Again, while transiting the river to Saigon (Ho Ci Minh City), there are always lots of interesting things to watch. And the local boats are always so colorful. Here we have a couple of boats tied up to each other. This is often done while they stop for the night. The boats swing upstream or downstream, depending of the tide. Yes, it is a tidal … Continue reading Rendezvous in the river…..
This picture was taken while we transited up the Saigon river towards Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City as it is the official name. While looking at the riverbanks, I notice this church. I knew from before there are a lot of Christians in Vietnam, due to their history of being a French colony. Suddenly became aware of the church spires, and the symbol on … Continue reading A first time see…
Today’s picture is from Halong Bay again. Not always shining sun when we enter early in the morning. This time we were greeted by a more “spooky” setting. Still gorgeous. A Norwegian (my native tongue) word for this scenery is Trolsk. What I liked about this scenery early in the morning was how we could see the rock formations in the distance slowly become visible. … Continue reading Morning haze…
Today’s picture was taken in the port of Da Nang , in Vietnam. If you have traveled some in this region, and especially in this country, you will see that any maritime business in small scale will always include several family members. This is not some 7-8 hours workday, with the weekend off. These people work hard! Nothing less than admirable to observe their work. … Continue reading Work work work…
Today’s picture was taken in Halong Bay , up in northern Vietnam. When traveling in this region, you will notice most smaller cargo ships, boats, and fishing vessels, have been painted in very beautiful color schemes. You will also notice these vessels function as both a workplace as well as their home. And home away from home (traveling home). Rgds, Sailor Continue reading Home sweet home.
Remember when we sailed up this river, using 3-4 hours. Starting around 5 AM. All the twist and turns as the river snakes and bends? Then it turns out it is still another hour before we are there. Again, because of the river is not straight up and down.😁 rgds Sailor Kai Ståle Ødegård Continue reading Up Saigon river….
Working on a cruise ship, is more than just pretty uniforms with a lot of gold stripes on your shoulders. The days can be very busy with a lot of stuff happening. And contrary to what urban myths tell you, Cruise ship offices need to take part in dozens of various job activities, which is not always that fancy. The pictures in this little blog … Continue reading A regular day on a cruise ship.
Relax, it was just a drill. The weekly drill all ships in the world must conduct, according to international maritime law. And the kind of drill should be fairly easy to guess. Yep, it was a Biohazard drill (or chemicals). It goes back to early 2000s when this was a real deal around the globe. Especially the scare and fear for these kinds of attacks. … Continue reading When the alarm bells are sounding.
I have over the years been asked many times about how it is to work on a cruise ship when bad weather sets in. Well, as I always would reply, it kind of depends of the ship’s size and how bad the weather is. But regardless of this we will notice the weather one way or another. It might only be some slight rolling (side … Continue reading When bad weather sets in.
The date is 19th of October, 1995 As I walked up the gangway on M/V Seabourn Pride, in Piraeus, I was greeted by the Second Officer whom I was supposed to replace (relieve) as he was soon going on vacation. But first we needed an overlap, or a “handover period” in order for me to understand what my new job on this particular type of … Continue reading The journey begins.
The Day of the Seafarer, held on 25 June every year, draws global attention to the contribution that seafarers make to world trade. As the world slowly moves through the pandemic, it is more important than ever not only to acknowledge the efforts that seafarers have made to keeping the supply chain open despite extremely challenging conditions, but also to ensure that the future being … Continue reading Day of the Seafarer 2021.
As far back as I can remember, my grandmother was a very hard working women, with a big heart. When thinking back to my childhood, I can not remember one single incident where she cried or was upset. Talking to my family, friends (who knew her) and relatives, absolutely none of them can remember her being angry or annoyed at anything Surely she had her … Continue reading My Grandmother (1914 – 2006).
As per Maritime Domain Awareness Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT GoG) and Dryad Global, a maritime security firm reporting, a Liberian flagged container ship MV MOZART was boarded by the pirates about 100 NM NW of Sao Tome while the vessel was en route from Lagos to Cape Town. There were 19 crew members onboard at the time of incident, out of which 18 … Continue reading Gulf of Guinea: Pirates Kill One, Kidnaps 15 Crew From A Container Ship.
This is a very informative article……. It’s a $6-billion scourge that afflicts Navy destroyers, cruise ships and historic vessels like the Queen Mary without fear or favor. It’s such a problem that professional organizations and conferences are dedicated to its existence — and its suppression. It’s also on your shower head. The orange stain of metal corrosion may be a nuisance in the bathroom, but … Continue reading That rust on your shower head? It’s a $6-billion problem for the Navy, cruise ships and more.
Ever wondered why ship’s speed is measured in knots and not in km/ hour or metre / sec? Well, read on to know the history behind it. During earlier days, mariners used to measure how fast their boat was moving by throwing a piece of wood or other floatable object over the vessel’s bow and then by counting the amount of time elapsed before the … Continue reading Ever wondered why ship’s speed is not measured in Miles/hour or KM/hour? Here is the answer!
IMO Secretary-General highlights plight of seafarers as new video tells seafarer stories. UN Human Rights Day puts the global spotlight on the importance of human rights in the post-COVID recovery. IMO is highlighting the plight of the hundreds of thousands of seafarers who are still stranded at sea and has issued a strong call for their fundamental rights to be respected. It is estimated that … Continue reading Standing up for stranded seafarers on UN Human Rights Day.
Two Brazilian pilots and officer from the Philippines will receive the 2020 IMO Award. Two Brazilian pilots who averted an environmental disaster and an officer from the Philippines who ensured the survival of fellow passengers from a sinking vessel while off-duty will receive the 2020 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. Meeting for its 124th session (12-14 October), the IMO Council endorsed the recommendation from a … Continue reading Brazilian and Filipino seafarers to receive IMO Bravery Award.
So when we say the word cruise ships or luxury yachts, what color will it be in your imagination? Probably white, right? It is so because we’re used to seeing big white cruise ships. Now the question is whether white color is necessary, fancy or just a tradition? Different people comes out with different reasons, but are all of them true? Let’s have a look … Continue reading Why Cruise Ships And Yachts Are Mostly Painted White.
UN, maritime industry, business and union leaders warn of deepening crew change crisis which threatens trade and maritime safety. Some 400,000 seafarers from across the globe are now stranded on ships, continuing to work but unable to be relieved, in a deepening crew change crisis which threatens trade and maritime safety. During a high-level event on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (24 … Continue reading 400,000 seafarers stuck at sea as crew change crisis deepens.
The Titanic’s only voyage ended in tragedy on April fifteenth, 1912. At the time of the disaster, it was the largest and most advanced ship ever constructed. Designed to carry more than 2,400 passengers and almost 900 crew members, the Titanic had certainly earned its name. But with over a century of advancement, how are today’s cruise ships different from those of Titanic’s day? Sure, … Continue reading How are today’s cruise ships different from those of Titanic’s day?
The Traveller 