Sea Life Chapter 2

Neptune Crux

26^th April 1997 to 29^th November 1997

After I completed two and a half year of my national service, I thought of quitting my sailing career. I took Diploma in Computer Studies during my national service and work for about six month in the IT industry. But I realized that office desk job was not suitable for me, so I join back as fifth engineer and join the vessel in Singapore with an Indian Chief Engineer. It was a smaller product tanker as compare to the Alfamex Crude Oil Tanker of my Cadet Ship, the voyage are tramping around Asia and Middle East region and should be more interesting than the fix STS operation in America.

The first Loading Port was Keelong Taiwan, we arrive at the anchorage and met with force 10 typhoon. The famous Technical Superintendent Tiger Tan visit the vessel during the one week anchorage and wanted to lower the life boat in extreme weather condition. Burmese Third Engineer got Sea Sick after trying to rectify the releasing mechanism of the hook and came to engine control room looking for a replacement. Fourth Engineer Eddie also very prompt to sea sick so I was the only choice left, I manage to board the life boat quickly due to my previous army training and the Superintendent was very impress.

But due to not getting enough sleep the night before because of maneuvering duties and the constraint and stuffy environment, I do not have the mental power to fight the sea sick. Chief Officer Manji send some cold drink down for us it was nice but my stomach just can't hold the orange soft drink and throw up outside the life boat. They thought the paint from the life boat had peel off when they saw orange patch floating away from the life boat, then the Superintendent saw me vomiting at the side and decided to get me up. I had to lay down on the roof of the life boat for a while for some fresh air before I recover my strength to climb the ladder.

The Bangladesh Second Engineer is very afraid of the Superintendent, got a few occasions he saw the Superintendent coming into engine from one of the stairway and he quickly escape from the other stairway. I was helping Second Engineer updating the PMS (Planned Maintenance Schedule) in the ship office at night after our dinner and the next thing I know I am alone with the Superintendent in the office and Second Engineer was nowhere to be found.

The Superintendent like to chat with me while we make coffee near to midnight, he say not much local are willing to sail anymore and we are rare breed like endangered species. There is a China Cadet who join before me, he is not happy with the life onboard as he had to work very hard. He told me he use to work government job in Suzhou and all he have to do is just to show his face in the morning and he can do whatever he please for the rest of the day.

 

Fourth Engineer Eddie always suffer under the Bangladesh Second Engineer, I became his assistance when I join the ship helping him on various maintenance for Boiler, Air Compressor and Purifier. Got one occasion we were ask to replace the lagging material for the boiler and while he is removing the rivet with a drill the asbestos fell on him and he was scratching all over for a week or so like the monkey king.

We also once ask to replace the canvas trunking for the Air Conditioning Unit at the upper level, while we were tightening the bolts and nuts, a small 10 mm spanner fell inside. We look at each other, shine the torch light to see that the spanner never land close to the blower impeller and decided to forget about the whole incident as it will be too much trouble to open up the whole blower casing just to get it back.

A Malaysian Deck Cadet Joe became very close to me because we speak the same dialect Hakka, the other Engine Cadet Eric join later and we became the Iron Triangle due to our friendship. I found out later that I did not get to meet Third Officer Dennis as he had sign off before I join, but fate manage brought us together when we deliver a new vessel in Japan a few years later.

After Joe sign off another three China Deck Cadet join, one of them is from Guangxi and two of them are from Suzhou too. So the five of us became the lowest form of life on the ship and always sit at the same table for our meals.

The vessel went to a lot of places, from Korea to Middle East and even Sri Lanka toward the later part of our voyage. Middle East was very hot and dry, I bet with Eric to see how long will it take an Ice Cube from the Mess Room to melt on the Deck. Eric guess 3 minutes and I guess 1 minutes, to our surprise it disappear withing 10 seconds.

We encounter a lot of issue there, the cooling pump filter were choked by sea weed. We had to remove the filter to clean every hour and the valve can only be force shut with the help of chain block. We also had to clean up all the sand inside the engine room which is blow in by the blower, I was told later that they actually sold the sands as a souvenir as the sand got 7 different colors for each different state.

We saw a lot of crabs floating on the surface and manage to hook a few with just aiming the weight and projecting the lines of hook to get it by chance. We saw a lot of bird migrating during the season and they decided to rest on our ship, the deck cadets had a hard time cleaning bird shit on the deck after they left.

We saw volcano eruption when we pass by Sumatra, and the Second Mate is skillful enough to navigate between two ten stories tall wave and sail in between two wall of water like Moses splitting the red sea.

We arrive at Pusan Korea and Burmese Third Engineer want to find Ginseng Chicken Soup, as we are unable to speak their language we had to act like a chicken to make them understand what we want. It is like the Radio Officer cannot take Beef and we had to act like a pig to order Tacos which is Pork instead of Beef in Mexico during my cadet ship.

I fall sick after we departure Korea, I pass out blood from my urine and had high fever, they suspect Kidney Stone and send me to an hospital Dubai for check up when the ship arrive. I was suppose to carry out the video scope inspection but the company call the agent to cancel the medical examination as it is too expensive. The doctor prescribe some medicine to clear my kidney stone and by the time we arrive Sri Lanka I had already alive and kicking.

They still insist on sending me to a clinic in Sri Lanka to complete the video scope examination but the clinic doesn't have the facilities to do that and the urine test result only show infection which is probably cause by the stone scraping the passage when passing out.

Sri Lanka was a very dangerous place, I had to walk an hour passing three security check point before I reach the town. Every time the security guard ask me the three standard questions of Who am I? Where am I from? And Where am I heading? I start to question life and did some soul searching on what is the purpose of life.

Some vendors came onboard ship to sell precious stone, Chief Cook brought two ruby and later found to be fake when he bring to town for verification. I brought some cat eye, sapphire and topaz from town at a cheaper price but never really bother verifying it as it is just a souvenir. I also brought some cray pottery bowl for my mom and a leather bag for my sister.

Chief Cook sign off at Sri Lanka with Bosun and two AB (Able Bodies), they were lucky that the hotel they stay got bombing by the Tamil Tiger just a few days later after they fly back Singapore.

Superintendent decided to send the whole valve block for the stripping pump for replacement, it took eight of us to carry the parts down to pump room. We had been doing mechanical seal replacement for the cargo pump every month as the stripping pump is not working and using the cargo pump to strip will cause the mechanical seal to run dry and damage easily.

The ship went to Suez and all of us were very excited to visit the Pyramid in Egypt, the Captain refuse to grant shore leave and everybody were disappointed. We also did not get shore leave when we are in Japan too, and maybe is retribution that our ship bang into the jetty when we are going along side and three different loading master came onboard each day to ask for cigarettes to compensate for the damage to their railing.

The Captain decided to lock himself inside the room and never went for his meals, Chief Officer use Master Key to open his cabin to ensure that he is still alive and nicely sleeping after we left port. Most of the people doesn't like the Captain, he was selfish enough to cut ration to get bonus from the office. Only meat and rice were order for other race provision and dahl and chapati for his own race, no fruits or vegetable for months and constipation became a common issues for all onboard.

A lot of the staffs decided to request for early sign off to shorten the period of their suffering and I am the few lucky one who manage to sign off from the vessel when it reach Singapore.

Sea Life Chapter 1

Neptune Orion

2^nd June 1993 to 10^th March 1994

I join the vessel in America with another Engine Cadet Chung Hun, Chief Engineer Ahmad and Captain, it was a long flight to the other side of Planet Earth. We transit at Japan Airport, both myself and Chung Hun were like mountain tortoise and start taking photo at the transit area. We didn't know that we are able to clear the Security Check and enter the Boarding Area, we were waiting outside for the Boarding Information Display to indicate Boarding for our flight. When it finally show boarding there are already long queue in front of the Security Clearance, we are lucky that the Flight Attendant came looking for us and bring us to Express Lane. Chief Ahmad was not happy when he saw us just minutes before the Flight took off, the Captain try to put in some good words for us as it is the first time we travel for work.

After about 36 hours of Flight, we finally arrive at Portland Maine. The agent bring us to a very nice cottage style hotel to check in, I think we get special privilege because we are traveling with Senior Officer. The next day morning we had a very nice breakfast at the cafe, Chief Ahmad ask us why do we choose sailing as our career. Chung Hun say he came from a poor family and does not have a choice but to sign long term contract with the company, I say I join because I was told that I would be able to see the world. Chief Ahmad just give me a eerily grin, I do not understand it until much later.

We were so exited when we first board the ship, we carry our luggage to our cabin and change into our working clothes and start exploring the ship. As usual we took a lot of photos which we knew later in our life that most of it were unnecessary, as we settle down at our new environment we start to know that life would not be easy as we had join with one of the famous Chief Engineer in the company.

The Burmese fifth engineer came to our room in the evening to collect Telephone Bill and Electrical Bill, we later realize that it was actually SRC (Shipboard Recreational Committee) contributions. We are heard of other cadet getting prank for getting key to start the engine and standing by at the bow to lift the Equator Line or International Date Line.

The first party we have to welcome the new comer, they put a case of beer in front of me and told me that there are 26 personnel onboard and two are keeping watch. So I had to bottom up 24 bottles of beer with every single one of them for my orientation.

As we start our work in the engine room the next morning we met Chief Ahmad taking his round near the Control Room, he make a remark of no happy with the engine room colour. The next thing we knew is we had to spend the next three months of our life painting the whole engine room from top to bottom.

Our first Loading Port is Shetland Island in Scotland, it had a Seamen Center where we can drink and play billiard. I brought a Sheep Skin for US$50 to put it over my chair, Chief Ahmad say I got the most expensive ass in the whole ship when he saw that during the cabin inspection. Our first discharging port was in Houston Texas, we get the chance to visit the NASA Space Center. I brought some T shirt for my cousins.

Fourth Engineer Santana were signing off, we had a party onboard on night before he go. He is the SRC Chairman and Chief Ahmad also give permission for us to drink. He ask me to choose from Bacardi Rum, Jim Beam Whisky and Martel Cognac, of course I choose the most expensive of all. He say since there is only half bottle left, I can have the whole bottle to myself. I sit down quietly and drink my cognac and only realized that the after effect was so strong when I stand up to go back to my cabin. The whole ship was spinning and I know I had reach my limit, what surprise them is that I am still able to get myself back to my room, brush my teeth and still left a notice outside my door saying I am drunk do not disturb. They really let me sleep until noon the next day.

We had to wake up early at 0530 hrs and went down engine room for our duties of morning round and taking log machinery and sounding of tanks, one day when I open the gate of hell a smell of heavy fuel oil came together with the hot and humid air welcome me in the morning. I knew straight away that there is a fuel oil leakage some where in the engine room. I went around check every corner but could not found any leakage, as I return to the control room to finish my log I notice there is a fuel oil fountain at the Purifier Platform.

I activate the engineer call alarm to wake everybody up and change over the fuel oil booster pump, as we were cleaning the Purifier Platform which we had recently painted Chief Ahmad came by and say:”You say you wanted to see the world? Now you had seen it. That patch over there is Asia, and that patch over there is Europe. Not forgetting America and Africa to the left and bottom. When you are done with Australia, please carry on with the rest of the continents.” Chief Ahmad was discussing the mechanical seal issues with Fourth Engineer Koh, it was much later that I realized their theory were wrong as I had a very heated argument with my Classmate Tor Hai when we are doing our Class One and Class Two combine course.

The next three months became the best time of our life, we were doing STS (Ship to Ship) operation and transporting cargo up the 36 hours river passage of Mississippi, we got bad bunker fuel and it cause the Main Engine Fuel Pump Plunger to cease due to carbon deposit built up inside the barrel. The engine getting misfire on a few units and we were told to keep watch in at the Fuel Pump Platform. Second Engineer was not very happy about it and wanted us to do some cleaning job during our watch, and one night when Chief Ahmad came down in the middle of the night he found that no one was keeping an eye on the fuel pump and he had to get his uniform dirty just to ease up the plunger himself.

He finally manage to found me happily mopping the floor at the bottom platform and took my ear muff off and throw it away, Second Engineer was given a scolding for making us do cleaning during our watch and I owe Chief Ahmad a new set of uniform.

One afternoon the bridge call me at engine room and told me that there is water coming out from my room, I thought the ship is going to sink and I try calling Chung Hun but was unable to get him on the phone. I went to my cabin and found water rushing out from the tap while Chung Hun nicely sleeping with stuffs floating around in our cabins. He was not aware of the maintenance work carry out on the sanitary water supply system that morning and he forgot to turn off the tap before he go to sleep. That evening both Engine Cadets and Deck Cadets were busy scooping water out of our cabins.

Chung Hun and Fourth Engineer Koh like to play the Guitar, Chung Hun taught me about a song name Love Me by Colin Raye as he know I like Country Song. But he unable to accept the way I sing Take Me Home Country Road, I also brought a few CD of Garth Brook and Shania Twain.

Winter came and we were very excited, America was hit by cold front from the north and our ship encase in three inches thick of ice. Second Officer told us it was minus 40 degree Celsius, but the actual temperature might be lower than that as 40 degree is the lowest the thermometer can indicate. We arrive at anchorage but the windlass were unable to lower the anchor, whole ship were activate on deck to break the ice. We were having a bet before we arrive at the anchorage to see who can wear the least amount of clothes and take photo outside the accommodation, I wear only a pair of jeans with slipper but Chung Hun wear only his underwear. I lose a case of soft drink to him because of that, I later also lose a case of soft drink to Fourth Engineer Koh when I bet with him that he could not lift up the purifier bowl assembly with just his little pinky finger.

The Bosun manage to find a few lobster after bring up the anchor and we have famous Portland Maine Lobsters for supper before we left the anchorage.

The last three months we were preparing for dry docking of the ship, Fourth Engineer Koh decide to extend his contract to do the docking with us. Chief Ahmad knew we did not get time to do our shipboard assignments and he actually sign the whole book for us making us promise that we will complete it before we left the ship. The last three months we were rushing our assignment and manage various problems in engine room where the cylinder liner for main engine crack and the boiler not firing properly.

I start to miss home when I call back during the Chinese New Year, but our request for signing off after the Dry Docking was rejected by the company due to manpower shortage. Chung Hun was very depress after that, he receive a lot of letters from his girlfriend and he always share some news paper cutout which his girlfriend with me and Fourth Engineer Koh.

The company decided to dock the vessel at Alabama, one night I went out with Bosun, Second Cook and Fourth Engineer. As we return to the yard late at night we saw a few fire engine rush pass us at the gate, Second Cook make a remark of not sure which ship so unlucky caught fire in the yard. When we arrive at our ship we saw all the fire engine line up in front of our ship with thick smoke coming out from the Pump Room, Chief Cook rush down of the gangway and told us not to board as it might cause an explosion. I was call by the Second Engineer to don the BA (Breathing Apparatus) Set and the Fireman Outfit to prepare for Pump Room entry, before I could proceed the shore side fire fighters had already found the source of fire and put out the smoldering oil light up by cigarette from yard workers.

Fourth Engineer sign off just few day before the Dry Dock end, he make a lot of noise back in the office claiming that both the engine cadet are going to commit suicide. We manage to receive new of our sign off just a day before the vessel sail off from the yard, Chung Hun did not believe his eyes when I show him the telex message I got from the Captain. He finally doesn't have to suffer sea sick and love sick and can go back to Penang after nine months of suffering. We bid farewell to the new Eagle Orion as the company decided to change the tanker fleet to American Eagle Tanker from the original Neptune Orient Line. 

Me and Fourth Engineer visit Chung Hun about a month later in Penang and spend a few days there. We also visit Second Officer who claim that he was possess by some evil female spirit when he was onboard and was acting weird taking special interest in me. Well he is practicing the Lou Han Fist and at least I know he is not gay. He bring us to eat one of the famous Bak Kut Teh in Butterworth.