At home, I reflected on my past experiences. Tired of dealing with relatives and all the history, I searched for reputable shipping companies near my hometown. I applied to one that seemed legitimate, with a fleet of tankers, a focus on crew investment, and satisfactory salary and benefits. The company quickly responded, saying my resume fit their screening process, and they paid for my basic tanker training. After completing the training, I reported to the office.
One of the employees sat down with me and said, “We have a ship for you.”
I said, “Great, I’ve been home for almost three months, so I’m well-rested.”
The employee said, “Excellent. This ship is a chemical vessel, but fear not, it is older than twenty years, so it can’t transport chemicals anymore. It mostly transports edible oils, like sunflower or palm oil.”
I said, “Okay.”
The employee said, “Now for the salary, there is the standard salary for your rank plus 1000 euros for the ship's chemical class rating and another 1000 euros because the ship is older than 20 years, so your life endangerment is increased.”
I was speechless as this was double the amount I received on those wrecks where I served before. I just nodded my head and took deep breaths.
The employee asked, “Are you satisfied with our offer for your payroll?”
I took a deep breath and said, “Yes. Hmm. Yes, of course. It is okay.”
The employee said, “Glad to hear it, please sign here.”
I left the office in disbelief. Finally, luck had turned on me. In a few days, I was sent to my first tanker.
I landed in a country where I was surprised to see military personnel with automatic rifles guarding the airport. In the crowd, there was a person holding a piece of paper with my name written on it.
I approached the person and said, “Hi. I’m Jack Tanner.”
The person said, “I’m your agent, please come. The ship is late, so I organized a dinner for you while you wait.”
I followed the agent to a local restaurant where a waitress showed me to a table. In a while, she brought me a meat plate with a big chicken in the middle.
I asked, “Is this entire plate for me?”
The waitress replied, “Yes, all for you.”
I smiled and said, “This has to be a mistake; it’s a meat plate for at least three people.”
The waitress said, “No, it’s all for you. You are young. You can eat it all. Good appetite.”
I tried to eat it all but failed halfway through.
The agent came and said, “Come, the ship is berthing.” We left the restaurant and drove to the ship.
The ship was in good condition; you couldn’t tell it was 20 years old. As I climbed up the gangway with the agent, I was surprised to see modern winches on such an old ship. On the gangway, a man who resembled Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory stood, dressed in 2nd Officer overalls. The only difference was his big dark under-eye bags, making it clear he hadn’t had proper sleep in ages.
2nd Officer Sheldon said, “Documents, please.”
I handed him my ID card and said, “I’m the new Third Officer.”
2nd Officer Sheldon said nothing. He took the agent’s ID and wrote our personal data in the visitor’s logbook. 2nd Officer Sheldon gave us visitor badges and said, “Sign in the visitor's logbook.”
We signed the logbook and proceeded inside the superstructure. I followed the agent to the Captain’s quarters.
The Captain was seated behind his desk. He was around 40 years old with long blonde hair and a shaved beard. He looked a little bit like the actor Josh Holloway from the TV show Lost. His presence was notable from afar. At first glance, you would say he was a cool guy.
The Captain said, “Come in, I’m Captain James!”
I walked in and said, “Hi, Captain. I’m Jack Tanner.”
The agent handed Captain James a big envelope and said, “I’ll be back later. I have another ship to take care of urgently.” Captain James took the papers and nodded, and the agent left.
Captain James looked at some documents on his table and said, “I see, Jack. Mostly served on RO-RO ships, one bulk carrier. Well, you will see we take it easier here on tanker vessels. The RO-RO ships are all about speed and mayhem.”
I smiled. Captain James looked at me and asked, “Am I wrong, Jack?”
I said, “No, Captain, you are spot on. RO-RO ships start navigating with all mooring lines attached.”
Captain James smiled and said, “Well, don’t worry. Here we take our cargo more seriously and more slowly.” He stood up, held out his hand, and said, “Welcome aboard, Jack.” I shook his hand.
I said, “Thanks, Captain.”
Captain James said, “Well, your cabin is a floor below. There are labels for Third Officer on the doors. Your cabin is on the left. You can’t miss it.”
I said, “There is more than one cabin labeled Third Officer?”
Captain James said, “Yes, there are two Third Officers on this ship. One oversees navigation, the other one safety and documentation. At the start, you will work both duties. Later, we will see where you fit better.”
I asked, “What’s he like… the other Third Officer?”
Captain James said, “The only thing worth mentioning is that he is servicing a virgin girl in the anus back home because she wants to be a virgin when she gets married.”
I nodded and said, “Ooook.” I turned my back on Captain James, intending to leave his quarters. Captain James then asked, “One question, Jack. Do you like girls, Jack?”
I turned around and said, “Well. Yes, Captain.”
Captain James said, “I thought so. You look like you can handle a lot of ladies.” I just smiled. “Well, speak up,” Captain James urged.
I said, “I better go to my cabin and get ready for duty, Captain.”
Captain James said, “You don’t like to brag about it. Interesting. Okay, Jack, you can go.” I left the Captain’s quarters and walked down the steps.
On my way down, I heard a voice ask, “Why are you recording everything?” Two people with electrician tags were climbing up the steps.
The electrician who recorded everything with the camera said, “This way I have proof of what you showed me. If you don’t show me everything and I can’t find it or something, the blame is on you.”
The other electrician passed me and said, “Idiot.”
I said to the electrician who held the camera, “You are new.”
The electrician with the camera said, “Yes,” and followed the other electrician up the stairs.
I settled in my cabin, got dressed in working overalls, and someone knocked on my door.
He was a man around 30 years old, with short black hair and a neatly trimmed goatee. He had a strong, angular jawline, sharp cheekbones, and a pronounced chin. His face carried a rugged and determined expression, with light brown eyes. His tag was Chief Officer, and he said, “Hi, Third. I’m Benjamin, but everyone calls me Ben.”
I said, “Nice to meet you, Chief.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “Come, let’s go to the cargo room so you can catch up.”
I said, “Lead the way, Chief.”
I followed Chief Officer Ben, and he asked, “You ever used pump control systems, ballast, etc.?”
I said, “Yes.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “Excellent, then you will catch up in no time.”
We passed by a female port authority in the hallway.
Chief Officer Ben said, “You know, a few years ago, we had a couple of women on board. They worked in the kitchen. We used to joke that the longer you stay on board, the more beautiful they become.”
I chuckled, and Chief Officer Ben said, “One night, they went out alone in one of those third-world countries, and we never saw them again.”
I asked, “What happened? You left without them, or?”
Chief Officer Ben said, “No one knew where they disappeared. The local police were useless. The company ordered us to leave the port after we extended our stay for a few hours, and we never heard anything about them.”
I said, “Sad to hear about that.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “It is. The crew mostly doesn’t like it when we sail to third-world countries.”
We arrived at the pump station, and there was 2nd Officer Sheldon with a large, tall man who had long brown hair.
2nd Officer Sheldon said, “When you plan to change the cylinder in the ship’s engine, you must pay attention to the inclinometer. If the ship moves slightly, you won’t be able to slide the cylinder back in. You know.”
The tall man with long black hair raised his eyebrows and walked away. 2nd Officer Sheldon exited the pump room.
I asked, “Who was that tall man talking with the Second Officer?”
Chief Officer Ben smiled and said, “That was the Chief Engineer.”
I said, “But why was the Second Officer explaining how to change the cylinder to him?”
Chief Officer Ben said, “Because he is a frustrated and complex person. The company already denied his trip home several times due to the lack of Second Officers. As time passes, he just gets more and more annoying.”
I said, “I understand. I saw the look on the Chief Engineer’s face.”
Chief Officer Ben laughed and said, “Well, here is the console for the pumps.”
I looked at the console and said, “These are the pumps, tanks, and valves,” as I moved my index finger around the pump console.
Chief Officer Ben said, “Okay, great. Show me how to start pumping starboard lower bottom tank number two.” I showed him, and he said, “Perfect. I’ve worked with a few Third Officers in my life, and for some reason, a lot of them perceive this as rocket science. The Captain was smart to pick you for the crew.”
I said, “The Captain looks okay. What can you tell me about him?”
Chief Officer Ben said, “He is great, but always on the phone with his girlfriend. He divorced since his perfect marriage was just lifeless. Now he’s got a girl, and they talk all the time like teenagers, maybe too much. Since we all noticed it.”
A person in ship’s working overalls entered the pump room, wrapped in cloth from head to toe. His chest tag read “bosun.” He removed the cloth around his face, revealing his warm-toned skin, well-defined jawline, and prominent cheekbones. His short black hair framed his face. His dark brown eyes were deep-set and almond-shaped, with thick and well-defined eyebrows. He had a prominent nose with a slightly broad bridge and full lips. He said, “Chief. Job done.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “Okay. Measure the level of cargo in the holds and report back.”
Bosun said, “OK,” and left.
I asked, “Why is he all wrapped up?”
Chief Officer Ben replied, “They don’t like to get tan skin. It’s a sort of insult to them or something. On sunny days, you will see them walking around the deck like mummies.”
I said, “Strange.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “Indeed. The one you saw is the Bosun, and he is their Alpha.”
I said, “I’m familiar with the alpha part.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “Then you know, these people are organized like wolf packs. You deal with everything through their Alpha, and he keeps them in line. Even when they go on shore, they are led by their Alpha.”
I said, “Yup.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “Remember, you must gain their respect. They will look at you as one of their own. Do not insult them or treat them like some lower-grade humans.”
I said, “I’m not that kind of guy. Don’t worry.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “Some people used to make them clean toilets with toothbrushes and exercise their superiority. In the end, they would just disappear overnight. Probably thrown overboard in the night.”
I said, “I know. No worries.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “Nice to hear that. You will see every night they sing karaoke. Well, enough about them. Come on, let me give you a tour of the ship.”
I followed Chief Officer Ben as he showed me the locations of the tanks, connections, winches, and how to operate them. Over the next few days, I absorbed as much information as possible, checked all the safety instructions and equipment, and made a to-do list. The ship eventually departed for the next port with ease—no stress, no shouting.
During lunchtime, I sat down in the middle of the officers' table. It looked like a banquet, with several dishes spread out—around 7 or 9 in total. There was pasta, rice, minestrone, steak, roasted chicken, bacon, grilled fish, octopus salad, fried squid rings, noodles, and a dessert of pancakes and cookies.
I asked, “What’s the occasion?”
Captain James said, “What do you mean?”
I said, “So much food, are we celebrating something? These past two days, there was less food.”
Captain James said, “No celebration. This is how you eat on a tanker.”
2nd Engineer said, “In port, most of the crew is out. No need for so much food.”
I looked at the 2nd Engineer, who resembled a bodybuilder. He had big, strong arms and a neck fused to his chest. His head was round, with a rugged and powerful look. The only visible hair on his body was his black eyebrows. He noticed me staring and said, “I’m Kurt, by the way. Nice to meet you.”
I said, “Nice to meet you too. I’m Jack. Too bad I wasn’t here before; on all these other ships I served, the food was like raw potato or rice and chicken wings.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “Here it would be the same if the Captain wasn’t so generous.”
Captain James said, “Generous? People must eat. They expect us to get this ship in line. My crew can’t work hard every day if we eat rice and beans.”
2nd Engineer Kurt said, “That’s true. I remember a test crew sent to a well-known company. Our crew was on one contract, and during crew change, our Captain told the other Captain, who had sailed with that company for years, ‘This company is great; you can make false bills for food. No one checks my work.’ The other Captain replied, ‘Then your crew was hungry. This company is not a place for you or your people.’ So that was it; we were banned.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “There are a lot of these cases. One company solved it by signing a contract with a catering company. Their crew and food are untouchable by greed. They report to their company, and the ship owner checks them from time to time.”
2nd Engineer Kurt said, “That sounds nice.”
I said, “I wonder if we can eat all of this. Will some of it be for the next day?” Captain James laughed.
Chief Officer Ben said, “After we are done, all the food goes to the crew, and they will eat it all. No leftovers.”
I asked, “Don’t they have their own food? They are not waiting for us to eat first and then fight over scraps?”
Captain James replied, “No. They have a full table like us. It’s just that they are like termites. They eat everything you set on the table.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “In their country, they are mostly poor and starved, so here on the ship, they eat all they can eat.”
2nd Engineer Kurt said, “They gain like 20-30 kg on a contract.”
Captain James said, “Some even more.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “They come all slim with their bones sticking out and leave overweight.”
Captain James asked, “Jack, you got any stories about girls?”
I replied, “Who, me? No.”
Captain James said, “Look at him. I bet all the girls jump on him. He must have tons of stories.”
I just smiled and said, “No, I don’t.”
Captain James smiled and said, “I see it. I see you smiling. You can’t hide it.”
Chief Officer Ben said, “Leave the boy alone. He just came on board.”
Captain James said, “You’re right. You got a free pass this time.”
After the meal, I left to do my duties.
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