"CALL OF THE SEA"- NANTONG, CHINA
‘CALL OF THE SEA’- NANTONG, EASTERN CHINA - 15 JUNE 2006
From Manila, flight 339 of Philippine Airlines landed at Shanghai Pu-dong International Airport. We’ve been scheduled to embark our vessel MV COPOSA, (acronym for Copper Of South America) anchored at Nantong in the Yangtze River. After clearance from customs and immigration, our agent’s representative, Miss Lin met us at the passengers exit and led us to her van parked outside. Miss Lin was in a hurry and she told us that our agent and our company in Japan are closely monitoring our arrival on timely coordination. She spoke a little English .I was seated next beside her and kept on observing the strange surroundings coz it was my first time in China. We speedily drove north bound along Chinese autobahn. My shipmates at the backseat slept while others seeing sights. We traveled almost 5 hours by land and an hour by ferry boat across the Yangtze River until we reached Nantong economic and industrial center, one of China’s special economic zone. Foreigners are obliged to appear at the China Frontier Inspection Station. We surrendered are individual passports and Chinese visa. After the approval, Miss Lin drove us once more to the boat terminal. We passed by the city of Nantong where shops and restaurants glowed with colorful neon lights. We asked her to stop at the KFC restaurant but she refused coz the agent said that the ship already prepared a dinner and a welcome party for the new embarking crew. I have five packs of sky flakes crackers left in my hand carry bag and shared it to my mates to ease the hunger pangs in our stomach for the mean time. It was already past nine in the evening when we reached the boat terminal. Miss Lin wished us good luck as we stepped out of the van. We thanked her for the accommodating service.
Inside the service boat my shipmates muted in silence due to exhausting travel. A few minutes later, I heard the ships accommodation ladder lowered. A signal to stretch out, carry our luggages and face the real world of being a mariner. On board theres a welcome party for us and a despidida for the outgoing crew. The Chief Mate introduced us to Captain and other crew members. After I emptied 3 cans of tsingtao beer,I asked permission from my senior officers to leave coz the outgoing OS wanted me to tour the ship for shipboard familiarization, turn over of duties and responsibilities particularly the duties in time of emergencies which is very important to the newly embark crew. After signing the familiarization and turn over report, he led me to my assigned cabin and took a nap. At 4 in the morning I woke up and began my duties at anchorage which includes monitoring the cargo unloading operations and enforcement of International Ship and Port Facility Security Code or ISPS. Our vessel unloads copper concentrate from Chile. It took us five days of unloading operation at Nantong anchorage.
On the last day of unloading, a telex message was received that our next voyage would be at Kohsichang, Thailand to load 45,000 MT of rice in bags. Our vessel has been chartered by NYK Sudamerica since it was launched in 2002, loading coal from Australia to Chile and copper concentrate from Chile to Japan or China. My senior officers were surprised why our ship was sub chartered by Allied Athens based in Greece that we should change voyage after four years. Captain confirmed the voyage instructions and results were positive. Our next voyage is Kohsichang with three unload ports in Africa namely: Maputo, Mozambique, East Africa
Lome, Rep. of Togo,West Africa and Cotonou, Benin also in West Africa.
Underway to Thailand, we’ve been very busy cleaning the cargo holds, scraping off the previous cargo of copper that clinged into girders, frames and beams.After the hold washings was derusting. We scaled off the rusts and cargo residues. We have to ensure that our cargo holds should be ready for the next cargo to prevent contamination and further damage. One thing more important to consider is the surveyor’s approval for ocular inspections of the cargo compartments. Once it was approved, a job well done. If found unsatisfactory, another laborious task to work out.
From Manila, flight 339 of Philippine Airlines landed at Shanghai Pu-dong International Airport. We’ve been scheduled to embark our vessel MV COPOSA, (acronym for Copper Of South America) anchored at Nantong in the Yangtze River. After clearance from customs and immigration, our agent’s representative, Miss Lin met us at the passengers exit and led us to her van parked outside. Miss Lin was in a hurry and she told us that our agent and our company in Japan are closely monitoring our arrival on timely coordination. She spoke a little English .I was seated next beside her and kept on observing the strange surroundings coz it was my first time in China. We speedily drove north bound along Chinese autobahn. My shipmates at the backseat slept while others seeing sights. We traveled almost 5 hours by land and an hour by ferry boat across the Yangtze River until we reached Nantong economic and industrial center, one of China’s special economic zone. Foreigners are obliged to appear at the China Frontier Inspection Station. We surrendered are individual passports and Chinese visa. After the approval, Miss Lin drove us once more to the boat terminal. We passed by the city of Nantong where shops and restaurants glowed with colorful neon lights. We asked her to stop at the KFC restaurant but she refused coz the agent said that the ship already prepared a dinner and a welcome party for the new embarking crew. I have five packs of sky flakes crackers left in my hand carry bag and shared it to my mates to ease the hunger pangs in our stomach for the mean time. It was already past nine in the evening when we reached the boat terminal. Miss Lin wished us good luck as we stepped out of the van. We thanked her for the accommodating service.
Inside the service boat my shipmates muted in silence due to exhausting travel. A few minutes later, I heard the ships accommodation ladder lowered. A signal to stretch out, carry our luggages and face the real world of being a mariner. On board theres a welcome party for us and a despidida for the outgoing crew. The Chief Mate introduced us to Captain and other crew members. After I emptied 3 cans of tsingtao beer,I asked permission from my senior officers to leave coz the outgoing OS wanted me to tour the ship for shipboard familiarization, turn over of duties and responsibilities particularly the duties in time of emergencies which is very important to the newly embark crew. After signing the familiarization and turn over report, he led me to my assigned cabin and took a nap. At 4 in the morning I woke up and began my duties at anchorage which includes monitoring the cargo unloading operations and enforcement of International Ship and Port Facility Security Code or ISPS. Our vessel unloads copper concentrate from Chile. It took us five days of unloading operation at Nantong anchorage.
On the last day of unloading, a telex message was received that our next voyage would be at Kohsichang, Thailand to load 45,000 MT of rice in bags. Our vessel has been chartered by NYK Sudamerica since it was launched in 2002, loading coal from Australia to Chile and copper concentrate from Chile to Japan or China. My senior officers were surprised why our ship was sub chartered by Allied Athens based in Greece that we should change voyage after four years. Captain confirmed the voyage instructions and results were positive. Our next voyage is Kohsichang with three unload ports in Africa namely: Maputo, Mozambique, East Africa
Lome, Rep. of Togo,West Africa and Cotonou, Benin also in West Africa.
Underway to Thailand, we’ve been very busy cleaning the cargo holds, scraping off the previous cargo of copper that clinged into girders, frames and beams.After the hold washings was derusting. We scaled off the rusts and cargo residues. We have to ensure that our cargo holds should be ready for the next cargo to prevent contamination and further damage. One thing more important to consider is the surveyor’s approval for ocular inspections of the cargo compartments. Once it was approved, a job well done. If found unsatisfactory, another laborious task to work out.
posted by Arez at 8:23 PM
