Ok. So the start of this week was awesome. Remember we were ar anchor? ⚓️ and sailed into Kotka to load fertilizer? Well. Yep. That was probably my last loading operation. And my last sail…. 😢.
Ok. Rewind. ⏮ Finland has actually very nice landscape from the sea. The pilots we got onboard were all kind and talking about their dogs (they seem to all have beagles here!) and their hunt trophies… there was so much 🌬 wind so the temperatures were already below the 0s… but it was ok. I always think there is no bad weather but only bad clothing. Besides, i remember the times sailing down south from Salvador 🇧🇷 to Punta Arenas 🇨🇱 and the weather getting colder and colder, fingers freezing then burning. Well you have to train your body to the cold 🥶. My captain now, only swears by cold showers and all the benefits you get from it. Don’t tell him but i am giving it a try! And 🍀 the water in my cabin isn’t that cold! 😅
Ok so loading fertilizer in Kotka 🇫🇮 it looked like we were in a snow blizzard for a few hours and I think they were pouring as much cargo in the hold than out of it! 😂 and I for sure had lots of fun laughing there with the captain finishing up the ballasting and the loading, sweeping the coamings and closing the hatches and making ready for the departure in the middle of the night until I woke up the next morning with a super puffy face and eyes!! 😂 then I was the centre of a laugh 🤭. It turns out that fertilizer is not as harmless as snow ❄️… oh well 😔.
We had a great easy sail underway to Delfzijl 🇳🇱 , home port of the vessel 🚢. Until…. Kiel. Kiel Kanal in: perfect 👌🏻. Kiel Kanal out… perfect untill the 💥. No more main engine… the explosion was heard up to 3 km around Brunsbüttel!
And I must admit that my heart stopped beating as I was in front of the engine room entrance knowing that both the captain and the engineer were down there and I could hear or see anything moving anymore. But they were safe. Tugs out if the lock, back in the channel for two days and starting to dismount a few parts and cylinder heads out…
Over 10 years sailing ⛵️, I have never spend so long in the NOK! 😂 😂 but luckily enough we did have sweets to comfort us 🍬 🍭 while dismounting! We are just such a power team! 💪🏻 and i am very grateful for sailing with such nice and kind crew, almost as if i didn’t want to leave! Grapje 😉
And I am realizing I have done 2/3 of my internship already and I only have 4 weeks left. And time is flying too fast. 😔 this will be my second main engine complete overhaul/change…. ✌🏻 to be continued…. 😉😘
Take care and 🤞🏻 xxx ♥️ ⚓️ @ Port of Kotka
S O P H I E. T H E. S A I L O R. 