Long, long time since I posted last.
Since my last post, I’ve had two trips offshore. The first was on-board the “Skandi Neptune” in the Gulf of Mexico. There I was working with the “PVLS”, essentially a clone of the main piece of equipment that we had on-board the Perseus. Although physically similar, there were enough differences in the control system to make it a good learning experience for me… I kept wondering how would could incorporate the improved points of it into the system that we had on the Perseus. That system, in the mean time, was being worked on in Dusavik in preparation for it going onto another vessel.
The second trip, which I’m heading towards the end of now, is on-board the “Skandi Seven”. On here I have been reunited with ‘my’ VLS, which has now been renamed “PVLS02”. Something of an irony really, as the ‘P’ is supposed to stand for ‘Portable’ and PVLS02 is now on it’s fourth vessel, whereas, PVLS has only ever been on the one vessel. I somehow feel we’ve been downgraded a bit!
I have been asked to be interviewed for a position on the “Seven Pacific”. I’m not sure how I feel about it. Before, when there was little word of the work on the “Skandi Seven”, it would have been a logical move. Now, I feel that there is little to gain from it and potentially a lot to lose. Even if I do interview, I don’t have to take it or even make up my mind immediately.
As I said earlier in this blog entry, I’m heading towards the end of my current trip. I’m due off in three days in fact. However, Eyjafjallajokull may have different plans for me. The Icelandic volcano’s eruption has played havoc with European air travel for four days now, and at the moment – to quote Icelandic geologist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson: “It’s the magma mixing with the water that creates the explosivity. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.”, This coupled with the fact that weather experts say wind patterns mean the cloud is not likely to move far until later in the week, means that Wednesday’s crew-change could be in doubt.
