Old or classic?

Some old ships still have the beautiful brass shining all over the bridge. If well kept they become classic ships instead of old rust buckets.

This beautiful magnetic compass belongs to "Kormoran" a small 40 years old (classic) vessel that brought the main engine for one of the Viana Shipyard newbuilding.

Check out these engine controls!

Galp Lisboa

Yesterday I was scheduled to shift Galp Lisboa from dydock nº2 to Cais do Bugio. The vessel has not yet completed the repairs and had no power whatsoever so I had to use two tugs and a line ashore, pulling from the berth capstan.

The dock gate is open and we are ready to go.

Monte São Brás making fast on the aft center fairlead. Cte. Águas is waiting for the vessel to come out of the dock in order to make fast on the bow.

Galp Lisboa half in, half out. Are we going to scratch that new paint job?....huummm don't think so!


(All pictures taken by my dear friend Oscar Machado, Galp Lisboa Chief Officer)

Going down

Disembarking from a high freeboard vessel (Gangway combined with pilot ladder)

Visual aids to navigation

Lighthouse "Sra. da Agonia" (Oc.R.6s33m23M). On the western side, the church with the same name.

Lighthouse "Castelo de Santiago" (Iso.R.4s15m23M). Positioned inside the castle with the same name (built in the XVI Century).

These two lighthouses form a navigational leading light which marks the old port entrance on a 012º.5 bearing. Due to the new harbour entrance configuration (after the construction of the two main breakwaters), this leading light serves the Viana Yard basin entrance as well as the old commercial docks.

Although nowadays most ships are equipped with high-tec navigation instruments like DP, DGPS, AIS, ECDIS, PPU plugs and so on, on restricted areas the visual aids are still the best way to easily and accurately determine whether you are on or off track, if drifting is taking place and if the speed is adequate.

Beyond Capricorn, the book

"These days it's well accepted there was considerable European contact with our continent prior to Captain Cook's visit in 1770, primarily from Dutch and British ships. There was the Duyfken's voyage near Cape York in 1606, Dirk Hartog and his pewter plate in 1616, the Batavia in 1629, as well as William Dampier's encounter with the west coast in the 1680s. The list goes on.

But what about the idea of the Portuguese mapping the east, west and south coasts of Australia as early as the 1500s? That's the thrust of the new book Beyond Capricorn - how Portuguese adventurers secretly discovered and mapped Australia and New Zealand 250 years before Captain Cook."

In: ABC Radio National

"In Beyond Capricorn, Peter Trickett challenges the commonly held view that the European discovery of Australia and New Zealand was made first by the Dutch, followed later by Britain’s Captain James Cook. Trickett argues the remarkable claim that in the year 1522 – a century before the Dutch and 250 years before Captain Cook - the Portuguese sailed past Fraser Island and into Botany Bay, around Wilson’s Promontory, and as far as Kangaroo Island before returning to their base in Malacca via the North Island of New Zealand.

Drawing from primary and secondary historical sources, archaeological evidence and stories handed down through Aboriginal oral tradition, Peter Trickett tells a story of espionage, revenge and secret voyages made by the Portuguese to corner the fabulously rich spice trade in the east and find the islands of gold alluded to by Marco Polo. Secret voyages that resulted in the discovery of Australia and New Zealand almost 500 years ago.

Beyond Capricorn is a compelling account of how for a brief moment in the 1520s Australia and New Zealand came close to becoming Portuguese outposts in the southern seas."

In: Australian Online Bookshop

Another fantastic adventure of our Portuguese Navigators ancestors...

SAIPEM 7000

Hello there, here from Mexican Bay of Campeche see the pictures of one of the biggest if not really the biggest floating crane barge in all World, Loa. Of 141mts, Beam of 87mts and 7000ton SWL hoist capability, DP class 3 and able to cope with the most fierce sea conditions, installing one new production platform at the PEMEX ZAAP-C complex, the top of the platform (all production plant) entirely assembled at the shipyard, was towed to location by two tug boats, hoisted from the transport barge and put altogether in place.

POSTED ON BOARD BY JOSÉ SARAIVA

Bunkering operations

Bunkering operations while at anchor off Al Fujayrah, United Arab Emirates, 1996. (the smaller vessel is 95 meters LOA...)

The Ship and the Sun

Sometimes the scenery makes you forget about the ship. Safmarine Onne approaching the pilot boarding position.

Jan Dlugosz

Here we go again. Jan Dlugosz approaching port entrance and tugboat preparing to make fast. Course 005º, engine Slow Ahead, making about 5.5 knots (over the ground).

Passing buoy #6, the Pilot Station looks smaller than a container... Course 025º, engine Dead Slow Ahead, speed 4.0 knots. Aft tug pulling slowly and ship's engine kept running for better steering. One hour to High Water.

Vessel swinging in the manouevring basin with the help of the tugboats (M. S. Brás is pulling on the aft line) to go portside alongside berth 3/4.

Empty containers from Matadi, destination Antwerp. Below the containers several wood logs from African trees will be unloaded at Viana.

Platforms

Hello I’m back and this time I have some pictures about offshore installations in “Campos Basin” oil field.

Pict.1- Petrobras 20

Pict.2- Petrobras 21

All the best and be careful out there.

POSTED ON BOARD BY JOSÉ SARAIVA

Just another quiet day at the office...

Is this Winter never ending?

MT Galp Setúbal (always remember...)

Galp Setúbal sailing from Valência to Gibraltar, before an off-hire period.

Video courtesy of Nelson Silva.

Safmarine Bata

Safmarine Bata approaching her berth. Tugboat Cte. Águas and pilot boat Quebramar ahead.
Photo by A. Teles