Wodeco IV under tow
WODECO IV under tow
From the Smit Lloyd vessels, so dear to me, I decided to start working on Taiwan as a kind of consultant for a ship's repair shop. This was a short lived illusion and I ended up with no job and no money in a foreign country.
Luckily my contacts with the drilling company we had been working with for some time payed of and I was contracted to work as an assistant barge-master on the WODECO IV.
This barge had mostly been drilling in the quite waters of the gulf and was now contracted by Chinese Petroleum (Taiwan) to explore for oil in the typhoon battered Taiwan Strait. The crews from the supply-vessels and drilling barge called it "typhoon alley" .
I joined the WODECO IV in 1975 as an assistant barge master. At that time we had a schedule of 3 weeks on and one week off. I lived outside of Taipei and crew changes where done by helicopter from the Taipei airport to the "rig". The relative small helicopters had to fly 3 times to change the complete crew.
We all where exited on crew-change day, whether going or coming back, for different reasons. Going back home to see the family and going to the rig to be happy you made the helicopter ride in one piece again. Luckily in the 7 years I worked for WODECO there were no accidents, however after I left, one "heli" had an emergency landing in Taipei. Nobody got hurt but another "heli" was lost in the Northerner waters of Taiwan and only some life-jackets found back! Still, the changes of getting run over by a car on the streets of Taipei are much greater.
In 1976 I joined the WODECO VIII as first Engineer and stayed on until 1982.
Luckily my contacts with the drilling company we had been working with for some time payed of and I was contracted to work as an assistant barge-master on the WODECO IV.
This barge had mostly been drilling in the quite waters of the gulf and was now contracted by Chinese Petroleum (Taiwan) to explore for oil in the typhoon battered Taiwan Strait. The crews from the supply-vessels and drilling barge called it "typhoon alley" .
I joined the WODECO IV in 1975 as an assistant barge master. At that time we had a schedule of 3 weeks on and one week off. I lived outside of Taipei and crew changes where done by helicopter from the Taipei airport to the "rig". The relative small helicopters had to fly 3 times to change the complete crew.
We all where exited on crew-change day, whether going or coming back, for different reasons. Going back home to see the family and going to the rig to be happy you made the helicopter ride in one piece again. Luckily in the 7 years I worked for WODECO there were no accidents, however after I left, one "heli" had an emergency landing in Taipei. Nobody got hurt but another "heli" was lost in the Northerner waters of Taiwan and only some life-jackets found back! Still, the changes of getting run over by a car on the streets of Taipei are much greater.
In 1976 I joined the WODECO VIII as first Engineer and stayed on until 1982.
1975-1982 Western Offshore Drilling Corporation
1975: Taiwan on the Wodeco 4, a drilling barge operating for CPC in the straight of Taiwan.
My first experience on a drilling barge, build for nice weather!, in typhoon alley as it was and still is called.
Wodeco IV hanging on only 2 anchor wires after heavy typhoon. Scared the hell out of me and many times thereafter!.
Jan as assistant bargemaster on the Wodeco IV Drilling Barge in the Straight of Taiwan.
My first experience on a drilling barge, build for nice weather!, in typhoon alley as it was and still is called.
Wodeco IV hanging on only 2 anchor wires after heavy typhoon. Scared the hell out of me and many times thereafter!.
Jan as assistant bargemaster on the Wodeco IV Drilling Barge in the Straight of Taiwan.
The Wodeco IV in heavy weather following a typhoon in the straight of Taiwan.
WODECO VIII in dry-dock Kaohsiung
WODECO VIII
Here is the WODECO VIII in dry-dock at Kaohsiung. After a year being anchored at a number of locations in the Taiwan Strait she certainly looks like she can use some paint.
The Wodeco VIII has been a tanker and was rebuilt in the late 60ees in Keelung shipyard to a self propelled drilling-vessel. Here at the picture on the left you are looking at the stern and starboard side of the ship.
A dry-docking period meant an extensive repair and overhaul on hull, drilling equipment and engine-room. For us engineers it was 12 hours a day running around.
The Wodeco VIII has been a tanker and was rebuilt in the late 60ees in Keelung shipyard to a self propelled drilling-vessel. Here at the picture on the left you are looking at the stern and starboard side of the ship.
A dry-docking period meant an extensive repair and overhaul on hull, drilling equipment and engine-room. For us engineers it was 12 hours a day running around.
In dire need of some paint!
At dry-dock Kaohsiung. Looks a bit rusty but the vessel is still floating as we speak. (2012).