What do you think?
Rate this book
All at Sea: The Offshore Worker’s Fake Dream
Working in the oil industry and earning big money meant my dreams were measured by possessions, houses and cars. But all that crashed and I lost everything, including my family. In this book, I have opened my heart to tell the story of my journey through the ups and downs of life on and off-shore.
Read how these dark days caused me to contemplate suicide and who and what changed my life for the better.
Read how these dark days caused me to contemplate suicide and who and what changed my life for the better.
322 pages, Paperback
Published August 8, 2022
5 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 13, 2022
Enjoyed reading your book Andrew. Brought back a lot of memories. It's ashame that you were not able to focus on saving and the future. You obviously have talents but booze was one talent you should have let go. I learnt a long time ago that booze is the wrecker of all things. It never did me any favours, only problems. I worked offshore for 35 years in total and started in 1969. Had a 9 year break and finished in 2014. One of your rigs that worked on was the M G HULME semi- sub in1998 in Nigeria. It was a nightmare with a very cliquey mob. My relief was an out and out sychopath. The OIM was an alcoholic who would send workers off pretending to be sick into Port Harcout so as to bring him back more booze. In the end I told him I was off and that I didn't care if it was by boat, chopper or whatever. That night I was on a workboat.
Was the best thing I did and I got a transfere to a brandnew drillship that had stopped in Singapore after coming from Korean Shipyards. Both rigs were operated by Reading& Bates. R&B were a very good company to work for and I was with them for 20 years. 7 years on the Semi-sub Jim Cunningham. Transocean then took over R&B and then it was down hill after that in they way they operated. I didn't like their methods and how they treated people. Could say more but won't. Next stop was Atwood Oceanics and they treated their workers in a lousy way expecting you to share rooms in hotels and their so called Safety Awards were your work clothes. One Company that impressed me very much was Ensco for when I joined them thay sent my wife a beautiful big bunch of flowers in appreciation for letting them take me away from her. That was special. I worked for Seadrill at the end and to me they were the very best. I know you may have different thoughts about your time with them but I really enjoyed my time with Seadrill. They operated with the very best newest rigs.
It's ashame that the downturn and Wuhan Flu has wrecked things.
The companies I worked for were Zapata, Santa-fe, R&B, Transocean, Atwood's, Petro-Vietnam, Ensco & Seadrill.
I wish you all the very best Andrew and I hope you achieve what you aim for. Just one thing though. Forget the booze as it won't do you any favours and give you headaches.
Take care.
Was the best thing I did and I got a transfere to a brandnew drillship that had stopped in Singapore after coming from Korean Shipyards. Both rigs were operated by Reading& Bates. R&B were a very good company to work for and I was with them for 20 years. 7 years on the Semi-sub Jim Cunningham. Transocean then took over R&B and then it was down hill after that in they way they operated. I didn't like their methods and how they treated people. Could say more but won't. Next stop was Atwood Oceanics and they treated their workers in a lousy way expecting you to share rooms in hotels and their so called Safety Awards were your work clothes. One Company that impressed me very much was Ensco for when I joined them thay sent my wife a beautiful big bunch of flowers in appreciation for letting them take me away from her. That was special. I worked for Seadrill at the end and to me they were the very best. I know you may have different thoughts about your time with them but I really enjoyed my time with Seadrill. They operated with the very best newest rigs.
It's ashame that the downturn and Wuhan Flu has wrecked things.
The companies I worked for were Zapata, Santa-fe, R&B, Transocean, Atwood's, Petro-Vietnam, Ensco & Seadrill.
I wish you all the very best Andrew and I hope you achieve what you aim for. Just one thing though. Forget the booze as it won't do you any favours and give you headaches.
Take care.
January 20, 2023
The conversational tone makes it a fairly easy read, but it didn't really grab me.
The overuse of the word 'and' was a little off-putting too (saw it used 6 times in
one sentence!).
The overuse of the word 'and' was a little off-putting too (saw it used 6 times in
one sentence!).
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews