Same shit, different ship

[Mendip]

Back by popular demand!

I didn't really want to do another work thread because there's probably nothing new... but I will be taking a few pics on this work trip and maybe something interesting will happen. I'll use this thread to dump any work stuff in to save polluting other people's picture threads and I'll try to cover new ground so it doesn't get too boring.

After eight months with the family it was more than time to get away again and I've taken the offer of a trip back to northern Norway. Thanks to Putin there's a lot of work around at the moment as the Norwegians scramble to replace Russia's gas supply. The development of big gas fields in the Barents Sea has been accelerated which is great for greedy freelancers who would like to retire as soon as possible. All the usual work is still there as well so another 15 years or so should do the job...

Anyway, first my goodbyes. I'm already missing this little thing.



I left home in Korat at 18:30 Monday for a night flight with Emirates. It was 37 degrees when I left... that heat already a distant memory. After taking off from Swampy I passed though Dubai, then Oslo...



As I then headed north it became progressively Wintery and cold... it's supposed to be the Spring, FFS.

From Oslo it was almost a two hour flight to Tromsø. Norway is a very long country.





I resisted the urge to buy a reindeer skin (I've already got one somewhere, to be honest).



But as well as bumping into one of our Filipina stewardesses, I also met up with an old mate at Tromsø. He persuaded me to have a pint and I didn't really want it after a day and a half in transit and being completely buggered. But what can ya do? He was buying as well, and at 12 quid a pint it would have been rude not to.



And then on to Hammerfest... where it was snowing.



My cold weather clothing was of course packed in my hold bag... which thankfully arrived so that I could dig out a fleece to wear over my short-sleeved floral Summer shirt!

I arrived at my Hammerfest hotel at 23:30 CET Tuesday, by my calculations 34 hours after I left Korat. I had also gone from 37 degrees to bladdy freezing.



We were picked up at 05:15 the next morning to be taken to the boat, which didn't make me all that happy.



And to the boat. I should have maybe called this thread 'Same shit, same ship' because I've returned to the same vessel I've spent a lot of time on over the past three years. But maybe next trip will be a different one.



It's nice to return to a familiar vessel with familiar faces. In times such as this I could earn better money on the spot market working on shitty boats in shitty places, but now I prefer regular work on a nice vessel with a nice company. I've known some of the guys in this company for over 30 years and it's good to return.



We were taken to the vessel at such a ridiculously early time so that handovers could be done and off-signing crew could get home on the same day. There are limited flights out of Hammerfest and even just getting back to the UK takes all day.

One of great bonuses of Brexit is that all Brits have to be taken to the police station before sailing, to clear immigration out of Schengen. Yes, not only do we now get to wait for over an hour in the 'All Passports' queue at Oslo while all the Europeans stream on through the automated gates past us, we also get to queue up at the local Norwegian police stations before and after working offshore to receive yet more stamps in the passport. Each work trip now fills a page of the passport with Schengen in/out visa stamps, a half page of Thai stamps and not to mention all the annual stamps and re-entry permits associated with visa extensions. Is it any wonder I seem to spend half of my life doing passport renewal trips? But, with all the advantages of Brexit I feel this is a small price to pay.

By the time we got to the police station mid-morning, after the handovers and after the off-signing crew had left, Hammerfest had cheered up a bit. I believe that all those fence things on the mountainside are to stop avalanches swamping the houses.



And that's it really. We're currently busy surveying new pipeline/power cable routes into the refinery at Melkøya, a small island just off Hammerfest. Because we are so far north and at least 1200km from the existing network of pipelines (to shore in Norway, UK and Europe) further south, oil and gas from offshore in this part of the world in carried by pipeline into the refinery here, and then carried by tanker elsewhere.



It's scenic for sure, but too cold for me. I want to be paid for every day I spend in Norway... this is no fun for me.





Part of the work scope here is to identify potential mines from WW2... laid by the usual suspects, Germany and Russia. The northern cape has always been a very strategic part of the world... and never more so than now, I guess.



I've now been onboard for four days and it's good to be away from the Leo and Ya Dong. My gym stuff was still in a bag on the boat so I'm back on the horse...



And today I had my first batch of laundry back... duly washed and folded by our stewardess, and left outside my cabin. This included the underwear I wore for 34 hours between Korat and Hammerfest... poor girl. I think there may be a case to just treat such underwear as disposable and stick it on expenses.



Oh, my cabin... not the greatest but the top bunk is vacant and at least I don't have to share.



So... same old, same old. I find it amazing how quickly I settle back into a completely different life from Korat, even after eight months at home... but I guess this life is just as familiar. One thing I've already noticed this trip after only four days onboard is that my ring-piece is red raw having to use toilet paper. I really miss the bum guns when I'm away from Asia and if ever I move back to the Western world I'll definitely be bringing a few with me.

But it's not all bad, look at these babies...

[DrWilly]

Buy a little plastic water scooper cup and see your left hand. It works for me.

[Bonecollector]

Glad you got to your port safe and sound, never turn down a pint mate 555

I approve of your theft, these airlines are utter cunts and I might just start doing the same. I am getting a bum gun installed at my flat in London as we speak. I could go without it for the small number of months I was back but moving there permanently now, requires definite addition.

So do you just monitor what they are doing and if there is anything you are concerned about, Geology wise, you object?

[malmomike77]

while all the Europeans stream on through the automated gates past us

and yet the Europeans are allowed to use the UK passport lanes entering the UK. Soon your EU friends are going to start finger printing which will be nice. The UK is also dropping the 100ml liquid limits as new scanners are introduced but of course when leaving the EU that won't apply - all in all its pretty mixed bag

[Mendip]

^ Yeah, it is a mixed bag mate... I just seem to have got the arse end of it. It's been a disaster for me to be honest but anyway, such is life. I don't want to come across as a remoaner, heaven forbid.

Buy a little plastic water scooper cup and see your left hand. It works for me.

There's no plastic water scooper shops out here Willy so I may have to improvise. How about an empty yogurt pot? Bear in mind that the stewardess cleans my en-suite shower room most days and I don't want to worry her too much.

I approve of your theft, these airlines are utter cunts and I might just start doing the same. I am getting a bum gun installed at my flat in London as we speak. I could go without it for the small number of months I was back but moving there permanently now, requires definite addition.

So do you just monitor what they are doing and if there is anything you are concerned about, Geology wise, you object?

I'm not a 'thief' mate, I'm an official spoon collector. There's a big difference.

We will have long departed the site by the time the shallow geology has been interpreted and mapped. Unless there are major obstructions on the seabed such as a wreck, unexpected outcropping bedrock or dumped munitions, the chosen pipeline route will vary little from the initially proposed route. The geology we interpret will change route design but probably not position; such as trenching or rock dumping, etc. I have a few strings to my bow and the geology part is small these days... I get involved in the geophysics (although we have a specialist on board for the munitions detection) and I have inspection engineer certs. I'm currently working on a pipeline inspection project from a survey a couple of weeks ago. Jack of all trades, master of none.

[malmomike77]

empty yogurt pot?

What's wrong with a mug? those yoghurt pots have sharp edges

surely a small bucket also, one yoghurt pot aint enough?

[Bonecollector]

^^ interesting stuff Mendy and nice for having an excuse already sorted! that's professional.

Feels kind of silly to question oil and gas prices when you realise just how much work goes into getting this shit out of the ground and into your boiler or car tank!

Keep your eyes peeled for any signs of that lost civilization!

[OhOh]

Good to hear your off working again. What amount home time is usual for you?

How close to the seabed does the camera ROV get?

[david44]

Great Stuff Mendy I had to share a similar cabin , so solo use luxury and the meter running as you dream of Trolls

[Mendip]

^^ OhOh, the ROV can go down to the seabed so long as it isn't deeper than 3000m. The ROV altitude depends on what we're doing. If we're seabed mapping then the ROV will maybe fly 10m to 20m above the seabed depending on data requirement, in which case the cameras aren't used. If we're doing pipeline inspection or any other visual seabed investigation then the ROV will be around a metre off the seabed. We avoid hitting the seabed if possible because that will stir up sediment and destroy the visibility.


This is what I meant by working for a nice company... everyone on the vessel received a Norwegian Easter egg yesterday.



OK, so it wasn't as good as a proper chocolate Cadbury's one with chocolate buttons inside like we'd get in Blighty, but it's the thought that counts I guess.



Fact of the night... the hollow chocolate Easter egg was invented in Bristol!


Anyway, the Northern Lights came out tonight. That's the Norwegian mainland on the right and the island of Melkøya on the left.



The Northern Lights would have looked pretty good if it wasn't for all the light pollution from the refinery on Melkøya.



And this is the entrance to the tunnel from the mainland to the island. The Norwegians have so much money that they have been linking loads of islands to the mainland with tunnels and bridges, which must piss off the ferrymen somewhat. Most Norwegians I know would prefer a bit of relief on their taxes rather than pay for all these tunnel and bridge projects. A friend of mine who lives on an island called Valderøy which is now linked to Ålesund by tunnel, was complaining that instead of the cost of the tunnel (which no-one particularly wanted) the government could have given each islander the equivalent of £120,000. You can take a lot of ferry trips for that.



It's shallow water work tonight with the ROV around 6m below the surface. A good thing about working in Norway is that the water is usually crystal clear.

[DrWilly]

That water gives me the shivers...it looks as cold as fuck!

[bsnub]

Loving the thread already.

[david44]

Yes fantastic images, reminds me how clean cool and wholesome Scandanavia is a complete contrast

[Shutree]

My gym stuff was still in a bag on the boat

I hope that had been through the laundry before you left the boat.

[David48atTD]

God love ya Mendy ... how I love these threads.

Heaps of sea shanty stories, pics of places that I'll never get to travel to.

Don't forget the stories about the personal inter-relationships, the Flippa stewards, the Iranian non-drinker, the mysterious French colleague etc

[katie23]

The Norwegian easter egg with goodies reminded me of the interview of Conan O'Brien re: shrinking Cadbury eggs (from 2007).



Shrinkflation at work... Also reminds me of the time when they increased the space between the "hills" of the Toblerone chocolate.

Hope you get to exercise in your ship's gym, Mendy! Gotta maintain that "Baywatch bod" , ya know.

[Shutree]

Also reminds me of the time when they increased the space between the "hills" of the Toblerone chocolate.

That was an outrage, they must have had some complete idiots in their marketing department. I used to like Toblerone, now that I think of it I haven't bought one since that piece of marketing madness.

[bsnub]

I used to like Toblerone

I still like it, but my favorite chocolate is Ritter Sport, followed by Lindt.

[david44]

Ritter Sport

now widely available here, I sneak the odd one into the wholesome groceries, Lindt is so smooth I have to resist it's like coke , pistachios ,Thai girls, rye whiskey or Pringles once you've had one it's almost impossible to stop.

[Happy As Larry]

That was an outrage, they must have had some complete idiots in their marketing department. I used to like Toblerone, now that I think of it I haven't bought one since that piece of marketing madness.

Toblerone was in the news quite recently.

It is owned by a US firm i believe and they intend moving its production out of Switzerland to Slovakia.

This I believe will mean that the image of the Matterhorn that appears on the wrapper will have to go.

Something to do with the Swiss laws regarding 'Swissness' and the fact that it is a milk based product to produced outside of Switzerland

[Shutree]

now widely available here

The simple chocolate Ritter bars haven't been on the shelves here for a few weeks. There are some with nuts and the white one left. I don't know if it is a supply problem or Loututheth dropping the product. I believe that chocolate, like coffee, in moderation, is an essential part of a healthy diet.

Coming back on topic, I have no doubt that Mendip the caring father will keep that Norwegian egg and all its contents for his daughter.

[bsnub]

Toblerone was in the news quite recently.

It is owned by a US firm i believe and they intend moving its production out of Switzerland to Slovakia.

This I believe will mean that the image of the Matterhorn that appears on the wrapper will have to go.

Something to do with the Swiss laws regarding 'Swissness' and the fact that it is a milk based product to produced outside of Switzerland

You are correct. I just checked and this is most unfortunate. I will stick to Lindt and Ritter Sport moving forward.

[david44]

I will stick to Lindt and Ritter Sport moving forward.

Deedy do better than Blunt and Shitter Sport any day

[Mendip]

Coming back on topic, I have no doubt that Mendip the caring father will keep that Norwegian egg and all its contents for his daughter.

And you are completely correct Shutree.

All this talk about chocolate motivated me to loom at my Easter egg more closely and it's like a Tardis egg. I can't believe how much stuff they crammed in... and yes Shutree, I repacked everything and taped the egg together.



FYI, that 'Kvikk Lunsj' bar is an exact rip off of s Kit-Kat, the 'Japp' bars are exactly the same as a Mars bar and the 'Stratos' bars are no different to an Aero. I don't know how the Norwegians get away with these direct copies, I would have thought there would be some kind of copyright or something.

One of the trainees gave me that yellow egg on the right which she told me is full of creamy stuff... so a copy of a Cadbury's Cream Egg but without, it seems, the yolk. The daughter can have that as well... probably.

And as you can see I also picked up a Polar Bear and a Norwegian Husky from Tromsø airport. The daughter has done well already this trip.

And if she gets good marks in her Science project I may also give her the spare Emirates teaspoon. I think case closed on my generosity!

[david44]

Nice Husky what will Anna say tho?