muster Station with the correct gear! I am getting very good at this! Real alarm this time - but Pietro had panicked and went a bit overboard. Peter the Second Engineer had called up to the bridge and told him to slow down the engine and then to stop. In the middle of the Ocean? Yep, Engine problem. Pietro panicked and instead of slowing down he pressed the general alarm. It was okay though becasue then the Captain came up and did the necessary - he knows best sort of thing. Anyway. Engine had decided to do something wrong in the head. Not very technical terms being used here but I am still confused as to what went wrong and why. The end result was that we had to stop the engine and drift for two hours. During that time we managed to remove the head on the faulty unit, clean up and fit the spare head. Restart and away we went again. Drifted the right way as well so the current must have been with us. Captain was not too upset, I gained some experience in doing a head as quickly as possible - even though I was still the gofer! Wrote "Lubricating oil System" in my work book. That is as far as I got. Must do better otherwise somebody will jump on my back at some point or another. This evening I will do something and get ahead so that it does not weigh on my mind and cause others to shout at me. Day Summary. Pottering along the SA Coast. Had emergency and I got covered in oil and fetched tools for two hours. Started to do some work on my work book but Albert knocked on my cabin and suggested that we had a beer. Work book or beer? There is no competition. Sunday: 24th November 2002 0730hrs. Morning! Peel open eyes, find floor with feet and stagger upwards hopefully missing the hard edge of the bunk above! I am not sure that I want a big lump on my head, even less than before if that could be possible. I don't think a scrubbing brush with a big lump on it looks very good, at least the hair hid any scratches or bumps from before but now I have to be careful. Cape Town tomorrow. Wonder why they call it Cape Town. Maybe it is good for selling Capes? Whoops must get up and get down to work, day off yesterday so maybe work this morning and the afternoon off - it being Sunday ofcourse. Will make positive attempt to do some of my workbook this afternoon instead of drinking beer and sunbathing, a real positive attempt. 1300hrs. Guide book says: quite a bit really and nothing to do with Capes or Coats or anything else to do with clothes. It says in the guide book that Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the oldest in South Africa! Will see about that tommorrow! The Portugese had a hand at this place by first settling here in 1652, or building a little fortress anyway (could have charged fees to ships going around the Cape, like a toll). Beautiful because of two things. The Mountain Range with the famous Table Top Mountain presiding over Cape Town in all its majesty. Silly guide books, how can a table me majestic? Anyway, the Table Top mountain with a Cable Car to aid those with weary legs. And if you climb onto the table one can get an amazing view of Cape Town and the white beaches that are so famous around here. Sort of about where the Atlantic Ocean is hustled and bustled by the Indian Ocean and so warm on one side cold on the other! Yep, Cape Town is on the Cape Town Peninsula which is on the Cape of Good Hope and the CoGHope is one of the most dangerous places in the world for shipping as the seas created by the differing currents from the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean and the differing temperatures can cause a violent reaction. At the time when the Dutch decided to build their little toll booth (they didn't really) many ships foundered. Nowadays not a frequent occurence so TJ tells me. 1730hrs. Have decided that Guide books are stupid. Talking to TJ this afternnoon he tells me that Cape Town is Okay. Nothing special and that there is still a bit of trouble between the races. Not safe to walk from the Port into Town and always best to get a taxi. Once in town it is okay. Some large shopping malls and some shops but not as the guide book says - "great shopping". Yes, was on the bridge this afternoon and then was on my way to my cabin to do some work when my smiling Albert stopped me and asked if I wanted a beer. 3pm? But I can not say no. If I weigh up drinking beer and laughing with sitting in my cabin with a stupid workbook only one wins. And guess which one that was? Day Summary. Looking forwards to Cape Town. The "Cape" has nothing to do with clothes. It says in the dictionary that it means a peice of land that sticks out into the sea. Nothing to do with clothes and coats at all. Tried to comb my hair today but nothing moved! Another month maybe before anything will become controllable and the white splotches go. Monday: 25th November 2002 0730hrs. Cape Town coming up - and close. Must be going alongside this morning! Ah, something different happening and something else to look out of my Port Hole at. Amazing how such a little thing can so rapidly remove the grit from my eyes. Was thinking today that I don't really want to go ashore. I must look a right idiot with my scrubbing brush head. Prime for people taking the piss out of me or something like that. Ach, will stay on the ship with the Chief Engineer and do a night onboard. That means that TJ, Albert and Davy can all go ashore. Not that they want to go ashore with Davy who will just whine the whole evening but they cannot really say anything to him about that. Well, better get down the Engine Room for a days work. Whoops I can hear the Engine slowing down must run - make a good impression once again. Midday: Alongside now. Worked on the cleaning up the Main Engine Head that we took off last week. Removing the Injector and airstart valve and everything else that is bolted onto the head. Then we started cleaning up every item. This type of engine has a large exhaust valve in the head - a sort of popppet action controlled by Hydraulic Oil. Anyway, this valve had stopped functioning properly and so that is why we had to remove the head. To fix it we just remove and strip everything and replace all the parts with overhauled spares or new bits. Easy? Takes well over a day to do all of that, working at an easy pace of course. I am doing it with Albert and he knows everything - happily so. I asked him why Davy doesn't do it as he has been here for a while but Albert just shook his head and smiled. Don't know what that means. Wow, the Table Top is impressive with the sun shining all over it. Not that high and I can see the Cable Car that reaches up to the left hand side of it. The Port is sort of right underneath the Town which is right underneath the Table. One little cloud sort of covers part of the Table Top so it must be quite high.......high enough to reach the clouds anyway, even though it doesn't look it. We are in a big Bay and loads of ships are at anchor, more Container Ships than anything else. And the Port looks big as we sit there ..... wonder how one gets up the road and into town? 1730hrs. There was rumours abounding that we would be sailing this evening. But red faced Capitano (the fish) has announced that we are staying until tomorrow morning as we are collecting some cargo to take up the Coast. Yippeee, the Fish is okay! Ah, I forgot to say that I am going ashore. The Chief Engineer decided that Davy would be doing the night onboard. Everybody else was going ashore. It is supposedly that the Chief or the Second must be on the ship, but today the Chief said, "****" Em', I have my mobile phone and am only thirty minutes away - lets go and paint the town red. So we are, the Chief, the two Peters, Albert, Pietro, Cookie (I still don't know his name) and I - seven people on a mission. Or rather I think this will be six people and a mission and one scrubbing brush on the end who doesn't know what is going on They are all having showers now. The cook has said that dinner will be 'make your own', which is okay except for the fact that he has locked the fridges and store cupboards. Anyway, that is something for Davy and the Captain who are staying onboard to sort out. I don't care. Six 0'Clock we are going up the road......I have some American Dollars, I hope that is enough. The Rand is what the guide book says is the local currency. I have also managed to find in the Engine Room this baseball cap which fits and is not too Oily. Will wear that all day to hide the scrubbing brush underneath. Hope everybody is not just going to get totally drunk - I would like to see something of Cape Town apart from the bars and night clubs. Well, will see what happens. Would also like some food as I missed lunch - probably the Cook wants something as he has only eaten his own cooking for so long - never seen him go ashore before. Whoops here they are knocking on my cabin door, "common Kid, put it away" one of them shouts out. Another says, "Tiny, get your arse into gear", whilst in the background I hear "ach, leave him be he is probably just combing his hair". This last one followed by much laughter and hilarity. Stupid people and I was looking forwards to going ashore with this bunch of buffoons and Cadet abusers? Oh well, too late to retreat and beg off - here goes! Day Summary. NO! Drunk. Sleep is what I need. Tommorrow will be another day. Go away! Tuesday: 26th November 2002 0700hrs. Got up early and forceably removed the grit from my eyes. I am very pleased with myself. Got up early so that I could write about Cape Town before I forget about it all. Think we are leaving this morning, am sure that I heard one hatch opening earlier so that means cargo in - hatch closing means due to leave soon or that it is raining or something like that. Wow, my head is itchy this morning, can't have fleas as there is nowhere for them to settle down on wihout being peirced by my short hair. Nowhere for them to hide. Wore that cap last night and felt great until my "friends" tore it off my head in a bar when I was talking to this nice girl. She took one look at my head and her whole face changed - she walked away with her nose high in the air. First female that I have talked to since first climbing that gangway and they ruin it for me. Got two taxis ashore from the gate. Plenty waiting for people like us. Went up to the Seamans Mission which is half way between town and the docks. A place for seaman to feel safe in and have a few beers and such like. For some, no need to head into town, for others just a starting point to make a call home or post some letters/change some money before painting the town red. Well for us it was a mixture. Peters together ordered a whole round of large bottles. The cook then started grumbling about nobody wanting to eat and that we where just the same on the ship. So before the evening had started the camp was divided, the two Peters intent on getting drunk and the rest wanting to go further into town and get something to eat. And me? Ach, I am on the fence. Ended up with the Two Peters remaining behind to drink beer and the rest of us grabbing another taxi to a restaurant in town. Of course agreeing to meet up later in this Irish Bar in town. That was great. Won't say anything to our cook but I really enjoyed dinner. We found this restaurant in a large park called "The Waterfront", a massive complex of restaurants and amusement parks and hotels. Probably a secure area for tourists but that is not advertised anywhere. Anyway, I ordered this big salad and it was big, came on a plate double the size of a typical dinner plate and although I was hungry, trying to eat that alongwith the steak that came later was a task in itself. Regardless, it was great. The steak was really smooth and just slithered down my throat and the salad (or the corner that I ate) just melted in my mouth. It all dissapeared - the others digging in and finishing it off in record time. Even the cook dug in and stopped grumbling for a while - although at the end he said, "not as good as mine", but I think that he just had to say something, otherwise his image would be ruined. Got confused in this place, it was big and many people working there. This one girl served us first and we got her name. Then later on we called this girl back using her name but she told us she was somebody else. Confusion reigned for a while until at the end of the meal three girls appeared - all identical and all sisters. Confusing or what! I bet it was a Party trick of theirs, wander if they ever get tired of doing that? Stomachs full we got a taxi into Town. None of us had aver been here before so it was all hit and miss. The cook wanted to go straight to the Irish Bar so him and Albert grabbed a Taxi and dissapeared together. I and Pietro and the Chief Engineer (who kept on looking at his mobile phone) went to the shopping mall for a look around before hitting the beer trail. Just another shopping mall! Ended up buying some chocolate but that was all as everything seemed so expensive. I wanted to buy a couple of books to read but the price seemed to be double that of back home. Wow, either they are rich here or nobody reads. After looking around the glittering and expensive shopping mall off to the Irish Bar we went. Had problems explaining to the taxi-driver where we wanted to go seeing as how none of us had been here before but eventually after going around in circles we arrived at the Irish Bar. Irish Bar? Sold Guiness and all that stuff but it was playing disco style music and nothing Irish about it except for the drinks. Lovely Bar maid but six sizes too big for me and anyway Pietro got straight into that and spent the rest of the evening leaning over the bar looking at her breasts rather than her face. She didn't seem concerned and I think egged him on a bit. Well, started drinking which is a one way street really. When we arrived the Cook and the Albert where already installed and The two Peters rolled up having drunk the seamans misssion dry, more sort of rolled in to the bar than walked in. But full credit to their stamina, drinks in hand they settled down once again and started swilling fast. The Chief Engineer was happily drinking but then I think the responsibility got to him. The phone kept on coming out and was more out than in his pocket. Kept on checking to see if anybody had called from the ship to say that here was a problem! Eventually his responsibilty got the better of him and after buying a round he slipped off back to the ship and Cookie went with him - probably to check to see if anybody had broken into his dry stores. With the Two Peters falling over continuously and shouting loudly and with Pietro learing over the bar top with his tongue hanging out that left only I and Albert. We just settled at the same table as the Peters but on a total different wavelength. Funny though how after a few beers we both started to understand once again what the Peters where talking about and we soon seemed to be on the same wavelength. Can't honestly remember much after that! Do recall the girl who I thought I was getting on with till she saw my bald head, and I do remember falling off my chair - I have the bruises to prove that one. But I can't remember how I got back to the ship nor how I managed to find the key to my cabin and get myself into bed? Na, can't remember much of that! But here I am safe and sound. In my cabin, a couple of bruises but complete with scrubbing brush head and wallet - with not much left in it. So that was Cape Town? 1230hrs. Ha, I feel great. After seeing everybody else I feel even better. Pietro got into trouble, seems he never came back last night and ended up heading off with the bar maid to her place for the night. Lucky devil! I am sure that if I had tried that she would have slapped me across the face. Anyway, he doesn't care - he had a good night. Sailed this morning with a cargo of sore heads, Peter managed to come down a bit late and start everything up but is now back in bed. Day Summary. Left this morning for Durban with a cargo of sore heads. I am off to bed now, early.....but feel okay! Cook is silently grunmbling about nobody turning up for dinner. Weather is a bit rough but nothing too bad! Pietro cannot stop smiling and Davy is in a black mood - I think because he had to stay on the ship. The two Peters are out of it - Hahaha. Wednesday: 27th November 2002 1230hrs. Eyuk. Weather is really bad. Jerky motions throwing us all over the place. Surprised that I am not seasick but Peter is having problems again. That is Peter the Mate, although that might be due to a continuing hangover or something from our run ashore the other day. Have turned the corner of the Cape and are sort of into the Indian Ocean I think. There was one radio warning about Containers having fallen off a Container Vessel at the Anchorage in Cape Town, but that is behind us so no worries about that. Can't have secured them is all that I can say. Maybe they took off the lashings or unlocked the dogs on the container locks ready to go alongside - silly crew. They lost four containers of something or other and will be in trouble for that! My hair is actually growing quite fast. Amazing how it changes from a scrubbing brush to a wire brush so quickly. Still have some gaps and it looks really weird but it is geting better. Worked this morning on a purifier with Davy again. I think he is still sulking as once again I talked more to the Oiler than I did to him (or he did to me). But I am understanding more about it all now - purifiers I mean, not Davy. One bad moment was when we started up and this loud rattling sound came from inside of it. Davy quickly slammed the stop button and once opened up we found that the lock ring was missing. Forgotten to put it on. Davy went climbing a wall and was shouting at me saying it was my fault - not sure how it could be as it is his machine and responsibility but I was shouted at none-the-less. Made me feel really bad. The Oiler did a runner at that point, probably escaping the expected shouting from Sour Skinny 'Malinky', maybe I should have been quicker on my feet. Not really sure why it should be such a problem as it was caught in time. Be different if we had run it up and something had smashed or broken. I feel really bad and as if it was my fault but how could it be? I wish he had gone home and that BOB had stayed. The Second Engineer asked me later what Davy had been shouting at and when I told him he said "idiot, he should know better". That made it okay for me! 1830hrs. I have this workbook to be signed when I complete a task. Like when I have overhauled a purifier or a valve or something I must get the work book signed by the Engineer that oversaw the job. For the college and my cadetship, proof that I have not been drinking and sunbathing the whole trip or used as a "gofer" the whole time. Took the book to Davy and asked him to do the purifier one. He looked at it and then looked at me and said, "after this morning? I don't think so". Again really made me feel bad but I took the book to Albert who just whipped out his pen and signed it alongwith a few other things that I pointed out to him - regardless of the fact that he was not onboard at the time that I did them. Chief Engineer asked me to come to his cabin today. I was really nervous, thinking that I had done something wrong and I knocked on his office door with my knees shaking and sweating profusely - partly due to having just come out of the engine room I think. But all was okay. He told me to sit down and I sat there waiting for the gullotine to come crashing down but instead he just said, "so Tiny, how are things going with you"? I just stuttered out that everything was okay, what else could I have said? He continued and said that Peter the Second was happy wih my performance and that I seemed to have settled in quite well. And that should I have any problems that I come straight to him. He should have said that at the beginning of the trip and made me feel more secure but better late than never. He did say one strange thing. Told me to be careful not to drink too much with Albert, something about my attendence in the ba having noticably increased since Albert came onboard. Okay dokay, oh wise one, whatever your command I will follow. I suppose Albert does drink allot and usually has a beer in his hand when he is not working - but I have never seen him drunk. Oh well, that was my interview with the Chief. Mr. Gruff being nice for the day! Day Summary. Up and down and around and about. Onward ho' to Durban. Peter the Mate is Sick and Davy blamed me for something that I did not do. The Chief asked me how my life was and Albert is drinking too much. The Captain I did not see and Pietro kindly showed me our path to Durban. That is my day today! Thursday: 28th November 2002 1230hrs. Whheeeee, slam, bang and around we go. Didn't sleep very well last night - had my life jacket stuffed under the mattress. An attempt to wedge myself against the bulkhead and stop me being thrown out of the bed. I suppose it worked but still, the night did not pass smoothly. The weather is easing off now as we are sort of well into the Indian Ocean now and the Atlantic rumbles away behind us. Yeah, starting to point upwards, not in the air, but North(ish) now and Durban tomorrow. So many Ports in such a short time. And I must once again get my faithful guide book out and learn something about something else. Not really sure that the last place of Cape Town was as beautiful as the guide book said it was. In fact I thought it was a bit run down and in need of a few building and road repairs - and nothing to make it a beautiful city apart from the fact that the Table was nice to look at. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder so I bet the author of the guide book was born in Cape Town or something. Okay, bla, bla! 1497 (some chap called Vasco de Gama and undoubtedly with a name like that from Portugal) found the Natural harbor and called in Rio de Natal .............. 300yrs passed before anybody settled there as too much trouble with the Zulus ........1824 Two English Naval Officers managed to secure concesssion of Port Natal ........ many Brits settled there ........ 1834 renamed Durban after the current Govenor of the Cape Sir Benjamin D'Urban ............ today the third largest City in SA with a large populaion of Indians ......... in 1960 the Zulus (indienous to Natal) refused to work on the sugar plantations so many Indians imported to do the work ........ they were followed by a large and wealthy bunch of Muslim Indians who set up shop and today form the nucleas of a rich trading community ........... most of the indians in SA today live in and around Durban .......... bla, bla gooo, bal. Says absolutely nothing about the City Itself, no Table Tops or white sandy beaches mentioned here. Maybe it is a dead boring township with non tourist attractions ............ah, a bit more here .........bla, bla ........a snake park, a bird garden and colourful rickshaws to take you around town ............. beach front amusement park rides ........ good diving ........can also visit the battlefields and routes in the Kwa Zulu - Natal. Ach, maybe not so exciting after all, bird and snake parks are not my scene, cannot dive, wouldn't like to be caught in a colourful rickshaw and being thrown around in an amusement park is proabably no different from being on a ship around the Cape of Good Hope. Would like to see the battlefields, that would be interesting and from the Boers and such. TJ reliably (so he tells me) says that Durban is excellent for juicy steaks. "Excellent steaks in every restaurant at any time of the day" he said with authority. Not sure how to assimulate this peice of information. Should it be in the guide book? Come to Durban and experience a lovely steak everyday of your stay for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Na, I am sure there must be more to Durban than the juicy Steaks. Albert told me that they have an excellent local beer on Tap and Pietro muttered something about "woman with large ones". Am wandering about Pietros' statement, as do the woman have large steaks or am I getting my wires crossed? hahaha! Day Summary. Climbing up the Map to Durban. Going North I mean. Rough weather is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Amazing how it can recede so quickly, no need to keep the life jacket at the back of my mind now! I looked up Durban in my faithful guide book and got nothing much back, just another Coastal City with a Port is all that I can make from it. Nothing that stands out anyway, although Steaks come recommended from TJ (at any time of the day), Beer from Albert and large breasts from Pietro. Ach, whatever - I have no money left for this month! Friday: 29th November 2002 Just like that, 'wham bam thank you mam'. Sailed already. I got up this morning all ready to go ashore in Durban if I could afford it but no sooner were we tied up alongside than we were back at sea again. In fact I missed most of it and only saw the tail-lights of Durban as we steamed out and back on track. At 8am Peter sent me to the this horrible space down, down, down. Sort of a pump and valve room that is not really used anymore. The cargo holds can carry liquid cargoes or where designed to and this room is the center for pumping operations ashore or for loading cargo. Not used anymore but Peter says that we have to keep it in working order for surverys. Stupid yes, practical no but has to be done YES! Anyway, I had to climb down this horrible ladder into this coffin like steel room. Dark, dingy and prime for a horror movie. There are hundreds of valves along the walls and four or so pumps at the bottom. Very quiet in this room as well, like everything has suddenly stopped and the world has ended - I am the only one left. Huh, creepy stuff, I am frightening myself all over again. I kept on expecting to see spiderwebs and giant sman eating piders reaching out to get me. I went down with a load of grease, a grease gun and a can of WD 40 (rust remover) and some rags. I then worked around each valve in turn: grease it, open it, grease it some more, shut it and grease it a last time. If it was extra stiff spray some release oil on it and pray. At 10pm I thought that I felt a bump or something but then decided that it was my over-active imagination running riot - still nervous about the creepyness of the place and of the big spider in the corner, or was it a rat? Somebody could close the hatch above and I could just waste away in here, nobody to hear my shouting. Knocking on the walls would get nowhere, screaming wouldn't even pass the first inch of these thick tanks sides and what else could I do except sit and drink my own piss until I ran dry. Maybe years later they would open up this hatch and find some old bones lying at the bottom in a pool of water and somebody would say "oh, I always wandered what happened to that small Cadet". Decided not to go up for smoko as that would mean a long climb up the ladder, get cleaned up and then have to climb all the way back down again. Na, stay here and get the job done. Doesn't look like anything has been done for a long time as each valve is stiff - maybe they have not had a cadet on this ship for a long time, or the last one that came down had been eaten. At 1130hrs I thought I felt another bump. Anyway, I was finished and collected all my stuff together and worked my painfull way up the ladder and out of the coffin into fresh air. Phew, I hope I don't have to do that again. Not something that I can put into my work book either. No box for "greased valves in Coffin". Came up out of my steel grave and put the grease gun away - never used it anyway as none of the valves had grease nipples on them. Peter asked me where I had been. Some people are so forgetful. Anyway, after looking at me in surprise he told me that I had missed Durban. Wow, had I actually been down there for a whole day or something. But no, just a one hour stop-over, open one hatch and discharge some cargo. Close the hatch and away we went again. I rushed out onto deck and managed to see a lovely bay with some ships in. And a way in the background I could see some tall sky scrapers. Looked a lovely place. I wonder if I will ever get back there again. Can't beleive it that I had spent the whole time greasing valves in a steel can when I could have been up here looking at the scenery. Damn those forgetfull Engineers. Day Summary. Missed Durban. Was so busy working that I missed Durban and only got to see the skyscrapers behind us as we steamed away. Damn. Climbing the map and going upwards once again. Don't know where to. Have written it down somewhere but I don't care - I HAVE MISSED DURBAN. Saturday: 30th November 2002 0700hrs. Saturday, half day today. Barbecue day I think as we sail towards Mombassa. Heard on the news that there had been some trouble in Mombassa, some hotel explosion and something or other. And that somebody tried to shoot down a plane with loads of passengers onboard. Well, maybe we will not get to Kenya after-all or not Mombassa or something like that. Ach, time to get breakfast, self-help and no eggs to order as per usual. Not sure what is planned for this morning, ah, wait Safety Checks on Saturdays is it not? Great thing writing this diary as I can check back and see what I have done before and when. Yep, Safety Checks today, test the fire alarms and emergency equipment and such. Tomorrow is probably a Drill of some sorts. I will be ready.... 1500hrs. Barbecue - great stuff. Had everything possible and feel really bloated. Ug! Day Summary. End of day. Drunk a bit as have been partying since the barbecue. Was operating as gofer for most for the day and took slugs of beer between the fetching. I think all the barbecue stuff in my stomach helped to soak up most of it up. Did all the checks this morning - some even on my own, am really getting good. Nervous but good. Sunday: 1st December 2002 0730hrs. Ach yuk, my head is splitting. Feels like somebody has been bashing my around with a big peice of wood whilst I was asleep. Have to get down that engine room. 1230hrs. Ouch, finished now. What a hard morning that was. Every time I moved my head it rattled inside and sent pains everywhere. The noise of the engine room killed me. Albert suggests that I have one beer and then sleep. He says there is nothing better than one beer to clear the head after a night on the piss. Will try that but then I want to sleep all afternoon - I am so tired. Fell apart at the drill as well. A volunteer was required to wear the BA set and I being the usual unvoluntary volunteer was hauled forwards. But then Peter the Mate said my breath smelt like a brewery, he then pushed me away and chose an AB instead. Felt embarrased but however hard I tried I could not smell my breath - maybe he was imagining things. Day Summary. All good plans are laid to rest. Feel happy but think that I overloaded on the beer once again. Had one beer and then another and got totally out of my tree. Monday: 2nd December 2002 0730hrs. Oooooo, must get up. This is even worse than the day before. Head really falling off and whoever is hitting me with that peice of wood really went to town last night. I feel bruised and sore all over. Must get up, I smell of stale beer and sweat so need that shower desperately. 1745hrs. Whoops,this is where it all fell apart. Worked this morning with my head falling off my shoulders and my eyes kept open with imaginary machsticks. Peter the Second was standing beside me and told me that I smell terrible and look even worse. He moved away after telling me that important peice of information. I even had a shower before dinner, put my Uniform on and was most upset when TJ told me that I still smelt like a can of beer left over from the night before. What is going on? 2230hrs. Lying in my bed feeling really small and stupid. Head still sore but even worse and not due to alcohol. Well it is due to alcohol but after effects of being lectured to about alcohol rather than drinking the stuff. Chief asked me to his cabin again. Sat me down and then asked me if I remembered what I he had told me a few days ago! I said yes, but was really confused and not sure what he was after. Anyway, he was severe and told me that I was drinking too much. That I had been drunk all weekend and that it was not the sort of conduct that a cadet should have. Bla, bla, bla! Says, he has not told the Captain but that he will probably notice anyway from my large bar bills. Turns out I had over forty beers on my bar bill from the weekend alone. Not mine, I tried to tell him - probably rounds that I had paid for for everybody else. But then how can I prove that and I could see that he didn't beleive me anyway. I had drunk alot but I turned up for work and did my job so I cannot see the problem. But the Chief could see a problem and laid into me good. Told me not to act and behave like that again. Made me feel really small and like a young kid. It wasn't Alberts fault as the Chief kept on hinting about - although he was there the whole time. Other people seemd to come and go but I suppose Albert and I where there the whole time. Yikes, better watch out. Day Summary. Small am I in size and feeling. Reduced to nothing by the chief who informed me that I was drinking far too much and that it would not be tolerated. Said something about a report on my behaviour should it happen again and that I should consider this conversation as a verbal warning as to my future conduct. No more drinking and no more long sessions is the answer. Why don't they tell Albert to slow down on his drinking? Why me? Tuesday: 3rd December 2002 0730hrs. Feel bad this morning. Wide awake and small. Sort of put down and insignificant and as if all my learning and work over the last weeks has been for nothing. Ticked a day off the calender this morning and oh, so many more to go. Not my fault that I drank so much over the weekend. Anyway, my bar bill compared to everybody elses is so small, so why did the Chief pick on me. The cook and Albert are in the bar more than I and Albert more than he is in the Engine Room. But did the Chief have a word with them? Not going for breakfast this morning. Too afraid to show my face - probably more fool me but I still cannot show up. Will just go straight down the Engine Room and do a normal days work then retire to my cabin. Slink away from recrimination and attack. 1230hrs. Saw Peter the Second this morning. Ha, loads of jobs for me to do, easy stuff but plenty of them like greasing pumps and shafts and things, fix a leak here and there, clean the Bilge Strainers of rubbish and so on and so on. Kept me busy and I was working on my own which was a good thing. Away from people and left to myself. Peter did though say this, "Ignore the grumpy old fart". Which I took to mean as ignore the Chief so maybe all is not so bad. But still feel small - smaller than I am. It is not as if I was late for work or did something wrong, I only had a few more beers than normal and then got totally ripped apart for it. 1930hrs. I don't understand. I can't work some people out. After work I had a shower, had dinner and then went to my cabin. I actually got my work book out and started to do some work. Time to do it - nothing else to do. Anwyay, I was just sitting there drawing a diagram of a system and quite happy when TJ knocked on my door. he told me that it was Peter the Mates birthday and that everybody was having a beer in the bar and that the cook had made a cake. Well, I told TJ about the Chiefs lecture to me and he just said, "ach, forget the silly old fart and come and have a beer". Well, I went to the bar and everybody was laughing loudly all seemingly surrounded by empty beer bottles. Well, TJ went behind the bar and asked me my poison. I told him that I would just have a coke and then I would be in the bar but not drinking alcohol. The Chief could not fault me for that now could he? More fool me! Sitting there enjoying my coke and hiding from the main crowd when the Chief happens to pass, maybe on his way to the toilet or something. He sees my coke and says in a loud voice for all to hear, "hey Tiny, whats up can't handle your drink"? I just looked at him, shocked that he would say something so loud about what he had previously told me. What a cruel person. Then he did something which confuses me for all time, he told TJ to get me a beer, and he said to me "Kid, be a man and drink a real drink with the rest of us". What does that mean? First he tells me that I am drinking too much and that I spend too much time in the bar. Then when I drink coke he makes me drink beer. I am so confused. I was happier to be in my cabin working than not knowing whether to drink or not too drink. Stupid old fart. Day Summary. Mombassa Tomorrow, we are going alongside after all. And we should discharge more cargo that will take a couple of days according to the Mate. Am totally confused as to whether I can drink or not drink. First the Chief says that I cannot then he says that I must. So confused. Left the bar early after two beers forced upon me by the Chief Engineer. He would have forced more on me had I stayed. Grumpy Old Sod. Wished the Mate a Happy birthday although he fell off his stool soon after that so presume that it did not matter what I had said. Wednesday: 4th December 2002 0730hrs. Eyes open, unstick, peel away the lids, grope for light, smash leg into desk as attempt is made to get out of bed. Lying on the floor now reading my travel guide - going alongside today! Mombassa. In Kenya! Next door to Tanzania, Uganda, The Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia. Getting the Picture? I don't as I need an atlas now. Must go and see one of those people upstairs (the bridge I mean) and get them to show me on a chart or something. Anyway, currency is the Kenyan Shilling and the official language is Swahili. Or English for foreigners as no choice really. Maybe I will try and get a Swahili for Tourists handy words book in Mombassa! Can get to Mount Kilimanjaro the highest mountain in Africa or to the famous game reserves and see some lions and things at Amboseli (sounds like an Italian sauce), Tsaro (from Russia) and the Masai Mara (Indian Curry) game parks. For the great City of Mombassa itself it does not say much. Tells me that it is the major seaport of Kenya and used also by Tanzania and Ethiopia - container feed hub I suppose. Has a Museum called the Fort Jesus Museum which takes everyone back to the sixteenth and forwards - housed in a Portugese Fort from when they ruled the roost around those parts. A while ago now one would think anyway but maybe I will find out tomorrow. Important facts! Although everyone would first think so Mombassa is not the Capitol and the town itself is situated on a little Island. Nairobi is a bigger City and the Capitol of Kenya and lies a few hundred miles away. Mombassa is the sea port and has a long history of trade with Arabia and the Far East. Endless Slaves would have left the area for a new life and where probably packed ten high in sailing dhows along with the Ivory on the outward journey. On the return many a strong spice would have been found along with endless small goods from the Asian Nations. There are many good beaches and many resort hotels in Kenya but mostly all much further North than Mombassa. The beaches around the Sea Port are not really suitable for tourists. Bit more about Fort Jesus the Museum! Built in 1593 strangely enough by the Portugese. Or I imagine by the Local labor force and a few Portugese standing by with whips. Well, in 1968 (and 1967 I think) the Omani Arabs decided that enough was enough and that they wanted a bigger share of the Ivory Trade. So laying seige to the Fort they settled in for a little while, never thinking that it would last 33months. They got the Fort eventually, I am sure after much death from boredom had occured. I suppose the British came on the scene at some point and built a railway and put steam trains on it and all of that! Doesn't say anything in the guide book about that but I am certain that the infamous Fort Jesus will reveal all - if I can get past the beer to see it. 1230hrs. Wanted to go ashore this afternoon. But am too frightened to go on my own. So I made a deal with the Second Engineer. Or rather he said to me "go ashore this evening with us and work this afternoon". I think he won most things through that deal - not sure where I came into the scoring there. But as Peter said it is too hot to be walking aorund in the afternoon and not really safe to be going up on ones own. Ands anyway, there was some trouble last night in the Town of Mombassa itself. We are not sure of the details but something to do with a bomb going off at one of the resort hotels nearby. So we have been warned to be on alert and a Security Guard with an evil looking gun has been posted at our gangway. We also have to keep a good watch for anything suspicious and to go in groups when we go ashore! 1745hrs. Am ready to go ashore. Shorts and sandles, a wadge of money in my backpocket and I am ready. The trouble ashore has rebounded everywhere. We have been told not to go into town, to be back to the ship by 10pm and not to talk to strangers. Sounds like my mother before I left for school. Doesn't seem like any point in going ashore at all but Albert and Peter tell me that the Seamans Mission is excellent and that the swimming pool is great - So, shorts, t-shirt sandles, a wadge of money and my swimming trunks I am ready for better or for worse! Day Summary. Mombassa! Interesting Place - great actually. Sorry: To recap, we arrived alongside amidst tight security this morning at about 11am. Due to some unfortunate Incident with a Bomb ashore we have not been allowed into town. But this evening we had permission from the Security Chiefs ashore and our Sown Security Chief (our Captain who needed a beer) to go to the Seamans Mission. The Mission is not situated in town but closer to the ship and deemed safe by all concerned. Probably the Captains need for a beer overrode any thoughts of safety but there we are. We were told to be back to the ship by 10pm and we made it just in time - well at twelve but under Kenyan time it was within limits. Had a great time - will talk tomorrow as am feeling in the need for great sleep. Thursday: 5th December 2002 0730hrs. Morning - Feel wide awake today and refreshed. Wonderful what a beer can do for the days (weeks) outlook. Had a good time. We ignored security advice for a little while as the Skipper said (being in one of his less grumpy moods) that I should see the Bargain Market. This is just before town and so we were not really breaking the "No Town Rule" imposed on us. Dirt tracks everywhere! Didn't see any of Mr Tar Macadams efforts but I was told that they had a laid road inside of the town. Anyway, the road leading from the docks (twenty muniutes by taxi) goes into town. Just before on either side of the road are hundreds of stalls selling all manner of artificats. An amazing site to say the least. The vendors kept on calling me Jerry boy, which made those with me laugh their heads off. Something to do with the fact that I looked young and innocent. And maybe something to do with my silly haircut which everybody seemed to find funny. Bargaining is great fun. Could have spent the whole evening doing that. We went from stall to stall studying elephants, intricately carved boats with human figurines inside of them. Chests of drawers beautiful in all senses and chess sets made from soap stone. I was in present heaven. So many things to take home for the family to say "look where I have beeen". The vendors all scream and shout and shove endless items in our faces. Can't see the wood from the trees. Confusing us with shouts of "Best Deal" and "Okay, for you low money, me no food". Started off with one guy saying that a certain soap stone chess-set was worth US200.OO. Now I imagine that if this set was in a store in America it could very well go for that price. It was very well and skillfully made and of a dark purple and white soap stone. I did not have that sort of money so didn't want to take it any further, but the skipper in an even further improved mood did. He looked at the vendor and said, "No good, you take 5US and that is too much you thief". Ten dollars? I think the skipper was living in dream world here. Even the vendor thought so as he was nearly crying in pain and waving his hands in the air. "Man, I have hungry famly and I sold nutting today - no buy" and went on about how it had taken him months to make the chess set in question. He then suggested that 100US might just cover his traumas and overheads and maybe keep his famly alive for another day or two. Captain, Oh Captain was having none of that. He actually destroyed verbally the peice and found endless faults in the structure and alignement of the squares. Also said that the chess peices did not match correctly and that one was chipped. For the life of me I could not see where any of this was or that it ruined its value - needed a microscope for that. But the skipper suggested that the Vendor was a robber and that 10US was his final offer. I would have broken down at this stage (as the vendor I mean) as he was now a serious candidate for a mental hospital. It seemed as if large chunks of his hair was being ripped out and he looked pale white (which for a guy from Kenya was quite hard to acheive) and was about to be sick. "I sell my famly will hunger and my brothers kill me. Please, my firend you buy and save me". He waved his hands beseachingly at me, nearly crying and pleading for his life. Yep, I would have given him everything to just to save him from the pain and torture that the Captain was abviously causing him. But the Skipper was made of harder stuff. "Fifteen Pounds and you are a thief for that", the skipper said. "Fifteen pounds and that is twice as much as it is worth. Wrap it up and stop your moaning". No way, I thought this vendor is not stupid and the set is worth far more than that. "Okay", a smiling and cheeful vendor said. "Want more, elephant maybe", he continued happily, "only 300US for a jewelry box made from original wood". Wow, how could he do it, he was actually happy to get fifteen dollars and it was all a game. I was amazed at the transformation. Wow, clever man that Captain but the greatest suprise came later and not from the vendor himself. After buying the Chess Set the skipper handed it to me and said, "there you go you owe me 15US Dollars". Wow, he had actually gone through all of that to help me out! Wow, and then he told me to buy something small and practice the skills that I had just learn't. I did do that with another stall owner and over a little elephant that was worth 2.50 dollars in any shop back home. I was suitably and utterly ripped off as I ended up paying a very happy vendor nearly twenty pounds for it. However hard I tried I could not get the distraught vendor (whose family had not eaten for a month) to come below that price. Twenty pounds for a cheap and badly made ornament and fifteen dollars for a very special and wonderful soap stone chess set. I think I won out over-all but it was close - great fun though. Day Summary. End of the day and at sea again. Forgot to mention that we sailed this morning and onward ho'. Left the shores of Kenya bound outwards after having had a great time.Bought a soap stone chess set for peanuts and a horrible ornament at great cost. They balanced each other out. Found out that Mr Gruff the Skipper has a heart of Gold - Somewhere hidden deep beneath the thick scowl that he carries. Anyway, spent most of the day working and talking about the night before up at the mission. And no headache today after such a great evening! Strange. Friday: 6th December 2002 1230hrs. Strange morning. We are back at Sea on the long haul and very empty. The ship I mean as we discharged the last cargo in Mombassa - a couple of trucks and containers and things like that - and are now off to another Charter. Strange morning as I sort of felt disconected. There was MR Not So Gruff, the Captain being totally gruff and stupid again. At breakfast he glared at me and told me to never appear in the Saloon again with a pair of flipflops on. I had the Uniform and all but just had a pair of flipflops on to make life easy. Noticed later that the Chief was walking around in his socks (shoes left under the table) which is worse in my books than what I was wearing. But can one tell a captain that? No one cannot tell a Captain that. Mr Gruff wiped out all his good deeds and the rest of my day for that matter in one fell swoop. He was such a nice person the other night. Laughing (a gruff one) and joking and treating me like everybody else. After the market episode we had all returned to the Seamans Mission. Wow, what a place that was. Takes everybody back a hundred years or so. Still operating in the Colonial style with whicker basker chairs, servants in white carrying dinks to tables, doors being opened by porters in white and red and creaking fans humming lazily under the thatched roof of the building. It is a large building and very well kept up. A large verandah surrounds the place where one can comfortably ensconce themselves into a large and comfortable chair with the daily newspaper and a glass of cold beer to hand. Or watch the world go by on the road view, or watch the mountains from the otherside or the sea from yet another. And a waiter will always be hovering around to jump to your latest order, a cocktail or two or a man with a fan? And then to beat it all one can drape themselves in a chair by the swimming pool and enjoy the luxury of plams trees and cocktails during the day and probably the same at night. Yep, had a great time. We all had a swim and tried to climb coconut trees just for something to do. Captain Gruff with his legs wrapped around a thin trunk (six feet up) that seemed to be bending under the unusual weight did not look gruff at all. And then we all repaired to the Verandah and the mountain view, with cocktails, beers, and other various alcoholic mixtures to while away the evening. We all talked and laughed and joked and Captain Confusing and I had a long conversation about what I cannot remember. Yes, a great night and as I said the other day we got back onboard at Midnight all very merry and happy. But now he is just back to normal - the man to hate! 1730hrs. Puh, just heard where we are going. Yes, I did not know our destination even when we left. As Albert says it doesn't matter where we go as we have no control over it anyway (he had been drinking Gin and was a bit down) but Peter the Second says it is necessary to know our next port of call. Necessary because of maintenance for the engines but more importantly so that one can plan the next drink ashore! Like now we are going to Singapore (so he says) plans must be made so that everybody gets up the road at one point or another and that drinking areas are pinpointed and sourced. Everybody has been to Singapore before and so all ideas must be pooled and the best one found. Or so he told me. Day Summary. At Sea. Captain is back to being Gruff and attacking people for no reason. Or me anyway! At sea and heading for Singapore! Turns out that it will be at least two and a half weeks traveling and that most of the guys onboard will be paying off when we get there. Hmmmm, Albert and I will be the only ones left. Oh well, two weeks to get used to that. Twenty two days or something - that will be? Ah, 22 plus 6 equals 28th December arrive! Christmas at Sea! Eeeeeeeeeks. Saturday: 7th December 2002 1230hrs. Silly people. They are all complaining loudly and endlessly about paying off after X-mas. The Captain is mumbling something about stopping in India and getting the Crew Change done there. That would mean that they would all get home for X-mas and the New year. Whats the problem anyway. I am sure that the people coming to join dont want to spend X-mas and New Year on this mighty vessel. So if everybody changes in Singapore then everybody gets either X-mas or New Year at home. Grumble, grumble, grumble - I hope the New People that are coming are okay. I don't think I can or want any more abusive people for this trip. Just now it is okay but..........new people, unknown people are worrying me greatly. Maybe they will all come onboard and ignore me. Or maybe they will come on the ship and expect me to know everything. Ach, twenty two days to go.............. I am getting quite nervous about this. Quite nervous and also thinking that x-mas will be a right nightmare with a new crew on the ship. Ho Ho Ho.. What happens on a ship at X-mas? Day Summary. Sailing towards Singapore. X-mas at sea looks like it will be the name of the game. With a new crew or the old crew has yet to be decided by Head Office. Please let it be the old crew. Please? Sunday: 8th December 2002 Early Morning. Couldn't sleep: keep on thinking about the madmen that could join and the terrible X-mas that I would have. Went to the aft of the boat. Strange looking at the propeller wash. Draws you in. Have heard stories that people have been so hypnotised by the wash that they have fallen overboard. All those getting off are driving me crazy. Nothing yet from the Office but they all think they are getting off as we pass India. They are all drinking and laughing and in high spirits. That is apart from the two Top Gruffs. The Chief and the Skipper seem to be perfectly normal and miserable. Wonder if they ever change and are happy? Early Evening. I was taking this pump apart in the engine room all morning. Kind request of Peter the Second Engineer. Only a little one for the domestic fresh water for the showers and things. But managed to break it again once I had fixed it. Must have been thinking about something else as the job was really easy - I got it wrong though. I put it all together and then tested it - but the shaft broke! Ach, why me? Must have done something seriously wrong but all the internals were a right mess. In the interests of not getting lectured and told that I am stupid I searched the stores for some spares (extra ones). I found an old shaft that looked unusuable but in light of the other one being in two twisted peices I had no option. I stuck this one in with the old seals and boxed it up. Amazing really the twists of life. Started this one up just as Peter came along to see how I was doing. he saw the pump running, noticed no leaks and that the pressure was good. He said "well done kiddo, never seen it work so well". My lucky day! He did say that I could probably do it quicker next time but then he was not to know that I had done it twice in the time given. Hope he leaves the ship before it breakes down and he finds out that I had cheated and broken the first good shaft. Silly pump anyway! I feel better anyway knowing that I had managed to fix something - even if I had broken it. About the first job that I have done myself without somebody standing over me all the time. I did sweat though alot in the process of getting it back together again - a mixture of nerves and impending disaster. Late evening. Went in the bar this evening but everybody was high! Went outside with my beer to escape the spirits (of people I mean) and found Albert nursing a bottle on his own. He told me that he was escaping from those thinking they were leaving - he and I were staying. Anyway, we proceeded to have a few bottles in solitude. I feel better now. Day Summary. Sailing onwards. Maybe they will all get off in India, maybe not! Broke a pump in the engine room and fixed it without anybody finding out. Peter said I had done a good job - yippeeee. I pray that it lasts until he leaves otherwise I will be in deep trouble. Sneaked down to the Galley and removed some cheese that just happened to be lying around. Tasted great with some Ritz Crackers. hope the cook doesn't notice but if he does I will keep mum! Silly guy anyway, always complaining! It was well worth the stealing as I feel good. Monday: 9th December 2002 1200hrs. Hahahah, was laughing this morning and so was my mate Albert. Secretly of course as it would not be too good for everybody to see us laughing at them. An Email came through from the Office suggesting that Captains should leave the Crewing arrangements to Head Office. In short nobody is getting off until the ship arrives in Singapore. Now they are all walking around with long faces and grumbling about doing extra time and all of that. So they are all staying until after X-mas and that is good for me. When I woke up this morning I looked at my well crossed calender and realised that it would be me to pack my bags soon. Three months of a trip and already two nearly gone by. Eleventh of January is my day and counting .......... TJ is walking around with the longest face. He has already done three months and all of this is extra time. I do feel sorry for him as I think I would hate to have to do extra. I wonder where we will be on the 11th January. At sea? In port? Please be in Port. Chief suggested today that I should be able to do a night onboard. By this he means a duty night. So today is the day when all onboard think that I can look after the engine room. That since I can fix pumps that I have broken then I am capable of looking after the alarms. And the Chief told me to call the Second Engineer if I have any problems. Why not call him the miserable old fart. Well, that is not the problem. My problem is my knocking knees - how on earth am I going to be able to sleep tonight? I did the check around at 1730hrs and took a log. No problem there, but now I am sitting in my cabin biting my finger nails whilst staring at the alarm box on the wall. Waiting for it to go off! Will it, won't it? 1800hrs. No alarm yet - nothing happening. 1830hrs. Had dinner - but ate little as I felt like being sick! No alarm yet - nothing happening. 1910hrs. No alarm yet - nothing happening. 2030hrs. Had to have a look around the Engine Room as I could not beleive that nothing was going to happen. Funny being down there on my own - feels creepy even with all the noise of the engines. But everything was in its right place and all readings normal. No alarm yet - nothing happening. 2200hrs. No alarm yet - nothing happening. Day Summary. Tuesday: 10th December 2002 0500hrs. Did not sleep at all last night. No Alarm or anything but lying in my bunk with the light on and dressed up in boilersuit and socks does not make for easy sleep. Especially not when I am wide awake and nervously watching that alarm box for something to happen. Nothing happened and I am angry because of it. Angry because I spent all night watching and waiting for something to happen and it never did. But maybe for the better as I would have panicked and run around like a chicken with it's head cut off - should that alarm bell have rung. O730hrs. In the saloon for breakfast feeling wide awake and ready for anything. Ready for action and happy that I had done my first night onboard without accident, an engine blowing up or doing something wrong. Was happy and even happier when the Cook came storming in to catch the Captain at his worst. I had forgotten about my cheese fest the other night. Completely forgotten about it but the Cook remembered and felt that he had to tell the Captain so. "The B......s have done it again Capt. Taken the Cheese", the Cook ranted on, "they took the Cheese and we haven't enough to last us till Singapore as it is". The Captain just looked at the Cook and said quietly, "not today cookie". In an other way that could have meant "Piss Off Cookie". Which is exactly what the cook did. Because from what I gather if the Captain says something like that then you do it. And then the deflated Cook did so. He left the Saloon with a red face and without saying a word. The Skipper just went back to eating his cornfalkes and not saying or doing much else. He must be having a bad day as he was not even gruff, just plain old "don't mess with me". Bit shocked though! As he was leaving and whilst I was trying to sink into my chair and go unnoticed, he winked at me! Wow, this is really weird and beats everything! He passed me with a wink and said "don't take any more cheese, he might attack you with a carving knife if he found out". He said that to me! But how did he know that I took the cheese? Life is scary but as long as he doesn't tell the cook it seems that everything will be okay. If he does tell the cook I maybe tomorrows dinner nicely carved into steaks for everybody else - wow, frightening. 1330hrs. Got my book signed. The book for the College back home. After my good performance last night (no alarms or mistakes I mean) Peter was really happy. Well, thinking about it if I do a night on duty then that means one less for the rest of them and that is quite a big thing I suppose. Anyway, Peter all smiles told me to bring my workbook down and he signed nearly half of it in one go. Don't think I had done everything it asked but he was in a good mood, I wanted the book signed and so everybody was happy. The Chief came down the Engine Room at midday and told me to get my 'arse' up to the Bar. I thought I was in trouble but why the bar......? Anyway, true to form (captains and skippers) he changed his mood from previous. Told me to get pissed and to have the afternoon off - also told me that I had done a good job. Wow, if people keep on being nice to me I might actually start enjoying this life. What have I done right? Evening. Pietro caught me after my drinking session and made me drink some more. Wow is he hard to understand. I thought Italians speaking English would be easy to understand but he is harder than the Crew below and even worse than the Vendors in Mombassa. So I sat listening to him speaking his Italian English for an hour or so (he was buying the beers) and not understanding a word he was saying. I just sat there nodding my head in agreement and laughing politely every so often whilst he rambled on about god knows what! Day Summary. Steaming on towards Singapore - long voyage this one. Everybody getting off in Singapore and that is after X-mas sometime. Did my duty night without misshap or trouble and got thanked by Peter and the Chief who both bought me Beers. The Captain also winked at me and although about Cheese it does make me feel abit uncomfortable. Maybe he is a bit inclined the other way!!!! Better watch out - he might like young boys, don't know what goes on at sea with a bunch of men. Anyway, the Cook is sulking and dinner was terrible. Tasted like plastic and was burnt to a frazzle. Pietro talked to me for an hour and I came away not having understood anything. Wednesday: 11th December 2002 2000hrs. Somebody always has to ruin a good day don't they? And if I had to choose that somebody then it would be 'skinny malinky long legs Dave the Fourth'. Who else could cause me misery, to take away all the good feelings that had built up in me for so long. Dave with the high ego and who nobody likes decided that he needed atention from me. Peters fault as well as he put me with Davy for the day and working on the Purifiers. Not a nice task for anybody at the best of times, but even worse when the "skinny" man is in charge. Me Davy and an Oiler together and the poor Oiler was expecting that he would get the brunt from the Fourth. But no it was me. All day he went on and on about how useless I was. How I couldn't do anything and how I was more of a hindrance than help. Anything I touched and he would be screaming at me. Anything I did and he would be waving a spanner in my face. I felt terrible and still do. Sort of like abused and flat. Not sure of myself at all. And he was only a Cadet no long ago as well! Must have had a really bad time and decided to make all future cadets lives hell - well, he was doing a good job of making me feel terrible. The Oiler dissapeared after the first five-minutes and was not seen again. But dave didn't notice as he was too busy haranging me! Went into the bar after dinner just to have one beer and then slip away to bed early - catch up on some sleep from the night before. Anybody and everybody was in there and so I was going to sneak off - but the Chief saw me and shouted "Hey Kid, Beer time". So what choice did I have? Anyway, sat down with a beer and that was when Davy started off once again! He was ranting and raving to everybody about the terrible work that I had done today and that I was no good, that I would not last long and that somebody should report my uselessness to the company. And the strange thing was that nobody was saying otherwise. They were all just sitting there drinking and listening to him rant on and on - nobody saying "hold up there" or "he's not that bad". And I sat there listening to it all feeling so down and sinking faster and faster. What had gone wrong? Something snapped inside of me. For the whole trip I had been as quiet as a mouse. Just doing my job and learning and for the most part feeling lonely and homesick. Trying my best to get on and not make any waves. But I think sitting there listening to myself being ripped apart in front of everybody and with not one soul backing me or helping me caused me to do something which was out of step. I took his ranting for a while and then before I even knew what I was doing I turned round to the Idiot and said, "Davy, shut up, nobody is interested, and anyway that mistake this afternoon was your fault. You were hitting the lockring the wrong way and making it tighter not looser". After that it was like a movie in slow motion. I went red because I was embarrassed at having spoken up infront of the Skipper and Chief and all of that. Red in the face because I had spoken out loud and told an Officer to 'shutup'. I was very unsure of what would happen next, maybe I would be sent to my cabin and a report made of my ill conduct, or maybe they would all shun me or something. Whilst all of this was going through my head I could see Dave starting to splutter and wriggle on his bar stool. He also was totally unsure of what to do or how to react - should he get angry and rant even more, or pretend that I had not said anything. So, whilst I was seeing Davy go through his motions I started to notice everybodys faces change. Wrinkles started to appear at the corners of their mouths and then it dawned on me that they were smiling. Yes, everybody was smiling and laughing. Peter the Second said to Davy, "yeah, shutup Skinny and leave the kid alone" and Peter the Mate said "maybe you should be the Cadet if you can't do that locknut thingy and the Cadet can can take your job". The Chief turned around to me and said "Hey Kid, I'm glad to see you've got some balls after all", and the Captain said nothing but actually smiled - wow what a day. Day Summary. Shouted at all day by the Fourth Engineer. Then in the bar in the evening I lost it and told him to shut up. Did the right thing as I think everybody was fed up of him complaining all the time. Everybody was happy except Davy who slunk away as soon as nobody was looking. Oh, and the Cook who still seemed to be sulking was sitting alone on a couch with his head in his hands. For the first time I actually feel as if I have a place on the ship - that I am a human after all. Better watch out for Davy though - he will be on the warpath. Thursday: 12th December 2002 1200hrs. Happy, Happy, Happy. Gee, this life is not so bad after all! Still unsure of myself. I often feel sort of tolerated rather than part of it all but then I am only a Cadet and learning. I hope I am never like the Fourth Engineer (Davy) - so miserable and unhappy all the time as if the world is against him. Or like Albert who is happy and good company - if he has a prerequiste number of beers inside of him. He gets even happier if he has some spirit in his system - the whisky kind I mean. He drinks so much and seems to be constantly drunk but nobody ever says anything about that. After talking with Albert about the other night and my talking back to Davy he told me that when everybody is in the bar certain things change. It is a place for people to relax so the normal decorum (like not speaking back to Officers) can be forgotten and to a certain extent all in the bar are equals. He also told me that traditionally the Captain and the Chief should ask permission from the Officers before entering the Bar as it is an Officers bar and as such closed to the Top Tanks. That is tradition and doesn't really go anymore - not with this company anyway, but it is more relaxed than outside. All interesting stuff! But at least I did the right thing yesterday - got the monster off my back. Cook caught me this morning. He had found out that I took the Cheese and the story revealed itself as such. TJ had seen me stealing the Cheese: must have been passing by or something when I did it. Anywway, he laughingly told the Captain who then spread it to everybody else during a happy get together in the bar. Then Davy hearing this decided to take it further and get a bit of revenge. He told the Cook! The Cook then told the Captain that it was me who took the Cheese and the Captain supposedly told him to "piss off" again. The Captain later told me not to take any more food from the galley, or if I did not to get caught whilst doing it. The Cook told me to never come into his galley again and that if I wanted fried eggs I would have to make them in the engine room. He was angry and waving a carving knife around - but I think he knew that the subject had drawn to a close. I took his abuse - glad that it was all out and basically overwith. I can do without Eggs in the morning until I leave. 1730hrs. Onward ho! We are not going full speed as we are not required until a certain day. Weather is good and we are not rolling or anything. Am gaining confidence all the time. I even managed to understand what was being said on the phone today - Peter phoned up and asked me to check the water pressure. Seemed that it was not as it usually was. I panicked thinking that my recently overhauled pump (the one where I broke the new shaft) had packed up and that I would be caught out. I had these pictures of all my good deeds being wiped out and I would be back to normal - the underdog. Anyway, upon checking found out that the pressure switch had seized up and so the pump had not cut-in as it should. I cleaned the pipe out to the pressure switch and away it went. All good stuff and a job well done, even if I say it myself. My pump is working like a dream. Very proud of that am I. Day Summary. Sailing forwards. Cook is not speaking to me and has told me that I get no more eggs for breakfast. Big deal! Davy is not talking to me and just walks past me with his nose in the air all the time. Two big deals! Apart all going well. One month to go today and the days are flying by. X-mas soon! Friday: 13th December 2002 1700hrs. Slightly rough this morning. I put the ballast in on my own as requested by Peter the Chief Mate. Another job well done. We put ballast in to get the ship a bit further down in the water to stop the propellers coming out when the ship pitches and rolls around. I think anyway, sounds good! Spent most of the morning 'lamping up', replacing flourescent tubes around the Engine Room and the accomodation. Easy job and only me doing it! As I was changing a bulb near the fuel pumps I noticed that a Fuel Pipe was pissing out oil at a connection. I ran up to Peter (the Second) and told him what I had seen and the end result was that we had to stop the engine for twenty minutes while we changed the joint. It was the discharge from the main fuel supply pump to the engine. Not that important but it was a fire risk and it would make a mess everywhere. Peter called the Captain up and asked him if it was okay to stop the Engine and the Skipper said no problem. He could just drift for that time as no ships where in 100 miles and the weather was not that bad. So we stopped and changed the joint (not much left of it) and started up again and away we went. But then the Chief came down in a bad mood and asked Peter why he was not told and why was his permission not asked before they stopped. Did he and Peter go at it tooth and nail? I left the Control Room because they were both shouting so much and the Chief was red in the face. When I left Peter was shouting something about him not needing permission and anyway, the Chief was always asleep and never came down the engine room. And the Chief was screaming that he was the Chief whether he came down or not and that Peter was only the Second Engineer - not the Chief yet. Not sure at all who is right or wrong but it seems a bit of a stupid arguement about nothing. The job was easily done and the engine back to how it was before I spotted the leak and so what was up? The Chief should have just said, "please call me next time you stop the engine" and with a please on the end or not at least he could have just left it at that! But no, they had to scream at each other instead. I thought I should hang around incase they started throwing spanners at each other or something but then decided that I should just keep well away from it fro my sake. Anyway, I continued around the engine room changing the bulbs and things and forgeting all about the screaming match when Albert came and told me that I was needed upstairs in the Chiefs Cabin. Oh my, what is up? I thought that maybe they had fought each other that I was being called to be a witness as to what had occured. Or had they found some means to blame the situation on me? Well, I went upstairs with my feet getting heavier with each step climbed and then I timdily knocked on the Chiefs door. That door frightens me as going through it usually means trouble past or impending and so knocking on it put lead into my boots. I knocked on the door but no answer and putting my head around found nobody inside. Strange! Then I heard the Chief shouting from along the corridor "hey kid, in the bar". The bar? The bar it was and upon entering I was shocked out of my worry by the sight of the Chief and the Second happily sitting at the bar with smiles on their faces! Weird people. The shouting match and what had caused it had obviously been long forgotten about and once again they were the best of buddies. Weird people. The Chief said to me "Hey Tiny, how about being the bar Engineer for a coupe of days"? And Peter said "of course he will be". I couldn't for the life of me figure out what they were talking about but after having a beer thrown at me I was told what they had planned. The Captain had been complaining about too much smoking and smog in the bar when everybody was in there. So the plan was to fit a small extraction fan at the aft end to pull out some of the offending stuff. Good idea really as often when I go into the bar of an evening and when the heavy drinkers (smokers) were in full action a heavy cloud hung over eveybody. Day Summary. So, I am the elected Second Bar Engineer under the Chief Bar Engineer to fit an extraction fan in the Officers Bar. Promotion - I think not! Didn't get much of the work done today as the Chief and the Second just sat drinking beer for the rest of the day and I continued changing light bulbs - with a slight headache from the drinking session at lunch time. Sailing onwards to Singapore and life is good. Saturday: 14th December 2002 1700hrs. The sun is so hot and merciless.....down it beats and I am sore. In all the time that I have been on this ship I have never really got a suntan. Never really sunbathed outside because every time I start to do that somebody suggests having a beer. So the sunbathe is always cancelled. It seems that one cannot refuse a beer when at sea! I can't anyway. But today whilst steaming across the blue ocean without a ripple or anything to obscure the level horizon I managed to find a quiet spot and lie down. I had the day off (or rather the morning) as it was to be my work book day. The day off for doing my course work and I took the books with me to my quiet spot but they remained closed. I fell asleep. Sound asleep and in the midday sun! The space is on the boat deck forward and outide of the Officers Cabins. But nobody ever goes around there unless they are sunbathing, hiding or doing a life boat drill. So I set myself up with a Coke, a cigarette,my books and a blanket to lie on. Took my shirt off and lay there in my shorts soaking up the sun. The next thing I knew was that it was raining, bloody freezing cold rain and the sun was shining! I jumped up when the water hit me and in pure shock - to see the Bosuns face grinning at me from the bridge deck and with the water hose now shut off! He said "sorry" to me but I could see that he had enjoyed spraying me with the water. But now just before dinner I must thank the Bosun. As if I had slept any more in the sun I would have been in serious trouble. As it is my legs and shoulders are raw and it is hard to move around as the shirt rubs against the now tender skin. Yikes! If he had not sprayed me I might have been unable to move at all - unbearable agony it would have been. 2200hrs. Bed time! They where all teasing me in the bar! Pietro was laughing his head off at me and I couldn't work out why. They all started calling me the 'Half Caste' and making jokes about sunny side up. I finally managed to get somebodys attention so as to ask them what this was all about. They told me to go and look in the mirror. Wow, that was not fun. I looked in the mirror and saw two people - and it was sunny side up. I had fallen asleep on my side and now half of my face was bright red and sunburnt and the other side still white and untouched. Must have looked daft! At this time I can only see one solution to my problem - to fall asleep on the other side tomorrow so that I can fry both sides equally. Stupid me! Oh well, they only teased me in jest! Day Summary. Crisped raw today. Went sunbathing and managed to get sunburnt on only one side of my face. Still sailing towards Singapore and the delights there. Everybody keeps talking about the great place that it is and all that. Should be good and because I have not really been ashore for so long I will have some money to spend! Yippee. Sunday: 15th December 2002 Sunday, never seems to be a good day for getting much work done. Peter was pottering around in the Engine Room with Albert - talking about cleaning up the engine room for the next crowd! I sort of hung around waiting for somebody to tell me to take the day off or even to give me something to do. Then the Chief caught up with me and suggested that we make a start on the Bar. he was all smiles and joviality so although I was nervous about working with him it might turn out to be okay. Started on the bar by ten. Fitting a ducting for the AC over the bar and an exhaust fan to remove the smoke at the other end. Get some circualtion going to please the Captain (Company requirement) and the Cook (a non-smoker). By twelve we were settled into the work, me doing the labor and the Chief smoking and watching from a chair. Well, at twelve it all changed as the mighty Chief decided that it was Beer time and well, he seems to have forgotten all about my drinking too much and his lecture from before. He shouted at me to put my saw down and "ger over here". I did so and was told grab a beer and sit down. Such is life and so much for the bar work and my drinking too much. An order is an order after all and I could see that the rest of this day was downhill all of the way! So that was that. That was the beginning of the start of the day. Had about eight beers and as time went on more poeple came in to the bar. I managed to sneak off at about 4 in the afternoon and grabbed some much needed sleep. Cleared my head no end. I passed the bar later and the Chief and a crowd where still there guzzling beer - I kept well away. The cook passed me in the alley and actually spoke to me. He said, "you smoke?". I of course mumbled something about only a little bit and he just sniffed in reply and continued staggering along the alley. I think he must have had an overdose of drink and used the smoke in the bar to get away - him being a non-smoker and the only one onboard I think. Must steal somemore cheese! 2330hrs. Late in the Evening. I am lying on my bunk with my eyes wide open. No sleep for me! That is the problmem with sleeping for four hours in the day time. And I missed dinner of all things. Day Summary. Sailing Onwards to Singapore. Never managed to get outside to fry the other side of my face. I still look very stupid with half my face red and the other white. The cross over line from red to white is right down the middle of my nose. Everybody is still calling me "sunny". Well, started on the bar but the Chief got me pissed after a few hours of attempted work - it being Sunday and all of that or so he said. Monday: 16th December 2002 1200hrs. Good day! Well it was until I was forced into being the dummy for the morning! Once again an involuntary volunteer for the fire drill was I. We had a massive fire in the engine room (a drill I mean) and I was elected to lie on the plates behind the purifiers and then to be dragged onto a stretcher and out of the engine room by some over enthusiastic crew. I think they thought it was for real because they forgot that I was actually alive and healthy. They trapped my leg in the stairs going up and the bosun nearly snapped it in half as they continued the climb to the top, they nearly lost me at the top and I was gaining momentum going back donw before they managed to halt my progress (partly due to the oiler grabbing my hair) and TJ managed to bash my head on the door frame at the top! I am sore bruised and angry! And all Peter said was "well done"! Should have had a first aid drill afterwards and put me back into one working human! Ouch and ouch again. I must be a dummy to have come to sea! 1800hrs. Continued in the bar all day with and without the Chief. I mean he never turned up until 1030 and came resplendant with a sore head and could hardly talk without groaning into his hands. He had been drinking all of yesterday and was now suffering the consequences of his actions - serves him right! And then he vanished again at 2 O'clock and slept the rest of the day away. I had nightmares of him making me drink more beer at lunchtime again but then it is monday afterall so he resisted. Got some work done and started to fit the exhaust trunking, but the whole day seemed to be endless walks back down to the engine room. Takes nearly three minutes to walk down to the workshop! And three minutes back! I can't understand how seafarers claim they never get proper exercise as after all of that my legs are aching with the endless climbing of stairs. Yep, half way through the work, the trunking is fitted and I am putting the panels back up.I really need the services of a welder and some proffesional advice on how to fit the exhaust fan.....I haven't a clue here. Can't ask the number one bar engineer as he is sleeping off the beer from yesteryear. I laid out in the sun for an hour over lunch time and when I checked in the mirror I look alot better! The line is not nearly so visible down my nose and both sides of my face are red - although the right side is starting to go brown and the red is still bright red. I think a week and they should have balanced out. Everybody is gearing up for X-mass, the gruff skipper came in the bar and started complaining that we should have finished and that the decorations should have been up by now. Not my fault - get the Chief up. Strange the twists at sea. I had a visitor in the bar at about two O'clock. The cook came in and I tried to hide my head further up into the panels so that I did not have to greet him. But he pulled at my leg, nearly pulling me off the ladder that I was standing on and he said, "Give me a Cigarrete". I was sort of shocked and I didn't have any on me - not being a full-time smoker and all of that. He grumped and told me to "piss-off" then. He dissapeared and I was thankful for that but sadly he came back five minutes later with a ciggarette in his mouth. He sat at the bar with a beer and lighted up and started to puff away whilst I watched from a great height and pretending that I was really busy. Well, after one puff at his newly aquired habit cookie started to cough uncontrollably and he smashed the cig out into the ash tray and exited the bar - nearly bent over in his coughing fit. Strange one that. Didn't see him for the rest of the day and didn't have a chance to ask anybody about it either. Weird man! Day Summary. Day over and Bar well on the way to looking good. Need to finish as the gruff skipper wants the decorations up for x-mass. He should get the soreheaded Chief up instead of bothering me! Anyway, that was the day, cookie came in and attempted to smoke a cigarette and after one draw dissapeared in a bad couphing fit. Strange man! Tuesday: 17th December 2002 1200hrs. Hahahah, found out today that the cook had been grumbling about the smoke filled bar once again. Mr Gruff Bags had lost his temper with him and told him to start smoking - that had been a couple of days ago. Must have happened before he came into the bar asking me for a smoke. So he tried to smoke? Strange man but then with all these smokers around must be hard to cope with it. Well, I am trying to get the bar finished without the Chiefs help and after that it should be less smoky for the angry man. I was balanced on the ladder with one of the big deckhead panels and trying to horizontally locate it, so that I could get some of the screws in. Difficult to do when balanced on a ladder on a moving ship. Never mind the fact that both my hands, an elbow and my chin where all helping to position the thing correctly. I got it positioned nicely and was about to attempt the near impossible, to remove the screwdriver from my mouth with one hand whilst using a knee to take over the job of that hand, when the door opened. I knew that I should have put a sign up outside to stop anybody coming in - but I had forgotten to do that. The door opened in a rush and hit the edge of the ladder that I was precariously balanced on with one leg. I went one way and the ladder the other and by the time I had picked myself up from the floor I could hear one mad cook shouting hysterically. I eventually managed to pull the large panel off the ladder and to untangle the ladder from the cook, trying to do this from a great distance should said cook explode at me. I dream't of having cabin bsicuits and water for the rest of the trip. The weird ways of being at sea! One shocked cook picked himself up from the floor and wiped himself down with his hands. I stood there expecting the worst, expecting to receive the brunt of his anger and to be shivering in my socks within the next few minutes. Being at sea though, even for this short amount of time has taught me one thing. That you can never predict the emotions of a seafarer correctly, you can never predict or guess the outcome of any situation. There I was shivering in fear and expecting to be condemned to a life of non-existance when the cook offered to help me get the panel into position. Yes, whilst smoothing his ruffled clothes he actually offered to hold the ladder and one end of the panel whilst I screwed it into place. Between us it was a remarkably easy job and although I was expecting Cookie to push the ladder out from beneath me or to let the panel go so that it would smash against my head - nothing happened. We got the panel fitted and then cookie asked me for a cigarette. Unfortuantely I didn't have any, I would have given him anything for not having exploded but I just did not have any. Again, life has its quirks - he exploded then upon finding out that I had no smokes for him to have. "Thats the last time I help you, you ungrateful brat" and with that he stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Strange world! 2115hrs. Finshed the day and I am hiding in my cabin and reading a book. Don't get much time to read but today it is the wise thing to do. Everybody seems to be on edge, maybe due to leaving soon or something but they are all so touchy and weird. Had a couple of beers in the bar but it looked like the cook was working himself up to attack the Captain or to ask someone for a smoke, the Chief was winding up Davy something terrible and Pietro was busy talking to the fridge. All sort of 'out of this world' and frightening - so I am hiding in my cabin and reading a book. Looked at the calendar today and time is whizzing by......not long to go! Day Summary. Finishing the bar slowly. Peter the Second did a good welding job and got the exhaust fan fitted and I then connected the trunking to it. Am busy putting the panels back up. Managed to drop a panel and the ladder on top of Cookie but he didn't seem to upset, he is more concerned about his newly aquired (but not yet tested) smoking habit. looked at the Calender today, marked off four days all in a run as I had forgotten to cross them off before. Great stuff, only a couple of weeks to go - well over three but time is ticking away fast. Wednesday: 18th December 2002 1200hrs. Morning! This morning was a terible morning. The weather in the night really sprung up bad. I don't know what happened but some wave or other caused me to wake up on the floor with one leg twisted under the mattress and the rest of me on the floor - with my chair lying on top of me. I have this large bruise on my forhead which makes my still stripy tan look even wierder. Peter the Second also got angry saying that whenever the weather suddenly happens like that then I should come down the engine room to help secure and batten down everything. Seems they where all up trying to secure a runaway piston that had not been properly fastened down. Sorry Second but it took me awhile to work out how to get the chair off me and my leg out of the bed without breaking it. But apart from Peter I had a morning of easy work in the bar, despite having to hold on for dear life as the ship pitched around. I also managed to catch a moment of self-appreciation for my time at sea. It sort of dawned on me that I was slowly getting used to the life and to understand it a bit better. Like knowing about clocks being moved forwards and back, I have no problems now of getting up on time or for that matter getting up too early. I also know what to do when the fire bell sounds (apart from lying down in the engine room and awaiting for those who will lift me out and bash my head against a door), and I have found out that all seafarers are moody people. Some more than others. Two groups exists or so it seems, those that are mostly in a bad mood but that have moments of niceness like the Captain and the Chief, those like the Peters who are usually in good moods but who flare up in anger easily but then calm down easily aswell. There are exceptions to the rule - Pietro who is constantly happy and talks to fridges rather than people and Davy and the Cook who seem to always be in bad moods. Yep, I sort of know where I fit in now! 1830hrs. Saw the cook in the corridor this afternoon. He was crouched over and spluttering and choking against the bulkhead. I walked quickly passed him hoping that he didn't see me. He must have tried a cigarette again. I wonder how he ever finds the time to cook anything as he always seems to be prowling or pacing around. Davy also caused some problems today, I think he has been quiet for so long that he had to make a fuss or something to gain attention. He put grease in my boots! I went down the engine room at lunch time and found that my feet were covered in slimy grease .... not just a little bit of the stuff but masses of it. Strange bloke, I spent half of the afternoon washing my boots in detergent and degreaser trying to get the stuff out and whilst wandering how I could get my own back. Nothing came to mind though, nothing that would be fun without getting caught. Situation solved. I told Albert about my well oiled safety boots and he dissapeared out of the bar. I thought he was away to check his own boots in case Davy had gone mad or to go for dinner or something. But he came back a few minutes later with a smile on his face and sat down as if nothing had happened. Davy came in a bit later with a sour look on his face and glared at me as he sat down. I ignored him but it was time to leave the bar .... he just makes feel uncomfortable. As I was leaving I heard Albert telling Davy that he had put some more washing into the machine along with Davy's uniform. Day Summary. An okay day. Had a moment of realisation this morning, that I was fitting in very well into alife at sea. Good to have athat feeling!. Also nearly finished the bar and the Chief attempted to make me drink beer at lunch time but I resisted and fought him off. He dissapeared early again and left me to work alone - great stuff. Also Davy is steaming mad! Seems that Albert had left a blue biro in the pocket of his casual shirt when he put it in the washing machine. It also seems that the blue biro leaked out and as Alberts Uniform was also in the same wash - well, everything came out looking like a blue and white patchwork quilt. All the Uniform that Davy possessed was now a blue splotchy mess! Davy was mad and Albert did not seem at all upset about what he had done - infact he casually told Davy that grease is supposed to be good for removing ink stains. I can imagine the wheels turning in Davys mind but I think he could not grasp the fact that Albert would do such a thing on purpose - Albert looked so innocent. Well together they made my day. Thursday: 19th December 2002 1200hrs. Ah, the glorious sea! Ah, the stupid people. Davy looked very silly at breakfast with a uniform that resembled an exploded can of blue paint. I'm sure he just wore it to make a loud statement as he never usually turns up for breakfast and anyway, nobody wears uniform in the morning, Except for Captian Gruff who is never out of his. Imagine if Albert had put his leaking biro into that washing machine - Captain Gruff would have had us all arrested for mutiny or something. Yep, poor Davy is walking around wearing a hard done to expression on his forehead. Can't really see the problem as he is due off in a few days and the Company gives out a Uniform Allowance anyway. Working in the bar again today. Nearly finished but the Chief is nowhere around for the big test. I mean, the fan is in , the trunking is installed, the panels back up (with smokey the cooks help) and I am just pretending to work - beats going back down the Engine Room. He turned up eventually, marched in a bad mood and went straight to the fan switch and turned it on. There was this 'whir' a 'zing' and a cloud of smoke billowed out and then silence. The Chief just stood there with his mouth open trying to catch flies and it was I who rushed to the switch and turned it off. How do some people ever get there tickets? After Chief Gruff with his mouth open had managed to close it he glared at me and said, "fix it". And then he dissapeared to wherever he had originally come from. So I suppose it was my fault and I that would get the full blame. I started into it again which meant pulling down the panel next to the fan and exposing it for inspection. Exposing it to my eyes so that I could see what had gone wrong. As I was taking down the panel and up that ladder again, the cook walked in at the same moment that I dropped it into the floor. It landed on his foot. Question: Why does the Cook always walk in at the wrong moment? Quesion 2: Why is he so happy when a panel drops onto his foot? Cook was all happy and full of spirit that I never knew could exist. He lifted the panel off his foot and placed it neatly aside whilst laughing and joking about 'God Knows what' with me. He was laughing, joking and talking with me but I couldn't interpret a thing! Anyway, with my head up in the internals of the deckhead (with the wires and pipes) I disconnected the trunking and moved it aside. And there in the fan and stuck between two blades was a partially used welding rod - thanks Peter. When he had been fitting it he must have left some bits behind. Well, that was simple enough and I removed that: all that I had to do was fit everything back and try again. Although with all that smoke coming off I doubt that the fan was functional. Had to look busy though as the cook was prattling and waving his arms around about something and I didn't want to be drawn into. Turned the fan on without the Chiefs Help. Brrrrr, and away it went. Perfect! The Cook clapped his hands in glee and I tried to keep the smile that appeared on my face to a minimum. Cookie told me that I should smoke a ciggarette to see how effective the fan was, and I sneaked off to escape his first time happiness. The Cook could go up in a cloud of smoke just like the fan if he continued in this fashion. Chief caught up with me later and started laying into me shouting at me and saying, "Why haven't you fixed the fan yet"! He was getting all red in the face and all out of order when I gently inserted that it was now running. He disappeared in a cloud of dust probably intent on proving me wrong and I hid away in the Engine Room. Too many strange people aound today. Day Summary. Weird day. Everybody was acting really peculiar. Must be the thought of going home or something. The angry Cook was all happy - turned out that he found some Cheese that he never knew that he had. Gruff Chief was all angry for no reason at all! And Albert and Peter the Mate where having a big arguement - turns out that Davy and Peter had shared the washing machine and so Peter now had a couple of shirts of the blue patchwork variety. Good day though as I got the fan working that the Chief nearly burnt out! Friday: 20th December 2002 2230hrs. What a day! Life is so busy, active and daft every minute of the day. It seems that since I started working as the Second Bar Engineer nothing has gone smoothly. It has all been fun though. What with the Cook and his problems, the missing Chief (First Bar Engineer) and Davy and his patchwok quilt - well between them they have provided lots of drama and amusement. Once again I looked at my Calendar this morning and found another three days to score off with one stroke of the pen. I used to miss home and sort of feel unwanted and unrequired on this ship but now I just feel part of it all and life goes on. I also think alot about the money that I can spend in Singapore having been at sea for nearly a month. Wow, I will be rich wih nealy a whole months salary to spend on whatever I want - yippee. Well, off that I must first take my bar bill which has taken a bit of a hammering. Seems that the Chief has forgotten about my Not Drinking anymore and keeps on applying me with beer. Today was no exception and with the daftness surrounding me I got pissed again. Started this morning in style. I was admiring my success with fitting of the fan and switched it on for a check. Worked fine again and I even had another Smoke to tets its functionality. Mr Gruff the Skipper came in and said it was too noisy and then left with a disdainful sniff! Can't impress that man whatever I try. Chief came in and suggested that I stop admiring the handywork and get on with the christmas preparations. This involved hanging up all the decorations which he grumped should have been up a week ago. He then of course retired to his cabin for a pre-dinner snooze. Wonder what it would be like to be a Chief Engineer. Certainly get enough sleep anyway. So I started on the decorations and got them out of the locker. A large immitation tree that had more branches than leaves and loads of tinsel and stuff to hang around the bar. Started on that fine and got most of the Christmas tree up and tied down well, just incase the ship started to role. And then Albert came in. Yes, I was well on the way to getting the bar all pretty when Albert entered and suggested that we have a beer and then he would help me with the rest. Silly me, should never listen to him. He started drinking and a ruluctant I sat down with him. Well, I never new what happened. We drank that afternoon away, one beer following the other in quick succession. Peter the Second came in and suggested that the Engine Room did not run on its own and that every so often it did need a little attention. I think this was a subtle hint for Albert that he should work in the afternoons. But Peter sat down anyway after his snide comment and joined us for one or two beers and then a few more. Great afternoon and totally sloshed. Anyway, the afternoon passed by in suitable and drinkable fashion. Captain Gruff came in and said, "can hear you in my cabin" and then sat down and let me buy him a beer. So I, Albert, Peter the Second and the Old Man continued to build up a pile of empties. Don't know how it happened but along the way we managed to wrap a continuous stream of decorations around the bar so that it looked like a large X-mas present, place the tree lengthwise along the bar top and to have one of the chairs completely covered in plastic white snow. Further more the skipper sat in the chair whislt Albert covered him with the remaining false snow. Peter the Mate came in at some point and went immediately balistic. Tried to place all the blameon my shoulders for the mess, well he was looking at me and shouting and screaming. His arms turning like a windmill and he was red in the face. Something about it being disgusting for a Cadet to be drinking in the afternoon and that he would have to report me for neglecting my duty and maybe make a log entry of such. I sat there and giggled - too drunk to do anything else. Captian Gruff said from his chair and through a cloud of white dust, "Get a life you stupid git. Get a beer or get out." The poor Mate. I don't think he new that his Captain was sitting there, so completely covered in white powder was he. Anyway, upon hearing his Captains remarks he sort of went redder than before (if that was possible) and mumbled something about only joking. He sat down and got a beer from the fridge but soon dissapeared. Day Summary. Wow, what a day. Got totally and utterly pissed and ruined all of the decorations that I had out up. Peter the Mate got a bollocking from the Captain for being a Party Pooper and I got totally pissed. Not sure what happened really. I woke up at ten O'clcok this eveing with a sore head and a large stream of tinsel wrapped aound one leg. Wow, what a day! Saturday: 21st December 2002 1200hrs. Back to normal today. The position of Second Bar Engineer has now been scrapped. I am demoted to Cadet again and all that goes with it. I have sort of forgotten what the Engine Room looks like .... all dark and dingy and smelling of oil. I went in the bar this morning and found all the decorations up and the tree in the proper place. Somebody had even cleaned all the snow off of the chair. Not sure who cleaned it off the Captain but at breakfast he no longer looked like a snowman. All the decorations up, the tree in the corner and not on top of the bar and nothing left for me to do. I had another Smoke just to check the fan and to delay my departure down to the Engine Room but I could not put it off forever. I think Peter the Second has a weird sense of humor. He put me with Dave again this morning. Skinny Malinky Dave the guy that hates my guts. Not the sort of homecoming I was looking for. We were overhauling a ballast pump for inspection in Singapore. Needed Chain Blocks and muscle to lift the motor off and Dave just shouted the whole time - without contibuting any muscle. Pull up, down, pull harder, pull left, pull round. He has not a clue. He stormed off in a bad mood at one point as he had trapped his finger in the Chain Block as the Chain went up (first rule broken). When he was out of sight, crying to himself somewhere, I got the Oiler who was hiding in the background. Together we got the Motor up and off and down onto the plates and then we disappeared for Smoko. I guess my quick removal of the Motor without his help has annoyed him greatly. Good. 1245hrs. Up on the bridge after lunch. Don't seem to go up there much as it is so far. No, not really, but I like to keep out of the way of Mr Gruff. He is not so Gruff, but one never knows which way he can turn. Snowman or angry man? Anyway, I walked into a conversation between Pietro and TJ. All about big breasted women and there preferences. Pietro was dead against Singapore, or as he said "Thee asan lady haf no brest". Well, never been there so I can't make an opinion but in my mind I now picture all these slim ladies with flat chests. True/False? Captain Gruff came up to the bridge not soon after me and said, "Pietro, when you are lying in a hotel in Singapore with a lady beside you come back and tell me again what you think then". How can Pietro find it so easy to get a woman? I have not even got a girl friend. Captain Gruff continued with me after Pietro, "and you kid, Singapore is a good place for you to become a real seafarer". Whatever that was supposed to mean. Well, not long to go till christmas. Not long to go till I become a man (something that the Captian said) and not long to go until everybody pays off the ship and even more important not long before I go home. Not that life is bad, but I am just tired of Davy. Tired of having to watch my back all the time. What will be next? Tying the legs of my boiler suit together so that I can't get dressed, locking my cabin door so that I cannot get in or out? Or will he go even further and start chasing me around the engine room with a fire axe or shouting rude things at me as I pass? Too fed up of him and his stupid games. Evil person: that's what he is. Day Summary. Tired of Davy and his stupid anger all the time. Worked with him this morning and he trapped his finger in a chain block - serves him right. I also finished a job without him so he spent the rest of the day complaining that I had done it wrong - everybody ignored him. Pietro, TJ and the skipper where discussing the merits of woman from different countries and the Skipper suggested that I will become a man in Singapore - what does he know? Well, time is getting on and the trip end coming closer, decorations are up for X-mas and all is sweet and smooth. So far. Sunday: 22nd December 2002 1200hrs. Wow, Xmas is getting closer. Bit by bit I will soon spend my first X-mas at sea! They should stop ships for a day, give us a holiday like everybody on land. It is okay for us engineers because we can leave the engine room unmanned for a few hours whilst we have X-Mass dinner. But somebody has to stay on the bridge. Be a bit dangerous for the Bridge Navigator and Watchkeeper to leave the bridge and let the ship steer itself for miles on end whilst they get drunk over a large turkey. Well, they do have an autopilot that will steer the ship for them and a radar alarm that will sound if any ship comes within two miles or something like that. But I suppose even when in the middle of the ocean the law apples and safety comes first. Maybe Captain Gruff will give his men a day off and do the watch himself! Maybe Pigs will fly in the very near future! Life is not that good! And anyway if he does a watch who will cut the turkey? Cookie asked me how I would like my eggs done this morning! I got the shock of my life! For nearly two months I had been eating corn flakes or jam on toast because he had shouted to me that he would never make me eggs again and that I was to keep out of his way. Something to do with the fact that I had stolen some cheese or something like that during one of my midnight hunger raids of his galley. So in short the cook had refused to make me a cooked breakfast, had not talked to me since I had joined and for that matter had glared at me every time he saw me. Apart from helping me in the bar acouple of days ago, but then he wanted a smoke! So here he was this morning offering to cook me breakfast and he had a smile on his face. Something is really weird - maybe he has put some poison in the yolk. Wow, the taste and feel of breakfast is still there!. I am awaiting to see what the cookie wants from me, that he made me such a lovely breakfast! 1730hrs. Davy is complaining that he has no uniform to wear on X-mas day! Peter the Second threw a bundle of white rags at him and told him to make one! I think they have all had enough of the skinny lump of complaining material. Day Summary. Day over, Day completed. I felt again today that something was going to explode or happen in a violent manner. I think partly because the cook made me a cooked breakfast which was very unusual indeed but also because every body is on edge. Not sure why they are all so jumpy and irratable - I think they all want to go home or they are all so excited about X-mas day. I think it is the going home bit. I hid in the engine room doing some odd jobs - kept out of the way and kept myself busy. Monday: 23rd December 2002 1000hrs. Can't beleive it - I have the day off today. This morning is supposed to be for my work book and the afternoon off. This was because we seemed to have missed the weekend, although I do remember spending one of the aftenoons in the bar getting drunk. Or was that on Friday? I did do some of my work book, drew a few nice diagrams as copied from a ships line diagram. I am not supposed to do that but what is the point of tracing out the real system and getting all dirty when I will be leaving the ship soon? Yeah, got some of my work book done. I also took my other work book, the one that has to be signed and ticked off when I have completed a job, to Peter The Second. He ticked off a reasonable number and that was enough for the trip and to keep the College mentor happy. But then I passed Albert later and he said "no problem" and ticked off another dozen other items - some of which I had not a clue about. Well, that made my day! Good old Albert. I doubt that taking my book to Davy would do any good - he might start unticking things or making rude comments in it. Went sunbathing today - didn't fall asleep this time. Chief tells me that it is time that I did a Duty night again. So Tuesday is my night. This will be the third one that I have done and believe me it does not get any easier. The Chief has now ruined my day off as I am getting all nervous about it all ready - even though it is still a whole day away. I can accept most things at sea now - but these duty nights are killers. Found out today that Cookie was suffering from a bout of concience. For some reason he told TJ that he had made a mistake in accusing me of stealing the Cheese all that time ago. As he had found some Cheese the other day he know felt that he had accused me wrongly and although he could not say it, he was trying to ease his guilt by being nice to me. Whatever, silly cook. I still stole your cheese, so there. Day Summary. Sailing onwards across the blue ocean. Calm weather all around and I got a bit of sunbathing done today. The stipe down my nose has gone now and I made certain that I did not fall asleep again. Cookie made me another lovely breakfast, went down a treat and I found out the reason why he is being nice again. Seems he has decided that I did not steal his cheese all that long time ago. He is a man with a problem - cheese on the brain. I did steal your cheese cookie and it was delicious. Tuesday: 24th December 2002 1000hrs. Day off again today! It is X-Mas eve. It is also my night on Duty - the night where I get no sleep and sit watching an alarm box until daylight. Not much excitement for the Christmas. Oh well when I wake up it will be X-Mas day and hopefully nothing will have happened during my watch. Yikes, still the whole day to go but I am all keyed up. Hate watching the alarms. But I have the day off again so I will spend most of it asleep. 2200hrs. Shhhhh, all is quiet in the Engine Room, quiet as a mouse down there. Everything clanking as it should do and everything else not banging as it should not do. Good good. When coming out of the engine room I walked passed the bar. I was in their earlier but snuck away when I realized that everybody was hell bent on getting drunk. I think because it is Christmas and because it is time for most of them to go home soon they area all tired and stupid. Sorry bosses, but you are daft. They probably think I cannot count! But in the bar was the Chief, Peter the Second, Albert the Third and Davy the Fourth. That makes four engineers in the bar each with a beer in front of them and each looking very unsteady on the stools that they where perched on. Well, Albert was leaning against the back of a chair but if a feather fell on his shoulder it would have been enough to make him drop. Captain, Peter the Mate, Cookie and TJ are all in the bar. So that leaves Pietro on the Bridge. Wow, what a pissed up ship. As I was passing the bar I saw the Chief ahead of me. He was upstairs and just coming out of his cabin - must have been to the toilet or something. He asked me if everything was okay in the engine room but then without waiting for a reply he proceeded to fall down the stairs. Or rather he seemed to roll down. I just stood there with my mouth open wide in shock and whilst trying to suppress the feeling of laughter that wanted to break out. Anyway, when he reached the bottom of the stairs he tried to pick himself by leaning on the bar door. This door swung open with the aid of TJ who was I think attempting to attend to his own toiletry needs. The Chief staggering forwards took TJ with him and the last thing I saw before the bar door swung shut was both of them twisted amongst the branches of a now fallen Christmas Tree. Wow, they must be pissed. As I walked away and to my cabin I could hear the laughter and drunken shouts and wandered to myself - is anybody sober except me and Pietro? 2345hrs. Sitting here watching the alarm box. I just had an alarm. I had just returned from the bar and was sitting in my cabin writing up the last bit when the box in my cabin made its horrible buzzing sound and the red light flashed its signal. I jumped, nearly hitting my head against my bunk and my heart was pounding at full revs! Anyway, I went down the engine room and for some reason the purifier had tripped off. Nothing major or very important and it was easy to desludge (clean automatically) and put back on line. Remembering to reset the alarm on the main panel - never forget to do that! So now I sit here wandering if the alarm will go off again and if I will get any sleep tonight. Day Summary. Sitting here watching the Alarm box - I am on duty today. Passed the bar earlier and they are all pissed. Chief fell down the stairs and broke the X-Mas tree up. All my decorations where all over the floor and the last I saw was of him and TJ entwined into the branches on the floor. Sitting here watching the alarm box, that is my first Christmas eve at sea. Wednesday: 25th December 2002 0500hrs. Happy X-Mas! Not for me really. Just had another alarm. This time the standby fuel pump for the main engine had cut-in. Filters blocked. I cleaned the filters put the other pump back on and switched the standby one back to standby. The whole time that I was doing this my heart was pounding away. I should really call the Chief or Second but I know that they are totally pissed. The party in the bar only finished at three O'clock this morning. I didn't get any sleep because of the noise or was it because I sat expecting the alarm to go off all the time? Can't remember which one it was - probably a bit of both. TJ went to the bridge at midnight and Pietro took over his place in the bar. I am sure that TJ was drunk up top but I did not go up to check. Hopefully the Watchkeeper was sober otherwise we should have the NOT UNDER COOMAND Lights on. They finished at three 'clock and then at four O'clock I had my alarm. Better to fix the problem myself than to call any of the sore head gang. I looked into the empty bar just now and noted that a hurricane had swept through the place. Empty beer cans rolling around the floor and bar tops, ash trays piled high and overflowing with butts, a Christmas tree across the floor with separated limbs everywhere, chairs piled on top of each (must have tried to make a space for a dance floor), tinsel and paper stretched across every possible aperture and fitting, fridge door swaying open, half eaten crisps and chocolate bars on the bar, tables and floor, - a total mess. 0700hrs. No breakfast this morning. Or rather no cook anywhere to be seen. This is the first time that I have not seen some action or even a light on in the galley. Checked the engine room again and all is okay. 0900hrs. Nobody up and around. Peter the mate passed me in the corridor on his way from the bridge and to his bed - he looked terrible and only grunted in passing. Pietro must now be back in command but I don't want to check. Better not to know anything. Nobody in the galley and no lights on. I hope he turns up for X-Mas dinner which he is supposed to get ready for 1300hrs. But then I am not sure if anybody will make it for then. 1000hrs. Engine room still okay. could hear this massive clashing and clattering from the galley as I passed by. And allot of swearing and cursing - sounds like the cook but it also sounds like he is not in a very good mood. Not the sort of time to go and pass the time of day. Captain is up - his door is open. Chief, Second, Davy and Albert? All their doors are closed so they are all out of it. I am still in charge - should get a medal for this or a few days off at least. It was Peter, he was the first one to rise and shine. Looking like he had been in a fight or had been starved of food for six weeks. He came to my cabin and asked in a croaky voice how everything was. I told him what had happened and he sort of looked at me with a weird expression on my face. And now he has just disappeared, I presume to go down to the engine room and check things over - see if I have made a mistake. I am sort of worried now, maybe I should have called him or the Chief, or maybe I did something wrong in the fixing. 2230hrs. Peter came back! Looked at me for a long time and then nodded his head. In his croaky voice he told me that if the Chief asked me how things had gone that I was to say that I called him (Peter) when the fuel pump filters had blocked up. So I had done wrong, I should have called somebody - shit. But then Peter continued in that new and croaky voice of his. He said, "But thank you, you did very well. You can sail with me any time". I took that to mean that I had done everything right and that I had even done a pretty good job. Yippee, I feel good now. And another thing, "thankyou's" don't really get any better than the one Peter gave me. That is the best around by a long way! 1500hrs. Everybody made it. Everybody made it for dinner and cookie managed to get over his hangover and put on a wonderful spread. It was a great x-Mas lunch and superb food. Turkey, meats, vegetables galore, sauces everywhere, wine, brandy, X-Mas pudding and so on and so on. The cook even managed to get over his cheese phobia and lay some out for everybody to eat away. Pietro and TJ took it in turns to be on the bridge so that both got a good meal and a bit of the x-Mas spirit. Weird though how many people abstained from getting drunk again. Everybody had a glass of wine to usher in the x-Mas spirit but most stopped after that. I thought they might all start again but no.........hangovers and I think a little bit of common sense took over. Day Summary. Day over. I am pissed. When I said that everybody had stopped drinking? Well that was not everybody. Albert never stops in any weather and Pietro had not had a full whack yesterday evening. So those two and I drank the afternoon away, finishing off the wine and brandy and the bottle of Tia Maria and one of something else that tasted awful but was the only thing left. Ow, my head is spinning fast. Thursday: 26th December 2002 1000hrs. Wow, X-mas is over and beleive it or not we arrive at Singapore tomorrow. Time is flying past. We arrive Singapore tomorrow and everybody leaves the ship except for Albert and I. Oh, and the Captain has to stay because he has to hand over the ship to this new man. The Chief is okay because the New Chief is an Old Chief - he has been on this ship many times before. Oh, time is flying, somebody has tidied up the mess in the bar and I will soon get off myself. yep, time to go home. Singapore - the place where I am supposed to become a man according to MR Gruff. A man? Then what am I now? Well, we will see. My faithful and trustworthy guide book that cost me 6.00 pounds and nearly weighs the same that Singapore is a City and a country. Al little Island with no countryside in other words. According to a Malay legend, a Sumatran Prince encountered a lion (a good sign for the future) and this prompted him to found Singapura, or Lion City as it was known. Regardless of the fact that lions were not frequent visitors to those parts (must have been an African Circus on tour)Singapore became a minor trading post as far back as the mid-11th Century. A little t |