Walk-a-bout at work with a camera. No more off shore for me.

[oldmate]

Good one again Dave, keep them coming mate. Awesome.

[DaveR]

I'm glad the My Swag community is enjoying this, I'll try to get some pics throughout this trip, should be a few things of interest happening.

Today is the "I wish I could have gone for a walk-a-bout" set of pics.
Sadly, there is much work to be done.
This is a lap of the upper deck, the deck above the bridge, looking at what surrounds us in port here in Leith.
Needless to say, it was a glorious day here, about 15 degrees though.

Just out of sight in this first pic is the Royal Yacht that Queen Elisabeth had made, it is on permanent display here. Ironic isn't it, that vessel is here in Scotland......











It is a part of the job I do like, the many beautiful sights I get to see, but, I do prefer the view I was having last week......

[WilSurf]

Dave what fuel is the main engine burning?

That is a small piston mate. 
When I was an apprentice the main egine was a B&W L90MC something. 5 cylinder with 900mm piston, stroke of 3.5 meters.
Fun to work in....

[DaveR]

Dave what fuel is the main engine burning?

It is close to a regular car diesel fuel, but in other parts, such as the Americas, a sub standard is used. Strict emission laws here.
The vessel has many small engines as it gives greater redundency when there is a failure or sorts, I have been on a DSV with 2 big engines but when a small fault occurs, the vessel can't work on DP, so it is rather useless as a DSV etc.

That is a small piston mate. 
When I was an apprentice the main egine was a B&W L90MC something. 5 cylinder with 900mm piston, stroke of 3.5 meters.
Fun to work in....

I'm yet to see that sort of donk, hope to do so 1 day.

[WilSurf]

Will find an old picture and scan it for you.
We were using HFO 380Cst, the most horrible stuff you could get. it needed heating up to 120 degrees to keep it flowing.
Luckily our aux engines were on gasoline.

[DaveR]

Just a quick bit of info.
This pic shows 24 hours worth of our movements, it is from the Marine Traffic web site, where all registered commercial vessels can be tracked.
We had an exciting 48 hours stooging up and down the same track trying to test the thrusters. Not going to plan sadly, faults which we have had are not showing them selves for the specialist techs we have on board.
We just sailed into port to drop a guy of with the data to interrogate the info on a more capable computer system. Gone are the days of simple fixes........

[DaveR]

Funny how bad things can go so quickly.
There was a reputable firm on board who did the refurbishment works to 1 engine.
Runs like a Swiss Watch now.
Then it was decided to commit to a 2nd engine over haul to see why it worked well.
BUT
The 1st firm was no longer available, in steps 3 different contractors to do the job....... oh it went so horribly wrong.
1 of them left the rings of a piston when assembling it. How this can be done is beyond my capacity to reason with, but it was....

so any way.
We're of to Gdansk, Poland today and we're sailing through the canal in the north of Germany, it is a short cut across the tip of Germany, southern Denmark. It saves a lot of fuel but takes longer. The fuel saving makes it worth while.
It should be nice to sail through the German country side me thinks... 



And this is what I hope it to look like...

[SteveandViv]

Funny how bad things can go so quickly.
There was a reputable firm on board who did the refurbishment works to 1 engine.
Runs like a Swish Watch now.
Then it was decided to commit to a 2nd engine over haul to see why it worked well.
BUT
The 1st firm was no longer available, in steps 3 different contractors to do the job....... oh it went so horribly wrong.
1 of them left the rings of a piston when assembling it. How this can be done is beyond my capacity to reason with, but it was....

so any way.
We're of to Gdansk, Poland today and we're sailing through the canal in the north of Germany, it is a short cut across the tip of Germany, southern Denmark. It saves a lot of fuel but takes longer. The fuel saving makes it worth while.
It should be nice to sail through the German country side me thinks... 



And this is what I hope it to look like...

I hope for you it is as well.

[DaveR]

Funny thing is, we're still at the dock, something wrong with a Bow thruster now........
Engine room lads are running about the place.
May miss the high tide we need to leave.

[Frostd]

Always the next high tide....lol or tomorrow!  When all this is happening, what are you and guys up to. Is it kick back an relax or checking and double checking gear?

[DaveR]

No, not exactly, I went to the mess room, had a nice meal, chat with the lads, came back to my cabin and called it quits for the day, woke to the sounds of the vessel on the move this morning (UK Time) and assume it is all sorted.
Sailing over a perfectly flat and calm nth sea as I type.
I hope it is day light hours we sail the Kiel Canal.

[WilSurf]

Are they still saluting each vessel in the Kiel Channel?
They had the wrong flag for us. 

[DaveR]

Are they still saluting each vessel in the Kiel Channel?
They had the wrong flag for us. 

Not sure, I did ask 1 of the guys up stairs but he wasn't sure.
We didn't go that way thanks to the Bow Thruster playing up, the Ol Man wasn't taking any chances, long way it is.







We turned the corner around the Nth Point of Denmark, it is not quite the same as our Cape.... Rather ummm... Bland by comparison, so I won't be recomending it as a destination for the next CT Trip away.
On the right of this next pic is the Sandy Point of the cape, my camera can't zoom in for it.



At least the weather has been near perfect for the trip.



We get to Poland Monday Morning I think.

[DaveR]

I am realy realy REALY happy to be back at work now.... 

[muzza01]

Dave do you know a bloke called Karl who lives in Cairns. He is in your line of work and coincidently is over where you are ATM. I think he is due back in Cairns in a week or so.

[DaveR]

I do work with an Aussie lad with the name of Karl, doubt the same guy though. The bloke I know likes to jump out of planes.
I am aware of 2 guys in Cairns, not sure the names

[DaveR]

Back again, hard at it.
Home next week YEY!
Just finished sending pics home for the Kids, and thought I'd put a few more here.
This is where I am.



I am working the night shift, 18:00 to 06:00 and this is the midnight sunlight, and it is not the longest day light hour day yet. Bit hard to get my head around blazing sunlight at 04:00.



The weather is glorious at the moment, but not for long, due to be back to normal tomorrow., a bit like this from few days ago.



This is an old gas terminal, looks a bit shabby I know, but is in good condition still.
We've got the divers working to replace some clamps that hold pipes to the structure, they wear out and need changing. The wear is due to the structure moving around, they do move a bit and flex.
This is a clamp the guys have cut out.


The steel thickness is 12mm. It was cut out with this tool, hydraulically drive grinder with 300mm diamond tipped blades, two of them on a frame making 2 seperat cuts at once. One blade can be seen lower right, the other is opposite.



The frame is clamped into an exact position, then the grinding begins and as they cut away, the grindings heads slide along the frame.
When they are done, they need to fir this in.



Here is another pic of the Platform where we are.





Before we came out to work, we loitered in the small town of Montrose, Scotland.





Hopefully in a few days we'll sail into Lerwick, so I can fly home. I hope they don't send a chopper out for us.

[sol]

G'day Dave, I've been waiting for an update and here it is.
Thanks mate, one of my favourite threads.

       

[edz]

Magic, thanks Dave for taking the time to share.

[westvic]

thanks Dave, love this thread 

[dales133]

Very cool Dave, just read through the whole thing.
Thanks for taking the time to share this with us

[McTavish]

Agreed - love seeing this stuff.  Also never ceases to amaze me how rust just takes hold of everything.  Purpose built gear still has the dreaded red...

[duncan]

I have also just read from start to finish. Just an amazing write up and photos on your job. Thanks so much Dave.

Duncan

[DaveR]

Glad the Myswag family is enjoying this.

I have more to share, but not able to upload pics now as we're on the move to Lerwick.
It seems a bearing is vibrating in one of the thrusters. Opppps!
That means the engine room guys are going to be busy when we get to port, from what I have seen it is about 300mm in size. Several hundred kilo worth of kit to remove first to get to it.

Good news out of it is that I hopefully will walk down the gangway.     And no Chopper.

Then I must go to Aberdeen to play a game of "Renewing my Sea Survival". This is a fun day out where we play with fire in a confined space, swim about in horrible cold water immersion suits. Oh, and get tipped upside down under water strapped into a seat where we must then find our own way out of a mock helicopter.
Great fun....

[DaveR]

Here are a few pics I have Liberated from the web sites of the training facility to show, as I doubt I'll have time to play with a camera.
They strap us in to the seats, drop us into the water, tip the frame over upside down, when it stops, we must find our way out.
The tip is to NOT open your eyes, they will deceive you and make you go the wrong way.





In perfect conditions this is what is meant to happen.



Did I mention I don't like choppers..