Liverpool was a passing experience as the jetty was near Eastham on the Manchester Ship Canal, so we had a good look at Liverpool from the famous Mersey river. The agent was a dedicated Evertonian and had the scouse accent to authenticate his status, on enquiring about a time extension for taking the pilot he said “the harbourmasters not havin’ it”, or no extension in other words.
Narrow in places is the Manchester Ship Canal
It was amusing to speak english to natives for a change, all the dialects and attitudes, and the faces of confusion trying to figure out what an Irishman is doing on a Swedish tanker. The Liverpool pilot on the way in stopped in his tracks when he heard my accent, I saw his reaction and said “Irish”, he said “I thought so, but what are you doing here”, I told him the answer, I will have to make up some alternative stories for the laugh.
Tug Volant as seen through the panama lead forward
Eastham Locks, Not much room to spare here either.
Tugs Viceroy and Volant waiting for action, on duty since 1974
I had to give up thinking about the name of a band today and resort to Google, eventually I found it on a link from Wikipedia after searching for Welsh bands, anyway I couldn’t remember the name of Catatonia, I was trying to explain to the cadet about bands from Wales, we happen to be in Cardiff, I thought he would know a few, but he had never heard of Manic Street Preachers or Super Furry Animals or Stereophonics, I couldn’t believe it, he knew who Tom Jones was after I was forced to break out in song and give a few bars of “it’s not unusual” poor bastard got terribly red in the face much to the amusement of the AB who was doubled up with laughter. We decided that he would have to be educated so I have the task of making a compilation of Welsh, Irish and other parts of Western Europe that have contributed remotely to the world of music, contemporary or otherwise.
“If you tolerate this, then your children will be next” Manic Street Preachers
I couldn’t be too hard on him after all he is an engineer cadet doing deck practice and it is his first trip, and he is only 17, but he does ask questions nonstop I realise now that after years of believing fervently that I knew it all I do not have the answer to everything, this guy had Job pulling his hair out.
later folks.
Greetings readers from Cardiff where I do be today.
link of the day http://cura.free.fr/xv/11ellis1.html
a discussion about celtic astrology and the link between it and the Sanskrit/Vedic astrology of India, very interesting.
More later.
Tim
The Baltic and Scandinavia behind us, onward across the North Sea towards the English Channel or La Manche as I like to say and then into familiar waters the Irish Sea.Unfortunately for me we will be heading for the non-Irish side, Cardiff Wales a regular port for me this past year 3 times this time, there will be a street named after me soon. The North Sea is a great place for gray skies and big seagulls who like to shit on our newly painted decks, I suppose there is enough shit in the water already. The North Sea is somewhere you pass by unless you have the exciting job of guard vessel minding the rigs, they probably think the same when they see us go by, poor bastards in tankers, glad I’m stuck here doing sweet f. nothing at all, or something like that.
Nearly half way through the trip now and the speed of time has entered a warp which means that all days are longer, nights are even longer and it feels like you have never been anywhere else all other existence is only a distant memory. To help matters we are in the North Sea gray as cold porridge.
Soon time for a new book, Ben Eltons, Past Mortem is getting to the exciting and predictable end but a good read.
After Cardiff we are heading up to Stanlow on the Manchester Ship Canal, so we go around the Welsh coast and into the River Mersey passing Liverpool on the way in.
More news soon, Cheers Tim
Book read: Brighton Rock by Graham Green
Book being read: Past Mortem by Ben Elton
5 music cds in front of me;
1.Tea for the Tillerman by Cat Stevens 2. Live and Dangerous by Thin Lizzy 3. Soundtrack to “O Brother Where Art Thou” 4. Back in Black by AC/DC 5. Absent Friends by Divine Comedy
In the Baltic Sea, I can think of other places to be, but here is where I am. Another day, another dollar, or another day another dollar on the price of a barrel of oil, which is good for some and not good if you are buying.
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Riga port is in renewal but large areas are overgrown and dilapidated, people sit along the banks of the river and drink vodka, pretty depressing to see. At our first berth the concrete was crumbling and large holes were visible on the jetty, and people seemed to be appearing out from sheds and containers at different times some looked like they had something to do others just looked like they never did anything, the difference was hard to distinguish maybe they is job sharing on a grand scale or maybe people just hang around a lot. The older parts of the port look like they will collapse soon, then beside that stands a brand new jetty totally modern, there are parallel realities here in Riga. It is hard to describe how close to falling down some of the places are, then you see people living inside these concrete and brick and corrugated dwellings, European Union standards don’t count here yet, I’m sure they don’t give a f..k about straight bananas here.
I enclose a photo of some exclusive waterfront property and soviet style ship examples.
If you ever wonder where pellets raw material comes from, look no further, here we see the Swedish barge Motti and her pushing tug Mega loading timber fleece, which goes to the paper and pellets industry (at the top of the page).
Our peaceful anchoring was rudely interrupted by Amsterdam Port, informing us that we had to pick up the hook and proceed to Australiehaven Berth A, AKA BP terminal and unload our cargo. We boarded the pilot just after chow and went on our way.
In an attempt to be sociable I was telling the pilot about the similarities between Swedish and Dutch, I even told him that I had clogs outside my door, he said that he lived in a windmill and had tulips in the garden, he had me going for a split second, then he just shook his head. Who said the cloggies had no sense of humour?
We are off to Riga next, first time for me. More news later.
Cheers Tim
Ahh! back on the big blue wobbly thing again, to borrow part of Baldricks definition of the letter”C”. making our way inexorably towards Amsterdam and the prospect of a day at anchor, to catch up on painting and paperwork, and enjoy the silence of the ship at anchor.
Since my previous entry I have been home, and have not looked at a computer sideways for 4 weeks, well not entirely true, have sent a few e-mails to various authorities and paid some bills. The computer has been shifted into the “office” which also serves as library, hobby room and spare bedroom, having been relieved of its position of kitchen, a position it held faithfully for 57 years, and 4 layers of lino. The new kitchen is in the old dining room and no prizes for guessing is also the new dining room and lounge. The other rooms have held their previous positions as a result of geographical and other reasons, elevation being another.
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