REPAIR CREW EXITING

Journal Entry: September 04, 2016 Sunday

Location: OPL Anchorage area, Singapore

 

 

While in the middle of the whole De-mucking ops here on deck, There has been a quick news that the "repair crew" will disembark this ship on September 05. The news was really sudden and big surprise but not totally unexpected - after all their contracts have already been finish a couple of weeks ago and its long overdue that they should return home. While the Repair crew is rejoicing that they will go home soon, most of the people wonder here on what will happen on  the work they will leave vacant. For short there is a huge vacuum on some of the task here and we're wondering who will fill in on those. Actually it's not that big loss that they will disembark, as long as they can solve the problem about the work on pilot ladder and gangway - not to mention the mooring operations issue, I think everything will be fine despite the downsize of the crew.

 

Personally, Im relieved that I'd be getting rid of A.B. Paulito Cordova for good. I had already had enough on his berating and rebuking attitude, that he's mere presence on the work place is annoying enough. Basically he's just another one of those typical asshole's sailors in the maritime community,.  I disliked people who think themselves to be high and mighty, and lectures me about things about work, on top of that, conversation with him lasting for more than three minutes is highly impossible without him insulting and scorning me. I'm really glad that he's going home and good riddance !! This ship will be a little bit better place for me without him around.,

 

(Scorn means open disrespect accompanied by intense dislike)

 

Aside from that , another news I heard was that O.S. Marden Luib received a negative feedback from his evaluation report to the office (also known as "appraisal" report in seaman terms) written by Chief Mate Dsouza. In response and protest as well O.S. Marden Luib didn't sign the paper, and left it to our local company to figure it for themselves - after all it is his right to question under MLC law any negative comment reflected to his in a bias way.

 

As for A.B. Edgar tiu and O.S. Rosendo Molina, they're apparently don’t want to leave yet but just got dragged along on O.S. Marden's request to leave. It's obvious that O.S. Rosendo won't be coming back due to the poor job offer CF sharp (and norstar principal) gives , However in the case of A.B. Edgar Tiu - there's a rumour, I heard from BOSUN Rodrigo that there's a possibility that he might return, in the special circumstance that there's at least a need for two new additional crew members to work on the deck.  It's up to Edgar if he take the offer despite poor working conditions and environment here and salary problems this company and principal offers - if the rumours are true.

 

In other news.

 

It has only been hours since the "repair crew" left this ship and , total disarray has come in due to the lack of manpower. Our Indian bosses seemed to not know properly on how to handle people and basically even suggesting that we should be on another 6 to 6 hour watch. It's a good thing that it was changed and my work schedule was back again to "day work"

 

In relation to this, 6 people came and from what I saw they're some sort of DNV-GL surveyors, conducting a some sort of survey. Some of these folk were actually from the shipyard making estimation and close up look on the overall status of the vessel. On first glance one of the personnel from the shipyard made a comment that the deck area is in very bad shape and estimated that this ship will have only at least 2 years of life span left before it gets scrapped, the accommodation area along with pipes and such are in very deteriorating condition - no surprise because this ship is 20 years old now. For now while writing this, they're still evaluating on what will be status for ship repairs.

 

In other matters,

 

Most of the "de-mucking" crew that have cleaned this ship have been gone now and only a few are left to finish just to finish off the remaining fuel oil tank left. Unmistakably our Myanmar Captain here, supposedly received a message from the Norstar office informing that there's another crew that will arrive to continue the work and to clean up the ballast tanks. Based on our Captain understanding  it’s the 100 plus "De-mucking" crew and kept continued persistent demands to extend the work not only on the cargo tanks but to the ballast tanks as well. The foreman of the "De-mucking" crew said that he received no such order from their company and will not continue the work. He said clearly that our principal (Norstar) should talk first on his company to order them to continue the work , otherwise he cannot authorize such work order to his crew.

 

Despite the annoyance and insistence of my shitty Myanmar captain, The foreman of the de-mucking crew had his way and it was only right of him not to authorize any further work without any official statement coming from his local agent . For now any word put up by the captain should be considered just a "rumor" and they can't dictate or pressure the foreman - he doesn’t have any power to do so.