A Navigator`s Serenade - A Serenade for The One I Love

back to sea

these last four days...
had been really meaningful to both of us
all the small things that we have done
all the memories that i will cherish the most
while i am out there in the open ocean

i will remember
bit by bit
places that we went together
what we did
what we saw
what talked over lunch
for that is the only reason for me to go on

you are the reason for me to come back
reason for all that i done in the treacherous waters
reason for all the risk i took

you are the light that shone the coast
the light that marks fairways for mariners to pass
light that gave hope to me that there is still chance for us to meet again

i will miss you a lot
for my love to you is un fathomed
like the depth of celestial heavens
like the depth of the dark ocean

thanks for all you have done these 133 days we have been together
i will cherish and appreciate it like how i did to the bluest skies


-come to sea and see for yourself-

a navigator`s serenade - breaking the silence

a serenade and an entry for her..i got only one you and that is you

let me break the silence
that had been going on between us

i had never did the things that you said i did
i never look for someone else
or did things that you hate the most
for you are always close to my heart

i know that i had been a jerk
for getting my self on a high note
getting mad at stupid things
for thinking that you are getting mad at me

but that does not mean
that i hate you
i love you for what you are
and nothing else
just like how i love the sea breeze
the starry night skies
that reveals the center of the galaxy
and the calm seas that comes together with all of it

we had been apart for to long
and i know it had taken a toll
to both of us
where we rarely see each other
it makes us drifted further and further away

and comes the silence...

i long for your smiles
your laugh and your small talks on things
that made you shine
like the brightest night skies
over the great oceans

i miss your voice through the cellphone
although we talked for hours
and i miss your actual voice
when you are next to me
in my car driving to a destination called nowhere
or maybe at some diner in the metropolis

the warmth of your presence
soothes my soul

your punches that really hurt my shoulder
our small and petty fights
and our massive fights together
i never forget it

your mischievous calls
that always kept me awake at dawn
to remind me my responsibilities

i miss all that
i miss it all
and i will remember all that
and it will always stays in my mind

i don`t meant to leave you alone
for being alone makes me much more
restless and uncertain

maybe you were right
were getting farther and farther away
but as far as i can go on this earth
you are always close to my heart

we are far in distance
but yet you are close

for this are a note to break the silence between us

apart we have been yes i knew,
quite and in total silence yes both we have been these days thus,
i ask for forgiveness for the things that i did for I,
long for your presence that soothes me day by day
all the things that i said to you that puts you in a prolonged melancholia and
had makes us drifted apart

forgiveness is what i seek from you
and affection in adoration are what both of us were looking for
reconcile we should from this fight and
indifference in feelings to eschew while
similarities and commonalities we seek to make things better

-serenade-

a navigator`s serenade - loosing grip

entri jarang-jarang

i have not write as frequent as i had before...way before during the advent of this small blog entries that started five million years ago...

it seems to me that i have lost my touch to write (or to type to be exact)...

every time i open up the catatan baharu....i`ve feel a total emptiness...blanked and saturated

maybe it is because there are too many sites that flourish like mushroom after heavy thunderstorm that pops out here and there everyday...that have more interesting stories to tell...

but that is not the real reason of why i am not writing for quite sometimes...


have i lost interest...?


well its possible....


-have gone to seas and seen for myself-

the story of a watchkeeping officer on holiday - another LIMA 2013....

entri cuti tanpa gaji....




the smell of jet fuels...roaring jet engines and heated tarmacs....plus the never ending sunshine are coming back to Langkawi...and i am again in Langkawi for the excitement of listening to the thundering   freedom of fighter jets flying in dumbfounded and fantastic maneuvers...

from the 26th till the 30th of March...i enslaved myself to the all the jets that were flying over the skies of Langkawi....i enslaved myself and my soul to the LIMA 2013....a revisited pilgrim that i made for the second time after the 2011 event...

here are some of me and my mates stunning photos taken during the 5 days event...

all of us are crazy about it...and were sniffing jet fuels like smoking cigarettes...

hahahahhaa...

Russian Knights in the Su-27UB Flanker C...or    

 something else...                       

looking at the future

the sweet Swedish Gripen of the Royal Thai Air Force

 everyone were amazed by the French flying skills....

 The Taufan Ganas of Smokey Bandits

also here is the American private air refueling corporation....

 checking the canard...

our own Malaysian American....the F/A-18D Hornet...in new light grey scheme

 the Aussies...with the E-737 Wedgetail...

 and also the Russian...with the Ilyushin Il-76

and also the Americans...with their P-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft...

 not to forget the RMAF mud movers..the HAWK...

and the all time favorite...and also the pride of all Malaysian...the Su-30MKM...the ever feared TEDUNG SELAR....

-come to langkawi next year and see it yourself-

the story of a watchkeeping officer - Panama Canal

entri terusan wan mat saman...

The Bridge of The Americas

after 28 days of ocean passage...we arrive at the port of Balboa in Panama City located at Gulf of Panama..the capital city of Panama and also the Pacific entrance for the Panama Canal..
we anchored for a night when we arrived...and waited for our canal transit convoy orders from the canal authority which is on the next day morning..

most of us on board had never cross the Panama canal..so the atmosphere is full of excitement...

we were boarded by the pilots..the cable handlers and also their supervisors who will be the guys who handle the cables when we enter the 3 canal locks..and headed for the first canal lock, the Miraflores..

clearing the 2nd Miraflores lock...where literally our ship is climbing up to a higher ground

Miraflores had 2 sets of locks each side with 2 lock chambers enclosed by 3 lock gates...where it can accomodate 2 Panamax size ship on both side...

the Miraflores is also the entrance to the Miraflores Lake..which is enclosed by the 2 Pacific locks...

coming from the Pacific...this will be the first canal lock a vessel will enter and here you got the first glace of the intricate working of the lock systems..

we were escorted by two powerful tugs...each stationed forward and aft to assist our vessel in entering the canal and aligning itself straight to the canal entrance before the cable handlers and the locomotive took over..

the locomotive is used to guide and also to keep the vessel straight and steady in the lock chamber...

steel wires were sent from the locomotive to be tied up to the vessel and this is where the cable handlers played their roles

side by side at the Miraflores..further up is the Pedro Miguel lock before going thru the Culebra or Gaillard cut...a series of treacherous and narrow waterways..

we cleared the Miraflores lock and were inside the Miraflores lake..and we`re headed to the 2nd lock...the Pedro Miguel, a single chamber lock that completes the Pacific Locks..

from the Pedro Miguel we were ordered to come alongside at the buoy located 400 metres away from the lock..

we awaited for the southbound transit convoy to clear the Gaillard cut since the cut is narrow and the pilots insist to wait until the convoy cleared before we proceed up north

a Panamax bulk carrier heading southbound..part of the southbound convoy preps itself to enter Pedro Miguel

we proceed up river thru the Gaillard Cut..passing the Centennial Bridge...

that is the closest we can get to the lock chambers...you can put you hand on the walls...that is how close...

Culebra or Gailllard cut is a waterways..cutting through the rugged Culebra mountain terrain...forming an artificial valley..connecting the Pedro Miguel Lock in the Pacific Side to Gatun Lake and then through Gatun Lock at the Atlantic Side...

rain had reduced our visibility....a normality in tropical weather conditions...

we pass thru 7 miles of winding waterways...with mountain rigde on both sides...before coming to the arms of the Chagres River and into the Gatun Lake....

we arrive at Gatun Lock just after sunset...

the locomotive...or the mule as it is known...these are the workhorse of the Panama Canal...the machines that pulls the vessel in and steadies it while waiting for the water to rise up...

again here...the intricate working of the canal took place...the pilots assisted by tugs drives the ship closer and closer to the lock....and then orders the cable handlers to tied the vessel to the locomotives...3 each on port and starboard bow and another 3 both on port and starboard quarter...

they move in unison....bringing the ship inside the first sets of lock chambers....

then they stop....the gates were closed and then...like magic the ship were lowered down like nothing happened....

if going thru Miraflores is like climbing up a mountain..then going thru Gatun is climbing down...provided that you are coming from the Pacific Sides...unless it is vice versa if its from the Atlantic

there are 3 sets of lock chamber each on both sides of the Gatun Lock....and both were occupied by ships...going towards the Atlantic....

that is how close...the clearance...is a hand reach over to the gates....

most of us are first timers through the canal...and everyone is excited to have their photos taken...because nobody knows when are we gonna go through here since due to our  unexpected trade pattern...

maybe im stuck at checking at the vessel and the lock clearance for another god knows when....

-come to sea and see for yourself-

the story of a watchkeeping officer - pacific

entri across the pacific ocean...and beyond

Nine Mike Lima Oscar Six had a very different trade route....she was destined to carry palm and coconut oils from East Malaysia and the Philippines...take it across the Pacific and have them discharged in the United States..

hearing that this ship is going to the US makes me tremble....the US coastguards...he discrimination among Muslims and Asians....tight security checks....possible terrorist threats.....all those craps...

but i have to face them....have to...because nobody cares about what are we facing and this is our livelihood....somebody have to do the donkey job coz no one else wanted to do it....

after our last port of call in Taiwan....taking in fuel and supplies...we head to the Pacific ocean....a vast open ocean...the largest ocean on this planet...that covers a quarter of the planet surface...contains 70 percent of the total amount of water....with it deepest stretch of water covers 11 000 meters....enough to dip the Everest without no one noticing....

the first two days.....it feels like any other oceans....ships are still around us....coming from the States...going to States like us....

then it started....

you see less ships....

lesser....

and then....nothing....

no ships at all...

nothing on the radio....
nothing you can see on the radar...
not even a glimpse of a ship can be seen around you.....

total emptiness.....

then it came to my mind....the prayers of the Breton`s fishermen....

'O GOD BE GOOD TO ME, THY SEA IS SO WIDE AND MY SHIP IS SO SMALL"

the prayers was so true...honest and humble....and you can see why the fishermen pray to god for his safety...and for the first time i do feel the same as him.....small...

the pacific was so wide...it takes our ship 28 days of crossings....with no land or ship sighted.....
we pass the closest land at 500 nautical miles.....that is as close as we get....

here....you do feel dwarfed by the magnificent creation of god almighty.....and you do feel that after all this times...we have been arrogant to the almighty God....we do...

sea birds and dolphins are the only living things that always playing around our ships...

the ocean are always calm.....since the captain decided to cross way south close to the equator where the weather was fine and tropical storms are rarely seen.....rains and rain clouds are the only visitors that passed us by day to day....

and here in the Pacific...is the place where i have travel to the past and the future...by crossing the International Date Line...where Sunday becomes on the next day the same Sunday and then it became Tuesday on the next day....no Monday....

the life on that 28 days....

it was not as stressful as working on ships on short voyages like the Melati class or the A class tankers....i have ample time to have a look see and for see my task....and even have spare times after all that....

still...working on any ships....it still the same...

we cross the ocean towards Balboa...where from there....another experience awaits...

-come to sea and see for yourself-

a navigator`s serenade - heartbreak one

a heartbreak...

that is what i have done and what i felt now

it crushes

like a massive projectile

that hits your heart

that crumple your ribs

punctured your lungs

and pierced your heart

leaving it into an induced trauma

bleeding

until it stops beating

i know that is how you feel

because i felt the same

-0426 - sunway/putra-