JOURNALS OF A FILIPINO SEAMAN

"As I boarded the plane and moved thru the air at remarkable speed drawing ever closer to home. And yet I find no peace. If there was an only way to find out what lies ahead. Instead I'm left to wonder. What will I find back home. Will I be greeted with hostility or be quietly ignored? Even if I knew the answer, it would bring me no rest, for I cannot say which would I prefer" This is the crew people on board CONTI GREENLAND , 20 standing crew. Dramatis personae Gorge Potirniche (Captain, Romanian) Pavlo Tsvyetkov (Chief Mate, Ukrainian) Jose Mari Lubi Olan (2nd officer, Filipino) Vergel Acebo Abalos (3rd officer, Filipino) Oleg Odarchenko (Chief Engineer, Ukrainian) Andrejs Aronietis (2nd Engineer, Latvian) Eusebio Jr. Santos Astrero (3rd Engineer , Filipino) Michael Reyes Funtilar (Electrical Officer, Filipino) Thanny Gilbuena Sepulveda (Pump man, Filipino) Nilo Payopay (Bosun, Filipino) Ruben Lawagon Ganub (Able Seaman, Filipino) Marlon Depallo Layos (Able Seaman, Fil...

Actual Ship to ship Mooring operations of Conti Greenland and NAVI Ceilo After Hamburg Germany, This ship cancelled out united kingdom destination and headed somewhere close - Netherlands. Based on what the captain told us about in the safety meeting, that berthing will take place twice, namely each one for the two parcels. First parcel will be done via STS (ship to ship) discharge in Netherlands. During the travel, O.S. Bilbao tested out his newly purchased Hair clippers and hair grooming set he got on sunny euro to me. I was fortunate that I had a decent hair cut after so many months , in fact this is the first time I got a haircut after six months and during the time I got here till O.S. Bilbao arrived there was no one here on this ship that have a hair dressing skills. So as a result I had a very long hair , enough to make a girly pony tail. Good thing that soviet ship officer's here are not very particular or meddle with personal things on crew like haircuts - it's no b...

Finally here in Germany after only a day's travel (22 hours to be specific). For the moment weather is getting worse and rough as ever, and temperatures are dropping like sales prices on local electronic stores. On December 10, 2014 was probably the most physically demanding day I had on my entire stay in conti greenland and it all started on a screw up on early 4am in the morning. Was called on the cabin phone and order to heave up anchor, pretty much thinking that this will be just another routine forget me work, I got outside the weather was terribly bitchy. High winds, nasty ocean swell and terrible cold temperature enough to be describe in "sea" related movie on Hollywood. 3:45pm winter time , already sunset  To why our soviet captain decided to heave up anchor on such a terrible weather ? I had no idea , but it's obvious that captain is at it again doing his old cheap tricks of notify people late. It may work on mooring / unmooring situations but doesn’t work we...

Idiot's Guide for gangway Visitors log (form may vary from company to company)  After the attempt on bidding to return home in Rotterdam fell on its ass, Another rumour is sprouting again, this time the ships voyage will be in somewhere in Germany going to England, While both of these western European countries are convenient ports like Netherlands - it does not necessary mean that we could disembark there. A big factor to this is our captain and another factor is time in which holiday season will starts early as midweek of December, and when it comes normal business hours are temporarily set aside until Christmas and new year elapses. Anyway I'm already tired on this news and I should let it rest, should concentrate on other matters aside from this one, besides no matter on how many convenient ports this ship has gone thru and even if this ships docks on manila harbour in the Philippines , as long as the captain on this ship is awful - THERE WILL BE NO CREW CHANGES AT ALL ! PE...

Gas freeing the entire compartment, SO that workers wont drop dead in the middle of their work Given that the five new Romanian crew members arrived without any luggage, The whole crew here on-board the ship is left nothing but to provide extra working gear (and clothes) on these new crew members. Immediately a few hour after they arrived we were left scouring for anything useful for them. Coveralls, boots, rain coats etc. This ship could provide the equipment they want but problem is that previous soviet ship officer always omit ship supply orders in the past and as a result of their haggling no sufficient equipment was provide for the five new crewmembers who will work on the fuel oil tank below. Soviet style of work environment  isn't really that enjoyable given that they never provide (bother to buy) any equipment needed and just leave crew members to "Buy" Their very own gear out of their own pockets. Anyway despite this affair being an all "Engine department...

I'd be quick on this entry… December 01, 2014 1am in the morning ships engine stopped to give way for the incoming 5 crew members in Gibraltar area, Was already prepared at that time and was expecting that we will pick them up in the middle of the night, besides I couldn’t sleep very well so I just simply waited for the queue. Bosun Payopay knocked to my door and said its time and I should wake up O.S. tan while I'm at it. After getting on my coveralls , I went to the Crew mess room to wait for the announcement. BOSUN Payopay told me to wake up pump man sepulveda , Fitter Chaigan and Wiper Evangelista. Didn’t get the instructions clearly and added to wake up A.B. Marlon Layos to the list, Good thing I didn't proceed to wake up everybody or else I'm going to be in more trouble. When Marlon woke up , I told him that I made a mistake in waking him up and told him to go back to his cabin. Good thing Marlon was in a good mood and said its ok, (if this was another A.B. wit...

Marsa el brega - where the fuck is that place exactly huh ? I know its somewhere in Europe and take's a couple of days east from Barcelona, Spain but where the hell is that specifically on the map ? I assumed it might be somewhere again in eastern Europe as we had adjusted the ships clock by one hour advance - but on what country its located is still I have to find out. Anyway there's been some news lately about this voyage (marsa el brega to Rotterdam), not exactly general news but news about my possible disembarkation (along with bosun payopay and messman montoya). Its only plausible that my batch would disembark in Rotterdam Netherlands after the loading operation in this Marsa el brega, given that it’s a convenient port. Don’t really mind getting off on this ship, but problem is my finances. I haven't exactly fully recovered yet on the money part and would at needed at least a month more to get some little extra for my money, anyway as if I got any other choice at all, ...