Back on board, and still alongside. Fremantle port turned out to be quite a maze! The ride from Perth city took about 20 minutes, but it took us another half hour to actually get to the boat. Mind you, for all of that half hour the Trident was visible from the bus, it's just that the sheer number of security gates, underpasses and fences in between almost proved too much for the driver. The offsigners were naturally in a very chirpy mood. And we watched them head off for a wine tasting cruise up the river before they fly home :-<.
I'm back on night shifts as usual, only this time, without the usual tiredness 'cos of flights, sleep was a bit elusive. I finally gave up a full two hours before start of shift. And suitably shocked anyone who saw me up and about :-<. The thing that gets you on these long port calls is the silence! It's spooky! When you look aft, there's no wake. No engines running, no hydraulics, nothing. Feels a little weird. I wonder what it'll be like when they start up the massive Bergen Diesels later this afternoon. Hopefully, by then I'll be asleep again, trying to get my protesting body clock to fall back 8 hours.
This early in the morning the dock feels strange. Freo railway station next door has all the lights on, but is completely deserted. Hundreds of cars, freshly offloaded from the bulk carrier in the berth just a little farther up, all shiny and bright under the harsh glare of the tall lamps. More cars getting driven off the ramp, emerging from the dark cavern-like gateway with headlamps like roving eyes, creatures climbing out from the belly of a misshapen whale. And in a minute I'll be on gangway watch. I'm on 4 to 6, maybe I'll get to see the sunrise.
Feeling: sleepy :-<
Listening to: Goo Goo Dolls - Black balloon
I'm back on night shifts as usual, only this time, without the usual tiredness 'cos of flights, sleep was a bit elusive. I finally gave up a full two hours before start of shift. And suitably shocked anyone who saw me up and about :-<. The thing that gets you on these long port calls is the silence! It's spooky! When you look aft, there's no wake. No engines running, no hydraulics, nothing. Feels a little weird. I wonder what it'll be like when they start up the massive Bergen Diesels later this afternoon. Hopefully, by then I'll be asleep again, trying to get my protesting body clock to fall back 8 hours.
This early in the morning the dock feels strange. Freo railway station next door has all the lights on, but is completely deserted. Hundreds of cars, freshly offloaded from the bulk carrier in the berth just a little farther up, all shiny and bright under the harsh glare of the tall lamps. More cars getting driven off the ramp, emerging from the dark cavern-like gateway with headlamps like roving eyes, creatures climbing out from the belly of a misshapen whale. And in a minute I'll be on gangway watch. I'm on 4 to 6, maybe I'll get to see the sunrise.Feeling: sleepy :-<
Listening to: Goo Goo Dolls - Black balloon
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