Hubby and Wifey's Blog

June 23, 2008 at 0700 hrs someone called me in my cabin. I grab my phone and say slow hello because the ring of the phone wake me up. Then I only hear hello good pm and he drop the phone. I have no idea what is that about. I just hit the shower and prepare myself to eat at the mess hall. I see OS Calisura in the mess hall and he just finished his breakfast. Then when I get my meal in the mess hall chief mate told us that we will go work early so I just told him that I will just finish my breakfast and wear my coverall.
After I finish my breakfast I go to officer’s dressing room and wear my coverall. Then OS Javier tells me that all deck crew must proceed in ships office. I immediately proceed to ships office and our chief officer is discussing our work for the day. He wants us to clean all ballast tank by sea water because our last ballast was fresh water and the Canada (discharging port) e-mail the ship that we need to wash our ballast tank with salt water to follow there ballast regulation. The chief mate told us if he will use the ballast pump it will take 15 hours on 2 tanks. (What’s the rush if it will take in 15 hours? 6 more days left and we will be in Canada). So the Captain and the chief mate decided to wash it by fire hose and three deck crews will go down in the ballast to wash the tanks with sea water. He wants to finish it by midnight and he just told us that we can finish one tank in 2 hours. We just stare on each other and thinking that is impossible to wash the ballast tank in two hours. The Ballast tank is too large and there are many layers going to bottom so it will take very long time to wash it. Bosun and pumpman just told to the chief officer that we will try to finish it. Actually there are bad weather coming to us and it will shake the ship. Gale force 8 and the wind speed are 34 to 40 knots. Very strong wind even I was a large man can flew me away. He want to finish it but we just finish four tanks till 8:30 pm. 1300 hrs the wind and the splash of the water in deck are getting worst. It was difficult for me to be standing by on the manhole because of a very strong wind and splash of water. It is difficult to work on our situation. They always say on the meeting and every day that safety first but where is the safety in that scenario?
OS Javier told me that when we came onboard the ship OS calisura told him that welcome to hell. He just smiled and wondering why he say welcome to hell. He just realizes now that this is hell. Our ship is headed with the devil and the devil wants us to work, work, work and no excess overtime pay. Poor ratings… working with all there might and effort and they don’t have excess over time pay. They just abused by our superior officer onboard the ship. We are almost finished the 2 wings ballast tanks and our chief office tells this and tells that and tells everything what he wants to secure. He just keeps on talking and taking on the radio. Parang ayaw nyang pagpahingahin ang mga tao sa sinasabi nya.
For now I really want to go home because our senior officer here doesn’t understand the rights of the ratings.