When Chief Officer Jan Kenneth Hamre started as a seafarer in 1981, his first port call was in Norway on board Westfahl Larsen's M/T Hardanger. His ships have never called on Norway throughout his many years at sea since then — until now. On his final leg before he retired, Jan Kenneth got to sail into the Norwegian fjords and disembark for the last time, in his hometown. Thank you for your dedication and service!
For 2nd Engineer Christer Helland, it was his first port call in Norway during his 16 years with Odfjell. He took the opportunity to invite his family on board and show them around his home away from home. The story was picked up by the Norwegian newspaper Tysnesbladet. The following is a translated version of the article:
'When Christer Helland's ship visited Norway for the first time, his family could finally come to visit. Everything was much bigger than expected.
Christer Helland has worked as an engineer in the shipping company Odfjell for 16 years. None of the ships he has worked on have ever called Norway. But last weekend it happened. When the supersegregator "Bow Optima" paid a visit to Mongstad, his family could visit Christer on board.
“The boat was bigger than I imagined,” says Askild (10) after the visit. The highlight for him was visiting the bridge. Ylva (8) says she thinks it was great to see where dad works, while Hans Jakob (14) says that the engine room was much larger than what he had anticipated. He'd like to work on a ship when he grows up, he says.
Mom Johanne Dalland adds with a smile that she could easily get lost in the engine room, which covers several floors.
Bow Optima is a chemical and oil tanker that, according to Christer, transports everything from nail polish to fertilizer. The 182.8 meters the long and 32-meter-wide boat sails all over the world. The ship came from cities like New York, Philadelphia, Houston, Antwerp and Rotterdam before calling Mongstad.
When Christer is out at work, he is away for two or three months at a time. After the family visit, he signed off and will stay home until after Christmas, while "Bow Optima" is heading to New York.'
Original article: Fekk besøka båten til pappa. Written by Helene Frøyseth.
