Drama, drama, drama :-<. First they split crew-change over two days, with a whole bunch of us (including me X-(() leaving on the second!! Then they let it slip with us (yes, coincidentally, a disproportionately large majority of the 'us' that were leaving on the second day :|) still breaking our collective back on back-deck round two :|. Spirits weren't running very high I can tell you, but tempers definitely were.... Well, nothing happened but then Buoyweather came to the rescue anyway. It turns out the weather's supposed to decide that things like helicopters will not be allowed to land on things like lowly seismic boats, and shall be swatted out of the sky, and so on and so forth, on Tuesday and Wednesday, i.e. the days of the planned crew-x! How kind of it/them.
In the meantime, the weather's been nice enough to even allow us sunrises!! (As may be obvious from the above image, it wasn't quite as clearly visible as one might have hoped for, but there were significant portions of the sky that turned blue instead of a dingy grey. And there were even some other colours!!!) So, having wrapped up work a second time on the back-deck yesterday, when I landed up on shift at midnight today, a surprise awaited me. Crew change on Monday. Monday!!! Two full days before schedule!!!
Obviously I took it for a joke in very bad taste. Over the course of the next 7-8 hours, however, it became evident that was in fact, not the case!! (Okay, if you could possibly imagine the extent of the nastiness of the practical jokes, and the length and detail to which they are formulated on board a seismic boat, you wouldn't believe fairytale stories like this either, despite whatever proof being thrown in your face however straight the (non, in this case)-perpetrators' faces may be /:).) However, all is not cut and dried. There is the obvious possibility of the weather picking up too early, or of course, the fog coming in. In which case, there's boat transfers to a ferry on Tuesday, and I have to be out driving the standby boat for half the time at least :-S. I'm actually sometimes quite surprised that Murphy wasn't in fact in the seismic business.
But in any case, one must prepare for the earliest exit possible :|. For the last few sign-offs, we've had to actually pack our bags, and have them weighed for the chopper manifests! Now this is something I completely detest. I hate packing when I know I'll have to unpack again :|. Thus far, I'd even gotten away with it, pleading, whinging, lying (yes, I'm not proud of myself) left right and centre. But. There is always a time and a place when one must reconsider taking the chance of pissing off the Medic. (She's the one who weighs the bags, and also helps prepare the manifests, you do not want to risk landing up on the eighth chopper off the boat on a dicey crew-change day :-&.)
What the hell, I figured it might even be a good opportunity. I was very satisfied with the result actually. Stepped into my cabin, stepped back out with my bags all packed - just under seven minutes \:D/. With a ten minute deadline, that would still leave me a full three minutes to change and the dash up to the helideck! Comfortable :), and this was just my first attempt. Under more compelling circumstances, I'm sure I could shave off another couple of minutes at least!
It is a genuine miracle, I tell you, how nothing stupid happens on these last few days before tense crew-changes :-<.
Currently: on edge, already!!
Listening to: Marilyn Manson - Rock is dead
In the meantime, the weather's been nice enough to even allow us sunrises!! (As may be obvious from the above image, it wasn't quite as clearly visible as one might have hoped for, but there were significant portions of the sky that turned blue instead of a dingy grey. And there were even some other colours!!!) So, having wrapped up work a second time on the back-deck yesterday, when I landed up on shift at midnight today, a surprise awaited me. Crew change on Monday. Monday!!! Two full days before schedule!!!Obviously I took it for a joke in very bad taste. Over the course of the next 7-8 hours, however, it became evident that was in fact, not the case!! (Okay, if you could possibly imagine the extent of the nastiness of the practical jokes, and the length and detail to which they are formulated on board a seismic boat, you wouldn't believe fairytale stories like this either, despite whatever proof being thrown in your face however straight the (non, in this case)-perpetrators' faces may be /:).) However, all is not cut and dried. There is the obvious possibility of the weather picking up too early, or of course, the fog coming in. In which case, there's boat transfers to a ferry on Tuesday, and I have to be out driving the standby boat for half the time at least :-S. I'm actually sometimes quite surprised that Murphy wasn't in fact in the seismic business.
But in any case, one must prepare for the earliest exit possible :|. For the last few sign-offs, we've had to actually pack our bags, and have them weighed for the chopper manifests! Now this is something I completely detest. I hate packing when I know I'll have to unpack again :|. Thus far, I'd even gotten away with it, pleading, whinging, lying (yes, I'm not proud of myself) left right and centre. But. There is always a time and a place when one must reconsider taking the chance of pissing off the Medic. (She's the one who weighs the bags, and also helps prepare the manifests, you do not want to risk landing up on the eighth chopper off the boat on a dicey crew-change day :-&.)
What the hell, I figured it might even be a good opportunity. I was very satisfied with the result actually. Stepped into my cabin, stepped back out with my bags all packed - just under seven minutes \:D/. With a ten minute deadline, that would still leave me a full three minutes to change and the dash up to the helideck! Comfortable :), and this was just my first attempt. Under more compelling circumstances, I'm sure I could shave off another couple of minutes at least!
It is a genuine miracle, I tell you, how nothing stupid happens on these last few days before tense crew-changes :-<.
Currently: on edge, already!!
Listening to: Marilyn Manson - Rock is dead
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