Anet and Flinterrachel

Eelco's trips across the Atlantic on m/v Anet were all in good weather. Off loading in Skikda, Algeria went okay. The only problem was the self help service of the dock crew. It was not nice to play policeman all the time. From North Africa they went to Gibraltar where m/v Anet had to get urgent repairs done. The sad fact is the Anet is a brand new ship. It only came in service this year, Eelco was the first relieve crew. Unfortunately not half of the two page list of warranty problems was attended to.

Their next port was Bilbao in Spain. There the ship went into a charter contract of 13 months. It was weekend and it was the soccer world cup final. The Spanish celebrated their win properly. It meant the crew of m/v Anet had a few days off. The best of this luxury was that they could actually go into town, in contrast to normal 'safety' procedure of guarding off the dock and confining ships crew. The weather was summery perfect for a tourist trip to town and the bridge with the hanging ferry. It is the oldest of its kind in the world. Close to the waterfront was a small plain with a few trees. There the local people enjoyed a dance on the typical Spanish entertainment. To crown his outing Eelco came across a cultural, dance performance of about ten countries, just somewhere in the open on a street close to another plain. He had an enjoyable festive time there. They loaded rolls of steel wire which required tender handling and delivered it in New Orleans, USA for use in the automotive industry. Here Eelco was relieved and flew back to Holland.

The next day he was on his way again to m/v Flinterrachel in Ceuta, Spanish enclave in Morocco just opposite Gibraltar. Their freight was fluorspar and their destiny Berdyansk in Ukraine. Their route took them over the Mediterranean Sea through the Dardanelle into the Sea of Marmara past Istanbul in Turkey through the Bosporus into the Black Sea. Here the water traffic was extremely crowded but the sights of the mosques still clear. They past Kerg into the Sea of Azov and then on to Berdyansk. It was a ten day trip in total with calm summer weather. Rules, regulations and customs had their own time and accounts. After some slack time, they loaded sunflower produce for animal feed bound for Ashdod in the supposed land of milk and honey. Enroute to Israel Eelco was relieved in Istanbul where immigration and customs were quick and efficient.

With freedom chips in his pocket, it was time to go home.

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