Burning Men and Lifting Heavy Crap

Shanghai was frenetic - About 20 crane lifts of heavy engine parts out of the engine hatch (7 stories deep), over the deck, and down to the dock with a crane that has one, slow, mechanically dubious speed.  We arrived at noon and departed at midnight.  Nobody went ashore.

I will introduce a term: “Burned.”  It is when a man has exceeded the mandatory rest requirements as specified in the Interntaional Maritime Organization’s STCW (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchstanding) requirements for any 24 hour period, regardless of where that period is started.  I.e. “Can we turn-to AB 3?  Or has he burned?”

The gang was pretty much all burned.  I got 16 hours of overtime.

So we “reset” by sleeping in and getting ready for Ningbo, which is quickly approaching.  I just rigged the pilot ladder, the pilot came aboard, and I resecured the side port.  We’re heading up the river.  All hands, fore and aft, in about 30 minutes.  Ready to do it all again.