Ships maintenance
Ships will detoriate by themself if left alone and unattended.
Therefore Scott and myself are at present enroute to Nexø Harbour for a round of maintenance and upkeep on Sputnik & Vostok.
If you happen to be on Bornholm, then feel free to come and visit us and see the ships. We will be there around 16:00 today and depart around 16:00 tomorrow Sunday.
Bornholmsgat traficseparation
At the time of writing we are crossing the Bornholmsgat traficseparation onboard the ferry to Rønne.
The Bornholmsgat is among the most heavily trafficed straits in the world. Crossing it onboard our own ships Sputnik and Vostok is always a reason for extra personel on sharp lookout and the navigator constantly plotting the course and speed of the other ships and doing calculations to ensure a collisionfree passage.
It is a quite different experience to cross as a passenger on the ferry.
I observe the weather through the window of the ferry.
Visibility is around 3-4 seamiles, limited by fog. It is drizzling.
Waveheight i just below 1 meter, the wind a very modest few m/s from West.
The waters temperature is as high as 5-6 degrees.
We could even sail Sputnik in weather like this. Winter sailing is quite possible as long as you take precautions aganst the dangers of falling into the cold water.
Waiting for the bus to Nexø Harbour. foto: Kristian Elof Sørensen / Copenhagen Suborbitals
Vostok shall have a brief docking soon
We had planned to take Vostok on the slipway in Nexø recently, but had to postpone it due to a combination of galeforce winds and illness.
The tasks were to change the zinc sacrifical anodes on the hull, clean the rudder, propeller and coolingwaterfilters of marine life and conduct an inspection of the hull below the waterline.
We will find a new date as soon and personel and weather permits.
This weekends tasks
We will start up the machinery on both ships and get them all warmed up.
The engines and gearboxes will be run up to normal operating temperature by letting the ships pull at their own moarings for a long while. This will get the systems worked well & good, and get any condensation or other water out of the oil and fuel systems and ensure all inner surfaces gets a new covering of protective lubrication oil.
The many batteries onboard will be charged so they can withstand the winters frost & cold.
The radios and transponders will be started and made to run for long enough to get all nice and warm and dry inside. Connectors and plugs will be inspected, cleaned and greezed as needed.
Probably the most important task will be inspecting the moorings and fenders for wear and change the mooringlines around so the wear is distributed.
Update Sunday afternoon
We have received visitors today on the ship.
It is woonderfull to meet our fans on Bornholm and get a chance to give tours onboard the ships without the stress of an ongoing launch campaign.
Over the weekend we have had all the machinery started and run up to normal operating temperature. The batterybanks have all been charged. Only the very oldest of the batterybanks was low on energi and needed a long charge, the others were fine after a short top-up charge.
The freshwater tank onboard Vostok has been drained in anticipation of frost during winter.
The only outstanding task before departure is to rearrange the mooring lines so the wear gets distributed.
Vostok in Nexø Harbour. foto: Kristian Elof Sørensen / Copenhagen Suborbitals
