[scottie dog]

Back to sea after two years ashore. recently joined this vessel in West Africa.
The vessel is owned by a french company "Technip" it is fitted with a vertical pipe lay system.
I joined the vessel in Takoradi after flying out to Accra, West Africa
hasn't changed in all these years it has brought back many memories some
good some bad as is always the case.
We are laying pipe to a new FPSO in the Baobab field of the Ivory coast.
The vessel itself is 11,564 ton was biult in 1984 and altered in 1999
its a bit of a basterdisation with extra bits stuck on all over.
It has sixteen engines, the main engines are two v12 and two v8 GMTs
driving two cpp prop shafts through reduction gearboxes and two small
shaft alternators.
we have two Lips azimuth thrusters driven by Wartsila 8L26 and two
Caterpillar DGs.and a caterpillar harbour set.
We also have three cats driving Lips bow thrusters and three caterpillar
deck generators, and of course an emergency generator.
Its an interesting vessel but eveything is spread all over the place and
very compacted, so its going to take a while to become fully familiar.
I had forgotten how hot it gets in engine rooms in these climates im
sweating buckets, still i could do with losing a bit wieght.
Scottie Dog

[igater]

I was Mate on the ship with Smit just after the conversion in Wallsend in 1999 uptill she went to CSO.