Protest day on Male'

As it was Thursday I wanted to go and buy some essentials before the Muslim day off on Friday and I took the ferry over to Male'. Little did I know they had protests against the government going on the same afternoon. Lot of people were out and about and the powers that be had cordoned off the "sensitive" areas of the Capital with road blocks and Police was equipped with riot shields and protective gear.

Maldivian "gas carrier" at Hulhumale'

Protesters and Riot Police

Well, I did not let a few people deter me from doing my business so I set to walk around the demonstrators and Police in order to get to the shop I wanted to go to. At the local University was even more people and a female voice coming out of speakers that sounded very angry and I guess was shouting out demands for what their party were protesting against.

Protest at the University

The Prez was not having an open door day

After a while I think she ran out of demands or points and she reverted to the slogan that sounded something like "Male'allavaduhii", I have no idea of the meaning. People everywhere were taking things pretty calmly and just standing around watching things develop. After some time I could see people went away and the Police stood down and started dismantling road blocks, I guess the protest was over. Shops opened and I was able to do my stuff. Once finished I walked back towards the boat jetty and while I was passing the post office close by I could still hear the female shouting at the University, I guess her protest day was not yet over...

Traditional dhoni at Hulhumale'

Letter of protest - waterbarge

Letter of protest from 1872

When completed loading FW, we cast off the barge (M/v Vijay) that was alongside our port side. Due to us having a boat anchored astern of us she started to go forward but as the tug was on the barges port side she could not maneuver that well. When going forward the tug Captain misjudged the onset of the current and started drifting towards our shipside. 

Our crew tried to alert the crew on the tug and barge as well as took out fenders. The result was that the barge drifted on us and bumped on our port quarter, after this the barge Captain decided to increase speed and cut over our bow. As his vision was obscured by the waterbarge superstrucrure he failed to notice our bowsprit. 

Again crew tried to alert the barge crew but to no effect. The barge caught our bowsprit in its superstructure bending it severely to sb. The barge continued forward ripping its superstructure (sun roof - stanchions and corrugated metal sheets) on our bowsprit. Finally the sunroof gave away and a corrugated metal sheet was left hanging on our bowsprit. 

After investigating the bowsprit for damages we can only visually see the tip of the wood damaged. All fittings are seemingly intact from collision. I hold the barge responsible for his actions as the Captain failed to take into account the strong current, the shape of the vessel on his sb side as well as employing poor seamanship by having too small error margins that led to this incident. After all there was ample space to maneuver on our port bow. 

Whole incident was witnessed by undersigned and is entered in vessels Official logbook. 

Jari Lindgren 

Master m/y Kalizma