I had joined the 890-foot crude oil tanker at Swan Island, Ore., the week before, and since coming aboard had been busy as the ship neared the end of its scheduled yard period. It had been a very long day, with lots of going in and out of cargo tanks, and I was on deck heading back to the house to clean up for supper. I was walking by the No. 3 starboard tank as the chief mate climbed out, when he called me over and said, "I need you to work overtime tonight, stenciling around the pump room. Get with the boatswain for what needs doing." At 1800, I went out on deck and asked the boatswain about the pump room stencils. He looked at me oddly for a moment, then said, "You mean forepeak, not pump room." I responded, "No, the mate told me the pump room." The boatswain replied, "I have two ABs who'll be stenciling back there tonight. The mate wanted you to do the forepeak." Unconvinced, I went inside and called the mate to verify. When asked whether it was the pump room or forepeak area I was supposed to stencil, he replied irritatedly, "I said forepeak, not pump room. Now quit wasting my time, and get out there and do the work -we need it finished before tomorrow."
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