Close encounters

Selfies on the bridge

Wednesday 7-10/5 Voyage Liverpool - Ghent

We stayed 4 days in Birkenhead, a port close to Liverpool. The unloading of the cargo took 2 days.

Not sure of our next job, we sailed direction Rotterdam. The 10th we planned to anchor just before Rotterdam. In the last moment we got a job in the port of Ghent. Load rapemeal destination Santander.

This job was intended not for our ship, but the ship that was destinated to transport it, ran damage entering the port of Ghent (collision). This coincidence completed the circle for me as we started a month ago with loading rapemeal in Ghent. Half of the crew was changed and I headed home. This concludes my first trip on a general cargo!

unloading the cargo in Birkenhead

Downside of being at sea

Some action pics

Me in the engine room:

Bijschrift toevoegen

 Me on the hatch lift removing the hatches that are on top the ship. Each weights 10t

 Me doing some calculations (stability)

Me repairing a water hose tap

Some pics of the ship

Wednesday 26-27/4 Voyage Marin - La Coruña

We left a 6pm immediately after unloading the rape meal
It was a trip of around 16h. We arrived in the afternoon in La Coruña.We will load pallets of MDF, triplex and other wood. The destination is Liverpool.

loading pallets of wood

We have to fill up the holes between the pallets. The ship will roll and stamp so the pallets will start shifting. Hitting the sides damaging the cargo but also the ship. We worked from noon till 1 am in the morning fixing the wood. A hell of a job!!

Pictures from the last week

cleaning the hold

After delivery of the cargo the hold must be cleaned.Its 70x10m. It takes +/- 3-4 hours with 4 men.
First cleaning dry with a sweep. Then with a hose. Then take the water away. Clean the bilges. etc etc.
You sleep good after ;)

Arrival in the port of Rotterdam. We are standing on the forepeak for mooring the ship.

Mooring equipment on the front deck:

These are the winches used for mooring.You also see the anchors SB and BB

A tug assisted us in the port of Ghent:

Unloading the rape meal at the port of Marin:

Tuesday 22-26/4

Yoyage was perfect till we came 150 miles north of Spain
The first 2 days we had good weather (sun!!), perfect for work on deck

Yesterday was a bad day. Our ship and 3 others were fighting the waves
The Bay of Biscaye!!! 15 hours of struggling, you can't eat decent, stand decent, sit, sleep pfff

Today we arrived at Marin: Lovely place. We were welcomed by 2 dolphins :)

On Monday we will start discharge the cargo and leave for La Coruña.
There we will be 3 days loading other cargo
Still dont know what and bring it to Liverpool.

Monday 21-22/4

Loading cargo: raap meel

Sunday 20/4

Rest - sleep till 10 am!

Thursday 17-19/4

Ship familiarisation
Check safety equipment + fire fighting equipment
Maintenance jobs mainly in engine room: repairing 2 fire fighting pumps
Cleaning and oiling parts
Preparing the hold for the new cargo

Wednesday 16/4 Change in Plans

The plans have changed
We have to pick up cargo in Ghent and bring to Marin (Spain)
Voyage Rotterdam - Ghent
Clean deck aft and front

Tuesday 15/4 Boarding Maimiti

My cabin :)
Unloading the cargo (Grain) at Delfzijl Holland
Clean the hold of the ship

GO

Yesterday got the official go.
I have to present myself at 12.00 at the station of Rotterdam
Cpt will pick me up and of we go

Introduction

Hi folks,
I'm keeping a blog on my first journey as a deck cadet on board of a cargo vessel.
As I'm a blue fish I have so much questions and concerns. Yes, I have sailed before but until now only short range coastal sailing.
This one is where the real stuff starts. How will I react on being 6 weeks from home? How will I perform onboard? How will be the relationship with the other crew? Will it be the big adventure what everybody presumes or will it be a 6w boring journey? Etc etc...
I try not to think too much about it and just follow my instinct: try and see.
Enough blabla.
This is the voyage plan:
Embarkation: 15/04 Rotterdam. Destination: Port of Iskenderun Turkey.
We sail south through the Channel, Bay of Biscay, alongside Portugal into the Mediterranean Sea. Passing the Street of Gibraltar, Italy, Greece, Cyprus until Iskenderun (border Syria) where we unload the cargo. This will take us 2 weeks. We continue our journey through the Aegean Sea into the Sea of Marmara. Via the Bosporus we enter the Black Sea to unload other cargo at the port of Brailei (Romania). This will take about 1 week.
And then we start our jouney back to Rotterdam another 2 weeks. Including the time at the different ports this should take 5 to 6 weeks.
I hope I will have from time to time access to the internet so that this won't be my only post.
I also included a page with a link so you can track the position of the ship.

Hasta luego!