I decided to join in on Jasons’ challenge over at the Opinionated Mans blog. He’s collecting a pretty cool collection of posts from people all over the world. Everyone is posting about where they’re from and what it’s like there. I’ve really enjoyed hearing from everyone.
I really have 2 totally different places I could call home. I live in a small town in Texas, but I actually spend more time out here at work than I do there. So, this is really more my home, out here (at sea).
For at least half the year, I live onboard something like this ship I’m on right now. It’s about 228m long and 42m wide. We usually have between 165-180 people onboard (almost all men). There’s not a lot of space on these ships for living quarters, so almost everyone shares a room. I am lucky to only share with one other person. We are on opposite watch so we’re never in the room at the same time. Some people have 4 to a room and also share heads (bathrooms). I am also lucky to have a private bathroom in my cabin. 🙂
It’s small, but comfortable enough for only a month at a time. Most people are regular on board here and they can bring things from home to fix things up a little bit. I’m still in the resource pool, so I can’t bring much with me. I’m just happy that they have a catering crew here that keeps the room clean and does the laundry. That saves a lot of time. They also take care of all meals. 🙂
I can really only give a very basic description of what it’s like out here, since every ship is different in some ways and the same in others. I’ve been on this one now a couple of times since July. We’ve been working offshore Angola, about 85 miles W of the Congo River. I’m working here as DPO (Dynamic Positioning Operator). My typical day out here (this hitch) goes like this…
Wake up at 22:30. Take a shower. Get dressed. TRY to get online to check email (internet access is very iffy out here). If that doesn’t work, fiddle with my photos in Lightroom on the computer. Head up to the bridge by 23:30 for watch.
Take the elevator up 2 decks to E deck, walk up another flight to the bridge. Get a cup of coffee and chat with my relief before starting to go over the checklist. Go through the checklist. Call everyone for communication checks (engine room, drill floor, standby boats). Then stand my watch for 12 hours on the bridge with a half hour break for ‘lunch’ at 06:30. Since I work from midnight to noon, this meal is actually breakfast that is being served. We have eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, ham & cheeses, fruits, and something usually left over from last night so that people who’ve been up all night can have a different choice.
I work until noon on the ships bridge, looking out for traffic and monitoring the DP system while the drillers are doing their thing. We’ve been working in shallow water lately, so things are more stressful than usual. The difference for us is; we don’t have very much time to react if things start going wrong.
When watch is over, I walk down the 3 flights of stairs to my cabin (or 5 down to the galley for lunch). Then I try to check my email and work on the computer for an hour or 2 before bed. If I really get motivated, and the weather’s nice, I might go walk around the helideck for a while. I TRY to get to sleep by 1500 but I usually run late. I never manage to get enough sleep out here. 🙁
There’s not usually much to look at here. We might have a supply boat alongside to watch. We can see the flares of the FPSOs (Floating Production Storage Offloading) a few miles away (they’re very bright at night). That’s about it at this location, but sometimes it can be really awesome at sea. Just to see the wild ocean in all its many moods. Or the night sky in all its’ glory, with no lights for hundreds of miles to interfere with your vision. Or schools of hundreds of dolphins keeping you company as you steam along. Those are some of the reasons I love it out here at sea. 🙂
Maersk Finder, Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV)
So, the entire month I’m here, it’s basically: eat, sleep and work. Nothing else to do out here but look forward to getting off and going home. 🙂
I only have 5 more days til I’m due off. Or, as we say out here, 4 more and a wake up! It’s always good when you get to the single digits. 🙂
Reblogged this on HarsH ReaLiTy and commented:
Thanks for sharing your daily on your drill ship Jill! Awesome stuff and really adds something new to the HR Challenge! I appreciate you taking part. -OM
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Thanks for LETTING me share Jason! I’ve been getting some views from your blog today. I appreciate what you do to help others with their blogs.
Reblogged this on The Blog For The Honor Kids.
Thanks for the re-blog! Glad you enjoyed it.
hey…this is a cool find…I work the docks for seaboard-jacintoport here in Houston texas..we’ll probably never cross paths but you guts be safe out there on the 7 seas…peace out
Thanks for stopping by. You never know. I take classes and teach sometimes at San Jacinto College Maritime Program.
Thanks for letting me drop into a way of life I’ve never known much about.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by.
I loved seeing such a different “home”. Thanks for sharing.
Lots of us living out here, hoping we don’t get thrown out with the price of oil lately. I’m glad you enjoyed reading about it.
Well the price is going up again so you’re safe! And I did thank you. 🙂
I’m sure it won’t stay so low for long. Just hoping to keep my job til this low passes. I do appreciate you appreciation. 😉
🙂
Enjoyed reading this post! Although you describe your day as generally boring it is interesting to read about a day so different from my own. Thanks for including the pictures also!!!
I’m glad you enjoyed reading about it. It is boring out here most of the time, but that’s good. Exciting usually means something has gone badly wrong.
Brilliant post thanks for sharing !!
Thanks! I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
I did, it was very interesting.
I love this.
Thank you Mani. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
thanks for sharing your very different home away from home
I’m glad you enjoyed hearing about it. It’s probably more interesting than where I live in Texas. 😉
This was truly enjoyable to read. I always wondered what life would be like in that kind of setting. I did imagine things being crammed and a bit yucky, so when I read this, I laughed:
“I am lucky to only share with one other person. We are on opposite watch so we’re never in the room at the same time. Some people have 4 to a room and also share heads (bathrooms). I am also lucky to have a private bathroom in my cabin. ”
Enjoy that night sky!
Thank you for reading it and I’m glad you liked it. These big ships are really pretty comfortable. When I was fishing, THAT was cramped and very ‘yucky’. I never would have kept on sailing if those were the only boats I could go out in. When I got out of fishing and into the oilfield, it was like a whole new world. Steady pay, regular schedule, things like air conditioners and washing machines onboard! I’m so spoiled now. I am really very lucky, most seafarers don’t have things anywhere near as nice as we do here.
Thank you for doing what you do. My husband is an oilman (although not today b/c of industry layoffs) but it s nice to know that you are out there protecting and watching over our guys in the water.
Sorry to hear about your husband. We are all on pins and needles too, hoping to hang on through this downturn. We have had pay cuts and many people laid off here already.
I’ve been working off and on in the oilfields since 1978, crew boats, supply boats, production boats, construction boats, ROV boats, dive boats… they are all only out there working to help the guys on the rig. Nice to hear the work we do is appreciated. 🙂
Reblogged this on The White Articles.
Thank you for sharing my post. I’m glad you liked it.