Here Comes The Lioness.....

Of all the times for a boat trip, why does it need to be at the crack of dawn? 5am!!!!!, Only half of my head will be there. I idly got up and my head suddenly  tilted a bit to the back fighting the sleepiness, I hurriedly got dressed, gobbled the breakfast pack as I made my way to the deck. I was struggling to keep my eyes open and my fingers tightened across my wide opened yawning mouth .

I dragged my gear alongside as I stumbled a few steps ahead. When I reached the deck there were already several guys in different coloured coveralls, Some continuing their slumber on the benches, some slowly munching on their breakfast packs, some chain smoking, some staring into nothingness.

I always felt out of place, always the only female in a bright yellow jumpsuit. I was always the first to check in, reporting my attendance and crossing the rickety board up the waiting crew boat and as I threw my gaze out to the open sea I had a feeling that this will be a rough ride.

Since I was the first to be on the crew boat, I made my way to the interior, got myself the front seat. Roughly more than 50 men can be transported at any one trip, and we’d only number up to 20 for this one. I stretched myself over a row of seats into slumberland. The other guys never bothered me as I was always seen together with two of my Mal male colleagues here.

It takes about a few minutes  before we hit the open sea, and  the soft rocking of the boat enticed me to close my eyes and  slipped into dreamland.

The sudden jerk of the boat jolted me back to reality. Dazed and dizzy, I looked out through the windows and lo and behold the sea looked mad! I felt like a lost bottle, bobbing furiously any which way the sea takes me. The breakfast that was downed hurriedly, inched dangerously up my esophagus, wanting to escape.

Oh boy, this is going to be a long, long ride.

As I tried to settle myself back to sleep again, I heard someone threw up. There goes one! I thought to myself. Again I concentrated on sleep, ignoring the sharp throbs in my forehead. After a while, the rocking of the boat made me go back to dreamland and I  literally see in the eye of my mind the boat was turning back to shore at record speed.

A few taps on my shoulders brought me back to reality. It was only a dream! And there before us is the huge rig looming, magnificent in its girth, dwarfing the crew boat we were in. The familiar grind and roaring of the machineries greeted us as the boat pulled along side the rig. Standing proud on the rig’s side is the platform where the wells are waiting for us to baby them.

I was wabbling like a duck to the open back of the boat, and saw the rig workers preparing to receive us. Transfer basket hooked onto the crane’s hook, safety officer ready to direct us up to the briefing room and the rig hands ready to ‘catch’ us if we prematurely land before the transfer basket. Thank God! I waved and smiled back to the familiar faces up on the rig. Nothing can rock the daylight out of this rig.

Someone hurriedly rushed and dived into a toilet unloading his stomach contents. Trying my best to ignore the sounds coming from the loo, I dragged my bags and gears to the waiting transfer basket and proceeded to board it with three other guys. We donned the work vest passed to us and hooked ourselves onto the basket.

Despite doing this quite a few times, that moment when we’re air borne my knees turned into jellylike and I had to will myself to stay still as we soar above the watery gap between the crew boat and the rig. I dare not looked below me, darkened and the waves were roaring angrily...

I thank God for His mercy as we landed safely on the tender’s deck.

And so starts another shift of being the lioness among the guys here.