Working offshore in Thailand

Holding a core tube of mud - being required to wear coveralls, a hard hat and PFD all the time didn't help me deal with the heat.

The Miclyn Energy from an oil drilling platform. Transferring between the boat and platforms was interesting as they use a crane and a basket.

Living quarters attached to a processing platform.  On top is the helicopter pad and backed up to the platform in a crew boat.

Everyone on the aft-deck gets very wet when you back into 10 ft seas.  Most of the time the seas were only 2-4 feet.

Prior to our vacation in Malaysia I spent four weeks working in Thailand. For three weeks I was offshore in the Gulf of Thailand aboard the 61 meter Miclyn Energy. The vessel was on charter to perform environmental sampling and I was there to operate our Vibrocorer and assist with other operations. I worked closely with three other Tetra Tech employes and also with a group Thai people familiar with other sampling methods. This was my first experience working abroad and it couldn't have been better.

The boat was only 5 years old and was well equipped, both mechanically and in terms of living space. There were about 30 people on board, about 12 science personnel and the rest were part of the boat crew including a catering crew of 4. Everyone was very friendly although language barriers prevented me from conversing with most of the crew.

The weather in the Gulf of Thailand is extremely hot, especially for someone from Alaska.  I can't really say I got use to it. I'm not sure I ever would.