M/V Noble Ace
I have been onboard for two weeks now, my first car carrier!
We started off at Baltimore where I joined with a few others. Since then we have spent days drifting around and moving a few hundred miles at a time until we hear a confirmed route from Headquarters in London. Since that minor pandemic that took over the world the shipping lanes have been held up considerably. Zodiac have a fleet of just over 100 and finding a contract for all these vessels is difficult. Out of those 100 vessels about 10 are car carriers and out of those 10 only a few will be used. We have made it into those few vessels it seems as we have a route taking us up and down the east coast of the US before crossing to the west coast of Africa and finally onto Taiwan and Japan in a few months’ time.
I have settled into my routine again like I was never away. Most days I work with a young 3rd engineer or a motorman who teach me as much as they can. Already I feel like I am learning more than last time. So far, we have done some smaller jobs on the generators, purifiers and most recently the sea water pumps for cooling machinery. These have proven to be the most stressful because just as it seems to be working it starts leaking and it's back to square one taking it all apart again. The first few times I was just watching and operating the chain blocks to lift up the pumps but more recently I have spent all afternoon under the floorboards on the bottom deck taking the pumps apart myself with the motorman.
This is what I missed from my time at college, finding a job that proves difficult and really getting my hands dirty pulling machinery apart. The crew find it funny most of the time because I just throw myself at job no matter how messy it is. Just today I got covered in a thick black sludge as I helped to clean out the Waste Oil Tank with the 3rd Engineer. Once we reach the port of Veracruz, Mexico, on the 10th then we have permission to replace the fuel injectors on at least 3 cylinders. This is where the real engineering takes place in my opinion, when the floor is scatted in tools, the main engine is lying in pieces and you have you head in a cylinder head undoing the smaller of bolts.
Compared to last time this crew is a true godsend. They are actually appreciative of cadets, they see us as another pair of hands they can use to get the job done and they don’t seem to bother whenever you ask a question. So far I have worked with basically everyone in the Engine Room, some days I get paired with the electrician and we tour the vessel replacing lights or wires. He talks while we work and even though his English isn’t the best, he manages to explain all the systems we work on.
I say it’s too early to think of getting off but by the looks of it there will be a large crew change in Japan at the start of November and I think I will try get home then.
3 and a half months to go.