Thursday 4th November 2010

And that, my friends, is nearly another week over!

Now that I have work to fill my days, the days themselves take care of themselves and the hours fly by. I go in, power up the computer, check mails, and then listen to the previous day's Steve Lamaq show whilst I tap away. The sandwich wagon comes at half ten, which signals that I have at the coal face for three hours or so. Time for lunch and another coffee. And then back to work, this and that, depending on what my boss has asked me to do.

And so the days pass, pretty much the same, with the occasional victory here and there to make it feel it has all been worth it.

And then on wednesday, after I had left for home, the phones began to ring; my work's mobile would have, had it been switched on; the phone at home rang but there was no one home. By the time I get back, Jools was there and having seen a missed call displayed had found the number of who had rung and called back: it's work she told me as I walked through the door.

I dreaded what it could be, I searched for who to call, and then the phone beside the sofa rung. I picked up.

Hello.

Hello; is that Ian?

Yes.

Its the marine co-ordinator here; someone said you do a bit of photography. Would you mind going out to the windfarm tomorrow afternoon to take some shots of the lights to show the MCA?

Yes. Yes, I will go out and take pictures. I laughed inside. A lot.

And so after another normal day, I walked down to the dock, and the Norfolk Swift hoved to and came along side. After the first mate tied it off, I climbed on. And then we loaded the stores.



Something Darren had not said was that we were also going out to re-supply the ROV ship inspecting the HV cables.

We set off, what I now know was not full speed. It was pleasant as we rounded North Foreland point and headed out into open water.

Once at the farm, we slowed down at the first turbine, and I snapped; it was not quite dusk and the lights were not that obvious. But light was fading fast; and by the time we got to the second turbine, it was perfect. I got the shots required and we headed to the third turbine; but the light had gone. I got a couple of usable shots, and then we headed to the ROV ship.



We came alongside and began to throw the stores through the door; it was hard work, and tricky as the wind and sea had got up. But the first mate and I got the job done, and we were able to head back to port.

Now, without supplies on deck, the mater put the hammer down, and we were lumping and bumping through the heavy sea; as the launched off every wave, the crashed into the next, jarring bones and teeth.

Thankfully, the tip lasted about 35 minutes, which was 30 minutes too long. But, soon enough the bright lights of Ramsgate got nearer, and soon the familar sights came into view. And just like that it was time to get off and it was all over.

Even better, I got the shots required, and I got me some fines shots of the coast at dusk with the sun setting.