[QUOTE=c.captain;101967]Indeed and I lived to tell the tale but luckily I was not one of the poor miserable sods who had to be back there for hours on end. I was the mate and on the bridge pucking my effing guts out. Those vessels are HELLSHIPS in a following sea. That is probably the worse job ever for me and I consider myself luck to have survived to ordeal![/QUOTE]
After months battling a Chief Mate no one liked aboard a gasoline tanker with NO automation I awoke one morning to find my relief waiting. With a huge smile on my face I signed off the ship, packed my bags and went to eat breakfast. I was almost finished with my last meal when the AB came rushing in the mess saying “The chief mate just wondered into the engine room and… well you won’t F’n believe what she did! Get out on Deck… you gotta see this!”
I quickly grabbed my bags and headed out to find that the ship was surrounded by gasoline. The AB then said “She went into the engine room then she”… I cut him off, said I didn’t want to know, and proceeded toward the gangway. As I rolled my luggage down the pier she came running after me screaming “you HAVE to help!”.
I just kept walking.
I had to jump in front of a taxi and bribe him with $50 to take me to the airport but it was worth every penny because moments later we were passed by 4 cop cars… followed by 2 firetrucks, an ambulance, a HAZMAT unit, a helicopter and the US Coast Guard all with lights and sirens on.
To this day I still don’t know what “she did” in the engine room that morning… nor do I really care 