Well, okay, I don't work too much onboard the ship. . . and no, I don't work in the building to the left. . . it's all about the pier for me, baby.
This is Balentyne Pier in Vancouver, B.C. For those of you who have been wondering what I'm doing with myself when I get to travel to Vancouver now you have a frame of reference for where I am. Of course this doesn't show any of the hectic activity that goes hand in hand with a vessel on a turn around day. . . this shot is taken before she's even tied up to the pier.
Thirty minutes after this picture there are multiple cranes and conveyor belts unloading luggage from the vessel. A minimum of three shell doors (just large doors on deck 1 which is just below the level of the pier at the tide shown here) will be open and either off loading luggage or loading provisions and other stores. My job? Open a fourth shell door and shove a bunch of mattresses inside. Sah-Wheat.
This last weekend was a blast. Plenty of sushi to be had in the VNC and the work went smoothly enough. Only loaded two-hundred and ninety-eight mattresses but that's only cause we never found a way to dispose of them in Canadia. Got myself a spanky new Sonata with a sun roof and took to the hills a bit. Vancouver is definitely a city that'd be worth exploring at some point. The real kicker is that Victoria is just a ferry ride away and most of the people I've talked to seem to like it even more.
Back in the oppressive heat of Southern Florida. Roommie ad I are gonna have to have a chat pretty soon cause she still ain't showin' the love for the A/C. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to never run the air conditioning. . . . . . . if we lived in a place where you don't need air conditioning. I think my sleep in starting to suffer. The other day I thought I was funny. . . and I knew my sleep was starting to suffer.
Well, the end of a long corporate day. Worked on expense reports, pounded out a couple applications for Port IDs and wrote a couple dozen emails. Only made one international call today, and that was to Canadia (which probably don't really count) so it was nice not to be on the phone a lot. Maybe this weekend I'll get crazy and actually call people that I don't have to work with. What'll they think of next? Fun? Probably not, I hear that'll never be invented again.
Time to trade industrial a/c for automotive a/c.
a/d out.
6.26.2007
6.19.2007
So Much For Forties
No, I'm not talking about the fine malt beverages sold at your corner store. And now that I've gotten rid of half of you I'll get down to business for the remaining two.
There's no rest for the lazy (is that how that saying goes?). Here I thought I might actually get two weekends in a row in Florida to hang out with all my new friends (just let that one slide wouldcha?) and instead I'm getting shipped back up to Vancouver for the weekend. So much for my forty hour weeks. Not a bad gig really. We'll see what kind of rental car I get this time. Hell, the step up I took last time from my car to the GT was big enough that if I made that step again the thing would have to fly!
It seems that the mattresses will not be defeated. The latest battle is once again with disposal. Seems Canada has a law which prohibits importing used mattresses in any way shape or form (short of them being fumigated while they are still on the ship, which ain't gonna happen). So the ship will now take on two-hundred less mattresses than we (and by we, we mean I) planned and they'll have to stash the old ones all over the ship (passengers outta love that, "Oh look, Honey, the galley is through this door. What do you think the galley looks like?" Lady, the galley looks like the floor has been covered in old, stained mattresses. Get out.) and then finally dispose of them in Juneau. Who woulda though that it'd be cheaper to get rid of hazmat in Alaska than it would be in Canada?
Actually, the only way I could make this weekend better would be to hitch a ride on the ship from Vancouver to Juneau (only three days) in order to watch only three-hundred mattresses get disposed of. Probably one of the only cruises I'd really be interested in. That can't happen though cause on Monday I have the first meeting for the Quest drydock in Hamburg next fall. Kinda looking forward to seeing the scope of the work.
Hope to get more regular again. Bought some powdered fiber yesterday.
There's no rest for the lazy (is that how that saying goes?). Here I thought I might actually get two weekends in a row in Florida to hang out with all my new friends (just let that one slide wouldcha?) and instead I'm getting shipped back up to Vancouver for the weekend. So much for my forty hour weeks. Not a bad gig really. We'll see what kind of rental car I get this time. Hell, the step up I took last time from my car to the GT was big enough that if I made that step again the thing would have to fly!
It seems that the mattresses will not be defeated. The latest battle is once again with disposal. Seems Canada has a law which prohibits importing used mattresses in any way shape or form (short of them being fumigated while they are still on the ship, which ain't gonna happen). So the ship will now take on two-hundred less mattresses than we (and by we, we mean I) planned and they'll have to stash the old ones all over the ship (passengers outta love that, "Oh look, Honey, the galley is through this door. What do you think the galley looks like?" Lady, the galley looks like the floor has been covered in old, stained mattresses. Get out.) and then finally dispose of them in Juneau. Who woulda though that it'd be cheaper to get rid of hazmat in Alaska than it would be in Canada?
Actually, the only way I could make this weekend better would be to hitch a ride on the ship from Vancouver to Juneau (only three days) in order to watch only three-hundred mattresses get disposed of. Probably one of the only cruises I'd really be interested in. That can't happen though cause on Monday I have the first meeting for the Quest drydock in Hamburg next fall. Kinda looking forward to seeing the scope of the work.
Hope to get more regular again. Bought some powdered fiber yesterday.
6.13.2007
B.C. Wheels
Just wanted to show my pretty little "compact" rental car that I drove in Vancouver. Not too shabby. Unfortunately the weather didn't hold up and I didn't get to drive around with the top down too much. But I suppose I got a lot of work done and had some amazing sushi so the weekend wasn't a total loss. I gotta admit that I was pretty juiced to drive a Mustang. It's a GT no less.
Back in Florida finally and don't have any immediate travel plans. . . we'll see how long that holds up. The weather here is what some people would call warm and what I would call ludicrous. It's gonna take some getting used to. I figure a dip in the pool at least once a day is probably mandatory and the air conditioner is gonna have to come on at some point at the house, condo, apartment or whatever the heck that place is where I live.
This is my first week of puttin' in a regular forty-hour work week. Guess I better get to it. With a little luck maybe I'll actually have my own cubicle in the farm here with my own extension and my very own handy little business cards and maybe a new computer, etc., etc., shall I continue.
Things aren't perfect but I can't complain about this life.
Hell, who would listen?
Back in Florida finally and don't have any immediate travel plans. . . we'll see how long that holds up. The weather here is what some people would call warm and what I would call ludicrous. It's gonna take some getting used to. I figure a dip in the pool at least once a day is probably mandatory and the air conditioner is gonna have to come on at some point at the house, condo, apartment or whatever the heck that place is where I live.
This is my first week of puttin' in a regular forty-hour work week. Guess I better get to it. With a little luck maybe I'll actually have my own cubicle in the farm here with my own extension and my very own handy little business cards and maybe a new computer, etc., etc., shall I continue.
Things aren't perfect but I can't complain about this life.
Hell, who would listen?
6.07.2007
B.C.
Got into Vancouver around midday. Customs took forever but I was rewarded with a rental car that was a little above what I'm paying for. I'm not gonna spoil the surprise before I can get a picture posted. It's something stupid. . . but not as stoopid as a Hummer.
My hotel is in a rather unsavory area. Think Tenderloin, E14th St., and certain parts of West Oakland and then just add a couple thousand more addicts to the mix. Good times. I'm probably gonna punk out and drive most places. . . especially considering the car I've got.
Did a little work today but the bulk is tomorrow and then I can try to enjoy the city. I'm off to see if I can enjoy game one of the NBA playoffs at the moment. As usual I can't get internet access in the hotel room and workin' in the lobby of this particular establishment leaves just a bit to be desired.
Wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who made the effort to see me in the Bay Area this last weekend. Most likely I'll be back late summer or sometime in fall but you never know. I could move to Guam.
Oh, and if you're bored and like bikes check out the new and improved(?) Drunkcyclist site linked to the right.
My hotel is in a rather unsavory area. Think Tenderloin, E14th St., and certain parts of West Oakland and then just add a couple thousand more addicts to the mix. Good times. I'm probably gonna punk out and drive most places. . . especially considering the car I've got.
Did a little work today but the bulk is tomorrow and then I can try to enjoy the city. I'm off to see if I can enjoy game one of the NBA playoffs at the moment. As usual I can't get internet access in the hotel room and workin' in the lobby of this particular establishment leaves just a bit to be desired.
Wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who made the effort to see me in the Bay Area this last weekend. Most likely I'll be back late summer or sometime in fall but you never know. I could move to Guam.
Oh, and if you're bored and like bikes check out the new and improved(?) Drunkcyclist site linked to the right.
6.06.2007
Big Surprise
Of course the title is supposed to be dripping with sarcasm, but I don't think they've created a font to express heavy sarcasm yet.
Big surprise that I haven't posted for a week and chances are that the time between posts will increase with the passing of that same time until I end up somewhere completely foreign again in time. Right.
Big surprise was what my mom got when my brother (from the W.I.) and I flew in to California last Friday to help her celebrate her 60th birthday. She wasn't expecting it and after a weekend of celebration things are winding down. After a few days of camping in the redwoods of Northern California a lot of things can be seen with proper perspective.
Big surprise that I'm flying up to Vancouver for a one day job on Thursday.
Even bigger surprise that the one day job involves loading MATTRESSES on board a cruise ship.
Biggest surprise is that I fly back to Florida on Sunday and that I don't have any more flights planned for work or for pleasure at this moment. We'll see how quickly that changes now that I've identified it as something possibly good in my life. Truly I'm not really sure what I'll do when I get home, sit down and realize that I don't have a packing deadline for my next trip. Jinxed myself again.
I should be in Vancouver on Saturday with no work to do so hopefully I'll get a few pictures and maybe find time to post again. . . assuming the hamsters in my laptop can keep up.
Big surprise that I haven't posted for a week and chances are that the time between posts will increase with the passing of that same time until I end up somewhere completely foreign again in time. Right.
Big surprise was what my mom got when my brother (from the W.I.) and I flew in to California last Friday to help her celebrate her 60th birthday. She wasn't expecting it and after a weekend of celebration things are winding down. After a few days of camping in the redwoods of Northern California a lot of things can be seen with proper perspective.
Big surprise that I'm flying up to Vancouver for a one day job on Thursday.
Even bigger surprise that the one day job involves loading MATTRESSES on board a cruise ship.
Biggest surprise is that I fly back to Florida on Sunday and that I don't have any more flights planned for work or for pleasure at this moment. We'll see how quickly that changes now that I've identified it as something possibly good in my life. Truly I'm not really sure what I'll do when I get home, sit down and realize that I don't have a packing deadline for my next trip. Jinxed myself again.
I should be in Vancouver on Saturday with no work to do so hopefully I'll get a few pictures and maybe find time to post again. . . assuming the hamsters in my laptop can keep up.
5.31.2007
5.29.2007
Summit Center Classic
Well so much for that. I just flew back into Dania from Phoenix. Quite the weekend up in Flagstaff as I was helping TC, Fitty and Chopper put on the wildly successful Summit Center Classic. The Classic is a three-day, four stage bicycle road race that Flagstaff Biking Organization puts on every Memorial Day weekend in Northern Arizona. The event has been tweaked every year for the past four years, with some stages making the cut and other stages only lasting one year. However, after this years stellar event TC thinks that the future schedule is locked in. . . and since TC is the race director I imagine that the lock will remain just that; locked.
Best to check out the website to the right if you want a more comprehensive rundown of the event but I will certainly enjoy giving you the highlights here. Saturday morning starts with a prologue time trial up Mars Hill which ends at the Lowell Observatory. (A time trial is where riders are sent off individually every few minutes.) I've never ridden this short stretch of road but most riders would describe it as "intensely painful." The strongest climbers will complete the hill in about two minutes but most people are well off that pace. For many riders this is the first time they have really pushed themselves in the seven-thousand foot altitude this year and I heard more than a few athletes say that the steep hill and thin air affected them well into the next stages of the race.
While I didn't have anything to do with the prologue up Mars Hill I was privileged enough to help set up the second stage that occurred on Saturday; the downtown criterion. (Roughly a "crit" is a loop that is less than one mile each lap. Riders go off in their respective categories (women, men, youth broken down into skill levels) and ride the circuit for a set number of minutes anywhere from about fifteen minutes up to forty minutes for the men's Category One and Two. If the leaders lap you then you get dropped and get your sorry butt off the course.) So, this downtown crit was just over half a mile and TC really pulled a rabbit out on this one. M0st of downtown Flag had to be shut down and the permit process took six months to complete. This portion of the event was arguably the most successful and highly noticed race that Flag Biking Org has ever put on. There were people all over the place, most businesses were booming downtown and people were wandering over from an art fair that was down in Wheeler Park. I actually don't have words to describe how great it was. . . it's the sort of thing that Flagstaff needs more often and the city will be crazy to deny the permit for next year.
Sunday brought another brilliant stage on the NAU campus. The course was a loop about two and a half miles long which means it is titled a circuit race instead of a crit. Once again riders compete within their specific categories. There were about eight different categories. Unfortunately, the roads weren't closed to traffic so that made volunteers very important for traffic control and there were also five NAUPD or FPD at different corners to keep people moving. Funny, the speed limit on most of the NAU campus is fifteen miles an hour but some of these riders were traveling AT LEAST twice that fast on the flat and downhill portions of the course. My role was to help organize volunteers and generally act as a runner over the whole course in case someone was injured or needed help in some way. This stage didn't draw nearly as many people as the downtown crit but it's understandable because of the location and longer course length.
The last stage is actually the easiest in terms of planning and volunteer coordination. A road race with three different lengths depending on what category you race. The longest route is eighty-four miles. The race started at Upper Lake Mary and turned around way out at Clint's Well to head right back pat Lake Mary. There is a little up and down to the race but TC truly showed his most devious side when he conceived (or just approved, I don't know) the ending to the race. The riders must make a right turn off the main highway and finish the course with a two mile climb (similar to Mars Hill) up to Marshall Lake. An ending like this makes a big difference for the racers and truly the race was decided in that last climb.
Unfortunately, I am usually not working at the finish line and I don't really keep track of who is winning unless I happen to know who they are (highly unlikely) but if you want to see the results you can find them on the race website. Also the team that FBO is most highly linked to is Summit Velo which has the majority of it's members down in Tucson with the remainder up in Flag.
Well this was probably pretty disjointed. . . I gotta admit that I'm a little tired after the drive from FLG to PHX and the flight from PHX to FLL. It seems my life has been reduced to a bunch of acronyms. I guess it could be worse, my life could be reduced to a bunch of limericks and haikus.
Flickr is down at the moment but I'll get pictures posted soon. . . and maybe a video posted on YouTube of a guy who crashed on a corner during the downtown crit.
Best to check out the website to the right if you want a more comprehensive rundown of the event but I will certainly enjoy giving you the highlights here. Saturday morning starts with a prologue time trial up Mars Hill which ends at the Lowell Observatory. (A time trial is where riders are sent off individually every few minutes.) I've never ridden this short stretch of road but most riders would describe it as "intensely painful." The strongest climbers will complete the hill in about two minutes but most people are well off that pace. For many riders this is the first time they have really pushed themselves in the seven-thousand foot altitude this year and I heard more than a few athletes say that the steep hill and thin air affected them well into the next stages of the race.
While I didn't have anything to do with the prologue up Mars Hill I was privileged enough to help set up the second stage that occurred on Saturday; the downtown criterion. (Roughly a "crit" is a loop that is less than one mile each lap. Riders go off in their respective categories (women, men, youth broken down into skill levels) and ride the circuit for a set number of minutes anywhere from about fifteen minutes up to forty minutes for the men's Category One and Two. If the leaders lap you then you get dropped and get your sorry butt off the course.) So, this downtown crit was just over half a mile and TC really pulled a rabbit out on this one. M0st of downtown Flag had to be shut down and the permit process took six months to complete. This portion of the event was arguably the most successful and highly noticed race that Flag Biking Org has ever put on. There were people all over the place, most businesses were booming downtown and people were wandering over from an art fair that was down in Wheeler Park. I actually don't have words to describe how great it was. . . it's the sort of thing that Flagstaff needs more often and the city will be crazy to deny the permit for next year.
Sunday brought another brilliant stage on the NAU campus. The course was a loop about two and a half miles long which means it is titled a circuit race instead of a crit. Once again riders compete within their specific categories. There were about eight different categories. Unfortunately, the roads weren't closed to traffic so that made volunteers very important for traffic control and there were also five NAUPD or FPD at different corners to keep people moving. Funny, the speed limit on most of the NAU campus is fifteen miles an hour but some of these riders were traveling AT LEAST twice that fast on the flat and downhill portions of the course. My role was to help organize volunteers and generally act as a runner over the whole course in case someone was injured or needed help in some way. This stage didn't draw nearly as many people as the downtown crit but it's understandable because of the location and longer course length.
The last stage is actually the easiest in terms of planning and volunteer coordination. A road race with three different lengths depending on what category you race. The longest route is eighty-four miles. The race started at Upper Lake Mary and turned around way out at Clint's Well to head right back pat Lake Mary. There is a little up and down to the race but TC truly showed his most devious side when he conceived (or just approved, I don't know) the ending to the race. The riders must make a right turn off the main highway and finish the course with a two mile climb (similar to Mars Hill) up to Marshall Lake. An ending like this makes a big difference for the racers and truly the race was decided in that last climb.
Unfortunately, I am usually not working at the finish line and I don't really keep track of who is winning unless I happen to know who they are (highly unlikely) but if you want to see the results you can find them on the race website. Also the team that FBO is most highly linked to is Summit Velo which has the majority of it's members down in Tucson with the remainder up in Flag.
Well this was probably pretty disjointed. . . I gotta admit that I'm a little tired after the drive from FLG to PHX and the flight from PHX to FLL. It seems my life has been reduced to a bunch of acronyms. I guess it could be worse, my life could be reduced to a bunch of limericks and haikus.
Flickr is down at the moment but I'll get pictures posted soon. . . and maybe a video posted on YouTube of a guy who crashed on a corner during the downtown crit.
5.23.2007
And We're Back. . .
Well, that's that. No problems with the flights. Got in yesterday afternoon. Had a drink with the roommate, had some sushi, went to bed. Felt pretty good this morning but it was pretty strange to "come into the office." Hasn't exactly bored me to death. Obviously everyone is still new to me and one of the managers showed me around and introduced me a little more thoroughly than before. Of course my laptop couldn't connect to the network when I first got in because of some settings that had been changed by the shipboard IT guys. Largest inbox load I've witnessed so far for my work account. Still can't find my second paycheck from back in April so payroll is cutting another one. Expense reports need to be approved by my boss who's on a medical leave so that won't happen. Good times all around.
Gotta get back to work but hoping to play with pictures and what not later at home. . . though maybe I'll just find a baseball game on the telly and veg out tonight. Made a whole list of things I 'should' take care of before I leave for AZ on Friday but I think we all know how that's gonna go. Who needs to change insurance on their car or buy new shoes or any of that crap anyway? Hell, if nothing else I need to find a laundry-by-the-pound place STAT cause my unpacked suitcase ain't lookin' too pretty.
The logistics of packing.
I knew I was unprepared for what I would face on drydock so my packing skills were tested. Here's a list of what I got rid of while on drydock and then the list of the items I acquired. The second list is rather large but I assure you that some of it was necessary.
Dropped:
Old pair of running shoes.
Really old pair of sandals.
Couple of old t-shirts that weren't fairing so well.
Gained:
One pair of heavy work pants (from one of the contractors).
Two pair of work gloves (cause I'm a cheap bastard and you can never have too many work gloves).
Seven t-shirts (three were for BB and all of them were free).
One record and four CDs (cause I can't just live somewhere for two months and not sample the music).
One Big**s Jar of Nutella (no explanation required).
One new CelebrityCruises deck jacket (pretty spiffy but like most things just doesn't quite fit me).
Bottle of wine (for the roommate).
AND four pair of Celebrity coveralls.
I feel like I'm forgetting a few things but since this isn't that interesting anyway. . . who cares. Needless to say my suitcase was a little overstuffed upon my return and found itself marked heavy (like it's owner) at the airport. Suppose I should find some work to do while I'm here. Maybe I'll enroll for some benefits. Now THAT sounds like some good times. Like my man Big Johnny or DC says. . . keep the rubber side down.
5.21.2007
Au Revoir
Most of this day I struggled with my motivation. Part of my problem is the realization that I am currently living amidst the worst mistake I have made during my seven weeks here. That mistake is not having trucks lined up in time to have the pier completely clear before my departure. Sort of SOP for the logistics team after a drydock. . . especially when there is no warehouse to count on. So, now I'm at the mercy of the port agents. Fred is getting back from a mini-holiday today and who knows if he'll be worth his salt tomorrow. Yann is working so many projects he can't even talk straight on the phone. Long and short is that I have done what I can to set everything up for the remaining containers and materials to be picked up. . . now it's just a matter of time.
On to better and weirder. I present to you the heavily armed octopus!
I must admit that I'm not really sure what's going on in this photo, even though I took it only yesterday. This fine display of beast adapting to man's ways is on display outside the maritime museum outside of Penmarc'h, France. I really don't even know what else to say about it. The word "silly" comes to my mind for the first time in quite a while.
Onto the travel! Looking forward to some classic travel fun tomorrow. It took my buddy KB three tries just to get out of Brest last week. Brest to Paris is a one-point-five hour commuter flight, People! and it nearly wrecked him. Similarly, BB's initial flight was Tuesday morning but the brakes were apparently not working on his plane in Paris so he ended up getting home on Friday. . . and don't forget that these flights are going backwards in time, not forwards. SO! What will be my travel fate tomorrow? Will the gods shine their favor upon me and cause me only to worry about the lack of legroom on the plane? ? ? or will I be doomed to suffer through the French for another week?
Well, that's it. Probably my last post from France. I'm sure I'll have something to bitch about after the flight home so until then. . . just keep rememberin' the good times.
On to better and weirder. I present to you the heavily armed octopus!
I must admit that I'm not really sure what's going on in this photo, even though I took it only yesterday. This fine display of beast adapting to man's ways is on display outside the maritime museum outside of Penmarc'h, France. I really don't even know what else to say about it. The word "silly" comes to my mind for the first time in quite a while.
Onto the travel! Looking forward to some classic travel fun tomorrow. It took my buddy KB three tries just to get out of Brest last week. Brest to Paris is a one-point-five hour commuter flight, People! and it nearly wrecked him. Similarly, BB's initial flight was Tuesday morning but the brakes were apparently not working on his plane in Paris so he ended up getting home on Friday. . . and don't forget that these flights are going backwards in time, not forwards. SO! What will be my travel fate tomorrow? Will the gods shine their favor upon me and cause me only to worry about the lack of legroom on the plane? ? ? or will I be doomed to suffer through the French for another week?
Well, that's it. Probably my last post from France. I'm sure I'll have something to bitch about after the flight home so until then. . . just keep rememberin' the good times.
5.20.2007
285
Climbed a few stairs today. Tw0-hundred and eighty-five to be exact. Took the slip 'n' slide back down though, so that was nice.
Drove quite a bit today. . . my last free day in France. Drove South again to a different peninsula that I haven't been to yet. Found some interesting points on the water and did a few things but as usual the weather was a bit of a downer and to be honest I'm gettin' pretty tired of just being here. One more day of work tomorrow and then I fly back to Miami. Already have a sushi dinner planned out with my roommate. Can't wait to have sushi again. But I've got two more possible dinners here so I suppose I should make the best of 'em.
Caught the FA Cup match yesterday between Manchester United and Chelsea. Match ended in a 0-0 tie but in the second overtime period Chelsea ended the scoring drought with a nice give and go lead by Drogba. Not my favorite player but it was a clean goal and a helluva way to end a good match. Lookin' forward to getting home and catching a baseball game and maybe the end of the NBA playoffs. Though I'll probably only be able to stand a few minutes of it cause I'll be yelling at the screen the whole time. "Travel, travel. Foul, palming, travel, you suck!" Or something like that. Maybe I'll have to do a little research on Euro teams and just pick one to follow. Maybe somebody well known but not at the top. That'd be like looking at baseball and choosing to root for the Yankees. Can't believe I just soiled my blog with that name. Go A's.
I suppose I'll stop procrastinating now. I still have a few manifests and other paperwork to get finished. Tomorrow will be busy enough without me being unprepared. Jebus, it's like I was a Boy Scout or something. Oh yeah, managed to lose my old Cali cell phone. Okay, maybe it got stolen onboard the cruise ship but I doubt anyone would be dumb enough to steal a phone that doesn't work overseas. If it doesn't turn up I may be in a slightly bad way in terms of phone numbers. Might have to send out another choice mass email asking people for their info. Don't you just love those?
Off to pretend that I'm productive.
Drove quite a bit today. . . my last free day in France. Drove South again to a different peninsula that I haven't been to yet. Found some interesting points on the water and did a few things but as usual the weather was a bit of a downer and to be honest I'm gettin' pretty tired of just being here. One more day of work tomorrow and then I fly back to Miami. Already have a sushi dinner planned out with my roommate. Can't wait to have sushi again. But I've got two more possible dinners here so I suppose I should make the best of 'em.
Caught the FA Cup match yesterday between Manchester United and Chelsea. Match ended in a 0-0 tie but in the second overtime period Chelsea ended the scoring drought with a nice give and go lead by Drogba. Not my favorite player but it was a clean goal and a helluva way to end a good match. Lookin' forward to getting home and catching a baseball game and maybe the end of the NBA playoffs. Though I'll probably only be able to stand a few minutes of it cause I'll be yelling at the screen the whole time. "Travel, travel. Foul, palming, travel, you suck!" Or something like that. Maybe I'll have to do a little research on Euro teams and just pick one to follow. Maybe somebody well known but not at the top. That'd be like looking at baseball and choosing to root for the Yankees. Can't believe I just soiled my blog with that name. Go A's.
I suppose I'll stop procrastinating now. I still have a few manifests and other paperwork to get finished. Tomorrow will be busy enough without me being unprepared. Jebus, it's like I was a Boy Scout or something. Oh yeah, managed to lose my old Cali cell phone. Okay, maybe it got stolen onboard the cruise ship but I doubt anyone would be dumb enough to steal a phone that doesn't work overseas. If it doesn't turn up I may be in a slightly bad way in terms of phone numbers. Might have to send out another choice mass email asking people for their info. Don't you just love those?
Off to pretend that I'm productive.
5.19.2007
Halloween Come Early
So my Uncle Lee has taken my randumb mentionings of gnomes to heart and sent me pictures of golden gnomes and information on the underwear gnomes of SouthPark. But this time he's outdone himself.
That wasn't so bad but the next one may put people off their lunch a little.
Thanks a lot, Uncle Lee. That's all I needed. . . to be uglier.
On a better looking note the Real Gnome done went and created a little Gnomie Jr. of his own. Congrats to Ang and Dave on their new baby boy. I can't wait to see him Memorial Day weekend. www.onespeeder.com
Well, it's my last weekend in France. I've got a little work to do on Monday but I'm free today and tomorrow. Probably gonna take a drive down to Penmarc'h and maybe back up through Pointe Du Raz. . . see if I can get some quality pics of light houses and whatnot. I might call one of riggers who worked for me tonight cause his family owns a couple of restaurants and a bar. He's about my age but has a girlfriend and a kid and another one on the way. Quite the opposite of me in that regard. I don't even have a dog. Hell, I don't even have a houseplant.
Last interesting tidbit for the day; I couldn't get some of the containers shipped yesterday cause they found a WWII bomb in the harbor and they are taking it further out to detonate it today. The Germans used Brest as a U-boat station during the war and I guess the Brits and Americans bombed everything so thoroughly that they still find undetonated ordinance every once in a while. Fun.
That wasn't so bad but the next one may put people off their lunch a little.
Thanks a lot, Uncle Lee. That's all I needed. . . to be uglier.
On a better looking note the Real Gnome done went and created a little Gnomie Jr. of his own. Congrats to Ang and Dave on their new baby boy. I can't wait to see him Memorial Day weekend. www.onespeeder.com
Well, it's my last weekend in France. I've got a little work to do on Monday but I'm free today and tomorrow. Probably gonna take a drive down to Penmarc'h and maybe back up through Pointe Du Raz. . . see if I can get some quality pics of light houses and whatnot. I might call one of riggers who worked for me tonight cause his family owns a couple of restaurants and a bar. He's about my age but has a girlfriend and a kid and another one on the way. Quite the opposite of me in that regard. I don't even have a dog. Hell, I don't even have a houseplant.
Last interesting tidbit for the day; I couldn't get some of the containers shipped yesterday cause they found a WWII bomb in the harbor and they are taking it further out to detonate it today. The Germans used Brest as a U-boat station during the war and I guess the Brits and Americans bombed everything so thoroughly that they still find undetonated ordinance every once in a while. Fun.
5.18.2007
Hasta La Bye-Bye
Whelp, that's it. Sorta.
The Constellation pulled away early this morning. I last wrote on Tuesday and now it's Friday. Can anyone guess what the days in between were like? Believe me though when I say that I'm not complaining but rather just trying to truly appreciate how nice it is not to have the weight of a hundred-thousand tonnes of cruise ship on my shoulders. 'Cause you know, I ran the engines, the hotel, the dock, the bridge, the galleys. . .EVERYTHING!
Okay, my part is only a little one but it's a little more integral that the hotel replacing duvets that are only 2 years old or carpet that's newer than that. Hell, I think my old mattress was more comfortable than the new one! Irony (said in a sing-song voice).
As I get a few more pictures uploaded I'll try to tell more stories from the last month for you logistics junkies but as of right now I have reverse and tangential logistics to worry about. Gotta get five containers back to Miami, one to Copenhagen and one to Denmark. And of course the one for Copenhagen isn't packed yet, so there goes the afternoon. Then I need to get three pallets to Norway, five pallets to Sweden, one pallet to Germany and two pallets to the Millennium when she comes in to Barcelona. Now if I could just figure out a way to deliver all those pallets myself and spend a few days in each place after delivery. All in favor of me becoming a truck driver in Europe say, "Aye-aye!"
Must still be a little loopy. Had a decent time last night after a fairly good day of work. Ended up at one of the bars on the ship with a VP, the hotel director, the project manager for the new gift shops, the lead project manager for new build operations and some high-up cat in Environmental and Safety. Nothing better than finally being able to let down your working guard a little bit. Of course we still talked about work but we all felt pretty good about the job we had just finished on the Constellation so we were able to vocalize manure about other jobs we had been on.
I suppose these things ain't gonna ship themselves. Paperwork abounds and I am bound by it. . . for the moment.
The Constellation pulled away early this morning. I last wrote on Tuesday and now it's Friday. Can anyone guess what the days in between were like? Believe me though when I say that I'm not complaining but rather just trying to truly appreciate how nice it is not to have the weight of a hundred-thousand tonnes of cruise ship on my shoulders. 'Cause you know, I ran the engines, the hotel, the dock, the bridge, the galleys. . .EVERYTHING!
Okay, my part is only a little one but it's a little more integral that the hotel replacing duvets that are only 2 years old or carpet that's newer than that. Hell, I think my old mattress was more comfortable than the new one! Irony (said in a sing-song voice).
As I get a few more pictures uploaded I'll try to tell more stories from the last month for you logistics junkies but as of right now I have reverse and tangential logistics to worry about. Gotta get five containers back to Miami, one to Copenhagen and one to Denmark. And of course the one for Copenhagen isn't packed yet, so there goes the afternoon. Then I need to get three pallets to Norway, five pallets to Sweden, one pallet to Germany and two pallets to the Millennium when she comes in to Barcelona. Now if I could just figure out a way to deliver all those pallets myself and spend a few days in each place after delivery. All in favor of me becoming a truck driver in Europe say, "Aye-aye!"
Must still be a little loopy. Had a decent time last night after a fairly good day of work. Ended up at one of the bars on the ship with a VP, the hotel director, the project manager for the new gift shops, the lead project manager for new build operations and some high-up cat in Environmental and Safety. Nothing better than finally being able to let down your working guard a little bit. Of course we still talked about work but we all felt pretty good about the job we had just finished on the Constellation so we were able to vocalize manure about other jobs we had been on.
I suppose these things ain't gonna ship themselves. Paperwork abounds and I am bound by it. . . for the moment.
5.15.2007
Five Is Enough
The housekeeping crew from the Constellation offloaded five, forty-foot containers full of linen today. . . by hand. . . over a fifty-foot gangway. . .amidst a fiercely blowing wind. . . in a freezing cold rain. . .uphill. . . both ways. Five.
Unfortunately, the material was a little too sensitive to use the claw in this picture. . . that was reserved for the old mattresses.
I can't tell you how many boxes there were of sheets and duvets and bed covers and pillow cases and sheets and sheets and sheets. As my father would undoubtedly say, "A sheetload of sheets." Pretty impressive that they could do it and pretty unimpressive that I couldn't get a single one of those containers up to the top deck where the unloading would be easier. I'm gonna go ahead and blame the wind but we all know that a first rate logistics manager would have figured out a way.
In other news I scored three free beers on the pier today. I was rewarded in true truck-driver fashion by two different truck drivers. The first driver who ponied up the suds was the last truck of linen for the day and there was some serious question as to whether or not we were going to get him unloaded in a timely fashion. His paperwork was stuck in customs with the agent and I had about a hundred guys for the unloading waiting inside a spare forty-foot container during a decent rainstorm. I'm not kidding, unfortunately I didn't have my camera on me today but there was an empty container right next to the truck we were waiting to discharge so BB had the idea to open it up and let the guys wait inside. Awesome idea, crazy result. Literally one-hundred guys waiting inside a forty-footer. Strange days.
So, point is that customs clearance came through just in time and the housekeeping crew rocked the virtual Casbah and had that bad boy unloaded in less than an hour. Truck driver was so happy he stopped me in the driving rain before he pulled away and planted two cans of Grolsch into my hands. Sah-wheat.
Last beer was scored from an Italian trucker who arrived after five o'clock with mattresses. . . yup, mattresses. Anyway, we initially told him he wouldn't be discharged till tomorrow morning but pity was taken and we found a few extra guys to offload him. Some dirt, a good sweat and two empty (now full) containers later and we had one happy trucker on our hands. . . I dunn gone and gots me a Birra Meroni for that one. The Grolsch was warm but the Meroni was cold and it was the last stitch of real work I did today. It's the little things, ya know?
Guess I'm leading up to the inevitable statement of, "Boo-hoo. Woe is me. I'm tired and want to go to bed." But I ain't singin' no drinkin' song from "Jaws" and I'd really rather be up and kickin'. Too bad I have to be responsible for a while longer. Million things more to write but my eyes tell me that this is probably getting too long for my limited readers. Not that my readers are limited. . . except in number.
Time for a Grolsch. Cheers.
Unfortunately, the material was a little too sensitive to use the claw in this picture. . . that was reserved for the old mattresses.
I can't tell you how many boxes there were of sheets and duvets and bed covers and pillow cases and sheets and sheets and sheets. As my father would undoubtedly say, "A sheetload of sheets." Pretty impressive that they could do it and pretty unimpressive that I couldn't get a single one of those containers up to the top deck where the unloading would be easier. I'm gonna go ahead and blame the wind but we all know that a first rate logistics manager would have figured out a way.
In other news I scored three free beers on the pier today. I was rewarded in true truck-driver fashion by two different truck drivers. The first driver who ponied up the suds was the last truck of linen for the day and there was some serious question as to whether or not we were going to get him unloaded in a timely fashion. His paperwork was stuck in customs with the agent and I had about a hundred guys for the unloading waiting inside a spare forty-foot container during a decent rainstorm. I'm not kidding, unfortunately I didn't have my camera on me today but there was an empty container right next to the truck we were waiting to discharge so BB had the idea to open it up and let the guys wait inside. Awesome idea, crazy result. Literally one-hundred guys waiting inside a forty-footer. Strange days.
So, point is that customs clearance came through just in time and the housekeeping crew rocked the virtual Casbah and had that bad boy unloaded in less than an hour. Truck driver was so happy he stopped me in the driving rain before he pulled away and planted two cans of Grolsch into my hands. Sah-wheat.
Last beer was scored from an Italian trucker who arrived after five o'clock with mattresses. . . yup, mattresses. Anyway, we initially told him he wouldn't be discharged till tomorrow morning but pity was taken and we found a few extra guys to offload him. Some dirt, a good sweat and two empty (now full) containers later and we had one happy trucker on our hands. . . I dunn gone and gots me a Birra Meroni for that one. The Grolsch was warm but the Meroni was cold and it was the last stitch of real work I did today. It's the little things, ya know?
Guess I'm leading up to the inevitable statement of, "Boo-hoo. Woe is me. I'm tired and want to go to bed." But I ain't singin' no drinkin' song from "Jaws" and I'd really rather be up and kickin'. Too bad I have to be responsible for a while longer. Million things more to write but my eyes tell me that this is probably getting too long for my limited readers. Not that my readers are limited. . . except in number.
Time for a Grolsch. Cheers.
5.13.2007
Need A Lift?
The driver of the smaller forklift is Yann Caradec who is another of our port agents from the same company as Fred. If you can't guess what happened here, Yann went and got himself stuck on the rail and we needed the larger forklift to come over and help us out. This is the kind of thing that seems to happen everyday but mostly whenever you've got a really hot truck you need to discharge. The problem with these trucks that come in for deliveries is that they are often poorly loaded and their bosses have only allowed a few hours between their delivery to us and their next scheduled pick up. This would be all well and good if I knew what time the trucks would be arriving and what was inside so I could plan a little bit ahead. But as is often the case the truck we were unloading when Yann decided to beach himself on that rail had another pickup scheduled within the hour. In case you're wondering, YES, Yann is going above and beyond the call of duty by driving that forklift himself. Normally port agents shuffle more paperwork than pallets. But this shipyard has no warehouse and therefore no warehouse workers, forklifts or anything else so myself and the port agents spent an awful lot of time on that little forklift. . . and for me the party is just beginning because the ship is leaving on Friday and I'll be here cleaning off the pier and shipping various things to various places for a few days after and somebody has got to load those trucks.
And now it's time to fall off my soapbox and use the contents to shower instead of holding up my ego.
Today is Sunday. I can't say that it's been a rough day as far as work is concerned but just being around the same people in such close quarters for so many days is starting to get a little old. Need to spice things up a bit so I might head into town tonight and see if I can magically catch the Warriors playoff game. Doubt it'll happen but a man can dream and I've heard of this new device called a Sat&Light that is supposed to be able to pull images from the air and put them on any tv on Earth. Crazy. Now how do you say, "Golden State Warriors Basketball Rules, " in French.
And now that I've typed all that I just looked up the time of the game and Six O'Clock PM in Utah is about Two O'Clock AM here. . . so maybe I'll just check the score when I get up in the morning. How does that sound? Good? Good. Bon (good in French).
Actually at this point I'm already forgetting about learning more French and thinking about my German. . . or lack thereof. The next scheduled dry-dockings are in Hamburg next fall. Similar situation to what I'm in now with two ships going into the same dock, one right after the other and having similar work done. I doubt I'll be there the whole time for that those two but it has occurred to me to take a beginning German class this summer (if I can find one amongst the Spanish classes in Miami) and try to make myself a serious asset on the next dry-dock. Just a thought.
Well, there's quite a few more thoughts up there rattling around but most of them probably ain't worth the grey matter they take up. Irregardlessly, I should probably go have a shower and a beer to try to eliminate some of those rattles. Maybe I'll try ringin' the ol' madre to wish her a happy Mother's Day first. For those of you who haven't already done so I strongly recommend it. . . cause even if you don't love it, she will. Damn, jumped right back up on that box again and didn't even notice.
To answer a little quote from Family Guy that only a few people will get. . . . . . ."Yes, it is lonely up here on my pedastal."
And now it's time to fall off my soapbox and use the contents to shower instead of holding up my ego.
Today is Sunday. I can't say that it's been a rough day as far as work is concerned but just being around the same people in such close quarters for so many days is starting to get a little old. Need to spice things up a bit so I might head into town tonight and see if I can magically catch the Warriors playoff game. Doubt it'll happen but a man can dream and I've heard of this new device called a Sat&Light that is supposed to be able to pull images from the air and put them on any tv on Earth. Crazy. Now how do you say, "Golden State Warriors Basketball Rules, " in French.
And now that I've typed all that I just looked up the time of the game and Six O'Clock PM in Utah is about Two O'Clock AM here. . . so maybe I'll just check the score when I get up in the morning. How does that sound? Good? Good. Bon (good in French).
Actually at this point I'm already forgetting about learning more French and thinking about my German. . . or lack thereof. The next scheduled dry-dockings are in Hamburg next fall. Similar situation to what I'm in now with two ships going into the same dock, one right after the other and having similar work done. I doubt I'll be there the whole time for that those two but it has occurred to me to take a beginning German class this summer (if I can find one amongst the Spanish classes in Miami) and try to make myself a serious asset on the next dry-dock. Just a thought.
Well, there's quite a few more thoughts up there rattling around but most of them probably ain't worth the grey matter they take up. Irregardlessly, I should probably go have a shower and a beer to try to eliminate some of those rattles. Maybe I'll try ringin' the ol' madre to wish her a happy Mother's Day first. For those of you who haven't already done so I strongly recommend it. . . cause even if you don't love it, she will. Damn, jumped right back up on that box again and didn't even notice.
To answer a little quote from Family Guy that only a few people will get. . . . . . ."Yes, it is lonely up here on my pedastal."
5.12.2007
The Riggers
I present to you (from left to right) Jean-Phillipe, Jimmy and Claude. Phillipe is the head rigger and we communicate more in Spanish than any other language. Jimmy speaks a bit of English and that's a lifesaver. Claude was a commercial fisherman in Newfoundland for ten years and a boxer for 5. . . both of those activities may have affected his brain. There's a fourth guy with no teeth but I didn't get a good shot of him (maybe it's for the best). So, those are the guys I work with the most. Exciting, no?
Pretty decent day today. Still a lot of wind but got plenty done. Gonna be in a bad way come Tuesday though. "They" are trying to shove the remaining mattresses down our throats on the same day that we're receiving the five containers with linen. Poor hotel people will be carrying cloth all day long. Sort of have a day off tomorrow. Get to sleep in and then all I have to do is review my exit strategy for the end of this availability and make a list of what is going to need to be shipped where.
Thinking about taking a drive somewhere. . . we'll see. As of right now I'm still planning on staying the weekend after the ship leaves next Friday so I'll have plenty of time to go somewhere. Might hit up Le Havre cause mi madre says that's where some of our great-great-great-somethin'-or-others departed from when they left Germany and came to the states. Could do Paris but it's about a six hour drive.
Ended the rigger's workday by splitting a case of beer with them, the crane op, BB, assistant superintendent engineer, Fred and a few other randumbs. I ended the work day a little early for the riggers and crane op and we all just sat around right on the pier drinking beer. Briefly reminded me of that scene in Shawshank Redemption when they're drinking beer on that roof and are able to forget they are imprisoned men. Thankfully my cabin is a little nicer than a prison cell at the end of the day. . . but I did say it was just a brief feeling.
Looks like I'm staying in tonight. Read a little, maybe watch a flick. It'll be reeeaaaaallllll nice to sleep in tomorrow. If I were more dedicated to this whole web 2.0 thang I'd stay here in the conference room uploading photos onto Flickr. It ain't gonna happen.
KB says murrr.
Pretty decent day today. Still a lot of wind but got plenty done. Gonna be in a bad way come Tuesday though. "They" are trying to shove the remaining mattresses down our throats on the same day that we're receiving the five containers with linen. Poor hotel people will be carrying cloth all day long. Sort of have a day off tomorrow. Get to sleep in and then all I have to do is review my exit strategy for the end of this availability and make a list of what is going to need to be shipped where.
Thinking about taking a drive somewhere. . . we'll see. As of right now I'm still planning on staying the weekend after the ship leaves next Friday so I'll have plenty of time to go somewhere. Might hit up Le Havre cause mi madre says that's where some of our great-great-great-somethin'-or-others departed from when they left Germany and came to the states. Could do Paris but it's about a six hour drive.
Ended the rigger's workday by splitting a case of beer with them, the crane op, BB, assistant superintendent engineer, Fred and a few other randumbs. I ended the work day a little early for the riggers and crane op and we all just sat around right on the pier drinking beer. Briefly reminded me of that scene in Shawshank Redemption when they're drinking beer on that roof and are able to forget they are imprisoned men. Thankfully my cabin is a little nicer than a prison cell at the end of the day. . . but I did say it was just a brief feeling.
Looks like I'm staying in tonight. Read a little, maybe watch a flick. It'll be reeeaaaaallllll nice to sleep in tomorrow. If I were more dedicated to this whole web 2.0 thang I'd stay here in the conference room uploading photos onto Flickr. It ain't gonna happen.
KB says murrr.
5.10.2007
This Is Fred
Fred is one of the Port Agents for our ship here in Brest.
Fred is a typical French guy, near as I can tell. Without Fred my time here would have been much more difficult. Case in point, in the picture here Fred is standing next to what? You guessed it, Admiral mattresses. This picture was taken when he and I were moving about two hundred of these delightful beauties within the warehouse because the roof had started leaking right above the middle of the pile. Don't think I've shared this story yet but trust me, that's water at Fred's feet.
Today provided the strongest and most constant winds. Thankfully not too much rain, but the wind made up for the lack of the other. Won't bore people today.
Fred is a typical French guy, near as I can tell. Without Fred my time here would have been much more difficult. Case in point, in the picture here Fred is standing next to what? You guessed it, Admiral mattresses. This picture was taken when he and I were moving about two hundred of these delightful beauties within the warehouse because the roof had started leaking right above the middle of the pile. Don't think I've shared this story yet but trust me, that's water at Fred's feet.
Today provided the strongest and most constant winds. Thankfully not too much rain, but the wind made up for the lack of the other. Won't bore people today.
5.09.2007
Enemy Thy Name Is Admiral
Been a long day again.
More fun with mattresses. . . they are Admiral mattresses. Took a lot of fun pictures of fifty guys dragging them across the gangway onto the ship. Last resort when the wind is blowing so hard you can't land a 20' container on the top deck. Takes a lot of wind to make a box that big swing like it was. Didn't actually rain that much today, though, so I got that goin' for me. . . which is nice. Of course my ears were frozen, but who's complaining.
Can't think of anything else I did of consequence. I did get out of the yard and drove up to the mall with one of the planners. Done gone and bought myself some new sunglasses (sat on the old ones) and finally found a suitable patch to remind me of my time in this area. The patch is of the flag of Brittany (this region) and is easily the most expensive patch I have ever bought at almost seven EUROS! Funniest part is that the patch is tiny. . . I got me a HUGE patch from the Grand Canyon and I think that puppy only cost me tree-fitty in good ol' dinero de los Estados Unidos.
I'm out with a shout. Gotta get some shut eye. Oh yeah, everyone should know that I now drive a Punto. I had a rental car with some regular type name but it was switched out today for this one. Now I know my Spanish is more than a little rusty but isn't Punto a bad word. . . or very close to one?
As my brother Ik puts it,
A-out
5.08.2007
It Ain't Over
Maybe it'll never be over. Another miserable day here weather-wise but things are still moving along as smoothly as might be hoped for in my world. Had a few beers last night with some sub-contractors from Liverpool and that helped to take my mind off things to come. Not too worry, I'm upbeat and jokin' around. . . just starting to look toward the finish line.
Logistics Update: Turns out that corporate didn't like the idea of the remaining mattresses going to Poland for loading so I'll now be getting two more trucks a day or two before this thing ends. If you're keeping count that'll make the full complement of two thousand mattresses loaded on board. By the way, there's an equal number of old mats. to dispose of. Discovered there are five (5? Holy. . . ) containers arriving with all manner of linens inside. Not my friendly 20-footers either, mind you. Naw Baby, we're talkin' about the regular 40-foot sea containers. Good times. Saw a giant hunk of steel mounted on the bow this morning, the pictures may be worth a damn if I can ever get them online. Weather was bad enough and my schedule is good enough that I told the riggers to quit working around four o'clock this afternoon. Slight gift of an hour and a half sitting in their comfy van rather than schlepping around in the wind and rain. Too dangerous for the crane to be lifting the loads I have left anyway.
So plans fail and jobs continue. Wish I had more social updates to write about. Just livin' the life. Male to female ratio on this ship is about a hundred to one. . . against. . . me. I suppose I have to concede that all men are in the same situation here but I gotta say that it would be nice to have a female around to talk to. Hell, maybe we could even talk about something other than work.
Crazy.
5.07.2007
Notes
This picture is actually from the Millennium but the ships are almost identical so it don't much really matter, I s'pose.
Tired. Rainy and windy today with a chance of hard work. My pretty white coveralls have become a color somewhat darker and everything from my waist down is still drenched. Have I mentioned that the "uniform" for drydocks is either white or blue Celebrity coveralls? I look like the Stay Puft marshmallow man in my whites. Suppose I should go take a shower or something sensible like that.
Just wanted to do something a little dumb, so I did. Bought a plane ticket to Flagstaff for Memorial Day weekend. Last year I was there at the same time because the Summit Center Classic is that weekend. Four stage road bike race in various parts of Northern Arizona. Good times. Anyway, the race director is my old college roommate so hopefully I'll be able to help out. Anyway, get back from France on Tuesday, leave for Arizona on Friday. . . culture shock here I come.
www.summitcenterclassic.com
Got another semi-unexpected truckload of mattresses today. The eighth. We've now got a thousand mattresses on board and another six hundred still in the warehouse. Also loaded about forty rolls of carpet today. . . and it's a good thing we did them two at a time like Noah and that ark because it was lookin' to rain so hard we would have had to get back on the ship to survive.
Tomorrow morning the yard is doing another interesting steel project. Lifting eight new crew cabins onto the bow in one fell swoop. Gonna be a pretty big piece of steel up in the air. Try to have pictures at some point but as usual the connection here probably won't allow it.
Off for shower, dinner, beer. . . yes, in that order.
5.06.2007
Logisticalities For Big Pun
This post may not interest most people but if it keeps Biggus Punnus on the edge of his seat it must be worth something.
There are quite a few objects, items, equipment, materials and supplies that are difficult to get on board cruise ships. Every item has a solution if there is enough time and a little bit of translation from English to French.
20' Containers (like the one being loaded into a truck in the picture). These are the handiest items around. Subcontractors like to build workshops in them and then pack them full of materials which makes them high priority moves when the ship first gets dry. There were two boxes already here at the shipyard waiting to go up for USS (www.uss-us.com) which is a contractor installing a new AWP (Advanced Wastewater Purification) system.
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/pdf/advance_wastewater_purification.pdf
The first two boxes were no problem. Deck eleven, port side, facing each other so the guy who runs 'em can build a little roof between the two and have a pretty good sized workshop. The fun ones were the boxes that needed to be landed on the bow. This class of vessel has a heli-deck on the most forward part of the bow and it's only rated to handle four and a half tons. Another sub (MSP) is installing new crew cabins on the bow just aft of the helo deck. Their 20' container weighed over three tons so that pretty much maxed out the bow. Enter Sea Level Marine. These subs are refurbing the gift shops and also have a container that needs to be onboard.
You know, I just read this and realized that it's crap. Guess I'm not a good story teller at all. I'll try to shorten things up.
Right now there are four 20' containers on deck eleven, port side and one container on the heli-deck on the bow. There is another 20' container on it's way that will need to be unloaded (swap out one of the boxes on deck eleven for a time) and one more container (currently lost in the stellar shipping system we use) that has gym equipment in it. This will have to be dropped on the pool deck (deck ten) AFTER the new Bolidt flooring is done drying. This class of ship is made so that deck eleven is only a partial deck and open in the middle where the swimming pools are so that loads can be dropped over deck eleven down onto deck ten. Most cruise ships have a similar setup somewhere on the top decks.
If you've never heard of Bolidt you should take a look at it. It is a synthetic flooring system that is poured onto the existing deck and cures almost completely smooth. Then they cut lines into the deck which are filled with a black grout-like substance and sand the whole thing so it looks like teak decking. Pretty slick, needs re-sanding in five years and is expensive as hell. (www.bolidt.com)
The mattresses. Not sure where I left off with these. There are two-thousand mattresses (unknown to everyone until just before they started showing up). Right now we have eight hundred on the ship, six hundred in a warehouse about a mile away and six hundred (hopefully) still waiting in Italy. The reason I insert hopefully is because I am trying to halt the last six hundred in Italy. Worked it out with the hotel director that they will be trucked to Helsinki in June and put on board when the ship comes through that port. Score one for me. The eight hundred that are on board got there with those magical 20' containers. Rented two containers, got support from the hotel side on the ship and on the pier, load the containers with new mattresses on the pier and throw 'em up on deck eleven where a conga line of hotel workers unloads the new and backloads the old. Drop container number one and load number two, reverse process on the pier and repeat. Probably took less than four hours to do the eight hundred but it completely ties up the crane cause it's easiest to leave the box hooked up on deck eleven while they are unloading and backloading.
The six hundred in the warehouse will require a little extra coordination. Need to hire local stevedores to load the mattresses into trucks at the warehouse because ship's crew can't work that far away from the vessel. Stevedores load the new onto trucks which drive to the shipyard, which are then unloaded by ship's personnel and put onboard in the previously explained manner. A fifty-three foot trailer takes two hundred and two mattresses so we'll need three trailers. Hoping to move them all in one day to save on the cost of the stevedores. Will probably cost around three thousand Euros for an eight hour shift of the stevedores.
Gonna have to split this post up cause I still have to tell you how we load all the materials for the new AWP system (aside from the container on deck eleven) and maybe I'll tell you how we're going to get five truckloads of food stores onto the ship on the tenth.
If this post were any drier it'd be jerky.
There are quite a few objects, items, equipment, materials and supplies that are difficult to get on board cruise ships. Every item has a solution if there is enough time and a little bit of translation from English to French.
20' Containers (like the one being loaded into a truck in the picture). These are the handiest items around. Subcontractors like to build workshops in them and then pack them full of materials which makes them high priority moves when the ship first gets dry. There were two boxes already here at the shipyard waiting to go up for USS (www.uss-us.com) which is a contractor installing a new AWP (Advanced Wastewater Purification) system.
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/pdf/advance_wastewater_purification.pdf
The first two boxes were no problem. Deck eleven, port side, facing each other so the guy who runs 'em can build a little roof between the two and have a pretty good sized workshop. The fun ones were the boxes that needed to be landed on the bow. This class of vessel has a heli-deck on the most forward part of the bow and it's only rated to handle four and a half tons. Another sub (MSP) is installing new crew cabins on the bow just aft of the helo deck. Their 20' container weighed over three tons so that pretty much maxed out the bow. Enter Sea Level Marine. These subs are refurbing the gift shops and also have a container that needs to be onboard.
You know, I just read this and realized that it's crap. Guess I'm not a good story teller at all. I'll try to shorten things up.
Right now there are four 20' containers on deck eleven, port side and one container on the heli-deck on the bow. There is another 20' container on it's way that will need to be unloaded (swap out one of the boxes on deck eleven for a time) and one more container (currently lost in the stellar shipping system we use) that has gym equipment in it. This will have to be dropped on the pool deck (deck ten) AFTER the new Bolidt flooring is done drying. This class of ship is made so that deck eleven is only a partial deck and open in the middle where the swimming pools are so that loads can be dropped over deck eleven down onto deck ten. Most cruise ships have a similar setup somewhere on the top decks.
If you've never heard of Bolidt you should take a look at it. It is a synthetic flooring system that is poured onto the existing deck and cures almost completely smooth. Then they cut lines into the deck which are filled with a black grout-like substance and sand the whole thing so it looks like teak decking. Pretty slick, needs re-sanding in five years and is expensive as hell. (www.bolidt.com)
The mattresses. Not sure where I left off with these. There are two-thousand mattresses (unknown to everyone until just before they started showing up). Right now we have eight hundred on the ship, six hundred in a warehouse about a mile away and six hundred (hopefully) still waiting in Italy. The reason I insert hopefully is because I am trying to halt the last six hundred in Italy. Worked it out with the hotel director that they will be trucked to Helsinki in June and put on board when the ship comes through that port. Score one for me. The eight hundred that are on board got there with those magical 20' containers. Rented two containers, got support from the hotel side on the ship and on the pier, load the containers with new mattresses on the pier and throw 'em up on deck eleven where a conga line of hotel workers unloads the new and backloads the old. Drop container number one and load number two, reverse process on the pier and repeat. Probably took less than four hours to do the eight hundred but it completely ties up the crane cause it's easiest to leave the box hooked up on deck eleven while they are unloading and backloading.
The six hundred in the warehouse will require a little extra coordination. Need to hire local stevedores to load the mattresses into trucks at the warehouse because ship's crew can't work that far away from the vessel. Stevedores load the new onto trucks which drive to the shipyard, which are then unloaded by ship's personnel and put onboard in the previously explained manner. A fifty-three foot trailer takes two hundred and two mattresses so we'll need three trailers. Hoping to move them all in one day to save on the cost of the stevedores. Will probably cost around three thousand Euros for an eight hour shift of the stevedores.
Gonna have to split this post up cause I still have to tell you how we load all the materials for the new AWP system (aside from the container on deck eleven) and maybe I'll tell you how we're going to get five truckloads of food stores onto the ship on the tenth.
If this post were any drier it'd be jerky.
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