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Trip reports / Funny rare lucky cases during ship spotting?
« on: January 19, 2023, 10:01:03 PM »
Something that can be called like that, something hilarious, maybe impossible...
Happened such today. I was walking along the port in my city of Kaliningrad, going to see the offshore tug BALKHAN - suddenly spotted her on Marintetraffic at the local ship repair yard a day earlier - docked at the exact same spot at which I took pics of her almost 15 years ago back in July 2008 (can be found in my first uploads on this site). That tug is usually on-standby at the Lukoil's D-6 oil rig & it's a rare case when it would come all the way to Kaliningrad because the Lukoil's terminal is near Svetlyy. Besides it's a special ship, since my father sailed on her as 2nd mate back in the years.
So, while walking along the port I was looking at whatever was visible there - our KRUZENSHTERN, SEDOV, some other ships, mostly everything was obstructed, so no point in taking pics there. Suddenly at one certain spot I saw far in the background 4 raised white booms (with distinctive black tips) of deck cranes, everything else of the ship obstructed - it took like 3 seconds for me to figure it out: "OH! That looks like the GREEN CRYSTAL! That reefer I saw back in July 2003... almost 20 years ago... or well, it could be any of several sisterships, I mean... coooool! 20 years ago & yet now, outta sudden..."
I realized there would be no way of taking pics of her since she was docked in inconvenient place & was very obstructed, so I continued going to see the BALKHAN...
Then at home I remembered to check Marinetraffic what was that reefer anyway - I clicked on it's icon which showed it's indeed the GREEN CRYSTAL! Lol, could you believe it? Not only suddenly & finally seeing the same ship I saw 20 years ago (I still have a pencil sketch I drew of her while standing near) but even guessing the correct ship by just it's cranes, I mean it could have been any of her sisterships.
Happened such today. I was walking along the port in my city of Kaliningrad, going to see the offshore tug BALKHAN - suddenly spotted her on Marintetraffic at the local ship repair yard a day earlier - docked at the exact same spot at which I took pics of her almost 15 years ago back in July 2008 (can be found in my first uploads on this site). That tug is usually on-standby at the Lukoil's D-6 oil rig & it's a rare case when it would come all the way to Kaliningrad because the Lukoil's terminal is near Svetlyy. Besides it's a special ship, since my father sailed on her as 2nd mate back in the years.
So, while walking along the port I was looking at whatever was visible there - our KRUZENSHTERN, SEDOV, some other ships, mostly everything was obstructed, so no point in taking pics there. Suddenly at one certain spot I saw far in the background 4 raised white booms (with distinctive black tips) of deck cranes, everything else of the ship obstructed - it took like 3 seconds for me to figure it out: "OH! That looks like the GREEN CRYSTAL! That reefer I saw back in July 2003... almost 20 years ago... or well, it could be any of several sisterships, I mean... coooool! 20 years ago & yet now, outta sudden..."
I realized there would be no way of taking pics of her since she was docked in inconvenient place & was very obstructed, so I continued going to see the BALKHAN...
Then at home I remembered to check Marinetraffic what was that reefer anyway - I clicked on it's icon which showed it's indeed the GREEN CRYSTAL! Lol, could you believe it? Not only suddenly & finally seeing the same ship I saw 20 years ago (I still have a pencil sketch I drew of her while standing near) but even guessing the correct ship by just it's cranes, I mean it could have been any of her sisterships.