Another lockdown… another commute

[malmomike77]

I guess it's like someone who's never flown being envious of a person going on a long haul flight. It may sound good until you do it.

Agreed, its hateful even if you turn left, then its only slightly less so. The older i get the more i dread it.

[ootai]

I barely want to answer your question for fear of being called a moaner... but you did ask. A transit is better than spending a trip in the Norwegian Sea, mainly because the boat is empty and I can suit myself regarding shifts. But it's still 12 hour shifts on a boat with nothing but sea to look at. Had I been allowed to work in the Norwegian office I'd be earning considerably more money and could have an after work pint or two every day.

I can't believe that you would be paid less being on a boat versus in an office. I assume you are doing the same work regardless of where you are actually sitting.
If you were on land in Norway working in the office there would you have your meals being cooked for you, your laundry being done, your toes being looked after etc.?
I would consider being on the boat the equivalent of being on-site at a mine versus being in the city in an office, on-site would be more pay.

[cyrille]

The older i get the more i dread it.

Get yourself a scooter and make a few trips in Thailand.

That should cure anyone's fear of flying.

I'm bricking myself doing 60 and two schoolgirls fly past doing 95+, ponytails in the slipstream.

[Mendip]

^^ It doesn't matter what you believe or assume Ootai, that's the way it is. Brexit is costing me about 20% a day just now.

[beerlaodrinker]

Thought I saw you on endeavouring to transport it...

Attachment 76727

Yes that was me.

[malmomike77]

Get yourself a scooter and make a few trips in Thailand.

I have done some 200km trips on scooters in Thailand; wind (not mine), passing lorries and wet roads shit me up.

That should cure anyone's fear of flying.

I don't fear flying, just dread the confined monotony of it. Fear i have experienced 3 times flying none on a commercial aircraft

[malmomike77]

Anyway, Mendip as Insider Dave has all but stitched up the Nople arrival draw have you got another...fairer one

[Mendip]

^^ Yeah, it's the monotony.

I spend half my life looking forward to getting off a boat... and the other half in Korat!

I don't know what to do about the competition... I feel a bit guilty in that my estimate was based on very badly measured distances using my calibrated plastic spoon and listening to Filipino rumours... and everyone followed me.

Had I asked the skipper a few days ago it could have been an exciting finish with everyone in with a chance.

What to do?

[malmomike77]

What to do?

Disqualify Insider Dave and start a new poll on the date time when you embarrassingly find yourself with a hard-on in that Turkish Bath.

[armstrong]

Sink the ship Mendip.

[Mendip]

^ I won't be getting to any Turkish baths... it's not my kind of thing anyway.

And as for sinking the boat Armstrong, I can see a very obvious downside to that and it does seem a bit drastic just so you can win a pair of Turkish ear hair trimmers (which would most probably be my old pair of toe nail clippers anyway).

[malmomike77]

Can we run a sweepstake on your weight by the time you leave the boat, before and after scales shots but minus the Looperesque reveal please.

[Saint Willy]

Moaner.’you should have voted to stay then.

[Mendip]

^ Ya see, this is the problem. I was asked a question, avoided the real answer, asked a second time, answered neutrally, and then get labelled a 'moaner'.

But as you have yet again accused me of this... if I was a true remoaner, I, along with many others who have been very severely financially impacted by Brexit (yes, an actual real consequence... not something that may happen in the future), could have mentioned that so far it has cost me around 30 to 40k Sterling (but it's a gift that keeps on giving of course), has all but destroyed the work avenues produced by 30 years of carefully nurtured contacts and added maybe five years to my working life. But I resisted saying that, while all I hear from Brexiteers is 'how things will be so much better in the future', while things get progressively worse.

I have still yet to hear about a single person who has benefited from Brexit, apart from that pathological liar Boris Johnson and the band of hopeless toffs hanging on to his shirt tails, and of course the rubber dinghy salesmen of Calais. Their business is booming. Cos that's the thing... usually if things don't go the way you hoped, such as a general election, you accept that many will be better off due to the way they voted and that's the way it goes; ya win some, lose some. But everyone loses with Brexit... unless of course there's a single person on TD who can prove me otherwise, who has actually benefited in the here and now... surely there must be at least one person? And I don't mean someone who says, 'yeah, now one day I'm gonna get a better job and make loads of money'...

Oh, I guess there is one good thing about Brexit... by being confined to the boat instead of my usual cushy Autumn office number I've lost a truckload of weight and I haven't had a drink in over six weeks. Maybe I should put up my liver in the 'Who's actually benefited from Brexit' thread. Where is that thread, I wonder?

That is what I could have said, and if I sound a tad touchy tonight it's because since having my Pfizer jab last week I've had a bastard headache and I now have to spend 12 hours in front of the computer and we're passing through the Strait of Sicily into 20 knot winds and almost beam on to 2 metre seas. It doesn't sound much but the angle is all wrong and boat's moving all over the place.

[Saint Willy]

if I sound a tad touchy tonight it's because since having my Pfizer jab last week I've had a bastard headache and I now have to spend 12 hours in front of the computer and we're passing through the Strait of Sicily into 20 knot winds and almost beam on to 2 metre seas. It doesn't sound much but the angle is all wrong and boat's moving all over the place.

As I said, moaner!

[Mendip]

^ You goaded me into it!

I forgot to mention there was a fire drill yesterday right in the middle of my sleep... and I'm knackered as well.

[ootai]

^ You goaded me into it!

I forgot to mention there was a fire drill yesterday right in the middle of my sleep... and I'm knackered as well.

Maybe HSE had a point about 12 weeks being too long on a boat especially for the elderly.

[Topper]

Maybe HSE had a point about 12 weeks being too long on a boat especially for the elderly.

That gave me a chuckle....

[Shutree]

who has actually benefited in the here and now... surely there must be at least one person?

The deal is done, life goes on, I'm staying out of the opinions, they serve no useful purpose.

To address your question directly, I have seen no benefit, nor have my siblings resident in UK. My children and their cousins all resident in the UK report having seen no benefits, nor have any of my old friends still resident in UK.

One old friend credits Brexit with being the driver for him to move his retirement out of Cornwall. He recently arrived in Penang.

This addresses but does not answer your question. My only answer is that I don't know of anyone who has gained a tangible benefit so far.

[OhOh]

My children and their cousins all resident in the UK report having seen no benefits,

One of my sons has moved from successfully arranging "live music events" in many European cities to online events.

Apparently people pay to stream them. Excellent numbers, he says.

Enough confidence to plan his and his long-term girlfriend's wedding, next year.

[Saint Willy]

One of my sons has moved from successfully arranging "live music events" in many European cities to online events.

Apparently people pay to stream them. Excellent numbers, he says.

Enough confidence to plan his and his long-term girlfriend's wedding, next year.

And the connection to Brexit?

[OhOh]

And the connection to Brexit?

Changed delivery after.

[Mendip]

^^^^ Yeah, you're quite right Shutree. Just have to adapt.

Maybe HSE had a point about 12 weeks being too long on a boat especially for the elderly.

Hmmmph...

But despite only 4 hours sleep I remain upbeat and my usual positive self, although with a lot of spare time tonight I did become a bit melancholic and worked out that if I live to be 70, this trip will be 1.5% of my remaining life. It makes you think.

Anyway, Mike77 mentioned that he wanted another competition, and I do have one. When I send 'Greens' I like to include a reppo comment and it would be just great to sometimes add a 'Smiley Face'. I've seen other people do this, but I get no Smiley toolbar option when I make a reppo comment. How can I do this? I would love to know... for a free Green!

I have spare time tonight as I'm a bit stuck and need some files from the office, which I will have to wait until daytime to get someone to email out to me. In the meantime I thought I'd mention why we're going to the Black Sea.

There's been lots of news lately about the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline which will enable Russia to export gas to Europe (Germany) avoiding transit through Ukraine.

In 2020 Russia's Gazprom began exporting gas through the Turkstream pipeline from Krasnodar in Russia, across the Black Sea, to Kiyiköy in Turkey. It was no accident that the route of this pipeline skirted Ukraine's southern boundary of the Black Sea without encroaching on it, which would have been more direct. The new Turkstream pipeline is routed to the west of the older Bluestream pipeline, also across the Black Sea from Krasnodar to Samsun in Turkey. I worked on a Blue Stream inspection project back in 2006.



And a bit of advertising gumpf...

TurkStream

We will be inspecting the entire offshore length of Turkstream from approximately 16 metres water depth at either landfall, which is the minimum water depth we can work in. The offshore length is approximately 924 kilometres. The system comprises two parallel 32in gas pipelines, thereby giving us a grand total of 1848km of pipeline to inspect. For those that don't know, subsea pipelines are constructed from 12 metre pipe lengths (field lengths), each one welded to the next at what is termed a field joint. We have to inspect and log every single field joint. The water depth across the Black Sea goes down to a maximum of around 2200 metres, which with such a long length of umbilical out will severely restrict ROV survey speed. This, along with a few other considerations is why the project is scheduled to take around 8 weeks. It isn't as simple as heading across to Russia on one pipeline and then returning on the other.

The other considerations include the need to survey landfall approach areas in the up-slope direction, and also to deal with Russian immigration officials (stamped in and out) as efficiently as possible... and these guys could teach the Thais a thing or two. There will also be a couple of crew changes to fit in... there will be one at 2 weeks, another at 6 weeks and the last at the end of the project. I plan to get meself off this damn boat at the six week crew change scheduled for November 20th. Then a trip to the UK, a final Pfizer shot and back home without the need for ASQ. What can possibly go wrong!

Anyway, so that's the job. It's not a great one, but inspection work is the bread and butter and although monotonous is always there... through thick or thin. The Black Sea is particularly boring work as below 150 metres water depth the water is anoxic and completely devoid of life. The seabed is dead and lifeless and comprises a foul smelling sulfurous sludge, so there won't even be any exotic deep water fish to distract ourselves with. The ROV needs hosing down every time it comes back to deck.

But mustn't grumble!

[armstrong]

You just gotta type the code underneath the smiley.

[Mendip]

^ Aah, thanks.

Green with Smiley owed... can't do it just now!