Damned Voyage. В. Волмир

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СКАЧАТЬ right away. Tea can always be made because there is always boiling water – the electric stove keeps the water temperature in the kettle at 95 degrees constantly.

      The next day acquaintance with the ship and crew. No one specifically assembles the crew, so I go by myself, inspect the room, the installed equipment and introduce myself to the staff which are in the room.

      The ship is designed to transport bulk cargo (ore, coal, grain) class «Panamax» was built fourteen years ago in Japan. Automation class A1. The customer company saved a little, because the main engine from Europe, the company «Sulzer» with a capacity of ten thousand kilowatts at one hundred and sixteen revolutions per minute. Swedish alarm system – «Autronics». Everything else is Japan. Scheme of work in progress: everyone works from eight o'clock to nineteen. Lunch break for one hour and supper for one hour. Two coffee time of thirty minutes each – at ten and at fifteen. In the engine room the general management of works is carried out by the second engineer Serg therefore with it I need to coordinate all actions. Beginning as always: which room is where, where it is turned on, what signals, who is responsible. A separate day to study the Main Switchboard, because it all starts here. In the morning I climbed the gangway and found the second navigator in the wheelhouse, who was engaged in navigation maps. Today we leave Haifa for the port of Kalamata, Greece. From the height of the bridge I inspect the port. Twenty miles away, an American squadron, an aircraft carrier and escort ships, can be seen.

      Then I inspected the navigation devices and the lighting of the bridge and the wheelhouse. The second navigator is also called Vlad, he is twenty-five years old and has been on the ships of this company for four years. Originally from Odessa. A senior navigator named Jan is also from Odessa. Vlad said that the captain is very strict and does not tolerate laxity. And what captain tolerates this? I get down to the engine room, to the central post. There are already senior and second engineers who are discussing the preparation of the main engine for access to the sea. Release time – sixteen o'clock. Time passes quickly in the hustle and bustle and one hour ready heave been announced. I go around the diesel generators, boiler, pumps and go to my place in the central post. From now until the sea, the senior engineer, the second engineer and I will be in this room. From here control all mechanisms and the main engine.

      We do a test run of the main engine – good. We do the reverse – well.

      We report on the bridge about the readiness of the main engine. The voice control on the steering wheel is on, so we can hear all the conversations.

      – Pilot on the board.

      – The tugs are ready.

      – Request «good» to go to the sea.

      – Give out the mooring ropes!

      The machine telegraph came to life, the main engine started working in alternating strokes. We make reverses, I write down everything in the log of readiness and I follow on devices on work of electric generators.

      – Tugs are free, thank you for your work – pilot.

      – Pilot boat to the board! – Captain.

      All. This means that the pilot leaves the ship. Then increase the engine from «small» to «medium» and wait for the cancellation of readiness. The engine increases to «full», but the readiness continues. Forty minutes later we hear the captain's request to the command of the aircraft carrier to pass such a course. It was well received and in twenty minutes the cancellation of readiness was announced.

      Then I was told that it was forbidden to approach a US warship closer than four miles – they could fire. I go out on deck to look at the squadron. The impression is strong. I have never seen an American aircraft carrier before.

      After supper, I again examined the mechanisms and meet in the central post with both engineer. Talking about the plan for the works which necessary to do. So ended my first day aboard the ship. The ship at the sea and heading to the Greeks port Kalamata. The port of Kalamata located on one of the great South islands of Greece in the arc of calm bays, even the ideal round shape. The depth in the bay more than a hundred meters and the ship is not stay an anchor, but wrecked at the drift. At port of Calamata all ships of the Greek shipowners call that are in Mediterranean pestilence, to get supply and spare parts. To encourage shipowners, the Greek government has introduced tax breaks for those who use goods made in Greece.

      We also have to get provisions and spare parts. They drifted around four in the morning. Receive command to prepare a stern crane to receive cargo. I go to the deck and by the way pay attention to the fact that not all floodlights are on. It is necessary to deal with it urgently.

      In Kalamata stood twelve hours. While accepting the cargo, the captain's wife came to the captain – a woman of medium height with gray hair and brought with her two barrels of wine.

      Later I learned that the captain comes from this island and has a lot of land here where he grows grapes and olives.

      On the ship, the usual hustle and bustle – acceptance of cargo, reconciliation with invoices, quantity, signing of invoices and returning them with a thin rope down to the boat. I noticed a very unpleasant picture: down on the boat, one of the two people who brought provisions, leaned over a stack of boxes and greedily stuffed peaches in his mouth. Several dozen apples lay side by side in an empty cardboard box.

      Further course to Gibraltar. There's bunkering and on to the States. The next day, I agree on a plan for my work with Serg and receive a «good» for all four days left in Gibraltar to do deck lighting. I decided to start from the top – from the bridge. I am made himself a donkey so that he could get to the lamp freely, gathered the tool in a bag and started working.

      As is done on all ships in the world, behind the wheelhouse was a radio cabin to which adjoined the cabin of the radio officer.

      Because light armature not serviced for a long time, then I had to dismantle all the middle from the armature, bring everything to workshop and them mount everything on a regular basis.

      After lunch, when I began to dismantle the lamp armature that was directly above the porthole of Oleg's cabin, I stood on a bench and involuntarily looked over the curtain window into the cabin.

      In addition to the owner, the senior and third navigators and a sailor doctor sat at the table. On the table was a liter bottle of vodka and some snacks. They drank.

      Only then did I realize that in the afternoon until three o'clock the Greeks had a siesta – they were asleep – and at this time they could quietly drink. The appearance of my face on top of the curtain in the porthole shocked them. First, someone grabbed the bottle from the table, and then the shock passed and they continued. I also continued my work. If I only knew what it would lead to!

      But I did not attach importance to it. I have already met this many times. Night call: urgently on the bridge, electrical equipment does not work. I quickly get dressed and hurry to the bridge. The third navigator is on watch.

      – What happened?

      – Where?

      – Why did you call me?»

      – There is no light on the navigator's table.

      I try the switch – there is no light. I feverishly check the shields on the bridge – everything is on. I unscrew the light bulb from the lamp above the navigator's table – it burned out. I immediately take a light bulb from the shelf and screw it into the lamp armature.

      – Was it difficult to do it yourself?

      – This is your job. You talk a lot. Leave.

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