SQTalkers in the shipping / maritime industry

[jhm]

the good ship MEDEA!!!

I worked on something involving the ship "ARGO MEDEA" about 10+ years ago - is that the same ship ?

[N_Architect]

Sounds like a place that not many will ever get a chance to visit. The reckless lout in me says go

My sentiments exactly. (I still haven't checked the link provided by jhm, though...)

I'd like to see the buffet

I hear food onboard is excellent.

( on oil rigs too )

Well, you know, I may have something for you just right here...

Been postponing and postponing this TR on sea trials off the south part of South Korea, so since you asked for it:

Lunch onboard a ship during sea trials (i.e. during going out in the open sea to test the ship, couple of weeks before delivery of the ship to her owners):

The soup was coming out first:


Then the salad starter:


French fries (full in salt) were in the middle of the table, accessible by all:


...and this is supposed to be spaghetti carbonara (may God have mercy on us):


Fruits, coffee followed. Mind you, this was the 'western' menu for the senior officers of the shipowner, for class, as prepared by the catering company staff who were onboard (on yard's account). All Koreans were taking other menu, Korean, in the traditional yard plates/dishes (no pics, damn!!!)

Then, upon completion of lunch, you go back out (or down in the engine room) for more tests:


Dinner was at 6pm, and late (& light) evening meal at 10pm.

Now I'll have to stop here, or else I better write the whole TR and finish with it!



UPDATE: Togo job was given to a colleague from Goethenburg, he got vaccinated and is flying out in two days. But more jobs like these to come, I am told (Morocco , Iraq , West Africa , Brazil , etc.)

[Pinkfloyd]

I worked on something involving the ship "ARGO MEDEA" about 10+ years ago - is that the same ship ?

Nope, the MEDEA is a car carrier owned by Wallenius Lines. Not too sure what sort of vessel the ARGO MEDEA is... Container, Tanker or Bulk Carrier perhaps?

[Pinkfloyd]

Looks really nice.

I'd like to see the buffet

I hear food onboard is excellent.

( on oil rigs too )

The food on rigs are generally very, very good (when they are in operations and not when they are just out of the yard on sea trails). On the other hand, food on commercial vessels very much depends on the Chief Cook onboard...

[jhm]

Nope, the MEDEA is a car carrier owned by Wallenius Lines. Not too sure what sort of vessel the ARGO MEDEA is... Container, Tanker or Bulk Carrier perhaps?

It's just words on paper for me! Having had a look, its class says it was/is a Singapore flag oil tanker so it's obviously not the same as the MEDEA you refer to.

The food on rigs are generally very, very good (when they are in operations and not when they are just out of the yard on sea trails). On the other hand, food on commercial vessels very much depends on the Chief Cook onboard...

... and on ultra-luxury cruise ships can rival pretty much any land based restaurant!

[MAN Flyer]

We've just been asked for a possible candidate (to volunteer going) on a 3-week job in Lome, Togo. It is not for a visit to a ship, it is a quality supervision job in a power plant.

Asked my people here (who visited the area last year) and they told me "...it is safe there as long as you stay in the hotel..."

Well, if there is no point going out to take pics and feel the energy of the people and the place, there is not much point for me volunteering going, is there?

Three weeks isn't too bad, although if you can't go out then it's just for the money not the destination. We have lads working on and off for us who do long stints - 6/12 months - in oddball places in Africa like Malawi, Mauritania, Angola and the usual Nigeria etc. When you ask what it's like they say 'Sh*t, but I got paid a lot so it was worth it.'

UPDATE: Togo job was given to a colleague from Goethenburg, he got vaccinated and is flying out in two days. But more jobs like these to come, I am told (Morocco , Iraq , West Africa , Brazil , etc.)

Spoke to a guy the other day who has just come back from Iraq. He loved it, but he is a complete nutcase.

Morocco is alright and Brazil is tremendous, but what part of West Africa, Nigeria ?.

The food on rigs are generally very, very good (when they are in operations and not when they are just out of the yard on sea trails). On the other hand, food on commercial vessels very much depends on the Chief Cook onboard...

Absolutely. The first and last time I was at sea we sailed from Taranto in Italy to Tubarao in Brazil, and the chef from Taranto to Gran Canaria was crap, but the one from there to Brazil was excellent.

... and on ultra-luxury cruise ships can rival pretty much any land based restaurant!

Well, one lot are paying thousands to get on board, and the Rig Pigs are paid thousands just to get them on and keep them there.

[Pinkfloyd]

jhm, well like what MAN Flyer mentioned, pax pay quite a bit to be on a cruise so hence the food better be good! On the other hand, seafarers are simply taken as transportation workers, so the company does not really pay too much attention to the quality of food onboard or the capability of the Cooks... I have had a few Cooks who were really excellent, and others whom you just wanted to throw overboard!!

As for the rigs, well..., there is a lot of money involved with the Oil & Gas / Offshore sector and when you consider that day-rates for rigs can go as high as US$500,000 the food better be good else there might be a riot onboard!

[starrynight000]

Hi guys,

Really nice to see this thread. I started work life as a shipping lawyer (mostly dry work, but had my chances climbing up and down gangways of unladen VLCCs in choppy seas!), moved in-house to NOL / APL, and today am in-house at a company which charters-in ammonia ships...

All your photos remind me of the good old days...

Last time I was on board a big vessel in 2007 - we went down to the engine room, and when the crew saw that 1 of the guests was a very ladylike lady, 1 of the crew immediately moved himself to stand in front of a "girlie calendar" so as to cover the picture in question

[kapitan]

Hi guys,

Really nice to see this thread. I started work life as a shipping lawyer (mostly dry work, but had my chances climbing up and down gangways of unladen VLCCs in choppy seas!), moved in-house to NOL / APL, and today am in-house at a company which charters-in ammonia ships...

All your photos remind me of the good old days...

Last time I was on board a big vessel in 2007 - we went down to the engine room, and when the crew saw that 1 of the guests was a very ladylike lady, 1 of the crew immediately moved himself to stand in front of a "girlie calendar" so as to cover the picture in question

That is the reason why all of the ships under our management do not have a single picture of women, whether dressed or otherwise, displayed on any bulkheads...

[N_Architect]

Morocco is alright and Brazil is tremendous, but what part of West Africa, Nigeria ?

Nigeria, Angola, but also places where large power plants exist and big engine manufacturers have installed generating units.

[Pinkfloyd]

Hi guys,

Really nice to see this thread. I started work life as a shipping lawyer (mostly dry work, but had my chances climbing up and down gangways of unladen VLCCs in choppy seas!), moved in-house to NOL / APL, and today am in-house at a company which charters-in ammonia ships...

All your photos remind me of the good old days...

Last time I was on board a big vessel in 2007 - we went down to the engine room, and when the crew saw that 1 of the guests was a very ladylike lady, 1 of the crew immediately moved himself to stand in front of a "girlie calendar" so as to cover the picture in question

You don't happen to be in OSL do you?

[Pinkfloyd]

That is the reason why all of the ships under our management do not have a single picture of women, whether dressed or otherwise, displayed on any bulkheads...

There were quite a few in the ECR and cabins when I was onboard..

[kapitan]

There were quite a few in the ECR and cabins when I was onboard..

No more my friend,.... with the new sexual harrassment policies, these are all gone, even from the computers.....

and I personally made sure of that...

[starrynight000]

I work for a company headquartered in Oslo Not BW Gas but it's client.. enough for you to know which one? heh..

Was living in Oslo half of 2008

You don't happen to be in OSL do you?

[Lobster]

Nigeria, Angola, but also places where large power plants exist and big engine manufacturers have installed generating units.

My company has offices in Angola and Nigeria. I know a number of people who are based in Angola and like it a lot. Now that the civil war has ended they say it is a nice place to be. Just be very careful if you ever walk off a paved roadway as landmines are a serious threat still there.