^^^^^^^^*******^^^^^^^ SIX ON SIX OFF ^^^^^^^^*******^^^^^^^

So continuing from where I left...well I did not report on time and Chief Officer (Ch/Off) called me to Cargo Control Room (CCR)----..

I quickly brushed my teeth , washed my face, changed and rushed towards the CCR, but to make things worse I couldn't find the damn CCR . After running on all the decks I finally located the door to the CCR. I knocked and asked with a voice filled with fear and a mind that was prepared for the worst " May I come in sir ??"

To my surprise the Ch/Off greeted me with a smile, asked me if I had slept well and then just told me not to be late next time. "Phew!!!! Maybe I should stop thinking about what I have heard...things aren't really that bad here" I thought. 

The Ch/Off then called the senior cadet and told him to take care of me and  help me get familiar with all the shipboard operations.  

The senior cadet did try his best to help me learn a most of things but after a while everything was just going over my head and the only thing I learnt was my working hours and rest hours.. and I know a lot of my fellow mates would say that there are no working hours for cadet's ( which by the way is kind of true) but I am taking about the SIX ON SIX OFF

So, for all the new cadet's let me tell you SIX ON SIX OFF means. Its basically when you work for 6 hours straight then 6 hours rest then again 6 hours of work and the same scheduled is followed.

My Six On Six Off continued till the vessel was in the port and even though I had not really expected it, even the rest of the crew tried to make me feel as comfortable as possible. I still remember one of them was kind enough to suggest that I take a break and sit in the shade on a particularly hot day!!

After loading around 20K tonnes of Palm Oil, we finally sailed towards Iran, and there it was- my first sailing....and just like my fellow sea-farer's, this was something that I was looking forward to since the day I enrolled for the pre-sea Training. I felt a child like pride as I wore my uniform and got ready for my first bridge watch. 

As I climbed up the stairs that led to the  bridge, I saw that the sun was going down and trust me when I say that it was the most beautiful thing I had seen in  my life ( I am pretty sure that someone is going to kill me when she reads this...so sorry :p). But I still get goosebumps when I think about it as the beauty of the sea was just breath taking.

Even though I was supposed to get familiar with all the bridge equipments , I was just too excited  to concentrate on anything at that moment. Everything seemed like a scene straight out of some movie. You might think that I am exaggerating but when I went to the bridge wing and saw the sea around me and felt the cold air on my face....I just felt every fear and doubts that I had about joining this profession leaving my mind and at that moment I knew that this was where I was meant to be.

So, yes if you ask me the one word that comes to my mind as soon as you say Merchant Navy....it will always be  " a great adventure" and the first day on the bridge taught me that and I knew that a great journey had just begun.

P.S. I wanted to thank you all of you for the feedback you guys gave me. I was so happy to read that people could relate to my experience however some of the readers were also concerned with the fact that the blog might show this profession in a negative light.

Friends, trust me, I am really proud of being a sea-farer and I have no intention of criticising the merchant navy. All I am trying to do here is to share my experience with those who care to read about it. 

I am not trying to scare anyone. I am just talking about something that is a big part of my life and all I can hope is that it either helps you in some way or that it just brings a smile on your face as you remember the good-old days  :)

*******THE BEGINNING*******

So, as I begin my blog  I would like to mention that this POST sketches out my feelings as a seafarer and the life that we think is easy but the actual scenario is far more different.

THE FIRST DAY

27th  Aug 2008 , Mumbai International Airport, I am holding a one year long contract in my hand and wondering how would life be on-board as a CADET.

My flight was on time and as the plane took off I said to myself India I'll see you after 1 long year, this was my first international flight and rather then being excited I was nervous simply because of one reason- I was going to the sea for the first time and with all what information and stories I had heard from my seniors during my pre-sea time...lets just say my hopes and expectations were not to high

The moment I landed in Malaysia it was morning and I was clueless as to what had to be done with the immigration form that the pretty air hostess had handed over and to make matters worse I saw people from my flight taking a train....I was shell shocked and thought that no the freaking airport could not be that big!!!

But, me being me, instead of asking people for directions , decided to take that train and luckily I was right and felt relived when a person (The Agent) was standing there holding a placard which had my name on it. He completed the formalities for me and told me to collect my baggage and wait for him outside.  

He also told me that the vessel was late for berthing and would arrive sometime in the afternoon and even though it made as much as sense to me as it would to a you people...the non-seafarers..I just nodded my head.

I still remember that I asked him to let me make a phone call home and tell my mother that I had reached safely. Well, I did make that phone call but just could not talk, not because I didn't want too, but because I was crying the whole time and by the time I recollected myself the phone got disconnected.

It took him 2 hours to arrange my clearance at the port and then finally there I was, standing next to a 146 mtrs long Chemical Tanker "M.T. VIDDEN".

M.T VIDDEN ( LOOKS BEAUTIFUL , DOESN'T IT ??)

                                           

Two people came down from the gangway ( the ladder) and helped me with my luggage and I still remember the exact words one of them said to me " Bhai iss mein aisa kya laya hai jo ki itna bhaari hai" and my innocent and scared reply was " sorry sir , aap ye waalo le lo , ye halka hoga"!!!!

Then, a man walks towards me and I can't resist to describe his appearance because this is the main reason behind me starting this blog.

This man wearing a orange boiler suit, eyes puffed out , lots of beard , and the boiler suit was full of stains and grease and he drew his hand forward towards me and said " Hi, CHIEF OFFICER"  

OMG, I was shocked and only one thing came to my mind that if the Chief officer's condition is like this what is going to happen with me, and trust me this was not it.

The crew member which helped me bring my luggage into what I though was my cabin but then I was told that there was shortage of cabin and that is why I was given the Owner's Cabin.I was then asked to report to the Master with all my documents and trust me I had never felt so scared in my life TILL THEN...I say that because after that there have been many instances, hahahaha..!!!

I knocked on his door , greeted him and just as everyone had described....I saw an Old Man which a creepy smile which pretty much said " GET READY TO BE SCREWED SON" 

Well , after while I was called on deck and told by Chief Officer to assist the other Senior Cadet and learn what to do. I was pushed and I worked till like mid-night and was told to report back at 6 in the morning and to make matters worse I didn't had an alarm clock. I requested the other crew members to give me a wake up call in the Owner's Cabin.

As my luck would have it...as soon as I came into the owner's cabin I got a call from the Duty Officer to shift in the Hospital..yes to the hospital...remember I told you about the shortage of cabins. Anyhow most of the night went into shifting my stuff and finally I was able to go to sleep only to wake up the next morning with the phone ringing. I pick up and I hear " You fu****r!!! Its 6.40 and I told you to be on deck by 6. Come and see me in the CCR."

And yes, of course , at that point of time then I felt that now this was the scariest moment in my life.

Well, I hope you liked my first post and would want to read the rest in my second post.!!!!