S-Westerly

Reckon the colour could grow on me. Certainly no excuse for not being seen!

In the late 90's I was there every couple of weeks. It was pretty good especially Puerto la Cruz. I was last there in 2018 just before it went into sanctions and it was dire.

When steam powered ULCC's were still a thing you could consume +200 tonnes per day of HFO. We also used to carry over 20,000 tonnes of fuel at capacity. Unlike modern high speed ships which burn a lot but don't carry that much so are constantly having to bunker. Also you are comparing apples with pears. A DP oil field support vessel has damned near the horsepower I have, possibly more. The difference is that I can carry 150,000 tonnes of cargo for 14000 miles without refueling but only at 12 knots.

I bought my wife one for our last anniversary. Have yet to try it.

Venezuela used to be pretty good before it became post-apocalypse waste land.

Ye gods no, probably thousands and that's before you get into the fruit teas and herbals etc.

I'll drink green tea or Chinese gunpowder (smoked Black tea not quite Earl Grey).

I'll agree with work but most definitely not the coffee. I've just made a large long black using Santa Petronas beans from El Salvador. No sugar, no milk. I'm past redemption. But tea - nasty tannin sour bitter drink fit only to swig down with over sweet cakes. And as for breakfast

I suppose when Lloyd's and such were coffee houses the stuff may have been okay although I believe it was more in the style of Turkish coffee then. I'll agree that most American coffee is pretty vile though there are exceptions as always.

Well you are not alone there - I've not drunk instant coffee for 40 years; foul stuff.

Back in the good old days cadets / apprentices used to have communal showers. The only people on board who had private baths were the Master and Chief Engineer. Newly joined first trippers would be told that if they wanted a bath the only place was in the Master's cabin and at 1830 (Master's dinner was around 1800). Master trundles into his cabin feeling at ease with the world and there's some scruffy scroat in his bath. Some Master's could put on a display that would have had Capt Bligh green with envy.

Suck it up. Shipping never stops so although the crew might be stuck on board the cargo is still being shifted and the ships are still moving around. Wandering "off-piste" to relieve crew is expensive; at 35 tonnes of fuel a day (that's eco mode as well) owners won't pay for significant deviations and charterers even less.

That seemed a bit dramatic. Wasn't from Russia was he?

Its nice to learn new insults for Boris - spaf sock is a new one for me.

Looks like daughter's Patterdale when he was a pup and stole a washing up tablet, just before he vommed everywhere- spectacularly.

Very few ships go to where the crew live - my last crew were British, Russian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Filipino. This year we never visited any of those countries except Russia in early May when no crew changes were permitted and the ship diverted into the Philippines in early June and managed to relieve 6 Filipinos. From July until last week we were doing the 2020 African safari tour and everywhere was closed until south Africa opened up a bit on October 2nd. We managed to change out 8 guys in the middle of the month.

Well if you were still in Wales the one thing you'd not be short of would be water! You chose to go and live in post apocalypse Spain so you just have to suck it up.

Can't speak for other companies (and there are some horrors out there) but since much of the world started opening up again things have improved. On my own ship nobody now on board is over their contract. Up to mid October we had 6 men (of 22) who were significantly over their time. The main issue was getting flights in or out of various countries. Salary wise there was no difference for us and the food was fine. A lot depends on the ship's trading pattern - a lot of dry bulkers (which are generally low paid) run from South America to the far east, especially China. Most of South America is closed and China isn't open for crew change unless you are Chinese. So these guys are screwed.

Paid the road fund so I can go and collect it next week after I get my eyes tested on Monday

Where did you find the pic of dynax and his special Chinese open face helmet?

Six is always involved. Proper wee scallywag do he is.

I found that I could do a really good glower which discouraged most of the oiks. Daughter used to prime me when an unwelcome suitor was in the vicinity which worked well. The only one who proved immune is now my son in law and he's a pretty decent bloke.

Are you the only Portuguese who doesn't drink coffee?

Humour?

Not a mega fan of F1 but looking at the recording he certainly seemed to go right the way across the track and caused someone to clip his rear. Seemed a bit random unless he had a mechanical issue prior?