Port of Darwin, Australia. 1991 - 40°C
"I found my old personal 'Bridge Logbook' (not the official Bridge Logbook kept by the navigation officer) and inside are log entries of my watches I did during my time at sea on board the MV Doulos (1990-1992). To know more about this remarkable ship, read all about it Deck CadetUnfortunately, only a part of those voyages was recorded - but it does provide an insight into the kind of experience we had during operations and work on the ship. The journal entries have not been edited and are the exact transcription from my logbook I kept - so keep your grammar rules aside as the entries were mostly a 'quick scribble' before crashing into bed after my watch.
Do enjoy reading through it - may be 'boring' at times, but so were my hours on the Bridge, as truthfully speaking, sometimes, "nothing really happened." So "Full Ahead" and have that mug of coffee ready."
Darwin - Honiara 2nd January
0800 - Moderate seas with scattered rain clouds. Vessel moving easily to low swells. Wind speed 4-6 kts SSE'ly. Nothing in sight. Saw a raft with a coffin on it with palm branch sticking out!No: 3193. Rain came on us, the weather was cool, when later, the sun shone through the clouds.
1200 - 25 mins after Stand Down, rain starts to pour again. Rain clouds everywhere.
3rd January
0800 - Over the Solomon Sea. Cloudy weather. Visibility up to 7 only. A Log Carrier bound for New Zealand past our stern. We contacted them on VHF. Nothing in sight.
1200 - Hugh rain clouds and overcast sky at this time. Wind started picking up to Force 3 at 1130. Drizzling a bit. Vessel moving steadily to course 090˚, allowing +5˚ set to 087˚ T.
4th January
0530 - Wake up call to work. Tired. We berthed at around 0840 hrs. Official Opening.
1430 - Cast off to Anchorage
1800 - Cargo ship delayed us. Had to go in tomorrow morning at 0600
2000 - Lowered lifeboat No.1 to ferry passengers off. Heavy rain!!
2400 - Turn in for Anchor Watch. Sleepy!
0400 - Slept.
5th January
0540 - Woke up by a call by 2nd Mate.
0610 - Anchors heaving away. Mooring stations. All was tired and weary including 1st Mate Mike O'Reilley.
0700 - All lines made fast!
6th January
0615 - Cast off to go to anchorage point. Again!!!
7th January
1600 - Cargo ship unable to finish on time. We go in tomorrow.
8th January
0400 - Anchor Watch
0500 - Tested the gear.
0530 - All tested. Engines on Air & Fuel.
0600 - Anchor heaving. I was on the Engine Telegraph.
0850 - Ship is alongside. Praise the Lord!
13th January
HONIARA (Solomon Is.) - RABAUL (PNG)
0900 - Transferred steel plates from Hold 1 to Captain's Deck.
1430 - Tested the gear & engine
1620 - Full Away. Gloomy weather. Raining on and off.
1729 - Spotted a full-fledged 'water spout'. Raining again
1948 - Report for my watch at 2000, ship pitching very lightly to head swells. Nothing in sight. No ships. Passed by Russell Islands.
2400 - Rain clouds. Raining. Vessel pitching very lightly to head swells. Low swells.
14th January
0800 - Passing New Georgia Islands. Nothing in sight.0900 - Muster Drill.
1200 - By now we passed 'Major Boyington's New Georgia Island'. Home of the VMF Air Marine 'Black Sheep' Squadron of VF4-U Corsair aircraft at Munda during WWII. Smooth sea. Visibility 7/8. Light airs. No waves. Very low swells.
2000 - Reported for duty.
2400 - Stood down. Went to the Mess to eat.
15th January
0800 - Reported for duty. OOW (Officer Of the Watch) gave me the opportunity to take over the 'alteration of course' from 317˚ T to 217˚ T.
0858 - Altered course.
1030 - Spotted a coffin on a raft. Ordered, "port 10" to inspect. Resumed normal course after that.
1200 - Stood down.
2000 - New Ireland on our starboard side and we altered course at 2130 and 'Stopped Engines' to drift. Will start-up again at 0300 tomorrow.
16th January
0800 - Reported for duty. Pilot on board. Rabaul! Volcanoes still active all around the place. Beautiful wrecks everywhere. The airfield, former base of the Imperial Japanese Forces during WWII.
0920 - Ship along side, portside.
27th January
0600 - Turn to.
1030 - Tested gear.
1200 - Cast off to Lae! Full away at 1250 hrs. Fine weather.
1600 - Muster Drill. My boat crew was in good mood today. Weather, 'squally'! Fine low swell. Ship is pitching gently.
2000 - Smooth sea, pitching to head seas. Low swells. We changed course to 239˚ T at 2115. Fishing vessel in sight with 'green light' and also it rained at 2230. Cloudy and scattered showers. Fine and clear.
2400 - Stood down.
VOYAGE TO LAE (PNG) 28th January
0800 - Reported for duty. Land ho! Starboard side! We altered course from 239˚ T, Deviation was 9˚ E. Scattered rain cloud formation in the distance. Nothing in sight.
1200 - Stood down, wrote the Log.
2000 - Reported for duty. Two vessels nearby, one small cruise vessel radioed us. Wind started picking up to 10 kts.
2150 - I took a 'gyro error'. 0.3 Low. Smooth sea tonight. Scattered thunderclouds and flashes.
2400 - Stood down.
LAE, PNG 29th January
0745 - Reported for stations. Pilot on board. We went alongside, Port side. Finished with the engines at 0830. Sunny. Several ships in port. Scattered thunderclouds in the distance. Postcard, crystal-clear waters in Lae. I can see the whole length of the ship's hull below the waterline all the way to the ship's propeller. The ship's draft is only 5.5m.
MADANG - Voyage to PALAU, Micronesia. 2nd March
0200 - Started work with 3 other seaman, 2nd Officer in-charge.
0530 - Tested gear.
0620 - Pilot on board. We had to wait for Customs personnel to clear things. We finally got off at 0740. Stood down.
1200 - Reported for duty. Vessel pitching to Moderate sea and swells. Passed Kar Kar Island at 1000 ( For your information, Kar Kar Island erupted and blew it's top a few years after this.)
1530 - Cargo ship bears down on our course but later, changed its course. Passed us to our port side. The first ship on my watch.
1600 - Stood down. NW winds up to 3/4. Fine and clear. Visibility 8. Partly cloudy. Manam volcano Island on our port side 7 points (4,540 ft).
3rd March
2400 - Reported for duty. for my whole watch, it rained heavily. Nothing to see. Lightning flashes in the distance.
0400 - Vessel pitching easily to Moderate seas and swells. NW winds and squally weather.
1600 - Nothing in sight. Still raining. Our speed was 8.5 kts. Vessel pitching to slight seas and low/mod swells. Long swells.
2400 - Reported for duty. No rain but there was a Force 4 wind, 26 kts. Nothing in sight.
0400 - Stood down.
4th March
1200 - Reported for duty. Today I took a Sun sight and plotted the Noon Latitude. Weather, fine.
1600 - Nothing in sight. Worked on the compass error too. Stood down. Fine and clear.
Visibility 8. Partly cloudy. Vessel pitching to slight sea and swells.
5th March
2400 - Reported for duty. Clear skies. Nothing in sight. Tired. Retard time to 60 mins.
0400 - Stood down.
1200 - Reported for duty. Took gyro error. Nothing in sight.
1600 - Stood down.
6th March
2400 - Reported for duty. Nothing in sight.
0400 - Stood down. Pilot will come aboard at 0600 later. Time to catch up some sleep.
Reached PALAU waters.
"As we neared Palau, we entered through an opening of the barrier reefs. Seen above in the distance is a shipwreck."
0600 - Woken up by Duty Officer. I was needed on the Bridge. Got cleaned up in double time. Had my coffee on the Bridge. No time to go to the Mess. Clear sunny day. Calm seas. By the looks of it, why I was needed on the Bridge was to have an extra lookout and steering every other hour.
0615 - Pilot on board. Calm seas. Coral reefs everywhere. Going to be a test of piloting skills. Alertness is crucial.
0800 - Entered the 'Gates'. Coral reefs, small islands to the port and starboard of us. We switched our hands on the helm every hour, for 6 hours.
0945 - Calm seas. Entering some 'tighter' passage through the reefs and islands. 'Cone' shaped islands everywhere. Fascinating!
1015 - Pilot was calling for frequent course changes even before the last course change was completed. We switched to "Dual" power on our rudder for faster response to course changes. (Later on during the day, we were both reprimanded by the Chief Engineer for doing so!) We could have strained the steering gear hydraulic pumps on this old ship. Oops!
1100 - Speed is at "Half Ahead". Tired.
1230 - Finally berthed at Koror harbour. Crystal clear waters here.
1245 - Stood down. Lunch in the Mess. Headed straight to bed.
KOROR, Palau Island - Kaohsiung, ROC Taiwan 13th March
0600 - All engines and gear on Standby.
0650 - All lines clear.
0800 - Full Away.
1200 - Reported for duty. Nothing in sight. Rain!!
1600 - Stood down.
www.doulos1914blogspot.com
Saturday 14th March
2400 - New time back to +0800 GMT. Ship was pitching and rolling to Moderate seas and swells. Wind Force 4-5. Drizzling.
0400 - Stood down.
1200 - Reported for duty. Sent one seaman off to rest, he was unfit for duty. Sunny and vessel was pitching and rolling 5˚ from port to starboard. Moderate seas and swells. Fine and clear. Prepared charts for voyage to Taiwan to Hong Kong.
1600 - Stood down.
Sunday 15th March
2400 - Reported for duty. Nothing in sight. Vessel pitching to Moderate seas and swells. Rolling 5˚ port to starboard. Squally weather. Planned the passage from Taiwan to Hong Kong. Plotted the course on the first chart.
0400 - Stood down. Visibility 8. Cloudy and squally.
1200 to 1600 watch - I was given a relief! (Break)
Monday 16th March
2400 - Reported for duty. Cloudy and squally. Checked the charts for the passage to HK. Confirmed through pilot books. Vessel moving easily to slight seas and low swells. Today was better!
Fishing boat detected! First vessel for me in these waters!
0400 - Stood down.
1200 - Reported for duty, scattered rain clouds. Smooth sea to slight. Winds variable. Occasional showers. On this watch, I finished planning and charting the course for Kaohsiung to Hong Kong.
1600 - False alarm on the on board alarm panel. Stood down. Raining. Visibility 6/7. Squally weather.
Tuesday 17th March
2400 - Reported for duty. Moonlit night. Clear weather. Checked information on HK from pilot books and Light & Radio lists.
0225 - Picked up a vessel on the radar at bearing 164˚, speed 15.0 kts on course 316˚. Smooth seas, SE winds up to Beaufort scale 3. Partly cloudy, almost Full moon.
Steering course 320˚ T at 0100. Our position is almost at the northern tip of Luzon, Philippines.
My 'compass error' calculations.
www.doulos1914blogspot.com
0400 - Position at this time is 19˚ 01'.85"N 122˚ 50'.90"E. Gyro error checked and observed. NIL. Stood down. Ship's speed up to 12.4 kts today! Average is 11.5 kts.
1200 - Reported for duty. Passed some islands belonging to the Philippines. Beautiful islands.
1345 - Sighted two vessels bearing 344˚ and 187˚. Lots of ships now. Three vessels sighted, 023˚, 046˚ and 026˚. All passed clear.
1600 - Position now 20˚ 14'.32"N 121˚ 19'.01"E. Vessel moving easily to smooth seas. N'ly winds at scale of 2.
KAOHSIUNG 18th March
2400 - Temperature now is 21˚C. Wind was cool and nice! Foggy! Picked up the coast of Taiwan now. Numerous fishing vessels. Very tense moment on the Bridge. We altered course a number of times. Visibility down to 6. The ship's whistle was sounded.
0400 - Stood down. Had my breakfast in the Mess. Slept. I'm still hearing the ship's whistle as I'm sleeping - the Funnel is just outside my cabin. That's where the whistle is!
0700 - Woke up and reported for duty. Foggy. Sea traffic all around. Docked opposite a Taiwanese navy base.
KAOHSIUNG - HONG KONG 7th April
Tuesday
1600 - Left the pilot station and altered course to a new course line. Gunnery practice in our vicinity. 'Smoggy'. Still and fine than when we came in. Navy ship passed us. Two actually!! One was a missile frigate. Numerous fishing boats.
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Had my supper. More fishing vessels in sight. RACON sighted.
2000 - Sea was smooth. Wind 2 from NNW. Steering 269˚ T 3˚ E of deviation. Fine and clear. Clear sky. Cool, 26˚C and humidity at 91%.
Wednesday 8th April
0400 - Reported for duty. Quite cold. Still adjusting, 20˚C, 91% humidity. Winds N by E at 2. Numerous vessels.
0515 - Daylight breaks. Usual sight of fishing boats. Sighted a 'Junk boat'.
0800 - Sea was slight, winds at Beaufort scale 2. Steering to 280˚ T +10˚ set. Stood down.
1600 - Stopped engines to drift at 1605. Few ships passed by. Containers. Temperature was 19.5˚C and NE'ly winds were blowing. Lots of fishing boats. Had my supper and went up to the Bridge. Fine weather.
2000 - Stood down.
Voyage to HK
Thursday 9th April
0330 - Woke up and reported for duty. Quite cold. 20˚C. Humidity is 91%. Container vessel EVERGREEN overtook us from the starboard quarter. Another, belonging to Wan Hai Lines came in between us at 23 kts.
Foggy!
0800 - Stood down.
1030 - Reported for duty again. Pilot aboard. 'Close shave' between two ships! Tight corners for the helmsman!
1100 - Anchored at Western Anchorages. Immigration officials on board.
1530 - Second Pilot on board. Visibility, poor. A few hundred metres only! Raining and squally.
1650 - Berthed at HK's Ocean Terminal.
HONG KONG - KAOHSIUNG (Taiwan ROC) 21st April
Tuesday
1330 - Tested the gear, engines and telegraph.
1350 - Gear tested ok.
1600 - Continued my watch. Boat drill at 1800.
2000 - Position 22˚ 12'.56"N 114˚ 46'.32"E. Vessel moving to Smooth sea and very Low swells. Fine and clear. Temperature 24˚C. Humidity 91%. Wind at No.1 Beaufort scale.
0330 - Woke up.
0400 - Reported for duty. Rain! Smooth sea. Fishing vessels all around. All in a group! Visibility 7. Temperature 21˚C. Humidity 91%. E'ly winds at Force 2. Low swells. A few large vessels went past us.
0800 - Stood down.
1600 - Reported for duty. Same weather situation. Smooth sea. Spotted RACON and plotted its position on the chart. Keep clear of the oil rig!
2000 - Stood down. Engines STOP. Half hour notice to Engine Room. Drift. Start her up again at 0130. Pilot station tomorrow at 0830. Into the floating docking tomorrow. Get ready. We're also installing a new diesel generator here.
Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Floating dock) 2nd May
Saturday.
2100 - Tested the gear and engines. Completed my checklist at 2153. Watertight doors inspected (Closed). All crew on 'Standby' as we could be 'Away' anytime. The anchor windlass was inoperable! We watched movies as we wait. Alert mode.
2300 - Vessel moving out finally after days of delay from the work on the anchor windlass.
2330 - Full Away. Stood down.
KAOHSIUNG - HONG KONG 3rd May
Sunday
0400 - Reported for duty. Many fishing vessels as well as commercial vessels around.
"Taiwan Banks!"
0800 - Stood down. Steering 270˚ T, +3˚ set. 2˚ E on the magnetic compass. Wind direction N, Force 2. Sea 'Slight', partly cloudy. Visibility 8. Barometer 1012, 25˚C, 84% humidity. Northerly swells. Went to the Mess to have breakfast. Off to bed after that.
1600 - Reported for duty. Nothing unusual. Usual sightings - commercial and fishing vessels.
2000 - Steering 268˚ T +5 set, 3˚ E on magnetic compass. Winds from the NE at Force 3. Moderate seas, overcast skies, Visibility 7. Barometer scale 1013.2. 23˚C 91% humidity. Moderate swells. NE'ly breeze.
HONG KONG 4th May
0400 - Reported for duty. We restarted the engines - the engines were on "STOP" position before my watch.
0542 - Waglan Island. Light bearing 283˚ X 8.6˚, altered course to 270˚ .
0616 - Allowed set of +5˚.
0645 - 'Nam Kok Sui' bearing 012˚ X 1.13 altered course to 307˚ T.
0707 - 'Chesterman' RL buoy 011˚ X 0.52, altered course to 333˚ T
0741 - 'Lamua Patch' buoy port beam.
0752 - Pilot on board.
0814 - Let go port anchor.
0826 - Brought up to 6 shackles port anchor.
~ NO LOG WAS RECORDED DURING THE VOYAGE FROM HONG KONG TO SOUTH KOREA. ~
"I was ill and down on and off with malarial fever. Point of contact was probably picked up in Rabaul, PNG when I went into the jungle to see old Japanese WWII plane wrecks with a fellow cadet on our day off."
The journey from Hong Kong was interesting! Gale force winds (70 mph) was blowing from our bow, or the term 'running into head seas'! Our ship was slowed down from 12 kts to just a pitiful 2 kts!! Vessel was pitching to heavy head seas.
Numerous fishing vessels with laid out deep-sea nets across our course. We had to alter course and steer our vessel like a car 'dodging' nets and fishing boats.
We used the ship's whistle (or 'horn' if you like), a lot. We finally reached the port of Inchon, S. Korea to a cool 18˚C - 20˚C temperature.
MOKPO 26th May
Tuesday
0400 - Reported for duty.
~ No Log Recorded ~
We journeyed from Inchon - Mokpo - Cheju Island, Pusan & Pohang.
South Korean Customs vessel escorting us into port.
www.doulos1914blogspot.com
POHANG, South Korea - VLADIVOSTOK, Russia. 29th July
Wednesday.
0415 - Wake up call. Reported for duty. Quiet morning. No ships in sight.
0800 - Sea was calm, hazy. Visibility up to 6 miles only. Took two 'compass error' measurements off Capella and the Sun. Stood down.
AT THIS POINT, I WAS DOWN AGAIN WITH MALARIAL FEVER. NO LOG WAS RECORDED HERE. ~ END ~
p.s As we entered Russian waters (I was still on watch during my illness), I could see from our radar that the 'contacts' were disappearing on and off our screen. It was January 1991, the 'Iron Curtain' had crumbled and now open to the world. We were excited to be able to enter the home of the Russian Pacific Fleet, the second largest naval base in the world after the Northern Fleet.
Most ships of the former Soviet Union were in port, reason was there was insufficient fuel to run them. Fuel rations were in enforced. Only once in a while we'd see smoke coming out from the smoke-stacks and we'd know that they're just had fuel to 'warm-up' the engines. That's it.
Some ships were left there to rust, for most just sat in port doing nothing. We could see sailors doing 'callisthenic' exercises using the overhead bars on some ships. (But more on Vladivostok in my future posts.)
After Russia, we journeyed to three Japanese ports, namely Nagasaki, Kobe and Kagoshima. Thereafter, I was discharged in, again, Hong Kong. My second home, I was very familiar with the city by now.
I will post stories from my journey plus many others into the category 'Two Years After The Titanic.' They are my experiences interwoven between the lines of my Bridge Logbook so enjoy following me on this journey as an 'addition' to what is written forth here.
Any comments? Do share with me folks.
Thanks for sharing. This brings back so many memories. I was on the bridge for many of these journeys.
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