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Strict rules apply to all
A crew of three Lithuanians arrived in China at the end of March, morally prepared for the mandatory three-week quarantine at the hotel. “The first pleasant surprise: as soon as we arrived, we learned that the quarantine will last only 14 days instead of three weeks. We were morally prepared for this time, because we knew we would have to spend it in complete isolation,” says M. Nosavičius.
According to M. Nosavičius, the isolation rules in China are really strict and are followed: “As soon as we landed in China, we saw that the protection is maximum: everyone walks with masks, overalls, glasses. He was greeted by us, as well as by other passengers on the plane, as the true carriers of the virus, so he was treated harshly. After lengthy checks, we were all taken from the airport with a police escort to the quarantine hotel. There were only three Europeans on the plane, but we saw that the same strict rules applied to Chinese citizens and foreigners. “
At the hotel, guests’ body temperatures were constantly measured and a Covid PCR test was performed every three days; In total, Lithuanians underwent 9 tests since the beginning of the trip.
Photo from personal archive / From left to right: Mantas Jokšras, Arvydas Maksimavičius, Captain Mindaugas Nosavičius
In isolation, the agenda helps more
Although they lived in the same hotel, the three Lithuanians only communicated online. “We were prepared for such isolation, we read a lot about how to maintain emotional health in similar situations, when you are locked in a small room without any direct contact. From experience, I can say that the agenda is what helps the most: breakfast, an overview of yesterday’s knowledge in Lithuania, then science, studies, lunch, sports activities, reading books, dinner ” , M. Nosavičius shares his experience.
An experienced captain says that sometimes that isolation is even beneficial because you can focus on things that you couldn’t consistently sit on before. “Even with the agenda, sometimes there was no shortage of time during the day, and if you wanted to take your eyes off your reading, you could look at the panoramas of the city from the hotel’s thirteenth floor,” he says.
First encounter with a new ship
Immediately after the end of the mandatory quarantine, the Lithuanian crew arrived at the shipyard, which currently has two DFDS-built ferries for the Baltic Sea. “Working in a shipyard is really complicated, there are both language and temperature factors. The factory, which builds around 40 ships a year and employs up to 10,000 people at a time, speaks a good number of employees in English, so It’s not always easy to communicate, and when it’s +35 degrees outside, everything requires more energy, ”says M .Nosavičius.
According to the captain, the territory of the shipyard is huge, it could be compared to the size of any Lithuanian district center with a population of about 20,000, so each team member can cover 2 km faster. Distance from DFDS office to boat dock, has bikes.
DFDS nuotr./Naujas laivas DFDS
Captain M. Nosavičius is very happy to have been able to participate in the tests of the first ship on the high seas, which took place throughout the week: “The first marine tests started on April 15. and it lasted even 7 days, which is quite unusual.
More than 200 people participated in the tests, including our team, technical personnel from various manufacturers, and factory representatives. The testing program was extensive, covering almost all the ship’s machinery, from the main engines – 4 and 3 plus auxiliary ones, to the ship’s navigation equipment, fire detection, sound and extinguishing systems, light and vibration measurement, lowering of lifeboats, etc. kindly the bridge navigation equipment, for which we had the slightest observations, worked without an anchor ”.
According to M. Nosavičius, after the tests, the DFDS team sent feedback to the factory, which must be implemented before the ship is delivered. Shipbuilding is a complex and complex process, so it is natural that there are discrepancies that need to be addressed. “We will have to operate these ships in the Baltic Sea, so we are closely monitoring the construction process. DFDS standards are high and we aim to guarantee them,” says the captain.
Photo DFDS / New boat
A sense of everyday life
After testing the ship, Nosavičius and his colleagues were able to observe Foshan in southeastern China, about 60 km from the shipyard and from Hong Kong. Interesting fact: Foshan is the birthplace of the famous Bruce Lee’s parents, he himself also lived here for some time, so today his Bruce Lee house-museum and amusement park with a huge statue of a wrestler is a place of interest for locals and tourists. .
“Although the quarantine requirements are strict, almost nobody wears masks on the streets in China, they are not mandatory, sometimes they go to larger stores and ask to put them on, but inside they can take them off again, nobody says anything,” says the Captain, laughing He ate the technique with sticks and ate as much rice as he has not eaten in Lithuania in 1 year The future crew members of the new ship are scheduled to spend the entire month of May in China.
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