09-08-05 two days of working for Mercy Ships

Just a quick up date to let you folks know what they have been getting me doing here in Newcastle.
My first thing on Monday morning at 7:00am!!! yes that means I have to get up at 5:50! there's a 5:50?! yes as I found out yesterday.
was devotions and praying for the day and our safety.
then I had our yard Safety talk - great.

Then my first proper job was to clean up under Engine no. 6 where a considerable amount of oil had been spilt. easy job you may think but Ship ensines are not designed to have easy access and meant me and a comp[anion had to become contorsionists to get through the mass of pipes and get the oil cleaned up so someone could come and Weld without a fire risk.

then I spent the rest of the day moving spare engine parts from one side of the ship in the cargo hold down one deck, then into the stores. Another easy task you may think. well not when some engine spare parts weigh about 20kgs each and come in stupid shapes like gears and control units large pumps and are not easy to get down stairs let alone ship ladders.then once we got all of them we could lift we had to hoist the rest down to the engine room.

I had such a great day - came back feeling like I had actually done something good - and felt like I had done a hard days work as well and a little dehydrated.

Today I got to install medical gas pipework all day - which was a lot less physical work than yesterday but more mind work trying to figure out how to get the pipes around all the bulkheads and structure on the ship. Something which I was used to sat behind a computer doing at my old job, but not used to doing it in practice. I was working with two guys Mark (from Winnipeg, Canada) and Dallas Logan (from Nevada - I think) what a cool name though! I think I will be doing this for the rest of this week, which is cool, but I did actually prefer the hard labour of being in the engine room.

Tonight I am off for a drink with a guy I met at Church on Sunday. I also have a new housemate today but he has travelled from the US for the last two days, so he is currently sleeping and haven't met him yet.

So yeah that is what is currently going on in the life of the Waldron.

I would love to hear what you are up to so please get in touch I miss you guys so much.

Stay Cool my friends.

P.