BRISBANE TO SINGAPORE 2

27th Oct - 5th Nov 2011

AS CARELIA. SHIP’S LOG (2)

Cap'n Popeye at the helm

27th Oct

Posn (1000hrs): 15º55’S 145º28’E. Tk 342º. Sp 19.8kts

Sea State: Calm, and it’s getting warm again.

Steaming up past Cairns towards the Cape York Peninsular. Pilot came aboard because we will be going ‘inside’ the Great Barrier Reef and lots of steering around many coral reefs required. Within a few miles of the coast and some internet connection in mid-morning ( via telstra wifi device ), and again early afternoon. Amazing! Pilot ( called Morgan ) is a French/Lebanese guy from Melbourne. Very chatty and has a son who will possibly be in the Australian Olympic kayaking team. Lots of bits of atoll plus other ships and yachts around which makes a change.

Bed, and hope we don’t hit a reef overnight!

Gonzalo ( Inca 2, cadet ) and Ivan ( 3rd Mate, Bulgaria )

28th Oct

Posn (0700hrs): 10º33’S 142º02E. Tk Various N & W. Sp 16.0kts

Sea State: Calm, and it’s getting very warm.

Ship has slowed down and lots of course change instructions from the pilot. Dodging around reefs and islands in the Torres Strait. Prince of Wales Island to port, Papua New Guinea to starboard, Booby Island directly ahead. Pilot told me that the Japs lost a lot of ships around here in WW2. Not surprised. Also informed that the legal requirement is only 1 metre of water below our keel, and that is what we have right now! Seems a narrow margin to me.

Pilot taken off at 0900hrs, and we steam on westwards.

Helmsman, Ivan, Popeye, Morgan ( pilot ), Inca 2

29th Oct

Posn: (1000hrs): 9º37’S 134º25’E. Tk 281º. Sp 16.2kts

Sea State: Calm. Blue skies and v. warm.

Now into the Arafura Sea and heading towards East Timor. Slowish speed because we are a little ahead of schedule. I have noticed recently that the Peruvian cadets, Felix and Gonzalo, both seem to be a bit sullen and ‘down’. There must be a morale problem here and they don’t look as if they are enjoying their work much. I can never remember which one is which so I call them Inca 1 and Inca 2. New record for speed eating; the 3rd Mate ( Ivan, Bulgarian ) did breakfast of 4 sausages and a large omelette plus orange juice, including saying ‘good appetite’, from sitting down to getting up, in 1 min 48 secs. This is World Class stuff.

Unannounced barbeque at 1800hrs! At least I wasn’t informed until I went down for supper. I might have made other plans for all they knew! Good BBQ on stern main deck with all ship’s ( non-dry for the evening ) company present. Hopefully someone was left on the bridge, but I couldn’t work out who. Good nosh and unlimited beer provided plus a supply of vodka doled out by Cap’n Popeye himself. A jolly gathering. As far as I know nobody fell overboard ( too easy done if you ask me and nobody would notice for ages, probably days in my case, if ever! ).

Inca 1 ( Felix ), Inca 2 ( Gonzalo ) and 2nd Mate ( Andrija, Montenegro ) at the barbeque.

Alexander ( electrician, Russia ), Maxim ( 3rd engineer, Russia ) at the barbeque.

30th Oct 2011

Posn (1000hrs): 8º27’S 127º38’E. Tk 280º. Sp 15.6kts

Sea State: Calm. Blue skies and warm.

Approaching East Timor, 20 miles away and in sight. Course will take us just north around Timor between various islands into the Banda Sea. At breakfast Cap’n Popeye, who still doesn’t eat with us, visited the mess/dining room and had a heated discussion with Felix ( Inca 1 ) about a work related matter ( not clear what ) and apologised for some misunderstanding. Inca 1 sort of ‘accepted’ his apology in a rather begrudging fashion. Of course I didn’t ask what exactly, but suspect it concerned the recent Inca discontent.

Pilot ( Morgan, the charming Lebanese Aussie ) being taken off somewhere past the Great Barrier Reef,  beyond Cape York.

31st Oct 2011

Posn (0930hrs): 7º49’S 121º42’E. Tk 273º/283º. Sp 20.3kts

Sea State: Glass Calm. Sunny.

Passing from Banda Sea into Flores Sea 30nm north of the island of Flores. Saw another ship on the horizon. I have worked out that from the bridge, on a clear day, it is possible to see another ship of our size ( with binos ) on the horizon at about 15nm. Rest of the day same-same. Food is not too bad and we are always supplied with a large jug of some pink coloured sweet ‘juice’ at mealtimes. It has become affectionately known as Bulgarian red wine. The jug of water being the Bulgarian white wine.

Passing a yacht near the Great Barrier Reef, north of Cairns.

1st Nov 2011

Posn (1000hrs): 5º55’S 114º40’E. Tk 286º. Sp 15.3kts

Sea State: Calm. Sunny and warm.

Entering the Java Sea, north of Bali and south of Borneo ( not in sight of land ) in an area with a few colourful fishing boats. At least I assume they are fishing boats. Incas are still rather withdrawn. Had a kip this afternoon to recover from all the hard work, otherwise same-same.

Another oncoming vessel in the Arafura Sea. The shipping got busy after this.

2nd Nov 2011

Posn (1000hrs): 2º26’S 109º04’E. Tk 328º. Sp 15.1kts

Sea State: Calm. Overcast.

West of Ketopang, Borneo and east of Pulau Belitung island. More ships, barges and boats of all sizes and description in the area; it’s getting quite busy and Cap’n Popeye on bridge keeping a close eye out. Inca 2 on bridge, as always. His job, it seems, is continually to update the charts ( like updating the ‘Jepps’ on aircraft ). After lunch Alexander, the sociable Russian electrician, took me on a guided tour of the engine decks. Bloody hot and noisy down there, and I’ve seen it before ( on Tanzania ), but it passed the time pleasantly. 

In the engine control room. Inca 1 ( Felix, cadet), me, boiler man, 3rd Engineer  (Maxim), 2nd Engineer (Miroslav).

The top of the 7 piston engine. Hot and noisy.

3rd Nov 2011

Posn (0900hrs): 1º34’N 104º47’E. Tk 272. Sp 15.0kts

Sea State: Calm. Overcast, drizzle, mist.

Approaching the Singapore Strait. Lots of shipping about and close watch being kept on bridge. I haven’t a clue how they avoid each other. I asked, but got a fairly vague answer from 3rd Mate, and Cap’n Popeye. Apparently there are rules, but they are flexible! I’m none the wiser. We are due to dock at Port Kelang at 0400hrs tomorrow.

To give an idea of the size; spare piston and cylinder behind.

The four main generators.

4th Nov 2011

Posn: Port Kelang. Overcast and some light drizzle.

Woke up to find that we had indeed docked. There seemed to be some uncertainty as to when we were due to set sail again. I was advised it might be sooner than scheduled and, seeing as how it is a long way to the ‘town’, going ashore was not advised. As it happened they got all the relevant containers off and on quickly ( we are not in Le Havre here, the Malays work for a living ) and we set sail again at 1330hrs. Next stop Tanjung Pelepas sometime tomorrow.

Another barbecue pic. The main social event of the voyage!

5th Nov 2011

Posn (0730hrs): Docked Tanjung Pelepas. Overcast, hot and humid.

If you are not sure where this place is, it is in Malaysia only about 30 nm up the west coast from Singapore. After some confusion as to whether we could 'go ashore' or not, because none of the 'officers' had been ashore at this port before, it was unilaterally decided we could. Our stop-over here is quite long; due to sail again at 0200hrs tomorrow. Strange thing about a lot of these ex-soviets; they don't like to ask questions and they don't like to give information. They 'follow orders'. I suspect it's a hangover from the communist days. As a result they never find out what is available. It took myself and one of the Incas to ask a Malaysian stevedore to locate a dockyard bus to take us to the docks' shopping area from where I write this. 

Due to anchor off Singapore tomorrow morning. Being the very busy port area that it is we cannot be sure when we will be allowed to dock. Their are 'schedules', rather like airline 'slots', but these can change.

So, the action or lack of it will continue, hopefully, in Singapore tomorrow. I have until the 17th Nov to kill in this part of the world when the next ship leaves from Tanjung Pelepas........Stand-by!