#精品长文创作季 ##航海##海员##全民健身##海上世界##海员故事#
This is the 3,534th real story we have told
In the morning, I lay on the bed in the cabin dormitory and felt nothing but swaying, and the things in the room were rolling around on the floor and making noises, waking me up not by the alarm clock, but by the swaying.
I only felt dizzy and my stomach was a little churning. I rolled over and got out of bed, only to see a mess on the ground. I have only been working on this domestic trade ship for a few months, and I have never encountered this situation before, and I have only heard of a windy ship above level 9 that can shake so much.
I hurriedly washed up, staggered to the dining room, ate a few bites, and became so seasick that I had no appetite. Shuitou said that he didn't have to go out to work today, and the living area was clean in windy and rough weather.
After cleaning, I went back to bed and lay down, and I felt better. I saw that the hangers hanging on the ropes were rocking from side to side, about 30 degrees, and the clocks hanging on the wall were spinning. This went on for about seven or eight hours. During this time, I was dizzy and couldn't eat.
I've been working on the ship for almost 150 days and I've only encountered this situation once. But that impression was so deep that I still remember it vividly.
(I took a photo with the Forbidden City in Jingshan Park, Beijing)
I am Xiao Zhang, born in Linyi, Shandong Province in 1997, and I also have a younger sister who is in middle school.
My parents are farmers, but most of the land in the family is rented out, and I have hardly ever seen them go to the land. Dad was a welder who often went out to work to earn money to support his family. My mom took care of my sister and me at home, helped out at a nearby breakfast shop, or worked part-time at a clothing processing shop to earn money to support the family.
I grew up reading and visiting bookstores. In the ocean of books, I always feel very warm and grounded. Reading a book, it's like I've met a new friend.
(I love visiting bookstores)
My academic performance is average, and my college entrance examination score is only enough to go to a junior college. Influenced by my family, I applied for a school that trains non-commissioned officers and was able to enlist in the army after graduation. In 2016, I came to Lanzhou, Gansu Province to study mechatronics.
I was honorably enlisted in the army in December 2018. Putting on the military uniform, I felt like I had grown up all at once. The fiery barracks has taught me a lot, and I've changed a lot. Living in a group has also taught me self-discipline and cultivated my perseverance.
The company has high physical requirements for us, and it was very difficult when we first started to leave the company. When I pulled the horizontal bar, I broke all the calluses and had eight wounds on both hands. I called my dad and said that I had played all my life here, and that I had practiced well, and that I would mix better when I went out.
(When I was in the army)
In September 2021, I was honorably discharged from the military. When I was in the army, I studied various occupations in society, and I felt that people like me, who had no resources and no funds, could only receive a meager salary wherever they worked, and I didn't know when I would be able to live the life I wanted.
At that time, I paid attention to an investment platform, although I didn't have much principal, I still practiced while learning, knowing that profit and loss are the same, principal is more important than income, and investing in myself is more important than investment itself.
I have a wish to earn money and invest well when I can work, and retire when I am 50 years old and do what I want.
In my spare time, I surfed the Internet and learned that the salary of working at sea is relatively high, so that the third officer can get 25,000 yuan a month, the second officer can get more more, the first mate can get close to 40,000 yuan a month, and the captain can get 60,000 yuan a month. Although it requires qualifications and certification, it can be achieved through hard work.
(I was honorably discharged)
A year before I left the army, I started to pay attention to sailing bloggers from the media, and I followed at least twenty friends who ran boats. I found a reliable agent, and I contacted him for registration, exams, make-up exams, certificates, boat searches, and interviews.
Before I was discharged from the army, I contacted a vocational and technical college in Jiangsu to study the third officer, and I also signed up with the intermediary. 13 days after I was discharged from the army, I went straight to the school to report.
My parents did not approve of my discharge from the army, nor did they agree to run a boat. But it didn't work if they didn't agree, I volunteered and became a soldier in part because of the decision they made for me, and now I have to choose for myself.
I studied for a year, first learning theory, then taking the theory, then learning the practice, and then taking the practical test. After passing the theoretical and practical tests, you can only get the certificate on board. In the first theory test during my studies, I had no experience, and I hung up four out of five, all of which were one or two points short.
(Various specialized books during the study period)
I was a little blind, so I started to retake the exam later. I took three or four re-exams to pass them all, and I had five chances to take the exam in three years. It is not easy to take the third certificate, and only about half of the students I studied with passed the exam.
It is still easier to find a ship after the certificate is examined, because it is a senior seafarer, and there are fewer people who register for the exam, which is much less than that of sailors. Full-time college diploma is required to register, of course, the age is too old, and it is not recommended to enter the industry over 35 years old, and some shipowners have age requirements.
The agent recommended me for an interview, I passed it without any problems, and then I waited for the schedule to be arranged, which lasted about two months.
(I celebrated my birthday early before I got on the boat)
I got on the ship on September 21, 2023, and I still remember that day. I was contacted by the supplier the night before and I was able to take their delivery car to the pier. I got up at 8 a.m., got to the supplier at 11 a.m., and arrived at the dock at 1 p.m.
I saw the boat from afar, it was very big, I was very excited, I felt a little pain in my stomach, maybe I was too nervous, and it was good to get to the dock.
When I actually stood on the boat and looked out at the endless blue sea, I felt like I was in a dream. My sea struggle is about to set sail!
(The freighter is so big and mighty)
I followed the supplier to deliver the food to the ship, and the first mate began to look for a room for me, looking for work clothes, and then I went to report to the captain. When I stood in front of the mirror in my work clothes and looked at myself, I was really happy and excited.
I handed in my certificates, signed all kinds of papers, and by 3:40 p.m., I was on duty at the entrance of the ladder, helping to adjust the cable gangway, and I was off work at 7:40 p.m.
(Take a commemorative photo when you wear overalls for the first time on the boat)
The ship I was on was a domestic trade vessel, about 45,000 tons. There will be no internet on board after going to sea, but it will not take more than two days at most. At first, I was a little panicked, but after two or three days, I got used to it. If you don't have an internet connection, you don't look at your phone, and you can do something else.
As a trainee third officer, my specific work at the beginning was to knock rust and paint on the deck, and polish it with a grinder, and the strength was still relatively large. Because I was a soldier and I have maintained the habit of fitness since I was discharged from the army, I felt a little tired at first from the physical work on the ship, but then I got used to it after about a month.
I work 7 hours a day when the ship is sailing, and I finish it in 5 hours normally, and sometimes I even leave work after an hour. Now there are 4 interns on the ship like me, two on deck and two in the engine room.
(I'm sanding paint on the boat)
At first, there will be people who are not very friendly, who think I am clumsy, and I don't know anything. The boatswain also thought I couldn't work, and kept talking about me. I didn't understand, so I asked, I learned slowly, and now I feel that I am very good at work.
Working on a ship is also facing a small society, and the ability to resist pressure is strong. Fortunately, I exercised in the army, although life was very difficult at that time, but I also learned a lot of things, such as being able to observe words and feelings, helping others easily, and just having a sweet mouth, calling brother when I see people, and being diligent and everyone likes it.
There are a lot of instruments on the bridge, and the dense crowd is dazzling. Every night I went up to the bridge to learn how to steer, to steer the boat, to learn how to use radar, electronic charts and VHF, and it didn't feel difficult. At the meeting two days ago, the first mate praised me and said that I was active and willing to work. I'm happier and more motivated.
(This is our bridge)
Our ships are bulk carriers, carrying coal from north to south. Compared to containers, the pace is slower. The speed of the ship is about ten knots, which is equivalent to 10 nautical miles an hour, which is half the speed of ferries and container ships. Ships travel from one port to the next, from a short one to a few hours, and a long one five or six days.
When we arrived at the port, the ship was looking for a place to anchor at the anchorage and waiting to dock, which was probably 10 to 20 nautical miles away, and the longest time I had ever waited for a docking was eight days. However, once the ship docks, the unloading is still relatively fast, and the unloading of bulk carriers generally starts in 20 hours.
It's actually easier to work at sea than on land, and we have more time to fish, mainly because we are conscious, and we are quite comfortable. I also rarely encounter times when there are big storms. In general, ships will avoid bad weather such as typhoons, or even stay in the port.
(The hangers and clocks are shaking during strong winds and waves)
I encountered it once, that day the wind was very strong, the boat shook so badly that I felt a little dizzy, and I couldn't eat, so I quickly lay down on the bed and didn't dare to move. But for the old crew, these are commonplace, and they still do what they have to do, eating and drinking without delay.
Many people ask me if I have a very high swimming level when working at sea, but in fact, I don't need to swim when I encounter a situation, I just dare to dive. The ship sails in the middle of the sea, probably hundreds of nautical miles from land (1 nautical mile is 1,852 meters), and if something happens, it has to abandon ship. It is useless to know how to swim, it is better to conserve your strength and wait for rescue in a lifeboat.
There are lifeboats and life rafts on board, which are equipped with satellite phones and emergency radio beacons, as well as seasickness medicine, compressed biscuits and fresh water. We also need to wear water-soaked thermal suits and life jackets. When the boat is heavily loaded, the freeboard is 5 meters above the sea, so we only need to dare to dive from the 5-meter high platform.
(We are practicing 5-meter diving)
After the boat arrives at the port, we can get off the boat and go to play, usually for shopping or haircuts. When it comes to haircuts, I always give myself haircuts on the boat. I have my own clippers with 6mm calipers. I didn't have any hairstyles when I launched it, so I didn't like to take pictures.
The food on the ship is not bad, there is meat and vegetables, buy enough for 24 people on board to eat for half a month, and eat the dishes that are easy to spoil first. It basically costs a small 10,000 yuan to buy groceries every time. The food fee is 40 a day, and if you can't finish eating, you will be refunded about 300 to 500 yuan at the end of the month. Our group activity is to make dumplings together, and it's quite fun.
I have a good relationship with the chef and I often help him with his work. He secretly opened a small stove for me and cooked dumplings for me to eat. I sometimes cook instant noodles by myself, and I also learn to stew stewed dishes, and now my cooking skills have improved.
(Good food on board)
There is a gym on the ship, there is a TV, you can download some TV series or something by yourself. When you have nothing to do, you can work out and catch up on dramas. We have a contract period of about 6-8 months, and we can do it for 10 months if we want to do it. This way there will be two or three months of vacation. You can go home if you take a vacation, and you can't go back to Hong Kong if you don't take a vacation.
I am now in the internship period, and my income is only two or three thousand a month. In two months I will be able to change the sailor's certificate, probably about seven thousand. After another 6 months, you can change three certificates.
It may take about 6-12 months for the certificate to be replaced. The salary of the third mate can be 25,000 yuan, and the first time you do the third officer is a new certificate, and the salary may be less than 20,000 yuan. Regardless of the salary in the future, do your current job well.
Outside of work, I prefer to be alone, and I have many hobbies, such as walnuts, diamonds, coffee, fitness, and boxing. I like to make my own coffee, I have my own Moka pot and buy coffee beans online. When the coffee is brewed and the milk is added, it is a latte. At first, I liked the light roast, but now I like the medium or dark roast.
(In my spare time, I make coffee and read walnuts on a book plate)
I have studied the comparison of pan walnut and pan diamond. The string is King Kong, and the pair is walnut. Walnuts and King Kong should be brushed for a month when they get their hands on them, and then they should start to plate slowly, and do not oil them when they are plated.
It takes about two or three years to go from brown to red. The so-called "jade test needs to be burned for three days, and it needs to wait for seven years to distinguish it". Not only do they decompress, but they are also gadgets for exercising patience and perseverance.
I think there are things that need to be persevered, that need to be done all the time, and the results will come naturally. By the time I was promoted to the third officer, my King Kong should be very red, and Captain Sheng estimated that some of the lines were about to wear out.
(King Kong that Chef and I bought at the same time two months ago<更红的是我的>)
The gym on board has a lot of equipment, I like to play treadmills, spin bikes, and play table tennis with my colleagues for about an hour at a time.
When I was in the army, I often ran 5 kilometers, and after I left the army, I continued to keep fit. Although the space on the boat was limited, it did not stop me from exercising. Working on a ship requires a healthy body and an open mind.
I also like boxing, and I have taken a trial class, so I want to learn it systematically when I have the opportunity in the future.
I like to read books on humanities, social sciences, and history, and I am reading books by Wang Zengqi, Cai Lan, and Yu Hua. Everywhere I go, I like to go to the bookstore and I love the atmosphere of the bookstore. In addition to physical books, I also read a lot of e-books. I also learned a lot of nutrients from the book.
(Photos of me when I was working out)
I also like to travel, having been to Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Xi'an and other places, eating local snacks, appreciating the profound local culture, and visiting local independent bookstores.
I haven't been in a relationship yet, and I've been busy making money, so I've been delayed. I hope I can find a partner who supports me in running the boat and is willing to be my strong backing at home.
I've loved reading since I was a kid and I like to think a little bit more. When there was no Internet on the ship, I wanted to summarize my past, and sometimes I also posted on self-media. Once I posted a post about crew salaries, and it went viral.
I was approached by many people for advice on being a seafarer, and I tried my best to give them good advice. I'm also happy to be able to share the beautiful scenery I took at sea.
(I took a beautiful view of the sea)
Working on a ship is a road that is rarely traveled, and although it may seem like a difficult and long road, it will always come along the way.
I couldn't find a better path for me. I'm still young, and the last thing I need is time. Rather than painting a pie on land, it is better to throw your time in the sea and seek a certain future.
My future plan is very simple, that is, from the third officer to the second officer, and then the first officer, the first officer, the captain, and the captain. If you want to run a boat, you must be able to endure hardship, endure loneliness, and know that you may take care of your family less. To have a long-term goal, to be the captain or the old rail (engine room leader) on the ship, otherwise I will be sorry for myself.
(My various seafarer's certificates)
I will have two to three months of vacation in one month, and then I will be at home with my parents, and then I will travel to Qingdao and Harbin, and I will also prepare to take the certificate of radio communication, which I will use when I am the third officer.
That's who I am, with a wide range of hobbies and a firm goal. I will study the ship, work hard, and grow quickly. Once I identify a path, I will go on bravely. The road ahead may be long and difficult, but I have no regrets, and I will go one step at a time without distractions.
(Welcome to follow the account of the protagonist of this article: Xiao Zhang's logbook)
[Dictation: Xiao Zhang]
[Editor: Book Sea Ripples]
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