3154

5th December 2006

Well, had the second day at work today, and the upshot is that I join my ship tomorrow. Although we may not be going anywhere soon, just stuck in Yarmouth harbour, as the weather in the north sea is so bad. But, I may be on it for some 8 weeks, and then some time off. So, life is really going to change very soon. I am lucky in that I have already been on the ship and met all the crew, so there will be little to worry me; and the IC has said that he expects little from newbie’s on the first few voyages. So, just learn and enjoy, and just think about the cash accumulating at £30 a day on top of the salary. Sorry to sound so mercenary, but it is why we work. Strangely, I’m not worried about the ship or the work, I think all will go fine. In fact I was more worried about the course last week. So, I will write when I can, otherwise I'll post again when I can. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the best,

6th December 2006

Well, the last place i thought I'd be is back home tonight. But, the weather is so bad at sea that the boat is going nowhere until maybe Saturday, or later. So, all those who live nearby can go home, as long as we're back by eight in the morning.

What chaos this morning was; I tried to get a haircut, but little did I know that Wednesday is the day when all barbers have the day off. I managed to find one place open, some dodgy bloke puffing away on a roll up whilst he did the work. He also sells illegal tobacco and cigs as a side line, but, shhh, don't tell anyone. And then there was the task of posting presents to my friends around the world. The small post office near to me is just 25 yards away, and yet it took an hour to get to the front of the queue.

By that time I was late for work, but I had already warned them, and it was no problem as the boat was going nowhere. So, I settled in, had a safety brief, and then dinner; and it was at this point I was told I could go home. So, here I am.

On planet Molly, I hear she has been outside, and did not panic, and came back inside of her own accord. Although it took some while for Jools's heart to start beating again, as she is so scared of losing my little darling.

As for tomorrow; back on the boat for a look at the weather, and then probably a walk into town, do some shopping. Hey, there might even be some work to do; although the ship is gleaming as it is. I am sharing a cabin with a Russian guy, just out of university, but he seems fine. There appears to be a small window in the weather on Saturday, but they said that about tomorrow, and now there are 4m seas, with 3, forecast at the weekend.

Not listening or reading anything, just looking at the moon, in it's fullness glory.

11th December 2006

Man, that is just so annoying, it posted with no problems, having lost hundreds of words from the last time I tried. Well, I'll try again.

The weather has not been good, and so far we have only done about 9 hours work, and that when i was off shift, and in bed. So, not sure whether the job is for me as I have yet to do any of it. Although I did get to drop a temperature probe on Saturday night to see if the water was the right conditions. I would have written that last part differently, but my spelling sucks.

I am sharing a cabin with a Russian guy who is also a trainee, although he is a surveyor. He don't talk much; he looks about 14 and has a wife and child back home; and we all are British, mostly; it must be quite hard for him. And he was suffering with the sea yesterday. I was not quite so bad as that, but it was tough riding the waves and rolling around.

We sailed on Friday night, and soon enough the sea got up, and sleeping was just about impossible. I was alliteratively banging my head and feet in the bed frame as the boat pitched and rolled.

Saturday we spent just waiting for the weather to calm down; which it did about half ten at night, just as we were about to come off shift. The work was just about done by the morning, and soon enough we turned back to port. The sea got up again, and it was really hard not to think about rushing to the head, but I survived without losing lunch; but was still glad when we pulled into Yarmouth at nine last night.

The survey sight was in the middle of a gas field, and it was great to see all the platforms surrounding us, especially at night when all else was jet black.

I managed to finish the Joe Strummer book, and am now reading the follow up to Cold Mountain, Thirteen Moons, which is very good indeed. It's great to have time to read again, I have to say; although I will probably not get that much chance once we begin to work more. Shifts are 12 hours midnight to midday or the other way round, and once sleep and meals are taken into account, not much time for much else. But, things are beginning to make sense, and I am hopeful that it should all go well. Hope all is well with everyone, and if I don't get the chance, have a great Christmas, and I'll post when i can.

12th December 2006

great Yarmouth is our home port, and could quite accurately be described as a pimple on the backside of the world. I wish there were something nice I could say about the place; but the endless abandoned shops and warehouses, as well as the now empty docks testify to a past more prosperous than now. It also is home to a large population that is happy to claim social security, and is happy to drink their cheques away in the cheapest pubs. On top of this, East European gangsters have moved in, and one can see them driving around in Estonian registered BMW seven series cars. Someone has money. I wish I could say my home town just ten miles down the coast has fared any better, job-wise; but it has not. The last tv factory in the country is in Lowestoft, but on Monday Sanyo announced that half the workforce would be made redundant; another nail in the coffin. My room-mate says it is the same all over Europe, and I guess the western world; most people have to survive on minimum wage, whilst the others somehow get well paid jobs and spend it on good cars and plasma TVs.

The upshot is other than to move anywhere else, I had to take this job, and even though it is well paid, and has many perks, it still feels like I had to take it by circumstance rather than by choice.

And my dear Mothers' reply that I was feeling down and did not want to go to sea again? Oh, I put up my Christmas tree, and it looks really nice. Cheers Mum, just what I wanted to hear

Dateline: Den Helder, Nederlands. Well, we sailed last night, and soon hit rough weather. Something due to the angle we were going through the waves meant that it was a very rough night, and I woke up at three with everything coming off the shelves in the cabin, as well as the lights falling off the ceilings outside the cabin. It was like that the rest of the night, and it was a long three and a half hours until the sun came up, and time to make like I was going to do something. All over the ship, stuff was laying around, and bits of ceiling laying on the floor where they fell. Eating and drinking was fun, like on a fairground ride, rolling back and forth. In due course we came into port, and as suddenly as the rough stuff began, it stopped. And now we are tied up, all of us tired after so little sleep; but the prospect is to be tied up maybe until Sunday due to bad weather. I guess that at some point I will venture out into cloggyland, sorry, Holland, and do some exploring, maybe some photography if I get out before dark. Den Helder itself is a Navy town, and we saw many navy ships on our way in to dock. I guess navy towns are the same the world over?

Nearly finished Thirteen Moons, and would recommend it to anyone. It passes the time rather well.

13th December 2006

Sounds like a joke, an Englishman, Russian and Chinese man were tasked to install a cable from the bridge to the recording room, without drilling holes and just with the cable and our brains.......

Well, lets just say communication was a problem right from the start, and I am sure at one point were doing what we each thought right on each deck; but it all came together like clockwork, ands now the cable is installed and not quite sure what the rest of the day holds, but, probable more beers this evening.

Last night the others went out without me; which is something of a relief to be honest, but not nice. So I went out after dark to find a bank and then a bar. What I had forgotten is how wonderful a country Holland is; even just wandering around a residential neighbourhood looking in windows, and seeing people going about their lives, all in tastefully decorated homes, and most of the times with friends. Holland is clean and safe, everything that modern Britain is not; and there are no drunken bands of youths wandering around causing trouble; all in all, just pleasant. I found a bar, and had a couple of quiet beers, did some more wandering about before heading back to the ship.

Hey, I even used the gm yesterday, and so burned off some lard; can't be bad.

14th December 2006

Yes, still here; and it's not all that bad. Den helder is a typical Dutch town, lower than the sea that surrounds it, and criss-crossed with canals and ditches to take water away. It is a small town, and I heard it called the Great Yarmouth of Holland, which is unfair. True, it has not outstanding architecture or major historical sites. Although there is a large maritime museum with a pirate ship! As well as an assortment of other aging seagoing vessels.

After having a walk around the town yesterday afternoon in the rain, I was walling past a bar and some of the geo phys team were in there, and called me to join them for a beer. Well, to cut a long story short; one drink turned into two, into four, and so on. It was dark when we came out, about half nine; but I think it was a good thing to do, mixing socially.

Latest news is that there might be a small weather window in the early hours of Saturday morning, and so we might sail Friday night. If that fails to happen, then the weather is supposed to improve on Monday, and after the two day job, we could be headed back to Great Yarmouth for a crew change and a new client.

As for the rest of the day; I am guessing there will be beer involved at some pint tonight, but less than last night I am sure.

15th December 2006

So, here we are, in the middle of the North Sea, tossing on the crest of a wave, and another. Seems like a possible weather window was spotted, and we sailed in the wee small hours. But, so far the chances of any work being done seem small. But, the day is long, and it could calm down at some point. Last night three of us went into town for a drink, and we were lead by wee Scots guy, who said he knew where there was a good bar. Well, it took an hour, and Den Helder is not a big town, and the bar was in the seediest part of town, in-between four 'coffee' shops, and lots of dodgy afro-Caribbean folks hanging around outside. What we learned is that Holland has an underclass as well, as well as those preying on the unwary. I saw girls being hassled, which shows that away from the main shopping area, danger can lie.

About ten we got the message that we were going to sail, and that cut short any festivities, and so we walked back, well, after deciding the right way to come back. So, for now, it's just wait and see how the weather goes, and if it clams down, and then, maybe, I will get to do some work.

16th December 2006

So, yesterday we held on site waiting for the weather to calm down, it didn't. And when it was time for bed, oh the weather got worse, and I lay there until the wee small hours trying to nod off. At least I have my own cabin for a while, and what luxury is that? And not being in the top bunk is doubly good. Listened to the i pod all last night, and just how wonderful is that? And the multi adaptor thing charged it up again no probs.

Weather due to be good enough for work for ten hours, might get to do something soon.

Further to my earlier post; we are still bobbing around waiting for the weather to calm down, it may be just me but it feels like it is not quite so bad. Last night was frustrating, being in my own cabin, and after turning the lights out, the sea picking up to such an extent that the door on the cupboards were coming open all night, or more stuff sliding off the desk. It's not as though it's all consistent either, it is possible to go 5 minutes without a wave, and then you hear the crash from below as another big one hits, and then another pause before the next lurch is much bigger. I guess I must have dozed off at a few points; and that when it did calm down, I managed to get off, and not wake up 'till 11, and time for lunch before coming onto shift. The crew have curry three times a day, including breakfast; can't say I would like to, but even still, stir fry for my breakfast was unusual enough.

Sp, just more waiting today, maybe some work, but as for tomorrow, looks like it will be a very rough day, and we are to sit it out on the sea, and not head for port; so it could be quite colourful, as our new Chinese geophysics does not travel well at sea, and as for my erstwhile room mate, Alex, he'll be in bed all day. Such is the life on a survey boat. One other thing to add, is that a survey boat is flat bottomed, and as such has an unusual rolling action in rough seas, more like a corkscrew, so there is more to get used to. Gladly, I seem to have gotten used to it to the extent that I don't feel too ill now, if at all. Whilst the Chinese guy was green around the gills this morning.

Until next time, avast ye landlubbers!

17th December 2006

I realise how repetitive these posts are getting, but rest assured that from tomorrow, we will be working! Which will be a good thing as this Sunday has dragged like no other, without live football and without the Sunday Times. Just listening to music, watching some free to air stuff on tv, oh, and feeling the waves. Their height at lunchtime was some 4 metres, which I can tell you is high enough, in a boat that pitches and rolls like a cork.

There is a chance that when we finish this job, and return to Great Yarmouth, I may have to leave as it is a crew heavy survey, and there might not be any room for trainees, just not sure about that yet, and probably won't know until we get into port. So, there is chance I could be home at Christmas, or just as good a chance that I would get put on another boat just as quickly.

Last night was just as slow, waiting for the sea to calm down, which it didn't, and then just going to bed early as someone put on a DVD in the crew room instead of watching football. Just wish that I could have slept, because as usual the sea began to do it's wavy thing, and I was sliding from one end of the bed to the other all night. Again.

But, clam seas for the rest of the week, and that means work, and finally learning what this black art called geophysics is all about.

18th December 2006

So, on the 12th day of the trip, the weather is good enough for us to do some work, and might be good enough for long enough to get this part done. Just time to nip into Yarmouth to pick up more people and head back here again. Such is the way of things. I will be staying on board at least for Christmas, and probably longer, which means more money at some point whenever the pay catches up with me. And to be honest, I don't really feel too festive at the moment, and so missing Christmas will not be a big thing, and I can always celebrate it with Jools and Mother at some point; so I get two Christmases for the price of one. Suffered with insomnia last night, nothing to do, and so thought I would sleep the time away, but sleep would not come. So, the only cure for insomnia is a good nights sleep. But, I did drop off at some point, and that was helped I guess by the ship stopping rolling. Well, back to the computer and sonar thing......