Just steaming up the Cap York Peninsular, near to the coast and have picked up, temporarily, a bit if WiFi coverage. Probably won't last long....so transmitting the Ship's Log, so far.
AS CARELIA. SHIP’S LOG.
15th Oct
Arrived at the security gate at Patrick’s Terminal in Brisbane Port at 1630hrs after a 30 minute unsolicited unguided tour of the whole port area by my Indian taxi driver who had said before setting out ‘of course’ he knew where to go. Stupidly I believed him. It was apparent fairly early on that he hadn’t a bleedin’ clue where he was going. He even refused to stop to ask for directions; below his dignity to do so, I suppose. He, and his meter, confronted me with a bill for $48. I told him it should be less than half that because most of the journey was spent doing U turns or in reverse. He just vobbled his head at me. I told him he was a bandit and paid up with bad grace to avoid even more delay and possible violence. The fat security guard and his mate on the gate did not improve matters by being rather rude and telling me to hurry up! I think I’ve had it up to hear with Aussie petty officialdom, frankly.
Onto the AS Carelia ( I think the AS bit is to do with the owners, Christian F Ahrenkiel ). It is another container ship along the same lines as the others I have travelled on. I was introduced briefly to the skipper, a small dumpy little Bulgarian, Captain Alexey Popov. He seemed cheerful and pleasant enough and wished me well and hoped I had everything I needed. I think I will call him Cap’n Popeye.
Shown up to my cabin, on D deck ( that’s two down from the bridge deck, five up from the main deck ), which was pleasant enough with a day-room, bedroom, bathroom and two forward facing windows( not even blocked by containers ), so no complaints there. The only thing missing, which all the other ships had, was an ‘entertainments’ system - DVD player etc. I can live happily without that.
I discovered at supper that I am the only passenger and the ship’s officers are all ex-Eastern Bloc, i.e. Russian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Montenegran etc. I am prepared for another fairly ‘spartan’ and monosyllabic journey. At least the nosh at supper was quite good, so hopefully they have a trained cook this time.
What I wasn’t prepared for is that this shipping company runs ‘DRY SHIPS’! I read their ‘alcohol and drugs policy’ on the ship’s notice board which stated that none of the crew will take, or consume, alcohol on board. I see a ‘loophole’ here, because I am not crew; however, the Captain’s ‘slopchest’, that merciful provider of alcoholic beverages on the other vessels, will not be well stocked, if at all. I have a feeling that I face a dry journey at least as far as Auckland ( 4 days ). Barely survivable. We are due to arrive there for a day’s stop-over on the night of the 19th.
They have a TV in the mess and it managed to pick up the Aussie sports channel which showed the RWC semi-final between Wales and France ( probably the last game I will see ). I don’t suppose I am the only person that reckons the poor Welsh was robbed! I doubt if that Irish ref will be holidaying in Wales anytime soon.
So to bed.
16th Oct
The ship sailed late at 0600hrs ( I thought I hadn’t felt much movement last night ). Calm seas. So far.
Onwards to Auckland. I put in an ‘experimental’ order from the slopchest. I noted that the list of goodies on sale included wine and beer. I was informed by the 3rd Mate ( Ivan, Russian ) that it is out of date and there is indeed no alcohol in stock. He was most apologetic. My fears have been realised. At least there will be the opportunity to replen in Auckland.
The ship and it’s routine is the same as all previous. I am now conditioned to ‘soviet’ crews. They are perfectly polite but very monosyllabic, even amongst themselves. They treat a meal purely as a refuelling function. No talk, down food quick and go. When I say they eat quickly, I mean very quickly. With nothing much else to do I started to time them. The record so far was at lunch ( soup followed by chicken with rice ); 3mins 45 secs held by the 1st Mate. The officer compliment is the Cap’n ( Popeye ), plus 1st ( Chief Officer ), 2nd and 3rd Mates, Chief Engineer plus 2nd and 3rd Engineers and an Electrician. There are also two Peruvian ‘officer cadets’ on board ( slave labour I suspect ). One an engineer, the other a ‘deck officer’ trainee, doing their sea experience bit. They are rather more talkative.
I wandered the ship, did some laundry, read books and fiddled about doing such things as writing this. One is not exactly overwhelmed with arduous duties.
17th Oct
I realised that I had not set eyes on Cap’n Popeye since first boarding. He doesn’t appear to turn up for meals in the ‘mess’ and he wasn’t on the bridge on the occasions I went up there. Curious. Have they left him behind?
The electrician ( Alexander, Russian ) said ‘hello’ to me at supper. He is obviously the loquacious one.
By evening the sea was beginning to get a little rough.
18th Oct
The sea state is now what might be described as a ‘moderate swell’. Enough to make you sway a little bit when walking and roll from side to side in bed. Nothing too uncomfortable and I think ( touching wood ) that I am not too susceptible to sea sickness......at least I haven’t felt any bad effects so far.
The Peruvian cadets are proving reasonably chatty company at mealtimes. One of them was quite interested in my Peru trip, but not very.
The 1st Mate ( Dani from Croatia ) still holds the meal eating time record. The average time, not including me, for consumption ( sitting down to getting up ) is, so far, 7 mins 35 secs.
Established my challenging routine: 0730hrs breakfast. 0900hrs visit bridge. 1200hrs lunch. 1300hrs visit bridge. 1400hrs stroll around deck. 1500hrs kip.1730hrs supper. Whenever..bed. Luckily I now have a new ( cheap ) computer, but no internet on board, and plenty of books to read.
19th Oct
The sea was quite rough overnight. Not easy to sleep when you are rolling back and forth and being nearly tipped onto the floor. Presumably that is why hammocks were so popular. Passing Cape Reinga at dawn ( the Maori extra-spiritual place and area for sandboarding I remember so well ). We slowed down and generally drifted towards Auckland. Finally went into port at about 2230hrs that night. Still no sign of Cap’n Popeye.
20th Oct
Walked from port to town. It is about the only port that I have so far been to that is within walking distance of the city hence not at the mercy of bandido taxi drivers. Plenty of walking around, had a good lunch and doing odd jobs. Most importantly raided, at vast cost, a ‘bottle shop’ ( wine shop ) as the Aussies and Kiwis call them. Staggered back to the ship doing my impression of a decrepit water-carrier and clanked my way up the gangway. Phew! We sail for the port of Tauranga ( not far south of Auckland on the Bay of Plenty ) later tonight.
21st Oct
At anchor off Tauranga for most of the day. I didn’t realise that these ships have to pay to anchor, like a parking fee. I also hadn’t realised until I bought a newspaper ( weekly Telegraph ) in Auckland that a fellow container ship, the Rena, had run aground on a reef near here last week and was leaking oil ( it is about 5 miles SE of us and just visible ) or that Bruce Forsyth had been knighted. At last, bumped into Cap’n Popeye. We met on the bridge. He is a remarkably jolly and pleasant little Bulgarian. I learnt that he takes all his meals in his cabin and occasionally ventures out on to the bridge. I was invited by him later that evening to come up to the bridge to watch the harbour ‘pilot’ guide the ship into dock. Passengers are not normally allowed onto the bridge during this delicate operation. Tauranga has a very narrow entrance between a large hill and the opposite shore. We squeezed through smoothly into the port, did a 180 degree turn and docked, assisted by tugs and the ‘bow thruster’ prop, with not even a bump. A good landing and impressive to watch. These boys know what they are doing ( with the possible exception of the crew of the Rena! ). Beer and bed.
22nd Oct
No time to go ashore. We set sail at 1100hrs. Next stop Singapore. I realised that I had forgotten that the second RWC semi-final was on last night! I mistakenly thought it was tonight. Bugger! I could have watched it on ship’s TV. Now definitely no more TV until Singapore 16 days away. I hope my drink supply lasts! Left the Tauranga area without running aground. Waved to the Rena. Onwards onwards.
23rd Oct
Posn (1000hrs): 32º46’S 170º50’E. Tk 301º. Sp 17.8kts.
Sea State: Calm. No chance of TV reception for the RWC final; we will be well out in the Tasman sea. Cap’n Popeye into hiding again.
24th Oct
Posn (1000hrs): 28º46’S 163º20’E. Tk 303º. Sp 17.6kts.
Sea State: Calm.
Met Popeye on the bridge. We had a good chat about Bulgaria. I had to get my atlas out to find out where it was. He said he had ordered some beer and wine, especially for me, while we were in Auckland. I felt duty bound to buy it, and there was quite a lot. I now have far more than even I can consume between here and Singapore. I will have to arrange a ‘drinks party’ in my cabin at some stage, but as none of the crew are allowed to drink it will have to be a ‘virtual’ one. I will have to play the part of host and all the ‘guests’.
25th Oct
Posn (1000hrs): 25º03’S 156º35’E. Tk 301º. Sp 19.0kts
Sea State: Calm. Learnt from ship’s news service that the score was NZ 8 FR 7 and that it was a good game. Also learnt that we will be calling in at Port Kelang and then Tanjung Pelepas in Malaya before Singapore. No, I don’t know where they are either.
26th Oct
Posn (0930hrs): 21º15’S 150º12’E. Tk 322º. Sp 18.0kts
Sea State: Flat Calm. Waterskiing conditions. We are now entering the Coral Sea up towards NE coast of Oz. Overtook an other ship this morning; a bulk fuel carrier caller River Embley, and yet another ship passed us in opposite direction. So much action and excitement I can hardly contain myself.
27th Oct
Just woken up. We seem to be passing close to the shore up the Cape York Peninsula north of Cairns. Discovered a WiFi signal from onshore which probably won't last....so dashing this off to keep you bored. Maybe more to follow if the signal holds.......
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