I have been onboard the MV Logos Hope nearly two weeks now and I am overwhelmed with all sorts of topics to talk about. I have not yet been able to get any photos up, but they are coming. This is partly due to the internet being very interesting here on the ship, and a couple other technical difficulties.
Most of my work hours so far have been spent getting the engines into better working condition. I spent a few days dismantling portions of the fuel pump oil drainage system on engine four (otherwise known as the horse with no name) in order to clean the sludge out because the lubrication system is under maintenance. The rest of my time has been spent doing some peculiar jobs consisting of re-insulating the air exhausts on each cylinder on each of the four engines, re-insulating portions of the HVAC systems, some machining and other odds and ends. These engines, as you will see are massive, and much larger than anything I have ever worked on. We are talking fuel injectors the size of your arm, cylinders larger in diameter than myself, rocker arms three feet long, etcetera. Because they are so large, in some aspects they are easier to work with, however because of their weight, parts can be trickier to maneuver.
On Sunday, which was one of my days off, I worked in the galley all day cleaning and cooking. This was very enjoyable work compared to the greasy pit that is the engine room. In the galley there are wonderful luxuries like sunlight, fresh air, music, and people you can actually have a conversation with without having to yell through protective ear wear. I did have a notably good laugh while moving a large stack of pans. This is because I am used to carrying heavy stuff down in the ship, and I thought nothing of moving this relatively lighter stack of pans, but to my amusement I was looked at like some sort of superhero for carrying the entire stack at once. I plan on working in the galley when Sunday rolls around again.
The crew here is a pretty awesome collection of people from all around the world from all different walks of life. I’ve quickly made good friends with many onboard particularly with other project workers and mostly people not actually in the marine operations department (which is the department I belong to). I have also had the great opportunity to further my russian. In fact, one afternoon last week in Dublin, I had spoken so little english that by the end of the day I was mentally exhausted. I now feel much more comfortable with speaking quicker and am not as cautious to making mistakes here as I am with the russian community at Purdue (this is a good thing). I am not the only one learning, as a few of my new friends are taking this opportunity to better their english simultaneously.
I have observed that the ship is far from perfect in its construction, operation, and community. It is certainly a very unique community here, and there are many good qualities I have observed mixed with what I would consider almost inhuman behaviors that will take some further observation to fully understand. Despite these hurdles the ship is already reaching out to many new people at every port, including the crew itself. I am very excited to continue sailing and learning with the MV Logos Hope and its crew.
Here at Cardiff, we are actually docked right next to Cardiff Bay, which I recognized instantly as one of the popular shooting locations in the newer Doctor Who series which started a few years ago. As it turns out there is a big Doctor Who exhibition here, and a variety of landmarks to see. Dublin was great and the outreach was fantastic. Hopefully I will be able to share more through the photos that are on their way. The day at sea was very enjoyable, even while I was working. At the end of the day I relaxed in a hammock hung at the rear of the ship watching the sun drop below the horizon wondering who came up with this idea that it is worse for your eyes to stare into the sun rather than when the sun is at any other point in your field of view (your eyes are absorbing the same amount of visible and ultraviolet light, just at a different point on your retina right?). -Well, it turns out both are bad, but centering the sun in your field of view is marginally worse because doing this utilizes and potentially damages the more sensitive part of your retina. Why didn’t my mom ever put it that way?
I hope everyone enjoys the video, and I will try to get those photos up when I get a chance.