Reasons to Celebrate Valentine's Day at Sea

14 February 2016 Sunday – At Sea

I promised to the crew that we are going to have a party today, 14 February 2016, Valentine’s Day. So what are the reasons for it?

First, it is Sunday – It is time for the officers and crew to have a Get together event. Sunday is the most appropriate day since the work load is light.


Welcome Party

New crew came on-board last 11 January 2016 in Fangcheng, China and after a month of stay onboard, (ang bilis, naka isang buwan na pala sila), it is time for them to experience a party.

(Happy) Birthday (to you!) Party (he,he,he).

Birthday celebrator for February was feted. Yes Mrs Alma Fornaliza, I’m referring to your hubby, which by the way is going home very soon. His the lone person to celebrate birthday for the month and of course he helped in the food preparation. He is looking forward to be with his girls. (O ayan ha, baka ma- mis interpret na naman, dapat kasi wife and children na lang eh).

Farewell Party

This is for the officers and crew who will disembark in Singapore around 21 February 2016. To my dear officers, Chief Engineer Ruben Cugal and Third Officer Libe Miole - for the great service they have rendered onboard. That even when he has pressing problem at home and was not able to disembark last January, 3rd Mate Miole remain as he is, a quiet and responsible officer. 

Able-Bodied Seaman Leicester Cu - the baking and cooking skills that was unselfishly shared, for the free cappuccino (sa kanya yung mga ingredients and equipment) and demonstration how it was made. 

Even when he was not promoted as Able-Bodied Seaman, Ordinary Seaman Omar Pecajas still works and showed that he is a dependable deck crew.  

The remaining officers and crew will also say good-bye to Oiler Frances Degones, who I hope will find next employment as soon as possible (ASAP) after his vacation. 

Messman Dennis Fornaliza, will celebrate his birthday few days from now. I worked with him in my previous ship and I hope that he will gain more experience and certification so that he can work as chief cook someday. 

From left to right Bosun Arnold Pañe, Engine Cadet Jayson Sanchez, Deck Cadet Neil Ian Maghanoy,
Oiler Ferdinand Sapad, Ordinary Seaman Omar Pecajas and Able-bodied Seaman Leicester Cu.

Lastly, to our cadets, Deck Cadet Neil Ian Maghanoy and Engine Cadet Jayson Sanchez, they remind me of myself many years ago when I left my first ship as an apprentice. I can sense that they have grown familiar to the officers and crew’s idiosyncrasies and they seems to be experiencing separation anxiety. 

Sabi ni Deck Cadet, ”Ang bigat sa dibdib!” Drama naman ni Engine Cadet ‘”Ang sakit-sakit! Ayoko pang umuwi!” ng nalaman nila na papauwiin na sila. Today is a bittersweet celebration for the two young apprentice. They have done 7 months on-board and I hope they acquired the necessary experience and skills to become future officers.

I also hope that I can work with them as officers and crew again in the future because I find them reliable and very supportive in all operations.

Tall, dark, handsome, single and available – Deck Cadet Neil Ian Maghanoy
is in search of future ka-puso.

Thanksgiving Party

Receiving email messages about shipboard accidents and incident reports made me more conscious of how dangerous seafaring is. I always remind everybody to observe safety first. Referring to my previous blog post on Crane Wire Greasing, as shown in the pictures, the deck crews were wearing safety harness as they worked aloft to connect the crane hooks to the grab buckets. The grabs were slippery due to the early morning mist. With just one faulty slip, one can say goodbye to his career if one is not careful and observant of safety measures.

In my early years as a seaman, we had a crew who fell from the grab rest when the vessel was in Indonesia. It was his first time to work on a ship plying the overseas trade.  Before the accident, he told me about his plans of getting married, how he love and misses his young son, his fiancée, and mother. He told me about the safety shoes that he planned to wear on his wedding day. He was tall, good looking and full of promises but it only took one slip and his dreams fell down with him and eventually cost his dear life.

So with the dangerous life at sea, extra precaution and safety should always be observed. 

Valentine’s Day Celebration 2016

Yes, I have many things to be thankful for. Celebration is beyond food and merry-making. It is about the bond that ties men that work and live in their second home, a place called a ship. Strengthening that bond towards common goal of safe operation on-board is my duty.

Safe sailing to all seafarers! Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!!! May God Bless Us All!

Hair Cut Day - Kwentong Barbero sa Barko

Bosun Arnold Pañe, the ship’s Designated Barber Onboard (DBO) and
off-signer Oiler Frances Degones.

WARNING/Babala: Totoo at pawang katotohan po ang mga kwentong barberong ito.

Hair Cut Day, pili na ng gupit na Pang-Shore Leave, Pang-Stay Onboard or Pang-Flight

Saturday is supposed to be half-day, right? Half day regular work in the morning, then in the afternoon- Drill Time! In our case, we must do at least 3 per Saturday to complete the allocated drills for the month.

On the lighter side of the day, Saturday is a Hair-Cut Day. It is a busy time for the Designated Barber Onboard (DBO). He is in charge of making the officers and crew looks presentable. And in return he earns extra money which comes from the Crew Welfare Fund. The budget for hair cut depends from ship to ship, in some it is even pro-bono. In our ship it is around 15 US $. There is a plan to raise it but we bought table tennis balls, table tennis racquets, chessboard, darts and dartboard, and 1 Terra byte portable hard drive to store movies. The chunk of the budget goes to these items so for the meantime DBO’s honorarium will stay as it is... Paging officers and crew who are reading this, customers, you can give a tip. It is voluntary but very much encourage.

Through the years, I have encountered different DBOs’ with varying skills and temperaments. Some learned the trade onboard. Walang marunong mag-gupit sa barko kaya sila-sila nag gugupitan hanggang maging bihasa na. Others learned it before they came onboard. Yung bang sanay na ginugupitan ng mga tambay at mga barkada habang sila ay tambay din at wala pang sakay.

When I was an Ordinary Seaman (OS), my Filipino Fitter was the ship’s DBO, his service was good among the Filipinos that was why the Japanese First Engineer was tempted to try it. It was the Fitter’s first experience to cut a foreigners hair and that with one of the vessel’s high ranking officials. He got nervous and nipped part of the 1st Engineer’s left ear. The poor victim still paid him one case of beer but never had his hair cut again until he disembarked. 

Noong naging Segundo Opisyal naman ako, may nakasama akong Griego (Greek) na kapitan na ginugupitan nya ang sarili kasi mahal daw gupit sa Greece kaya nasanay na siya lang ang gumugupit ng buhok nya. Parang Banaue Rice Terraces ang gupit nya. Siguro doon nauso ang layered na gupit!

Meron din akong nakasama na barbero sa barko na iisa lang ang alam nya na istilo ng gupit kaya pare parehas kami ng tabas ng buhok.

I have one Ordinary Seaman (OS), he would offer his service to cut one’s hair, pay the brave volunteer plus the OS will cook a snack of pancit canton. Do you think somebody will dare to volunteer? You bet no taker. 

Meron naman kwento si Mayor (Chief Cook) yung kasama nyang Segundo Makinista ay nagtanong kung sino marunong mag-gupit, nag prisinta naman itong si Wiper, ang kinalabasan - bao ang hugis ng buhok ni Segundo Makinista. Pang stay onboard pala na gupit ang alam ni Wiper!

Pang shore leave na hair cut? Well, dati yun, ngayon puro mabilisan na operation sa barko, bibihira na ang nakaka shore leave. Kung makaka shore leave ka, mabilis na ligo na at konting wisik ng pabango, kasi hindi pwedeng maghintay ng matagal ang seaman’s club na service bus sa pantalan sa mga lalabas. If there are seafarers’ wives or girlfriends reading this article, pag sinabing club- naku po, iba na naman ang pagkaka-intindi. Legitimate na club po ang mga seaman’s clubs, they are being run by Christian (Flying Angels, etc.) and Catholic (like Stella Maris) organizations. They are being run by volunteers too. Thanks to them, they make our port stay less stressful because they are the one bringing internet cards, phone cards, reading materials, pre-owned clothes and gifts during Christmas and some special occasions. Hope this clarifies the matter about our seaman’s club. So klaro na po ba?

Back to hair cut tayo, the most important hair cut onboard is the pang-flight na haircut. It is done several days before disembarkation so that in case the DBO got it wrong, there is still time for the hair to grow and for the DBO to fix it. For those with graying hair, hair coloring is also done to let the hair color settle to look more natural. Vanidoso rin po ang ibang mga nagbabarko, gumagamit ng Likas Papaya Whitening Soap at gusto maputi na uuwi ng Pinas para mukha daw galing abroad.  

Kayo magkano ang budget sa gupit sa barko? Ano ang hindi mo makakalimutang kwentong barbero sa barko? Share mo naman.

Wish ko lang, sana hindi ito masilip ng Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) baka ang Designated Barber Onboard (DBO) ay kailanganin na rin ng certification! Ahoy Mate! Kim Henares is that you?

Prelude for tomorrow’s blog post

Preparing for tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day celebration- Yesterday he was the Spiderman greasing the ship’s crane wires. Today he baked cakes and prepared cappuccino for everybody. A/B Leicester Cu is a multi-talented person. And ladies, he is still single.

How are you going to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Drop a line or two to let me know.

Crane Wire Greasing

The Prelude

After redoing the shore gang’s lime washing on the vessel’s tank top, the crew connected the grabs to the cranes’ hooks This was done around 06 Feb 2016 0200 Hr as per charterer’s email information that loading will commenced early morning.

Loading commenced at 1230 Hr. (The information I received late night of 05 February 2016 stated that loading will commence early morning of 06 February but the actual loading commenced past noon! I have my people connecting the grabs to the cranes’ hooks at 2 am!!! In case that the barges arrive and the ship’s gears are not yet ready, the shipper will charge the ship owners with delay; which of course, I have a lot of explaining to do to the owners. I hope charterer and agent should be more considerate with seafarers work and rest hour period. Giving accurate information will not hurt anybody’s interest. Hugot ba yun?

Vessel left Jakhau, India after loading Marine Salt last 10 February 2016 and now bound for Yeosu, South Korea via Singapore. Yesterday during the Senior Management Meeting which is usually done around dinner time (1730 Hr Local Time, non-seafarers  would usually ask me why I am having dinner that early, 5:30pm, but that is another story to tell); it was agreed that deck crew will be doing crane wire greasing today, 12 February 2016, weather permitting. The vessel used the ship’s gears (cranes and grabs) when we loaded in Jakhau anchorage.

The weather is cloudy to overcast, the wind is Beaufort Scale Force 3 (around 7-10 knots) and the sea is slight. Vessel is on steady course without any traffic in sight and not rolling. It is a perfect day for working aloft!

After the Risk Assessment was done, Working Aloft Permit signed and Tool Box Meeting held at site, the deck crew started preparing and checking the materials and equipment, and in no time started the precarious job.

I was on the main deck and I heard one of the Able-Bodied Seamen making hugot, singing “Hindi ka ba napapagod, o di kaya’y nagsasawa, sa ating mga tampuhan walang hanggang katapusan” while hanging on mid-air. It made me smile, of all the catchy Original Pilipino Music (OPM) songs, why did he chose that one? I wonder if that was unconsciously chosen or if he is doing it perhaps to deal  with his nervousness or perhaps some relationship issue (with the person or with the task). He was up so I just let him finished singing while he continuously greases the wires. In case there are seafarers’ wives or girlfriends reading this article, my unsolicited advice, please give your seafaring partner some peace of mind. Huwag masyadong jelly-jelly. Mababait po kaming mga seamen.

Multi-tasking Able-Bodied Seaman- Singing while doing crane wire greasing.

The real spider man- Able-Bodied Seaman Leicester Cu on the wires and Ordinary Seaman Jan Kenneth Mendoza cleaning the cranes’ cabins.

This guy is ripe for promotion. He can do the work of Able-Bodied Seaman. Ordinary Seaman Omar Pecajas can operate the crane, can steer the vessel, etc. He is all-around deck hand with good attitude and positive disposition in life..

Grasa Boys- Bosun Arnold Pañe and Able-Bodied Seaman Jonar Carido on top. For those contemplating to work on deck on a bulk carrier, do you have what it takes to climb and hang this high? 

View from the Captain’s chair, deck crew doing crane wire greasing in a clear blue sky in the deep blue sea. I wonder if this qualifies for extra payment. Sa inyo kabayan, may bayad ba yang crane wire greasing?

I hope for fair weather so that the grease will stay there for a while. The grease on the crane wires is usually wash out during bad weather. Just imagine watching how high the seawater can reach! During those bad weather moments, we don’t care for if we have to redo the crane wire greasing, as long as we arrive safely back home to our loved ones’ arms.

Greasing completed without any incident. Thank you guys for the job well done; let’s have a party on Valentine’s Day!