Welcome Aboard Mariners Alike - Malaysia Rule The Waves

its hard to describe how a man could left everything he had on land and went out to sea...
its even harder to describe how bright the stars at night and how fresh the cool morning air when you are in the middle of the ocean...
the hardest thing is to describe how close you are to death and how god could took your life at any time...
come to sea and see for yourself...

GOD SPEED AND FAIR WINDS


come to sea and see for yourself

this blog is dedicated to mariners,navigators and seafarers alike, merchant or naval for others to had a glimpse of what we do and what we faced in the vast blue oceans.

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Thank you.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

the story of a watchkeeping officer - Eid at sea

entri dendang perantau...lah sangat...


lanun di pagi Syawal... ^__^"


1st of all....Salaam Eid Ul Fitr....thousand apologies i seek from all....for my wrong doings...if there is any...

This year...just like last few years...i celebrated Eid at sea....well technically we are celebrating Eid some 40 nautical miles off the coast of Sarawak....not so perantauan like others who celebrate their Eid at the farside of the world...haha...and not well cut off from the outside world since lines of communications are available....so can make phone call to all the wive(s) and awek(s)....(mak bapak juga tidak dilupa)

anyway...

this year Eid is a bit hambar...not so meriah (what does mat salleh call meriah eh..)....well maybe because first and foremost...our cook x boleh blah in his cooking...my mate kata nokhorooom pemalaih tahap nurako durjono....2nd...by evening were coming alongside to Bintulu...to load another seven thousand tonnes plus of palm oil....so most of us took the opportunity to get a well earn rest before going back to work....


still....the spirit of Eid is still there...the morning prayers...all the makan2...the sound of Dendang Perantau and all the other lagu raya in the air played by Klasik Nasional FM...and all of us going about around the ship with baju melayu and samping.....

and deep within our (or mine) heart...we do feel sad (tipu la x sedih)......for this Eid...we are apart from our own families and those who we love the most....but having each and everyone of us around...lessen the sadness...brought back the family spirits and brotherhood...although we are not related in blood...

well...

from the navigation bridge...cargo control room and the engine control room of the MT BUNGA BANYAN....Salaam Eid Mubarak...


-come to sea and see for yourself-






Thursday, August 16, 2012

SALAM EID MUBARAK

entri selamaat hari rayaa





SALAAM EID MUBARAK TO ALL MARINERS AND SEAFARERS,MERCHANT AND NAVAL ALIKE
MAY GOD BLESS US IN THE DAYS OF VICTORY AND GLORY WITH SAFE VOYAGES ALONG THE WAY

GOD SPEED, FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

the story of a watchkeeping officer - the tales of MT Bunga Banyan

entri naik kapal lagi


the NineMikeLimaOscarSix - MT Bunga Banyan at Lahad Datu Anchorage


this page went silent 5 weeks ago...due to sudden call from my corporation to join MT Bunga Banyan...

well..like always..and like all those who are loyal (loyal lah sangat aku ni) to this corporation...i agree to join and relieve my fellow mate onboard...thus making a record of 3 years of consecutive hari raya celebration onboard....well three years is nothing compared to others who had not been able to celebrate Eid at home way longer than myself...coz till now i had known others who had not been back for 5-6 consecutive year...


anyway...the B class...like what others called this ship (due to all the ship in this class were named after flower starting with letter B...i.e Bakawali..Begonia..Balsam and Banyan) is a much different world compared to the Melati class tankers....

larger ship...larger cargo capacity...a lil bit longer and deeper (sounds like a porn..?) but less crew onboard....plus its a new ship...just a year old..compared to the seasoned Melati class which already reach 15 plus years....and a lot of new things to learn....


generally...all ship is the same....but there are differences from one ship to another that one must adjust self to familiar with it...

plus...voyages here are much longer compared to the Melati class....crossing Pacific and the Atlantic or going around Magellan Straits or South Africa is a norm....while Panama is the main transit canal for these new and massive lady....

ports are also attractive....apart from China and Malaysian ports...this ship calls US ports in the eastern seaboard and the Latin Americas....a must for a mariners like me to experience at least once...

new ship...new experience....

this will be the turning point...i might stay with this corporation for a little while...or i might stay here till end...ending up not venturing to other corporations which was my initial plans...

well man can plans whatever he wants....but God still have the power to decide what is what...

till then...

-come to sea and see for yourself-

Salam Ramadhan From NineMikeLimaOscarSix

from far away land...far away lah sangat..




SALAM RAMADHAN TO FELLOW SEAFARERS..NAVAL AND MERCHANT ALIKE
MAY GOD BLESS OUR VOYAGES THROUGH THIS HOLIEST OF THE HOLY MONTH
SAFE JOURNEY AND SAFE SAILING

GOD SPEED..FAIRWINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS

MT BUNGA ALPINIA - rememberance

entri darkest day for the corporation

Alpinia - listed to port and still on fire. credit photo to NST


0230H on July 26th would go down as the darkest day in the Malaysian shipping industries....and also for my corporation....

most of us...knew those who perished in the incident....directly or indirectly....whether fellow shipmates in previous shipboard contracts or fellow friends since training days...we knew at least one of them if not all of them...

and furthermore...we knew those who survive  either....

the corporation is not really that big...we knew who is who in which ship across the fleet...and most of us had mingle together as shipmates if not many times then it would be at least once in the career....

knowing that we had lost those who we knew...is unbearable....

my mate knew the pumpman and the greaser....whom he sailed before onboard A class tanker similar to Alpinia...knew them very well that he even thought about how would arwah only child would fared with her mother knowing that his father had passed on....while the greaser....whom were dreaming of becoming engineer for near coastal ship were also very close to my mate...

and then there is me....who knew the young OS way back when he first come to work on a ship....

then there are others whom i might not knew but knew all those who perished really well..the deck rating..the cadet..the able seaman...whom maybe they had sailed together maybe again and again....and not to forget..family members...who grieved their losses the most...

the fact that they had passed on cant be denied....god loves them more than us...

and my writings here are not to speculate the incident...since a lot of rumors and incorrect reporting by our local media had spread across the nation....

till the time of this writings...my corporation are still investigating the cause of the fire and explosion....and they said themselves that...they don`t mind loosing the ship....since ship can be build and can be bought...but loosing their own sea staff is really hard and even you had billions of dollar of revenue....you cant bring the dead to life.....

and here the reality sets in....

seafaring is the most regulated industry...and also the most dangerous...but all the danger is mitigated by safety culture and awareness instilled among professional mariners...but then again...incidents and accidents..sometimes lead to fatalities did occurs now and then....

and not many of us..outside the industry knew this....most of them thought...sailing is easy...goyang kaki saja punya kerja.....but truth is it is not....

pressure from the corporation...charterer,flag and port states are also high...to ensure ship safety are always maintained on a high standard...

but whatever man did..god wills are never within the control of man....manusia merancang namun tuhan menentukan segalanya...no matter how high you standard of safety is....but then...it doesnt mean we leave it to god...for man`s fate will not be changed unless he who change it himself...

and thus...the passing of our fellow shipmates will never be in vain...and will be remembered....

Al Fatihah  and condolences to those who had passed on...and keep on sailing to those who survived

-god speed..fairwinds and following seas-






Monday, August 13, 2012

farewell o mate - you had truly gone home

a tribute to a fellow shipmate whom i and others had lost....


you had truly gone home

this entry is dedicated to all 5 seafarers who lost their souls in the MT Bunga Alpinia incident....whom one of them i sailed before...and others...had been sailing with my fellow shipmates across the fleet..

to Hanafi...the OS whom i sailed before onboard MT Bunga Melati 3....i never thought our meetings onboard 3 would be the first and the last...i still got your photos...posing next to Chief Darmanshah..the SPG team in charge whilst transiting GOA...during a buffet dinner...when the karaoke sessions at the officers lounge with the SPG`s....

i still remember the first time you came onboard...joining Melati 3 as first ship OS...when you were awed by the sheer size of Melati 3...when we laughed a lot when you were conned by AO saying that you got to pay the electricity bills and water bills to chief mate and second engineer...when you were talking about your days in the training college...towards your innocence when you ask about stuff about ships....how you want to become deck officers and so on....i fondly remember all those times...

we will cherished and remember those days...

truthfully...i only know you as fellow shipmate..as my subordinate....and not more than that...maybe not like your fellow family and friends back in your college or back at home...but within my cold rock hard heart...i deeply saddened just like the others did....

tears came our when i wrote this entry....how sad it is to loose a person whom i worked together with...although it was only for a short period of time...but knowing that i knew you and i had sailed with you really making it hard to this heart...

truly....your passing will never be in vain...

Al Fatihah

-come to sea and see for yourself-





Tuesday, July 3, 2012

the story of a watchkeeping officer on holiday - National Hydrographic Centre Open Day

entri jalan2 cari pasal...


tida ramai tahu ada pusat ini....sekarang anda sudah tahu....


minggu lepas...saya pergi jalan2 sorang2 sebab xde kawan....kawan2 semua kerja...saya sahaja x kerja....jadi saya jalan sorang2.... <-----forever alone        =__="

masa saya bawak kereta kebal saya mengala ke utara setelah seminggu berjimba2 dengan teman2 sekerja di seremban dan melaka....saya teringat akan adanya satu hari terbuka di satu tempat di pelabuhan kelang....

memandangkan saya xde benda nak buat...selain kena tunggu adik saya sampai KL juga masih lambat...maka saya pun memandu menuju ke Pulau Indah di Pelabuhan Klang....dimana terletaknya Pusat Hidrografi Nasional yang kebetulan membuat hari terbuka kepada orang ramai di sekitarnya....

sampai saja disana....saya nampak ada kereta2 yang di letakkan di tempat letak kereta di luar pagar....sementara petugas provos tentera laut mengarahkan pergerakan trafik keluar masuk....

saya tiba disana jam tiga petang....

banyak aktiviti dijalankan rupanya....ada pertandingan futsal...ada pertandingan mewarna untuk kanak2.....ada dibuka booth oleh unit2 TLDM....dari KD Duyong...PASKAL...pasukan simpanan PSSTLDM...juga dari agensi kerajaan yang berkaitan seperti Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan (JUPEM) serta booth2 yg cuba kaut untung seperti Celcom broadband dan booth akak jual ayaq kelapaq....



adik akak tengok helikopter...

sampai2 sahaja....saya terus ke jeti operasi...dimana ada dua buah kapal membuat hari terbuka juga bersama2 Pusat Hidrografi Nasional....iaitu KD KELANTAN dan juga KD PERANTAU...

krew Super Lynx melayan pengunjung...

KD KELANTAN pada hari itu disertai SKUADRON 502 UNIT UDARA TLDM yang mengoperasikan helikopter maritime SUPER LYNX....turut sama membuat hari terbuka untuk orang awam....

tarikan utama pada hari itu sudah tentu KD KELANTAN....dan juga SUPER LYNX yg ditempatkan digeladak penerbangan kapal peronda generasi baru itu...


adik nih cakap "tolong laaa...jangan la buli...."

saya x sempat untuk masuk kedalam kapal...lagi pun x berapa hairan juga kerana kapal...perang atau saudagar lebih kurang sama sahaja dalamannya...cuma bezanya ada persenjataan dan ada sistem2 yang kapal saudagar tidak gunakan seperti penyerak elektronik...radar kawalan tembakan..sonar...dan persenjataan yang merangkumi tiga dimensi......tapi selain dari itu....kurang lebih sama saja...

maka...saya pun melilau disekitar dek penerbangan bersama2 helikopter SUPER LYNX yang smart giler......

sehgonok adik tuh dapat pegang 50 cal......ngahaha

KD PERANTAU juga tidak kurang hebatnya....kapal hidrografi ini menyediakan restoran terapung untuk pengunjung dan menghidangkan makanan yang disediakan oleh tukang masak dan juga steward kapal tersebut.....disana saya lepak sambil hisap rokok bersama tuan sham dan juga pak abdul kalam...bercerita tentang helikopter Super Lynx....kebetulan pak abdul kalam tukang kayu yang membuat model pesawat terbang...dah banyak kontrak beliau dapat...x caya tgk link nih .....tuan sham pulak....dia memang terlibat dengan open day mewakili Skuadron 502....

merokok sambil melepak di restoran terapung sementara KD PERANTAU dgn pak kalam dan tuan sham...pak kalam nih mmg entrepenuer yg wa respek gile....

selain itu...pengunjung juga berpeluang untuk menaiki boat ride....dimana sebuah CB90H dan juga bot Hidrografi menyediakan perkhidmatan itu kepada pengunjung utk merasai peluang menaiki bot tempur dan bot hidrografi TLDM sambil menikmati pemandangan Pelabuhan Klang yg berjerebu...


elok jam lima...saya pun pulanglah....pulang lah sangat....huahuahua....

-cuti2 Malaysia.....-



Monday, July 2, 2012

A Layman Defence Note - Oliver Hazard Perry untuk Malaysia..?

entri kapal yang perang...

FFG-7 USS Oliver Hazard Perry - mula beroperasi circa 1976 dengan hampir 51 unit kombatan  utk USN dibina sehingga tahun 1989


satu ketika dahulu...kedengarang akan ura2 adanya intention dari kerajaan Malaysia dan TLDM untuk membuat pembelian 2 unit frigate USN yg dilucut tauliah.....Alhamdulillah niat itu terbatal...dan artikel ini akan memberikan sedikit gambaran ekstensif kenapa...dari analisis pihak penulis mengapa pembelian tersebut tidak sepatutnya dibuat......sadinia

there are news stating that our Chief Of Navy is interested and pushing our government to purchase 2 (dua kah..atau lebih) Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate from the United States Navy...

many would say that it will be a good purchase...

but not me...

why is that..?

pemilikan aset kombatan seperti frigate yg dinyatakan memang lah dialu-alu kan namun pelbagai kriteria perlulah diambil kira untuk mengelakkan pembelian itu tidak berbaloi...

memang benar RMN kini amat terdesak untuk memenuhi keperluan operasi armada mereka dengan jumlah aset yg ada utk tujuan rondaan wilayah laut kita amat tipis di perbatasan...dan adanya keperluan utk mempunyai unit kombatan sementara yang boleh memikul tugasan ini sementara menunggu kehadiran kombatan generasi kedua yang masih lagi dalam desas desus pemilihan sistem dan penilaian akhir rekabentuk

frigate Oliver Hazard Perry adalah kombatan permukaan pelbagai tugas yg dilengkapi dengan persenjataan 3 dimensi yang mampu menghadapi ancaman permukaan,bawah permukaan dan serangan udara....salah satu aspek yg saya pasti pada awal2 lagi telah menarik minta RMN utk melihat dan menimbang pembelian....

antara tugasan utamanya adalah sebagai pemburu kapal selam, sebagai kombatan sokongan tembakan ketika operasi amfibia dan juga menjadi sebahagian dari kumpulan perang kapal pengangkut pesawat.

sebanyak 71 unit kombatan ini telah dibina,51 unit untuk kegunaan USN dan selebihnya adalah utk negara kedua seperti Australia,Taiwan dan Sepanyol.

kapal perang ini telah berkhidmat dengan empat negara pengguna kedua yang menerima kapal perang USN yang telah dilucut tauliah.

dari empat negara ini,iaitu Pakistan,Mesir,Poland dan Turki,hanya kombatan dari Turki melaksanakan naik taraf ekstensif (sebab Turkiye byk duit) dan peningkatan keupayaan persenjataan dan penderiaan yang dikemaskini menjadikan ia setaraf dengan keupayaan kombatan yg sama kelasnya yang dimiliki Australia dan USN sendiri manakala pemilik2 lain seperti Pakistan dan Mesir hanya mendapat apa yang diberi dari USN itu...

persoalannya adakah pembelian oleh kerajaan adalah semata2 dua refurbished hull yg asalnya didalam simpanan USN ataupun seperti yg digembar gemburkan adalah aset yg bakal dilucut tauliah dan akan serta merta di serahkan kepada RMN....tanpa ada apa2 peningkatan upaya...semata2 kapal sahaja...dan segala yg sedia ada diatasnya....jika mengambil kira faktor umur...kebanyakan pembelian kombatan ini dilakukan pada akhir 90an dan ada sebahagian dari kapal perang USN ini telah berkhidmat selama 15 tahun...satu jangka masa yang pendek....dan satu pembelian yang berbaloi....pada masa itu...

pasti akan ada yg menyatakan....kombatan penyerahan panas (hot transfer) itu memadai dgn persenjataan sedia ada yg sebelum ini digunakan USN...kerana objektif RMN hanyalah utk menambah jumlah kombatan permukaan utk tugasan rondaan di laut lepas...dan x lebih dari itu...

tetapi kenapa kita tidak bersandarkan kepada Turki yang menaik taraf kapal tersebut secara ekstensif...malah lebih baik keupayaannya dari kapal USN sendiri...jika alang2 sudah ada platform....baik digunakan sehabis baik...



FFG-33 USS Jarret - dilucut tauliah oleh USN dan disimpan utk penjualan kepada negara kedua...adakah kombatan ini akan memasuki inventori armada RMN..??

faktor kewangan adalah faktor utama yang dihadapi RMN dan pembuat dasar dalam kerajaan Malaysia...jika sejumlah wang yg diperlukan utk menaik taraf keupayaan tempur adalah sama dengan kos pembelian aset kombatan permukaan yg baru....maka ia adalah amat2 tidak berbaloi....selain kita sendiri masih belum mengetahui samada....adakah kita akan menerima aset lucut tauliah USN yg betul2 boleh dianggap masih lagi mempunyai sisa umur berbaki yang masih panjang atau kita akan menerima aset yang betul2 tua dan agak parah utk kita selenggara setiap kali selepas operasi....

dan adakah dengan pembelian kapal sahaja tanpa naik taraf akan memberikan gerenti yang kapal yang dibeli itu akan lebih banyak masa operasi nya di laut lepas berbanding di limbungan utk kerja2 baikpulih....

Pakistan sendiri menerima sebuah frigate kelas Oliver Hazard Perry yang kedua paling tua dalam kelas frigate itu sendiri iaitu USS McInerny.....dgn harga yang berpatutan namun adakah ia nya berbaloi....?...bagaimana dengan negara kita...?

G class dari Turki

Turki juga menerima frigate yang sama dalam siri short hull tanpa apa2 naik taraf pada tahun 1997 dan dikelaskan sebagai G class frigate....antara kapal2 USN yang paling berumur dalam kelasnya...tetapi kewangan Turki membolehkan kapal perang tua ini menerima naik taraf dan modenisasi yang ekstensif pada tahun 2007...terutama dari segi persenjataan dan penderiaan serta pemanjangan jangka hayatnya....selain dari pemanjangan haluan dan buritan utk membolehkan kapal perang ini mengoperasikan helikopter maritim bersaiz sederhana..

ini berbeza dengan Australia dan Taiwan serta Sepanyol yang membina sendiri frigate Oliver Hazard Perry iaitu Adelaide class frigateCheng Kung class frigate dan Santa Maria class frigate secara berlesen dilimbungan dalam negara mereka sendiri.....namun ia juga tidak sunyi dari permasalahan....

Australia sendiri menghadapi permasalahan setelah membelanjakan hampir 1.5 billion AUSD untuk kos naik taraf sehinggakan ada ahli parlimen mereka mengatakan yang kapal-kapal perang itu tidak mencapai standard yang ditetapkan utk operasi laut lepas....dan pada tahun 2009 dan 2011...Australia melucutkan tauliah dua kapal perang dari kelas Adelaide ini....setelah berbelanja sakan untuk naik taraf....

malah naik taraf Adelaide class frigate ini juga mengalami kelewatan sehingga 4 tahun dari yang dirancang....mengakibatkan peningkatan kos yang mendadak....

maka perbandingan antara Malaysia dengan operator sedia ada frigate ini tidak boleh diterima bulat2..operator sendiri juga mengalami pelbagai permasalahan....yg membezakan samada mereka mampu menyelesaikan isu2 berbangkit adalah adanya sejumlah kewangan...yg saya pasti tiada dalam poket kerajaan Malaysia buat masa sekarang...

seperti yang dinyatakan....frigate2 USN ini diserahkan kepada negara ketiga dalam keadaan sedia...tanpa ada apa2 naik taraf....ini terang dan jelas pada operator lain seperti Mesir,Pakistan dan Poland yang menerima seadanya kapal perang USN ini dan kebanyakannya berumur lebih dari 30 tahun dan telah dioperasikan secara maksimum oleh USN sendiri..kapal2 ini hanya menerima baikpulih asas dan juga pemeriksaan asas sebelum diserahkan kepada pembeli....

malah krew USN sendiri tidak terdaya namun masih terus siaga mengoperasikan kapal perang ini...walaupun mengalami permasalahan kekurangan alat ganti...pengunaan sistem yang telah dimamah zaman serta keadaan kapal itu sendiri yang telah digunakan semaksimumnya utk pelbagai operasi kelautan....

membandingkan keadaan USN mengoperasi kan kapal perang ini dengan RMN yang mempunyai perbelanjaan yang amat ketat...adakah kita pasti dapat mengoperasikan kapal perang ini....dengan pelbagai permasalahan yang akan dihadapi oleh anak2 kapal RMN sendiri....

selain itu...kita perlu ingat yang program LCS USN juga mengalami permasalahan dan kelewatan...menyebabkan kebanyakan frigate sedia ada mereka mungkin akan terus berkhidmat dgn USN utk satu jangka masa lagi sebelum program LCS benar2 berada pada landasannya.....

RMN semestinya mampu untuk mengoperasikan kapal sedemikian yang banyak cacat cela ini dan tua umurnya...tetapi bagaimana dengan kos yang sememangnya akan meningkat...adakah kerajaan sedia utk membelanjakan sejumlah wang yang amat besar kuantitinya utk kerja2 baikpulih berjadual dan lain2 perkara...seperti yang berlaku pada KD Sri Inderapura....

jangan satu hari nanti...kapal perang ini dibeli dan kemudiannya akan berada di limbungan lebih lama dari di lautan...

paling penting sekali....peruntukan seperti ini sepatutnya pergi kepada naik taraf persenjataan kapal2 Kedah class NGPV yg sehingga hari ini.....tidak bertaring dan tidak berbisa....

-sadinia-




Wednesday, June 27, 2012

panorama di laut biru - we have the capabilities

entri bangga gila...


that baby carry rockets..and hurl em into space...



photo shown above are the Ocean Odyssey 4 months ago (yeah..sudah basi)....a semi submersible platform which is being utilized by Sea Launch as the rocket launch platform at sea...and it is undergoing repair and maintenance...in MMHE, Pasir Gudang....can read it here on my age old post of the Sea Launch

yes...in Pasir Gudang....

i dont know what kind of repairs they were having...or to what degree the maintenance were being carried out...but it shows that...even a company...that launch billion dollar satellite using Ukrainian made Zenit3SL rocket are being sent to our shores for repairs...showing that they are confident with us Malaysian capabilities...

now..if those foreign nationals do trust and have the confidence towards us...then why oh why our own countrymen were not...why we keep on sending our own ships to shipyards outside our own country...why we kept on relying on on foreign nationals where we have a lot of national talents....

sad...but it is true...

anyway...

salutations to MMHE...its staff and all the contractors....you made us Malaysian proud...

credit to my mate Jolly Roger who took the photo

-come to sea and see for yourself-


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

panorama di laut biru - Day of The Seafarers

entri hari pelaut....yg terlewat




on 25th June every year...is the day of the seafarer....the day that marked by international communities to remember,to appreciate and to celebrate seafarers who are the backbone of global trades...

yeah...me and me mates are the backbone of global trades bebeh....

then why is that i said such a thing...

lets ponder for a moment....

have we ever think where the hell TNB got the means to power their powerplants to provide electricity to the masses...so that we can watch Master Chef Celebrity Malaysia on Astro...so that we can surf the net...so that we can use the air conditioning on a hot tropical afternoon norm to Malaysia...so our electrical appliances are working as it is supposed to be....how and where does the electricity came from...

it came from a far away land.....through the seas...

most of our powerplants are generating power using coal and gas....apart from hydroelectric which is also our doings (serious)..have you ever wonder where does the coal came from...how it was transported....and where they unload it...?

what is a coal powered powerplant without coal....Janamanjung will be dead and part of West coast will have no electricity....so a steady supply of coal were bought from Aussies....taken by a massive bulk carrier manned by mens called seafarers....yes...it was us who brought light to the nation...(not the menteris)...

and what is a hydroelectric plants...if there are nobody to transport its massive turbines...i dont recall we made the turbine ourselves but we did bought them from somewhere and there is no air transport that can carry that massive hydroelectric turbine....

and apart from power generations...ever daily items that we use...from televisions to Ipads to tabs to cars and fuels that we use to work...even a pen and a rubber...your laptop computers...the coffee that your having...of the croissant that your having while reading this post.the oven use to make that croissant..the flour..the cooking oil the additives...even the chair,the table you were sitting at,the clothes you were wearing...almost everything in your household or in the kedai raayat sathu Mareshia came from somewhere else and had a moment in its life living on a hold of a ship...

and these ships are operated by us seafarers (although owned by kompeni)....who ventured to the massive oceans...to nations never been heard before...through raging gales and storms over rolling seas and roaring winds....being chased by fukken pirates...being shot at by warring states...being scrutinized by communities saying that we are nothing but a bunch of men who only live for intoxications and pleasures....

it is us....seafarers...mariners...navigators and marine engineers who brought all of it to your door steps...

we are the driving force...who keep the sea lanes of communications open...who continue the significance of trades....

and without us...well...you can rely on airlines....but wait...even they are relying on us...take every massive parts of the aircraft from one place to another...

so how is that...?

i asked nothing much...but take a moment and have a thought to ponder....

where does all of these thing that i have here came from....and who brought it there...





-it came by the seas and i cant live without it-

Sunday, June 24, 2012

a navigator`s serenade - good will

a good will for a good friend....



i don`t really know
what had happened really

but what i do know
is that you are 
in a maps of problematique

even we have not converse
for quite a while

and here 

i pray for fair winds
so the wind will always blows
and send whispers to your ears
to soothes your soul

i pray for following seas
so the seas
will always be calm
and it will calm your heart when you sees it

i pray for a sky light
so the lights
will lessen your burden
and shy away you misery

i pray for your good will
for good health
for good life

for you are a good person

-o god be good to her-

Saturday, June 23, 2012

a navigator`s serenade - neva eva

entri.....




after that
everything changes

should have keep it
should have not had that
should never ever





-this left feels right-




Thursday, June 21, 2012

a navigator`s serenad - Finite/Infinite

entri finite




all held the finite and infinite as unrelated
none could for see that the history of the two would become one

-ace combat zero-

The Other Ghost - Bunga Mas 6

entri kapal x berapa nak perang

the ghost that terrorizing the gulf...leaving pirates running for cover and mercy
photo taken circa April 2012 en route to r.v point


while i was onboard MT Bunga Melati Satu..i got the chance of operating with the well known ghost ship in the Gulf Of Aden region...first is the Bunga Mas 5..or BM5...and also the other ghost..the BM6

it seems that somebody from the higher ups do heard our ideas eh..

before BM6 the only escort vessel available in the region is BM5...and she had to stretched her long leg to cover the whole Red Sea to Indian Ocean alone...

this lead to the inability of the escort vessel to cover all the Malaysian flagged merchantmen movement from east to west...and as a result most of the transfer are conducted without the presence of BM5...but carried out in a safe and secured area

having BM6 along for the operation had loosen the stress a bit for the BM5...and at the same time having two ship at the same time greatly enhanced escort operations in the region.

the logic behind the two ship tango is that...the other can cover one area and the other can cover the next...which area...well generally the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden area and the Arabian Sea to Sri Lanka area...where merchant traffic are high so as the presence of those skinny pirates...


way ahead and way faster than my own tanker...

another logic of having two ship tango is...the availability to have one the other ship to continue the operation while the other went back home for schedule maintenance and repairs....rather than having one ship then you will have no ship for escort et all....

so there you have it..the reason why there are two ghost now...and now the two will continue to keep our merchantmen safe from any threats....

and with that bombshell...a thousand appreciation to both BM5 and BM6 officers and engineers...crews..SPG team..air crews amd pilots....thank you for the assistance and thank you for the escort

until then...god speed fair winds and following seas...

HMS MALAYA - the one that we Malaysian knew little about

entri sejarah kapal perang....


the HMS MALAYA...a beauty she is...credit photo to MaritimeQuest


not many of us know that...before Malaysia was formed in September 16th 19(oh shit i forgot...)..and before we gained independence in 1957.....before there was even a thinking of getting an independence.....we had our own warship named after our homeland....

the warship is HMS MALAYA....a Queen Elizabeth class dreadnought....built by the Sir W.G Armstrong Withworth and Co. Ltd.....


she was sponsored by the kings from the Federated Malays States (state of Perak..Selangor..Pahang and Negri Sembilan) thus the name MALAYA....(imagine our kings those day sponsored a warship for the British Empire....damn....so kaya eh)...the proposal for the sponsor were made by the Sultan of Perak in 1913 ans supported by the Sultan of Selangor...

the HMS MALAYA is a 33 020 tonne...196.82 metres long warship...capable of steaming 25 knots..which is driven by the Parsons direct steam turbines consisting of 24 boilers driving 4 shafts at 56 500 horse power.

she is armed when she came out from the yard in 1915 with eight Mk1 15 inch gun, fourteen single MkXII 6 inch gun, two single 3 inch anti aircraft guns, four single 3 pounder saluting guns and four 21 inch torpedo tubes....

yes ladies and gentlemen...that is the 15 inch gun...and she got eight of em...

HMS Malaya served on both world wars...the first during the Battle of Jutland...where this warship..along with other Queen Elizabeth Class dreadnought of the 5th Battle  Squadron of the Grand Fleet...fought against Imperial German Navy....

she was hit by enemy fire eight times....but still managed to return to safe haven....with losses of 65 seaman....



during the Second World War...HMS Malaya were stationed at the Mediterranean as convoy escort and at the same time operating against Italian fleet. She fired her guns in anger at Genoa in February 1941 under Operation Grog which is the air and naval bombardment campaign against Italian harbour city of Genoa and La Spezia.


On 20th March 1941, HMS Malaya were damaged by a torpedo fired by a German U-boat number U-106. HMS Malaya were hit on the port side causing her to list 7 degrees. She reach Trinidad and later New York for repairs.

coming out from New York after repairs....

HMS Malaya bears the coat of arms of the Federated Malay State and had its own naval ensign..uniquely different from other battleship in the British Grand Fleet at that time...

Although at that time..there is no Malayan crew or officers serving onboard HMS Malaya.

More photos of HMS Malaya on this link.

HMS Eagle and HMS Malaya in Operation Spotter in 1942 at the Mediterranean. Operation Spotter is a transport operation carried out by British forces to transport 6 RAF Spitfire MkV fighter aircraft to Malta on March 7th 1942

the crew of HMS Malaya on the deck in front of the 15 inch gun having an exercise...somewhere in Mediterranean

HMS Malaya..HMS Warspite and HMS Nelson (March 1938). More photos of HMS Malaya can be viewed here through this site link





Salutation for these majestic battleship...although not operated by our countrymen but at least bearing the name of our former nation...brought prife and glory in our own annals of history



 Come to sea and see for yourself

the story of a watch keeping officer on holiday - Subang Air Force Base Open Day

entri fast jets and hot tarmac...panas melampau

i went to Subang Air Base a week after i signed off for the celebration of the Royal Malaysian Air Force 54th Anniversary.

for most of the time i am stuck at the AirwingsMerchandise booth...right outside the gate to the hangar and the runway. on that day we were selling lots of merchandise...mostly had the Super Lynx theme...from t-shirts to caps to car sticker and patches....and alot more to come in near future...


our small but...quite profitable booth at Subang....

but still i got the chance to meet my fellow mates from the military forum who are crazy about everything with jet engines and stuff with green camos although for a very short period of time...since i had to put my time and effort at the Airwings booth...but it is worth it....

fellow mates that were there on that day....forumers and scale modelers alike....
credit this photo to BERTIWI

anyway...my photos taken during that day were still inside my mate DSLR camera...and i haven`t got the time to recover it...but he did managed to edit one of my photo of the Sukhoi Su-30MKM on the apron...right after it finished taxied and the ground crew were working on the jet for post flying checks...

yep..this is the Flanker photo that i took....taken by myself and edited by Dinding Straits of Photography

i managed to snap more photo of the RMAF 17 Sqn MiG-29NUB Fulcrum a twin seater frontline fighter alongside the Flanker...the Sikorsky on a high speed manouver...a CN-235 bearing a livery of the RMAF 54th anniversary....and other stuff.....

but since that photo is lurking somewhere in i dont know where....well here i share a photo of my fellow mate who were also there at Subang...also mesmerized by the power and action of our fellow pilots and ground crew....

Pugachev Cobra by a Flanker bearing a number M52-12

truly...a beauty of soviet engineering and mechanical pragmatism...Su-30MKM

the Sikorsky S-61N...M23-25 on a high speed and aggressive fly past

the Fulcrum from 17 Sqn - M42-01 after the aerial showcase...

Fulcrum and Flanker

all these photos are taken by mr Ibrahim Azhar...the photographer and writer of the BERTIWI - Home Of Helang Rimba page...where visitors can view and review photos and articles about activities related to the armed forces.

There are also announcement of which any activities would be carried out by the Ministry of Defence of the Armed Forces of Malaysia at any day..at any date at any venue so that public could participate...

Hope you guys enjoy the pics....

-come to sea and see for yourself-


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

a navigator`s serenade - baru









tak perlu ku cari beribu
ku akui kamu yang satu
kau buat ku rasa baru...


0.58 -estranged-




-come to sea and see for yourself-

Sunday, June 10, 2012

a navigator`s serenade - thank you for listening

entri silap.....






the passenger seat became the witness
for what i had said


and after that night
how i wish 
i haven`t said those thing to you


how i wish that i kept it to myself
and not to add more burden to the already
complicated matters


but
i seek my own peace of mind
rather my own happiness
and i don`t ask anything in return


yes i am selfish
and yet i had to be sincere
for i am hurting myself


thank you for listening




-to sea and never to look back-

1k apologies

A THOUSAND APOLOGIES I SEEK FROM MY FELLOW READERS WHO SENT THEIR MESSAGES THRU FACEBOOK...WHERE I DID NOT REPLY IN TIME...SOME OF THE MESSAGES CAME WAAAY BACK IN 2010...

AND I HAVE REPLIED THEM 

REASON IS...I JUST NOTICED THAT I GOT THE OTHER INBOX FOR THOSE WHOM IS NOT IN MY FRIEND LIST...(SERIUS...BARU TAHU SETELAH SEKIAN LAMA PAKAI FACEBOOK YAHUDI YANG BAR MITZVAH INI - JAHANAM KAMU ZUKERBERG...!!)

AGAIN...I SEEK APOLOGIES FOR MY DAFTNESS TOWARDS TECHNOLOGY....

TILL THEN

-god speed...fair winds and following seas-


Sunday, June 3, 2012

the story of a watchkeeping officer - inside 9MCH3

entri siaran diskoveri....




i bet many of you wonders how does it looks like inside a ship...does it really looks like a hotel...or it isn't....


well...below are a photo-documentary of what is inside the accommodation of a tanker ship....where we live and work day by day....


first....




the navigation bridge....many people thought the bridge is the "jambatan" while it is not...in bahasa Malaysia it is called "anjungan".....






cargo control room - this is where the day to day operations of monitoring cargo conditions...maintaining ships stability...pushing paper from here to there...kicking the cargo pump...transferring freshwater to the engine room and vice versa...is carried out....


this place become`s the ship nerve center while at port....where loading and discharge operations are carried out ....




the bridge is the mind of the ship....while the engine room are the soul that drive`s the ship....the engine control room...or machinery control room are the souls of the ship...


from here the engineer`s monitor all the ships machinery...the main engine...generators...pumps...steering systems...electrical systems...hydraulic systems..and so on...


if the engine is dead...the the bridge have no control of the ship....






this is what drives the mariners day by day....the galley....a simple yet fully equipped galley...






laundry room....and who said we have to gonyoh baju dgn sabun buku....ngahahaha



the officer`s lounge...complete with televisyen skrin rata and a PS3.....boleh laaa...


the crew mess room...a.k.a kedai kopi pak jabit....where gossips and khabar angin about the company and many other life stories are told here....




the officer`s mess.....mostly used by the top four....a lot more like a parliament than a kedai kopi coz you have to be formal and can only talk good things bout the company....


hahaha....


come to sea and see for yourself





Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The Story Of A Watch Keeping Officer - sweet solid ground

entri sireh pulang ke gangang.... (atau gagang...??)

our old lady Melati Satu - ALGAS Anchorage, Singapura..

after 4 grueling months (grueling kah or byk menuang..?)...i leave MT Bunga Melati Satu behind and head for home... 

the old lady are destined to be handed over to some company...yes she and her sisters the Dua and 3hree are going to be sold to potential buyers...at least that is what i heard from radio karat news...

sad ending for a good ship....which had plentiful memories of those who had serve on board her...

but its not final yet....only rumors....

i signed off at Singapore...this time much earlier than previous tour where i got stuck for 7 months...haha....well its easy to got off when you did nothing but painting and cutting stupid papers for stencils...not having any watchkeeping duties (coz nobody trust you anymore) and shouldering any responsibilities....

yep...my 2nd mate said he would love to do things like i did...he prefered to do all those stupid jobs and paid handsomely but to myself...i feel useless...and i dont feel comfortable working (or doing nothing) and getting paid....

anyway....seems my path with the corporation ends there....

looking at greener pastures...risky green pastures but will promise much more exciting experience..and not to mention...lucrative pays....

weird thing about seafarers are....they dont seems to be satisfied at anything...while you are on board...you were complaining like mad and eagerly wanna go back home to do this and that...but while at home..you feel like...you wanna work...you want to plot the GPS positions like you never done it...you want to shout at stupid ships who calls from 14 nautical miles away just asking what is my intentions....(bodoh)...

and you cant sleep when there is no vibrations...the sounds of generators and the cluttering bathroom doors...it has been two days and i still cant get a good sleep where supposed i should coz im at home and not on a floating steel...

supposed when you got your holiday you should be resting and all....but i am restless....i feel like i should do something....i feel like going up to the bridge...take over conn and drive the ship from point to point....haih

hahaha...humans have the tendency to feel dissatisfaction eh...never feel satisfied...x bersyukur kan2....

to hell with that....should try to get some sleep...

-come to sea and see for yourself-

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

the story of a watchkeeping officer - departure

entri selamat tinggal....



were leaving Rotterdam today at 1600H...after much speculation that were going to load another 800 tonnes of cargo..it is settled that we wont...and were leaving this port with not so much of commodities onboard...

we might grab a few thousand more when coming down from here...maybe in Spain...maybe in France...maybe in Italy...worst...maybe in Saudi or Iran and worst of em all...India.....

hell...the office will as far as they can try to grab some more...since they are running the ship at loss income...

till then...god speed...fair winds and following seas...

-come to sea and see for yourself-

Monday, April 16, 2012

HYDROCARBON




HOW TO BECOME RICH OVERNIGHT...??




LOOK FOR PETROLEUM....

a navigator`s serenade - 240Kv

an entry for my dearest friend...



you are like the ocean...its calm on the surface...but underneath...its currents and turbulence could sent ships off course...


MY WORDS COMFORTS YOU WHEN YOUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN...

IT FLOWS THROUGH YOUR MIND LIKE ELECTRICITY

POWERING YOUR SOUL FORWARD AND NEVER TO LOOK BACK AGAIN

LEAVE THOSE NAYSAYERS BEHIND

CAUSE THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT YOU......



DONT GIVE UP THE SHIP - OLIVER HAZARD PERRY

Sunday, April 15, 2012

the story of a watchkeeping officer - sunday at rotterdam centraal

entri makan angin.....

ini baru suku...ade lg tiga suku metro lines merentasi timur barat utara dan selatan Rotterdam...dafuq..!!


i went ashore today (hari ini hari ahad....isnin boleh laa keje) to the center of Rotterdam...better know as centrum or centraal by the locals here in the low country....

we went there in a different manner...since we are berthed at Vopak Botlek..which is at the southern side of Nieuw Maas...where it was the hardest place to get to the city center..due to lack of transportation. The closest metro station is at Spjeikenisse..about 10km from our terminal...far away from housing area..and the closest cross Maas ferry is about an hour walk at Rozenburg...

at Buersplein...kedai ZARA saje ade 3...tige....

but since one of use have lots of Euros...we take the cab instead of walking to Rozenburg to catch a ferry crossing Nieuw Waterweg to Maasluis before getting into a train to Centrum...and it cost us 25 Euro to get from the terminal to the metro station in Speijkenisse....

with an accordion and an empty box of what used to be oranges inside...this ol man starts a small concerto at Lijnban

the Metro are another MRT systems apart from the train that we used to take at Vlaardingen and Maasluis that crisscrossed the entire Zuid and Noord Rotterdam...passing every township along the way...from east to west....

we got onboard the C line metro that passes Pernis crossing the Nieuw Maas towards Schiedam....before changing to the E line metro at Beurs to get to Rotterdam Centraal...


baloonman....


at centrum...we find that there a sea of human...everyone from different ages,nationalities and races swarming the city....ade marathon rupenye siap ade konser main lagu armin van buuren..haiseh...and its sunday also...everyone are taking the opportunity spending weekends either shopping or just hanging around at cafe`s and bars...

we walk trough the usual streets...the Kareldoormanstraats...the Kruiskade...the Lijnban...then to Beursplein...im not on shopping spree since all my money are all spent in the first two days here...(beli jam kat adik2 dan orang tua...patah wallet aku weh...)\


0% alcohol...awek lawa bg todi percuma kapada pengunjung yg lalu lalang

there are those who open up food stalls along the center...selling fries...and ice cream (sejuk2 makan es krem...gilaaa)...and giving away free non alcholic beverages (pd hal ayaq setan jugak) and orange juice...jual sayoq dan buah mcm gerai fama kat pasar tani...

ya adik akak...sayuq kankung...sawi..kobis...petola...murah2...3 kilo saploh hingget...

and surprisingly...there are also a pasar malam....literally selling items that you can usually found in our own pasar malam back at home....baju bundle....cover telefon bimbit....sarung ipad dan iphone...gerai jual kebab...kedai jam petaling streets....orang jual sayur pun ade...ish2....

haha...gaya promote dan gantung baju sebijik mcm kat uptown danau kota...sumpah

most of the traders at the pasar malam are foreign nationalities...from turkey to pakistani...indonesian..surinamese...arabians and chinese...but dont get yourself surprised..even mat sallen pun beli belah kat pasar malam....so jgn pandang rendah kat pasar malam kita...mat salleh pn ada...standard lebih kurang mcm kat tanah air...hahhaha

baru nak bukak gerai...lampu ayam dgn generator pn x pasang lagi


mat dan minah salleh bersama keluarga di pasaq malam...

we stayed until 5..when everyone starts heading back home.here shops are close right at 5pm....no shops are open till midnight like what we did in Malaysia....only pubs...clubs and cafe are open fill 9....kira malam mati laa...sejuk kot...

we head back to our ship...taking the Metro at Beursplein and heading back to Speijkenisse Centrum....dah le sakit perut...imagine...there is no public restroom a the station...jenuh weh....xde tempat nk memerut.....hahahahahaa...

tunggu tren dalam keadaan sakit perut di Buersplein....muka kena kontrol...


sunday is over...tomorrow....ship is shifting to service terminal...to load seciput lagi cargo...then if there is no more...will be sailing tomorrow evening back to East....

-come to sea...go ashore...and come back to sea again-