Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I, uh,...am!
 

So flew out on the 3rd. Got stuck in Singapore for over a day (sorry, didn't make it to Four Floors of Whores as I had no money and slept for most of my first 22 hours there). Had to fly on a C-17 to get to Diego this time, if anyone has wondered why they call them jump seats it's because you would jump out of the plane so you wouldn't have to sit in them longer! Finally reached the ship on the 6th late. Now we are sailing back to the States for a yard period. I'm stoked, finally get to go around the Cape of Good Hope. It will be nice having cell phone communications whenever I want. Another plus is that with one thing and another I will be getting off while in the States. I am trying to talk my gf into driving the Speed to Charleston for Valentine's Day so I can just drive home the following month.

Time to get back to it making up worklists for us during the yard as well as the prep work we need to get done. Planning makes everything much easier!

have fun at sea!

you have the craziest work schedule of anyone I know. Be safe.

Thanks guys. I always have fun on ship, probably the reason I am still doing this after all these years. Shipyards are always great since you get to climb into places you don't normally get to, and usually learn new ways to do things (or how not to do them). Only thing that sucks is my normal salary will drop so I have to salt some away before we get there. This is different from any other company I have ever done a shipyard with. Gonna be tight...

what exactly is it you do? I thought navy initially (what with the C17 and being on a ship).... then you said company. So now I'm confused.

I am a marine engineer, AKA scumbag merchant seaman. Work on merchant ships keeping the lights burning and the screw turning. Currently I am on what is called a Maritime Prepositioning Ship (MPS) that is owned by the guvmint. We are loaded with Marine Corps equip, when the balloon goes up they fly in the troops and we deliver the goods.

I have been on ships ranging from 1000 feet long w/43,000 horsepower (steam driven LNG tanker) to 208 feet long w/6,000 hp (survey ship). I hold a US Coast Guard license as Chief Engineer for Steam/Motor/Gas Turbine vessels of unlimited horsepower. As such I am required to have knowledge in the operation and maintenance of propulsion systems, electrical generation/distribution, hydraulics, pneumatics, and water making among others. And not to forget the ever popular sewage systems (shit can be so much fun!). I also have training in firefighting/damage control, as well as ship security (relatively recent requirement).

My schedule with this company is 4 months on ship, 4 months at home. The only reason I am able to get on here while on the ship is that we have a satellite system that we are permitted to use (within reason) for the Internet. I don't log on much for that reason, just cruise around checking out new posts (hence my title under my screenname).

^ thats pretty cool man... i guess little access to net > no access to net

damn, that's bad ass! if you're a sea faring type, I can see that being dream job status

I forgot other things I have to know, like HVAC and refrigeration. The list is endless!

This job is okay, it would be better if I were sailing Chief. The union didn't have any slots open when my last Chief's job went away (American crew was replaced with foreign) so I am sitting as First for now. We are trying to get some more LNG ships, if so then I should be going on one as Chief.

For anyone who might be interested, here is more info on this ship: http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/133009.htm

That is a cool ship. Who gets the Penthouse?

Happy sailing!! It seems as though you enjoy the job and hey 4 months at home is pretty cool too. Is that time off or are you required to 'go to an office' or a shipyard to do work on ships while they are docked?

**edit**Just noticed your location...where in N KY do you reside? I lived in Lexington for about 3 years.....1987ish to 1990.

The Penthouse as you call it is the bridge, where the mates stand watch and try to keep from hitting things. All the modern aids to navigation (collision avoidance radar, GPS, electronic chart systems) and those clowns still run into things!

Here's a picture of one of the LNGs I was on: http://www.frontiernet.net/~sulindhill/LNGCapricorn.jpg

That was a really cool ship, literally. Those 5 tanks carried the LNG which was kept at a temperature of -270 degrees F (yes, that is a minus).

CTt3P5, thanks. My time off is just that, although nowadays we have a lot of requirements for training so sometimes I have to do that while home. I live in Burlington which is about 15 miles south of Cincinnati. Spent part of my time growing up living in that area, most of my family is there and that is where I met my gf while going through my divorce, so it seemed like a good place to return to. Great roads for cars and bikes.

Figured I'd bump my own thread. Sitting in a hotel in Charleston, we are at a layberth waiting to go on drydock after the first of the year. No OT for now beyond the weekends so no one is knocking themselves out.

Just got on-line in the room here with Wi-Fi. I tried dial-up but for some reason my com port has disappeared from my system (must be one of those conspiracies). Signed up on that young whippersnapper forum (themazdaforum), same name as on here if anyone cares. Since I will have a lot of time on my hands (phone calls to the gf notwithstanding) I'll be around more.

On a thread related note, damn, this ship sure looks empty with no cargo on board!