mt Challenge Paradise - Port Hedland

I recently received a last minute request to fly to Port Hedland to perform a pre-purchase inspection of the product tanker mt Challenge Paradise. The ship, though somewhat spartan, was in very good condition and very clean. The Indian officers and crew were very helpful and the Indian food was great. I stayed aboard the ship for two days.
Being the first time I'd been to Port Hedland, I was fascinated to see the constant procession of large bulk ships arriving to load iron-ore, mostly bound for China.
This was a most interesting and enjoyable assignment.

Early morning activity at Perth airport

Approaching Port Hedland

The basic but clean and functional Pilot's cabin

The Officers' mess room

The very clean and tidy engine room

 Other shipping at Port Hedland

mt Torm Almena - Post 2

Photos from my second visit to the ship.

Early morning on the launch at Gem Pier, Williamstown. This launch used to be a pilot launch at Newcastle NSW

Dawn light at Williamstown

OOCL Yokohama arriving in the Yarra River

Heading out to the ship. The person on the left is a surveyor going to another ship to perform a grain survey (verify that the ship's holds are clean and the vessel is ready to load bulk grain)

Searoad Mersey, a Bass Strait cargo ferry arriving at Webb Dock from Devenport, Tasmania.

The brand new bulk carrier Bright Rainbow on her maiden voyage

The grain surveyor about to board the Bright Rainbow

The bunker ship Zemira approaching to refuel the Bright Rainbow

Later in the day, approaching the Bright Rainbow to collect the grain surveyor.

mt Torm Almena - Post 1

On the 10th and 16th of July 2013 I was hired by a marine consultancy firm to act as a Marine Superintendent for a shipping company in the process of purchasing a products tanker, mt Torm Almena. The requirement was for me to attend the vessel at the Melbourne anchorage while divers performed an underwater hull survey and to take a comprehensive set of photos around the ship in order to provide a vessel condition report. The second visit was to perform a bunker survey, verifying the amount of fuel oil and lube oils aboard the ship. It was a very interesting project for me, made easier because the ship, only three years old, was in excellent condition.
This is a small selection of the photos I took on these visits.

Divers loading their equipment on the launch at St. Kilda marina

Torm Almena at the anchorage

Seals sunbathing on the bulbous bow

 

The dive boat alongside

The after mooring deck

The monkey island.

The swimming pool

  

The lifeboat

The bridge

The officers' messroom

  

The crew's recreation room

The gym

The pilot's cabin, allocated to me for my use while on board

The cabin's en-suite

The Captain at his desk in his office

The cargo control room

The galley

The main engine from the top of the engine room

The engine control room

Leaving the ship at sunset