Another lockdown… another commute

[malmomike77]

although if I want to see the Strait of Gibraltar I'll have to stay up late today.

Don't forget to hurl some British abuse at the Spanish police boats, ask them about their Royal family and throw your old trainers at them

[Mendip]

... there you are a manager who blames everyone but himself.

A manager and an engineer trying to communicate... there was always gonna be problems.

I've had my own dealings with the HSE management this morning... I've just heard there will be an MOC (Management of Change) to 'allow' me to stay onboard and do a long trip.

This kind of shit is one of the many reasons I've never considered going into management in this industry.

[Mendip]

Don't forget to hurl some British abuse at the Spanish police boats, ask them about their Royal family and throw your old trainers at them

Will do... but I only know 'cerveza'.

Surely their royal family can't be any worse than our own?

[bsnub]

I think he was trying to be funny insinuating that I could see his oversize pictures because I had an old monitor.

Actually it was me that suggested that you had a CRT monitor.

[Stumpy]

all you need is a bit of imagination.

So please do tell me about the imagination part? I was thinking, what would I do....After running around the deck a few times, updating TD until I was tired. I would probably off myself around day 6.

By the way, what does 'CRT' stand for

Cathode Ray tube....you know the big old glass computer monitors where you have to adjust vertical and horizontal..... ootai could use one of those beautiful monitors you use for the ROV dives.

[Stumpy]

So Mendy...In all seriousness, what does one do when off? You said you work 12's so you have 12 off. Do they have like a Lounge Movie type room where you can watch some shows or movies, chat with some mates? Do you have card night? Bingo night? or do you just stay in your cabin until your next shift?

I think some who have never been in your field would be interested. I used to be a deckhand when I was in my teens and we would do some 3 or 4 day Tuna charters but we would play poker, drink, watch movies when the lines were in the water etc.

[ootai]

So Mendy...In all seriousness, what does one do when off? You said you work 12's so you have 12 off. Do they have like a Lounge Movie type room where you can watch some shows or movies, chat with some mates? Do you have card night? Bingo night? or do you just stay in your cabin until your next shift?

I think some who have never been in your field would be interested. I used to be a deckhand when I was in my teens and we would do some 3 or 4 day Tuna charters but we would play poker, drink, watch movies when the lines were in the water etc.

In all seriousness JP not everyone is hyper like you some need sleep.
I reckon 12 hours work.
8 hours sleep probably interrupted by the sea's motion.
2 x 0.5 hours to eat
5 minutes in the gym we won't count.
Then take pictures and up date TD for the tossers there don't leave much time left.

[ootai]

Actually it was me that suggested that you had a CRT monitor.

Yes I know that bsnub but JP was/is the one who is calling me Mr CRT!

[Mendip]

A 12 hour shift is usually 13 to 14 hours. I get up for a midnight shift at 9:30pm, do an hour in the gym (not 5 minutes) and then usually arrive on shift around 11pm.

After shift, maybe at 1pm or so, I'll maybe send a couple of emails, update this bloody thread which doesn't write itself and do a few other odds and ends, and before you know it, it's 3pm and I want to get some sleep.

It's surprising how little spare time there is. The last thing I want to do is watch a movie after looking at screens all shift so I may try to read in bed but usually fall asleep straight away, I've managed about 12 pages of my Gerald Seymour book in 6 weeks, and I started the damn thing in Gothenburg last year.

There are movie nights, bingo nights and stuff, but they only really cater for the day shift and I'm always on nights... and I'm very anti-social these days.

We used to play cards and stuff after shift and when waiting on weather, but generally with wifi on boats and TVs in cabins, people are much less sociable, including myself. It's nice to get some private time when you're surrounded by people all the time.

[hallelujah]

bingo nights

They're usually quite good places to get a shag, but not with a load of burly men, obviously.

[beerlaodrinker]

Bugger.

Good luck with that.

That used to happen to me with the mining gigs I wanted to work longer but there safety people said no. I was in it for the money so it annoyed me

[malmomike77]

Then take pictures and up date TD for the tossers there don't leave much time left.

He's got to school Mini Mendip, ensure she is eating the correct amount of nutritious British food, catch up on the pack news, which jobs the gardener has been avoiding and perhaps a bit of phone sex with Mrs Mendip to, pardon the pun, finish the day off

[bsnub]

Yes I know that bsnub but JP was/is the one who is calling me Mr CRT!

I kind of like that nickname.

It's nice to get some private time when you're surrounded by people all the time.

That would be me. After my shift and some time in the gym, I would be a shut in.

[Stumpy]

Thanks Mendy. Glad you can pass the time.

Cheers

[bsnub]

Thanks Mendy.

What are you thanking Mendy for?

Did you have too much time on your blow up toy in the pool? Dig into that top shelf Anejo? Both?

[helge]

By the way, what does 'CRT' stand for?

Hope it isn't "Constantinoblian Rectifysation of Tirak ( Khashoggi style)

Take care, mate

Those Isaan women are smiling cut-throats

(with naam bla breath)

[Mendip]

He's got to school Mini Mendip, ensure she is eating the correct amount of nutritious British food, catch up on the pack news, which jobs the gardener has been avoiding and perhaps a bit of phone sex with Mrs Mendip to, pardon the pun, finish the day off

Exactly... there was a major emergency yesterday and in addition to all the usual chores I had to re-set the daughter's Minecraft password cos she couldn't get in. The crisis was averted.

I've never got into this phone sex thing... how does it go? If I was to send the missus a picture of me privates she'd probably reply with a picture of a couple of Aspirin next to a glass of water.


By this stage in the voyage I had three main landmarks that I wanted to pass in the daytime. I guess one out of three ain't bad.

Around 8pm last night we passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean Sea... well the Alboran Sea to be precise (in case Helge's looking).

And it was nearly bladdy dark.



Unfortunately the website advertising has covered up the place names on the map, but off the port side we had the Spanish mainland somewhere around Tarifa.



And off the starboard side we had Morocco. Having to keep driving on the right we were much closer to the Moroccan coastline. At it's narrowest point the Gibralter Strait is around 8 nautical miles wide.



And looking forward... Spain and Europe off the port bow and Morocco and Africa off the starboard bow.



And a glance behind us westwards at my first sunset of the voyage. This was well past my bedtime but I wanted to see the strait. I've passed through once before in the opposite direction but in the dead of night with bad weather. I slept though that passage.



And looking back at Africa... that is probably Tangier in the far distance on the horizon.



I went up to the bridge deck to see if I could get any better pics as we passed through the strait but it was just getting too dark.





And then I had to wait an hour or so for us to reach Gibraltar and I was knackered by now. This was right in the middle of my sleep time.

And of course it kept getting darker.



The Rock of Gibraltar was a bit of a disappointment to be honest and not nearly as big as I was expecting. Mind at least the Spaniards made a better job of lighting it up than the English did with The White Cliffs of Dover.



I guess it looked a little bit bigger zoomed in.

[David48atTD]

What do think would the action would be if you passed a refugee boat in distress?

[Shutree]

which will herald the start of a very special day for me.

Did I miss it? Why was your day very special?

Also, I have only just realised that this Med cruise of yours will have you arriving in Istanbul right on time for the Istanbul F1 weekend.

[Mendip]

What do think would the action would be if you passed a refugee boat in distress?

This was also a concern when passing through the English Channel and it is something you just hope doesn't happen.

I think (but not sure) that maritime law obliges you to deliver any refugees you take onboard to your home country, in our case Norway. The cost of this is obviously exorbitant and I would imagine that many ship's crew will turn a blind eye to any refugees boats they spot.

There's obviously the right thing to do and what happens in reality. I would imagine there was an immediate life or death situation then obviously this boat, along with most others, would take people onboard. Maybe there is some kind of agency that would take any refugees from the boat? If a boat full of refugees was just spotted but not in distress I'd imagine it would be reported to the relevant authorities but the vessel would continue on it's way. I'm not certain about any of this though.

One of the jobs this contractor is interested in while down this way is the Greenstream pipeline inspection... a 500km odd km long subsea pipeline that delivers gas from Libya to Sicily. I haven't done that project before but talking to those that have, refugees were a big problem close to Libya and the boat extra security personnel onboard (not armed, they say) and other measures such as welded fencing around the back deck were taken. In the event there were no attempted boardings but it wasn't a nice job and a few dead bodies were seen on the seabed.

[malmomike77]

have you been reading the local rag Mendip

Construction of a 3,800 km cable between Morocco and the UK taking shape

A 10.5 GW solar and wind power plant will be built in the Guelmim-Oued Noun region to supply the UK with clean energy via a 3,800 km long submarine cable, scheduled to be laid in 2025.

https://northafricapost.com/52734-construction-of-a-3800-km-cable-between-morocco-and-the-uk-taking-shape.html

[Mendip]

^ Yeah, I read about that somewhere else yesterday. I can't understand why the UK needs electricity from Morocco, but that cable will need a route survey and will need to be laid, so it's all good!

Did I miss it? Why was your day very special?

It was a very special day for me Shutree and it lived up to all expectations.

In the daylight as well!

I wonder if you recognise this?

[malmomike77]

I can't understand why the UK needs electricity from Morocco

I think a long term play (Solar), wise imo. Having multiple sources, inc Norway (Hydro) & France (Nuc) etc as back ups is sensible, particularly where France are concerned as you never know when their toys are going to get tossed around.

[Shutree]

I wonder if you recognise this?

Nope! That's nearly as good as one of my photos. Is there a bird in it?

Based upon your location, I'd guess the Algarve although I don't suppose that helped you with a special day.

[Mendip]

^ Here's a clue...