EXPERIENCE ON BOARD

First of all, I am AET sponsor cadet and being through my second year practical training on crude oil tanker. My first ship was Eagle Trenton and I got sign on at Lake Charles, United State of America. Then, my second ship was Eagle Virginia and got sign on at Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. There were a lot of knowledge and experiences I got from this two ships and I will shared a few of it here.

  So, during my first ship, actually I got really scared to join because I heard a lot of things from my seniors about how they will treat a cadet on board plus I was alone as cadet there  but still I pushed myself to face it whatever happens. I was lucky back then because I was joined there with one AB and one Electrician from Malaysia. So I already got new friends there. When I reached at the accommodation, the third officer asked me to follow him to take round the whole ship for the familiarization. From time to time, I got familiar lot of things, gain knowledge and got known the officers, deck crew, engine department crew very well and I felt comfortable already with the working environment on board.

  Then, the most unforgettable memories and bad for me  when there was a fatality on board. He was the pump man of the ship. This matter happened when the ship was at the North Atlantic sea. We were on the voyage from Canada to Venezuela. When we were at Canada port for discharging the cargo, the pump man was fit as a fiddle and can finish his duty perfectly. After a few days of departure from that port, he got a fever and report to second officer for further advice and medicine. On that day our chief officer already gave him permisiion not to attend his duty on deck. From days to days his fever becoming worst and his face and leg becomes swollen. For this case, he cannot be discharge from the ship because we were at middle at the North Atlantic Sea. Then the top four officers planned to drop him at the nearest port in our voyage that was Puerto Rico, ETA two days from our position. Before we reach there, the pump man collapsed near the weather tight door when he was taking fresh air from outside because he said not too comfortable with the air conditioner space. The chief officer and other officer tried their best for saving the pump man  life with everything they got but still the heart and pulse already stop and not regained. I was on deck actually at that time doing some painting job. My AB called me and immediately I went inside the accommodation and then I saw a cold dead body at the hospital cabin. I saw the crews preparing the body to be shift inside the meat room. Two days the body inside the meat room before we dropped the body at Puerto Rico. Everybody on board becomes mentally down but then we were got up back for carried out ours duty. If I am not mistaken our ship stay at the port for a few days for the investigation and there were a lot of people coming on our ship such as forensic, police, custom, doctors, counsellor and others. So, that was the dark memories I been through in my first ship and I was also grateful because still can manage to carry on my seatime on that ship.

  So my second ship was Eagle Virginia. I was there for 6 months plus. The most 

unforgettable experience and good one for me on that ship was during dry docking at Shekou,China. 

First, I felt very tiring but then I think about it again and be positive to gain knowledge there. So 

during the drydock I could see they are shifting the ship from floating dock to dry. The operation 

took a lot amount of energy and time. Then, my captain assigned me with plenty job on deck 

everyday. It was tiring but  at night by going shore leave with my friend, it can release some stress.At 

the dry dock I can see the hull of the cargo tank clearly because I was assigned to go inside the tank 

for inspection with my officers. I also can see the internal construction of pump, main engine and 

others. So ,that’s all the experience I can share here. Actually there were a lot more and I hope it can 

be usefull to me during my carriers afterwards.