6 July

Azerbaijan Diaries - Offshore -

Part two

I would start by apologizing about the delay taken to provide the second part of this brief little diary of board, but we had some busy days and the time off was spent mainly eating and sleeping. But here we are, already into the month of July and still seeing only a faded reflection of the finishing line. During the last few days of June, right when we were becoming optimistic about our speed of work, bad weather struck again and this time the vessel had to sail to the closest port for shelter. In a way the subconscious of many of us was hoping for a deserved rest and the stop at port provided the chance for some to get some sleep and for others to spend the night home with the family.

It is curious to see how a port call changes quickly the atmosphere on board. Some people leave for good and get replaced by new faces and some old faces change thanks to a professional moustache trim and haircut. Even if you haven’t put a foot on land you can benefit by the quick “pit-stop” by enjoying again some fresh fruit and little changes in the meals menu! Unfortunately we also had bad news at the end of the month, when one of the guys in my shift had to leave the ship because his brother was rushed to the hospital; we heard later the same night that he passed away. So Ilgar left when we were at port, and I told the rest of the guys that we would take it slow at the beginning but we would readjust the roles and manage nevertheless with one man short.

The daily life on board now continues with its necessary routine. In my case this has now included a session of Domino after dinner with some of the crew. I have only played two games so far and not really aware of the tricks in the game, but I have understood the basic rule: slamming your piece hard on the table when you play it will gain you the respect of the players. Don’t ask me why but that’s how it works.

The tiredness now is beginning to surface inside many of us and gives rise to occasional and sporadic episodes of frustration and bitterness. It is a question of powering through, rest whenever possible and try to get this thing done as soon as possible. I have found a spot on deck that is become my chill out when I am off after lunch; it’s basically the spare anchor which, with few meters of plastic tube coiled around and three cargo nets wrapped in the middle forms something you could find in the cool armchairs section in Ikea. Well at least that’s what it is now for me. I spend a little bit of time every day laying there, listening to music, watching the sky and thinking.