Same shit, different ship

[Topper]

^ Why don't you try and work from home? Get a retirement visa/non-o and sit on your patio working while watching for a twitch on your fishing rod. It's not like immigration is going to pop by your house to see what's up.

[Joe 90]

Maybe not, but there's loads of perculiar types who read the forum and they might be the grassing type.

[malmomike77]

did the Govt acknowledge and encourage "digital nomads"

[Mendip]

The Moray East offshore wind farm, Moray Firth.

[hallelujah]

The Moray East offshore wind farm, Moray Firth.

I've fished there (and caught)!

[david44]

Are the wind vanes floating and tethered or anchored on platforms attached to sea bed?

Fine pix of camera thank off phone Monsieur Mendicant?

[Topper]

Maybe not, but there's loads of perculiar types who read the forum and they might be the grassing type.

If Mendy never mentions doing it here, who would know?

Here's a good read http://www.luther-lawfirm.lu/fileadm...hailand_V5.pdf

I wonder if Mendy got a permanent resident visa if the work permit rules would apply?

[armstrong]

Pretty sure you still need a WP with PR.

[Topper]

Pretty sure you still need a WP with PR.

That sucks...

[david44]

You can work in some roles if married, can set up a firm with family or others as staff.
However without prying not domiciled anywhere with a lucrative offshore income works for some.

Less than 6 months here or maybe 180 days same UK and a few days vacation anywhere bar greedy EU/USA any oil man can afford a wick redipping in PI or Bali

Each individual famiy has varied tax planning needs to allow for receiving or leaving an inheritence.
Once you make serious geld pay a bean counter to fix it like servicig the jeep.
If bright and a stute with modest means most can be done with careful planning record keeping and wise/lucky retirement planning.

When I was with largest legal firm in France we did a lot with Luther a top pro firm up their with other Unyer partners or Denton's, they're sure to be at my R3 gig in St Andrew in May

Rescue Recovery Renewal Annual Conference 2024Conference Fairmont St AndrewsUK

[Mendip]

I've fished there (and caught)!

Cod? Any pictures to liven the thread up a bit?

Are the wind vanes floating and tethered or anchored on platforms attached to sea bed?

They're anchored into the seabed. The water in the Moray Firth is fairly shallow so good for the installation of offshore wind farms, as is the southern North Sea off the coast of the Continent and the UK where there are huge offshore wind farms. Wind turbines mounted on floating platforms are a rarity and I think that the worlds largest is the one at the Gullfaks Field in Norway where I worked last year. That wind farm comprised just eleven turbines whereas the farms in the southern North Sea may comprise several hundred turbines.


This renewables industry is booming and the Moray Firth seems to be full of wind farms. We are the blue dot at the end of the black arrow, the red diamonds are either wind farms or navigation aids associated with wind farms and there are a variety of other vessels servicing the wind farms... supply boats, another survey vessel and a cable layer to name a few.



We're surveying a recently installed power cable and doing one pass from south near Fraserburgh to north near Wick and then a second run along the cable heading southwards again. After the Moray East offshore wind farm (OWF) we passed next to the Beatrice OWF, I think...



Despite the 30 kt south-easterly the blades on many of the turbines didn't appear to be going round, I have no idea why.



Later, during our return southerly heading run we passed by the Moray North OWF, or at least I think so but they all look the bladdy same.



I have to say that these wind farms all look pretty much identical both above the water surface and below on the seabed, and are very boring to work at. I'm looking forward to going back to oil and gas next month, which has much more variety.

[hallelujah]

Cod? Any pictures to liven the thread up a bit?

Yeah, codling and other small stuff off the pier and beach in Nairn.

It was about 35 years ago, so no pictures.

I've been meaning to go back ever since, but the weather factor up there means it always ends up being given a swerve.

[Mendip]

^ The weather has been pretty awful the last month and there's no way that I'd be here for pleasure. A Scottish guy I'm working with was all excited today because the temperature rose to 12 degrees in the sun... it'll be spring in a couple of days, FFS...

Here was Rattray Head light house in today's pre-dawn. It flashes off...



And on...



The Rattray Head light house is quite a famous one in the light house community and was once attacked by the Germans in WWII. It was automated in 1982 so there's no point in me applying to be the light house keeper, however I'm going off the idea of living in a light house in Scotland anyway... despite the appeal of solitude the weather up this way is just too endlessly shite.

Rattray Head - Northern Lighthouse Board

And the extended coastline, from Peterhead at the left (south), to the Fergus gas terminal and Rattray Head at the right (north).



And in the same pre-dawn, the view to the east and the Buzzard oil field platform just visible on the horizon. This is just 60 miles NE of Aberdeen and apparently one of the largest producing oil fields on the UK Continental Shelf. I have found this cable work in the renewables sector quite boring as there's nothing to look at and am quite looking forward to getting back to oil and gas in the Norwegian Sector next month with all the different platforms and supply boats to look at.



Later in the day, the light house in all it's glory.





And the St Fergus gas terminal with a smattering of wind turbines to boot. The old and the new. There seems to be few views along the Scottish coast that don't include a wind turbine or two.



And an unladen supply boat heading back towards Aberdeen from the oil fields.

[Edmond]

And an unladen supply boat heading back towards Aberdeen from the oil fields.

Is it not a bit front heavy when unladen? It looks like a giant earpod.

Do they need to let water into tanks at the bac.... stern, or whatever as a ballast, or she runs ballast free when empty?

[bsnub]

the light house in all it's glory.

Do they still have lighthouse keepers in the UK? Lighthouses were automated in the states for the most part, so no more keepers.

[david44]

Do they still have lighthouse keepers in the UK?

The last manned lighthouse in England, and the United Kingdom, was the North Foreland Lighthouse in Kent.

The last six keepers Dave Appleby, Colin Bale, Dermot Cronin, Tony Homewood, Barry Simmons and Tristan Sturley completed their service in a ceremony attended by the Prince Philip, on 26 November 1998.I'll try dig out some pix.


I was lucky to have free visits to man British,Irish and French lights as my late partner's dad was an elder brother at Trinity House the management.

As for residency hard to get around curved walls unless high joinery skills.A lot of whittling, scrimshaw between 'wick' maintainence

There ares some fine structures in Portugal,Euzkadi, NSW, Maine Nova Scotia my fave is Ouessant known to Brits as Ushant off the extreme West of France's Finstere nr the nuclear sub pens of les rades de Brest
The lighthouse is built on a rock (that is also called La Jument) about 300 metres from the coast of the island of Ushant.It has inspired art and photographers at huge Atlantic rollers crash westwards. Thanks Mendy for timely reminder.

[Mendip]

Thanks Mendy for timely reminder.

No problem, thanks for answering Snub's question!

I'm not sure the life of a light house keeper would be for me after all anyway, I'm not that great with heights.

[Mendip]

The last dive of the job, if all goes well...





With an early morning finish I reckon I can get up to the Tesco in Peterhead before the taxi takes us to Aberdeen Airport. I'm gonna fill a basket with back bacon and sausages, maybe even some smoked cod and haddock if it has a decent sell by date.





My current flight, if I can make it, has a 40kg baggage allowance so I won't have to scrimp on the goodies. The daughter's after some tins of salmon as well. No problem.





But it all depends on the ROV not breaking down and working all night, and us getting a berth at Peterhead in good time. And my opposite number completing our work during the night. Lots of ifs and buts... but definitely doable.





If all goes to plan I can have everything in our freezer in Korat by Saturday lunch time...



I don't want to see this fukker again until the job's finished.



Fingers crossed!

[Joe 90]

If all goes to plan I can have everything in our freezer in Korat by Saturday lunch tim

Best of luck and safe travels .

[Joe 90]

I'm not sure the life of a light house keeper would be for me after all anyway, I'm not that great with heights.

Worth a watch and it had its benefits..

[DrWilly]

Good luck Mendy. No passport runs while your passing through Bangkok?

[david44]

Best of luck and safe travels .

Schh...

The Eddo Cheddar and Spoon trafficking cartel needs to fly under the radar, the SubzeroScotland is just the cover story.

[baldrick]

The last dive

I see only one lifting cable attached - is there a fibre running in the middle or is the comms done via a radio link ?

[cyrille]

No passport runs while your passing through Bangkok?

That would actually be impossible.

[Airportwo]

Is it not a bit front heavy when unladen? It looks like a giant earpod.

Do they need to let water into tanks at the bac.... stern, or whatever as a ballast, or she runs ballast free when empty?

There is always someone on duty who is responsible for keeping the vessel "trim' she will always be carrying ballast, would sit too high in the water without and be unstable, the ballast is moved around as needed, they will have dedicated seawater ballast tanks if there payload is light.