Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink ;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.
Not been very active here lately, innumerable reasons and excuses to put down here. Family, work, laziness, other blogs and then some.
Anyway here we are in the middle of an economic crisis, I’m glad I have a job, lots of layoffs and closures and it’s all very bleak. I see the container ships coming in and out of port half empty and the pilots in the Kiel canal being paid by gross tonnage have taken a 25% to 30% pay cut. The market has slumped to a low, and we are not shifting much cargo either. This means long periods at anchor waiting for something to show up on the spot market. Of course a ship fully complimented with 16 hungry men will eat and drink come rain or shine, cargo or no cargo and at anchor or underway, which has had the consequence that the larder is getting bare and the water tanks are down at low level, and worst of all the ale is finished! The lads can live without showers and clean clothes, the smell in the alleyways would make an alleycats eyes water, but for the love of jaysus no beer.
Joking and all aside, the water is being rationed and the laundry shut down for the time being, which causes an initial surge in consumption and then it settles down again, trying to get people to understand that unless we reduce the consumption it will run out is hard. But on the other hand it is interesting to see how much you can reduce the use of water and still survive, the odours around the place are more noticeable but you get used to it.
Usually we make our water when we are underway, that is when the ship is driving around we use the excess heat from the engine to power an evaporator which boils sea water and hey presto! the steam is cooled into fresh water. But if you are not on the move then no hot engine no evaporator etc.
On the positive side all these ships not driving around bringing huge flat screen tv’s from China to the west means less CO2 in the atmosphere and the rest, less fuel being used means less pollution and the environment will benefit, maybe. Of course lots of voices from the right want to ditch the expensive environmental projects and go Nuclear, maybe that will happen too, we might even have civilian ships again with reactors, then we will have steam until kingdom come. You never know what might happen.
Time to queue up for the Thunder Box!
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