My post-lockdown commute back to work

[Mendip]

Question: are there women in your rig, or is it a pure sausage fest? I know that the maritime industry is still male-dominated. How about oil rigs?

First Katie... this isn't an oil rig, it's a vessel, pure and simple.

Not my pic, but...



There are females onboard... in fact there's bladdy women everywhere. I've never worked on a boat with so many.

I'm working for a Swedish company and these Scandinavians seem quite progressive on this sort of thing... if you can call it that.

There's four girls the survey/processing team and at least one Filipina stewardess/catering. I think there may be a second but she must be on the opposite shift to me and I haven't seen her yet.

[lom]

Question: are there women in your rig, or is it a pure sausage fest? I know that the maritime industry is still male-dominated. How about oil rigs?

Someone has to do the cooking, laundry, and cleaning Katie.

[Headworx]

Someone has to do the cooking, laundry, and cleaning Katie.

You forgot the making of sandwiches

[Klondyke]

The ship is positioned by GPS and the ROV is positioned by hydroacoustic positioning - a system called HiPAP in this case.

Interesting knowledge. Mind my intruding in your thread, seeing something similar in actual news, perhaps interesting to you too:

It became clear when "Chersky" will start to build a gas pipeline
Sun., July 26, 2020

The "Academician Chersky" pipelayer, The Fortuna barge and support vessels will be able to begin construction of Nord Stream-2 in Danish waters in September. This is reported by the German edition of Die Welt.

"Nothing is happening at the bottom of the Baltic Sea near Bornholm. In July and August, cod spawning takes place in these waters, all works are prohibited for environmental reasons," explains.

"However, in September Russia will be able to start work, because technical restrictions, as it seems, will no longer be," the author of the article writes.


Chersky's chimney-layer now has a lot of helpers.

Recall, on July 6, the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) at the request of Nord Stream 2 AG gave permission of anchored vessels on an unfinished section of the pipeline southeast of Bornholm.

In the new decision, the agency stressed that the remainder of the pipeline passing through Denmark's exclusive economic zone "is outside the area where trawling, anchorages and bottom works are not recommended because of the risk of flooded chemical warfare in the sea."

Previously, the DEA was prohibited from operating pipe-laying vessels without a dynamic positioning system (DPS). It is an integrated control system of the vessel, including steering screws. This allows the vessel to hold position and course without the use of anchors and tugs.

"Academician Chersky", built five years ago, has such a system. But the barge "Fortuna" has a 12-point anchor positioning system. Therefore, until the new DEA permit, the barge on the laying of "Northern Stream-2" at Bornholm could not work.

But now the fleet to complete the pipeline is manned. Ostap Sheremeta and Ivan Sidorenko, the new supply ships of Gazprom Fleet, recently arrived in the Baltic. They are designed, among other things, to provide work for pipelayers. That is, to supply pipes and materials, for duty and support work in the area of work.

Стало понятно, когда "Черский" начнет достраивать газопровод

(perhaps not all exact wording, automatic translated from Russian, my fan club will surely not mind...)

[Shy Guava]

My son just did an ROV job offshore Newcastle, Australia salvaging shipping containers. Because of Covid restrictions he had to remain onboard for 5 months before he finally getting back to 14 days quarantine in Thailand. Your ROV looks way cooler than anything he had. I think he said they were 10+ years old which I am guessing would be close to obsolete in that business.



The ship was also dynamically positioned.

Hull 717 - the 717th ship delivered from Davie - YouTube

My apologies for hijacking your thread but it seemed like a couple of members were interested in the mechanics of it so thought the videos might be helpful. I'll butt out now.

[katie23]

@lom & headworx - Heh. You can do your own dang laundry & make your own effin sammiches.

@mendip - oops, sorry I thought you worked in a rig, kinda like Deepwater Horizon. Thanks for the reply, good to know that there are females present.

As for the Swedes being progressive, good on them! I think if a woman wants to work on a ship/ rig/ mine/ spaceship, etc then good on her, as long as she's qualified. I remember a story told to me by an aunt of a friend. This aunt studied engineering in PI in the 1970s. She said her professors told the class: to all the females here, shift to another course/ program because you won't find work afterwards. True enough, after she graduated, no industry would hire her as they only accepted male applicants/ engineers. So she didn't let that depress her - she studied further, obtained a PhD and became a professor. It's good that now, women can enter into more fields if they want to. It's good to have choices.

Cheers! Take care out there!

[OhOh]

especially if I start getting technical questions!

Point taken, I apologies.

As one of the few returning to their old job it's just good to hear of successful return to the harness. One hopes all are as successful.

[helge]

she must be on the opposite shift to me and I haven't seen her yet.

Hopefully she's busy reading up on her pie recipes.

Or is it all 'Pytt i Panna' ?

[Mendip]

My son just did an ROV job offshore Newcastle, Australia salvaging shipping containers. Because of Covid restrictions he had to remain onboard for 5 months before he finally getting back to 14 days quarantine in Thailand.

My apologies for hijacking your thread but it seemed like a couple of members were interested in the mechanics of it so thought the videos might be helpful. I'll butt out now.

Please carry on... don't butt out! That was a very long trip, but your son will have a ball in Thailand with five months money in his pocket!

It's been a strange year for offshore work... those at work when lockdown started have had loads of work... and those at home when lockdown started have had none. I was at home.

Point taken, I apologies.

As one of the few returning to their old job it's just good to hear of successful return to the harness. One hopes all are as successful.

Only joking OhOh... please ask away. Just keep it simple!

Hopefully she's busy reading up on her pie recipes.

Or is it all 'Pytt i Panna' ?

I saw her today cleaning the stairs. I asked her if she could find me some clothes hangers for the cabin... I completely forgot about pies. I think I'd be very lucky to get a pie on a Norwegian vessel. Plenty of salted cod and kumla though...

[Mendip]

The view from my helideck walk was very different today. We were alongside at Tromso for a marine crew change... we'd only been at sea for three days but despite these Covid times these guys don't deviate by a second.



These Norwegians may have awful food but they have some nice scenery!





And then while I was having my walk we sailed again... back to sea for two weeks. There are usually crew changes every other Wednesday.

[OhOh]

please ask away. Just keep it simple!

Okay ....



What are the "social distancing" rules re your "hot bunking" situation?

Plenty of salted cod and kumla though

A Norwegian/Swedish Cooking Thread in the offing?

And then while I was having my walk

How many circuits of the helipad equals 1 km?

[Mendip]

^ Hot bunking is a thing of the past thankfully... but I am sharing a cabin with my back to back... and due to my advanced years he kindly took the top bunk (or was it my weight... I don't know). He seems quite happy to share with someone from one of Norway's 'Red Covid countries' although he wouldn't shake hands. Everyone seems to bump elbows over here... which is hard to get used to.

A Norwegian/Swedish cooking thread would be a short one indeed... although their foos should be good for my desired weight loss. We've Filipino night cooks so there is some spicy food on offer for the night shift. (And to be fair all of the food is very good on this boat... lots of smoked salmon! Norwegian food has come on lots the last few years as they have travelled away from their summer huttes and braved the big wide world. Most Norwegian families now think nothing of having tacos on a Friday and pizza at the weekend!)

Coincidentally we've been discussing this tonight... the helipad is 21m diameter, and I reckon it's 2 pi r for the circumference, which I make 66m. I walk just inside the perimeter in the interests of safety, so maybe 60m a circuit? I reckon then 17 circuits for a kilometre...

I deliberately don't count the laps as that would spoil my thinking, but 1 hour of fast walk must be about 3 to 4 miles or around 5 to 6.5km.

[headhunter]

what a job you have mate,all those females on board,you must do a lot of muff diving as well as all those blow jobs in between.

[Mendip]

what a job you have mate,all those females on board,you must do a lot of muff diving as well as all those blow jobs in between.

... yeah right...

The girls are half my age, and I'm back in Europe now!

There's 49 on board out of which 8 are female (a Norwegian girl medic and a Norwegian girl officer came on yesterday). You'd get a better ration at one of Tomcat's parties.

But it's an awful lot more females then usual... nothing like back in the good old days.

[Edmond]

Tromso

Cool place. Inside the Arctic Circle.


Have you seen the Northern Lights on your travels?

[Mendip]

Cool place. Inside the Arctic Circle.


Have you seen the Northern Lights on your travels?

I've worked on and off in Norway for 30 years, including many winters, but have never seen the Northern Lights... in fact I'm not sure they actually exist.

Or maybe I have seen them but just not been aware of it... and no chance this trip as it's still bright daylight through the night time.

[David48atTD]

^ Aurora borealis in Winter?

Aurora would have known that

---


Mendip ... will this be your first shore leave?

[lom]

Aurora borealis in Winter?

All year round but I guess not visible above the pole circle where there is daylight all 24 hours.

[David48atTD]

All year round but I guess not visible above the pole circle where there is daylight all 24 hours.

Agreed ... BTW, I've never seen it.

My Bucket List isn't expansive ... but it's one I'd like to share with the kids and SWIMBO

[Mendip]

Today I was offered an extension to my initial four week trip to six weeks, meaning I'd get off the boat on September 9th. I said I'd think about it, so did my walk... You can just see the northern tip of Norway along the horizon, so about 40km away.



Of course I need the money and have no choice so will do the extra two weeks, despite this turning into a pretty shit job already... but ya have to play the game. I probably wouldn't be able to return to Thailand in four weeks anyway. On the plus side September 9th is also the missus' birthday... so it'll save me having to get her a present.

[Edmond]

#headingforthefamousthreadsforum

[hallelujah]

Great thread as per, Mendip.

I wouldn't mind working on a merchant vessel. Not so much on one stuck off the coast of Scandinavia, but I bet those old sea dogs carrying their wares across the world have tales to tell to rival even the longest in the tooth SE Asian expat.

[Mendip]

Great thread as per, Mendip.

I wouldn't mind working on a merchant vessel. Not so much on one stuck off the coast of Scandinavia, but I bet those old sea dogs carrying their wares across the world have tales to tell to rival even the longest in the tooth SE Asian expat.

There's an awful lot of boredom between port calls for a merchant seaman... and the money ain't good, but yes I bet they have some stories to tell. More so in the old days I reckon, before mass air travel since everyone has been everywhere these days.

[Edmond]

I've worked on and off in Norway for 30 years, including many winters, but have never seen the Northern Lights... in fact I'm not sure they actually exist.

There are females onboard... in fact there's bladdy women everywhere.

The girls are half my age

Wait a minute, wot?



Are you allowed to put in live streaming shower cams, or is that against company policy?

[Mendip]

Are you allowed to put in live streaming shower cams, or is that against company policy?

If you want to watch me have a shower I'll sort it out and fill yer boots... but why not wait a few weeks until I've lost some weight?