tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75106995805438345912024-03-13T06:01:42.348-07:00Wendy Joseph's Sea Log and MoreWendy Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05194112198132652304noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510699580543834591.post-15361526894881855302013-09-15T10:07:00.000-07:002013-09-15T10:07:03.939-07:00Pirate Waters<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Pirate Chase off <st1:country-region w:st="on">Somalia</st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Aboard the APL container ship<i> <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>President Jackson,</i> in the <o:p></o:p></div>
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Gulf of Aden off <st1:country-region w:st="on">Somalia</st1:country-region>,<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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June 20, 2010<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run, run back, <o:p></o:p></div>
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Oh; no, run the other way, <o:p></o:p></div>
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they're coming. <o:p></o:p></div>
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How am I going to call <o:p></o:p></div>
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pirate boats approaching
from both sides <o:p></o:p></div>
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when they rush us at the
same time? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Careful on the catwalk here, <o:p></o:p></div>
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narrow, narrow, <o:p></o:p></div>
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don't slip, don't trip, <o:p></o:p></div>
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slips-trips-and-falls-are-the-single-most-<o:p></o:p></div>
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common-cause-of-injury-aboard-ship.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Protected here, <o:p></o:p></div>
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bulkhead this side, <o:p></o:p></div>
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containers that side, <o:p></o:p></div>
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what about RPG attack? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Goddam they're close. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Bridge, Bow Lookout, <o:p></o:p></div>
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two small vessels
approaching <o:p></o:p></div>
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broad to port; <o:p></o:p></div>
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one small vessel
approaching <o:p></o:p></div>
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three points to starboard, <o:p></o:p></div>
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Bloody hell these can't be fishing boats, <o:p></o:p></div>
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vessels approaching
rapidly, <o:p></o:p></div>
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Hey this is fun! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Two more vessels <o:p></o:p></div>
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approaching fine to port <o:p></o:p></div>
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Do they have AK-47's? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Wouldn't they have used
them by now? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Hey the cook said <o:p></o:p></div>
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he's got something hot for
them <o:p></o:p></div>
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if they get below but we'd <o:p></o:p></div>
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all be in the safe room by
that time <o:p></o:p></div>
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Hey, we're getting attacked by pirates! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
but is it an attack if <o:p></o:p></div>
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they aren't shooting at you
yet? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Bridge, Bow Lookout, <o:p></o:p></div>
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vessels approaching—</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Wendy’s Sea Log,
<i>M/V President Jackson</i>, APL Shipping
Lines</div>
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<br /></div>
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Signed on as
Able Seaman, Watch Stander, 5/3/10</div>
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<br /></div>
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Greetings to all
who asked to be on this list, and if you don’t want to be on it, just e-mail
and tell me. For those of you who have sailed, some of this will be familiar,
and for those of you who haven’t, most of it will not. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No sign of
pirates yet. We are about to pull into Norfolk, VA, after leaving Newark, NJ, on
Tues, and having stopped at Charleston, SC, and Savannah, GA, this past week. Less
then 24 hrs in each port, enough to offload and load cargo and ship’s stores. Seas
have been calm, winds fair. The <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><i>Jackson</i></st1:place></st1:city> is a
container ship, 906 feet long. Everything as to engines and machinery is
working, the food’s OK, and we all still like each other. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The crew is a
mix of Philippino Americans, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Arab
Americans, and us Poor White Trash Americans. The US Merchant Marine has always
been diverse; think of Queequeg and what’s their faces the black guy and the
Indian in <i>Moby Dick</i>. [Daggoo and
Tashtego] We get along better on ships than some of our counterparts on land,
because we have a job to do and everyone has to pull together to get it done. </div>
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<br /></div>
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There’s also the
little matter of survival. We have to fight fires, abandon ship, and/or secure
the ship against pirates if necessary, and we have to look out for each other
in what is also normally a dangerous environment, with trip hazards on deck,
the ship’s rolling in nasty weather, and heavy machinery moving heavy stuff around.
Getting along is more than desirable, it’s a necessity, and as such we give
serious time and effort to keeping it light, making jokes, finding out what
ticks off the other guy, and listening to her or him as a human being,
considering that we all can be tired out, hungry and sleep deprived. Divisive
behavior is not an option.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Rooms are roomy
enough, and are comparable to a medium price range hotel. Everyone has their
own head; on some ships two crew share a head between their rooms. This ship is
the first one I’ve been on where we have a swimming pool, but it is only about
10x 20 feet. Haven’t used it yet.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We monitor
Channel 16, the emergency radio channel, at all times, and are about fifty
miles offshore. Today there was one leaky sailboat taken in tow before it sank,
and a chopper rescue of a guy having a heart attack on another boat. If we’re
close enough to be of practical assistance, we help out, but these boats were
too far away.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Fair winds till
next time,</div>
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<br /></div>
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Wendy</div>
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5/11/10</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
39° 15’ N.</div>
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63° 16’ W.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place w:st="on">North Atlantic Ocean</st1:place></div>
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Course: 077°</div>
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Speed: 20.53 kt.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I was out among
the containers tightening lashings today—fifteen to thirty feet up on the
catwalks between the rows of containers, making sure the big turnbuckles were
secured tightly. The vibrations from the engine and the rolling of the ship can
loosen them, and the stevedores sometimes leave out that last twist to make the
turnbuckle nuts tight. We have over a thousand containers aboard, but the ones
on deck are only secured to the deck up to the second or third container; above
that they simply fit into each other like Legos at the corners. We stay away
from weather that would cause the ship to roll enough to make them fall off.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s a nice
breeze up there, but it’s not like being up in the rigging on the <i>Lady Washington.</i> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After you get
off the deck and wash off all the grease, it’s almost like being on a cruise
ship, looking out the window at the sea from your nice clean cabin. Clocks went
ahead an hour last night and will go ahead another hour tonight. Going to watch
on the bridge now. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5/12/10</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sea salt is
great for the skin. I highly recommend it. Everyone should have at least one
skin. Did deck washdown today; we pump sea water up through the fire hose
system for that, but had to wait a few minutes for full pressure, so I’m
standing there sort of like I’m watering geraniums or my lettuce with a little
trickle. Don’t know if my carrots back home have come up yet.</div>
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After
we got out to sea from <st1:city w:st="on">Norfolk</st1:city>,
we got a distress call relayed from the Coast Guard. A guy in a little sailboat
was wandering about, with half a sail up, no power, and he was “delusional,”
apparently not knowing where he was. Might have been insulin meltdown. We were
first on the scene, but another ship showed up with a small rescue boat, so as
a Coastie C-130 circled overhead and a chopper was en route, they sent the
rescue boat over. The sailboat guy refused to leave his boat, and the rescue
guy got seasick, not being used to the little rescue boat after being on his
big ship. We were allowed to leave the scene then, so after a fifty mile detour
and a couple of hours delay, we got underway again. Never did find out what
happened to the guy in the sailboat.</div>
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<br /></div>
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******************E-mail sent
5/8/10*****************</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5/13/10</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saw a sea bird
today. Getting close to the <st1:place w:st="on">Azores</st1:place>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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5/14/10</div>
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<br /></div>
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40° 26’ N.</div>
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32° 35’ W.</div>
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19.97 kt.</div>
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Course: 097°</div>
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North Atlantic,
about 60 miles NW of the <st1:place w:st="on">Azores</st1:place>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Living in such
close quarters is kind of like instant family; the deck and engine depts. share
a laundry room, and everyone knows what size underwear you wear. The persons
you Must Get Along With are the Chief Steward, Cook, and Steward’s Assistant;
they feed you. Getting along with the Bosun and the Mate is also good.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bridge is
about 40 x 25 feet, with one large console for the electrical gear, alarms, navigation
lights, compass readout, rate of turn gauge, and the wheel, and another console
for the radar screens, computer chart readout, and the throttles. My watch
chair is to one side of the wheel; we always stand when we’re steering
manually, and can sit when we’re not steering. It is only a high wooden chair
with seat padding, but the first time I sat in it, I felt like Capt. Kirk and
wanted to say, “Engage.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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We discuss
pirate attack the same way you’d talk about bad traffic on the freeway. The
ship has numerous barriers and obstacles to prevent pirates from successfully
storming the ship, and you will understand if I don’t tell you what they are. We
did one pirate drill, which essentially is to circle the wagons and wait for
the cavalry. At the PA announcement, “Alamo, Alamo, <st1:place w:st="on">Alamo</st1:place>,”
we go to a secure room, and I’m not saying where that is either, with extra
food, water, and a radio, and call the nearest coalition warship. Somebody aboard
wondered why they chose a call word to get us to safety from a battle where
everybody died. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Too many
liability issues if we shoot back ourselves, though many would like to. I’d
love to get one of the <i>Lady Washington’s</i>
cannon off at them. We are trying to get Uncle Sam to give us, the US flagged commercial
ships, a military unit aboard for protection, as the Military Sealift Command
ships have (they are military cargo ships owned by the Navy but crewed by
civilians). There is a Natl. Guard unit on those ships; during WWII the civilian
<st1:city w:st="on">Liberty</st1:city> ships
that delivered cargo carried Naval Armed Guard units. If the war on terror is
truly a war, shouldn’t we have the necessary protection against terrorists? The
shipping companies don’t want to spend the money for armed private security
units.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But pirates are
nothing compared to what my dad went through in WWII; he had one ship torpedoed
out from under him before Pearl Harbor, then on the Murmansk Run in ’42 he ran
a 24/7 gauntlet against mines, submarines, air attack and icebergs. He came
through all without a scratch. I have his Merchant Marine dogtag from then, and
figure if that doesn’t bring us luck, nothing will. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Saw another
seabird. NW Seaport Shanty Sing is tonight.</div>
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<br /></div>
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*********************Sent
5/14/10********************</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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5/15/10</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today’s the Preakness, and I don’t know that we’ll have a
Triple Crown possibility this year. We get e-versions of news from the NY Times
and a couple of other sources, so I can stay up on the baseball standings. Not
like the old days where you just disappeared for a couple of years, whaling.
When wireless came along you had some contact with the rest of the world; if
the atmospherics were right you could transmit and receive quite a ways. Once a
boat my dad was on in the 30’s in the <st1:place w:st="on">South Atlantic</st1:place>
picked up a Brooklyn Dodgers broadcast. He was a wireless operator and a <st1:place w:st="on">Brooklyn</st1:place> boy, and would have been happy as a clam, except
dem bums lost.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While still stateside, one of the crew was taking a shower
with the door from the head to his room open, and the steam heat from the
shower set off the ship-wide fire alarm. Nice to know the alarms are that
sensitive, but the engineers turned his down a bit so he can shower without a
ruckus. We all reported to our fire stations anyway, till told to stand down. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yesterday we did fire and abandon ship drill, and I was one
of the ones to suit up in full firefighting gear and go through hatches and up
and down ladders to where the “fire” was. At 5’4” and 110 lbs, some of the guys
give me looks when I get all that gear on, but I’ve always done well in fire
fighting classes and have never fallen down or stubbed my toe. I can fit into
smaller places, too. In fact, four of the six deck crew are on the small side. We
tried to see if two of us could fit into one Jumbo sized survival suit, but
that didn’t work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The engineers have been having no luck in getting the pool
heater to work, so it looks like we’re going to have to wait till the Red Sea
and <st1:place w:st="on">Indian Ocean</st1:place><i> </i>heat it up for us. I told the Bosun that, since the Deck Dept. is
responsible for the safety of all things on deck, and the swimming pool is on
deck, we should be the first ones to test the water, to make sure it is not too
hot or too cold. Full immersion would be the best option. Waiting for word on
when.</div>
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*************************Sent
5/16/10******************</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5/16/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mom’s birthday. She would have been 88. Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. Seeing emeralds within, her stone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the Mideast-born guys aboard wanted to know if we
could buy a live goat ashore in one of our <st1:place w:st="on">Mideast</st1:place>
ports, bring it aboard and butcher and barbecue it. The Capt. said no. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
An Incident on the
Bridge</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
AB on lookout watch paced the bridge with a grim tread. The ship had been
violated, its territorial sovereignty broken, and the culprit, though not in
sight, was near. Very near. The AB wished the engine vibrations and air
conditioning vents were quieter; it might be possible to hear the invader then.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lethal
though it was, the weapon in the AB’s hand felt flimsy, inadequate. Would it have
the necessary force to vanquish the foe when called upon?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A
high-pitched whine hit the AB’s ear, and with sure motion, the weapon was
brought to bear upon the fast moving victim, who had momentarily paused on the
counter. That was his undoing; the smack of the weapon’s impact resounded
through the bridge. Stooping a bit, the AB removed what was left of the fly
from the fly swatter, and deposited it in the “Burnable Trash” can. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5/17/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Approaching <st1:place w:st="on">Gibraltar</st1:place>
today. Picked up Spanish radio transmissions, and some Arabic. Vessel traffic
channel through <st1:place w:st="on">Gibraltar</st1:place> is VHF 10. There’s
white <st1:place w:st="on">Sahara</st1:place> dust ahead to starboard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Passed through the Straits of
Gibraltar about 3 pm. Ah, Molly Bloom’s words from Joyce’s <i>Ulysses</i>: “<st1:place w:st="on">Gibraltar</st1:place> as a girl
where I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put the rose in my hair” Wonder where the British fort was exactly?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I finally saw the Rock; it was
fogged in when I first came through in 2004. From the west it looks like a sea
slug, crowned with a can opener on the north side and the famous promontory on
the south. The bottom part looks like the old Art Deco ferry Kalakala pushing
up a bow wave. Colors on both the Spanish and Moroccan side —light cream and faded
olive— are similar to southern California, but the hills and ridges of both
continents are sharper, more like the mountain shapes in Washington State. Wish
I could get down to <st1:city w:st="on">Casablanca</st1:city>.
I’d go to Rick’s.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Could somebody sing the following
at the next shanty sing? Thanks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 24.0pt; text-align: center;">
Little
(Container Ship) Boxes</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 24.0pt; text-align: center;">
After
Malvina Reynolds’ “Little Boxes”</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 24.0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Little boxes on the deck top</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Little boxes full of flip flops</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And they’re stacked up on the
deck top</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And they all sorta look the same</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chorus: There’s a rust one, and a blue one</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And a blue one, and a rust one</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And they’re stacked up on the
deck top</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And they all sorta look the same</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the boxes with the Haz-Mats</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are stacked way far forward</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cause the Haz-Mats might go
boom-boom</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And we don’t like that at all</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the reefers with the frozen
fish</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are stacked up by the deck house</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the cook can steal the fishies</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And make us bouillabaisse </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the big waves hit the boxes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They fall off in the ocean</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And they’re taking all the flip
flops</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To the folks in Davy Jones’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chorus</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the pirates like the big
boats</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So they sail up in their little
boats</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And they try to take the big
boats</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But we shoot them in the head</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the big ship sails the ocean</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And it’s taking all the boxes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All the boxes full of flip flops</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To a Wal Mart nearest you</div>
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<span lang="FR">Chorus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="FR">********************Sent
5/18/10******************<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="FR">36° 56.5’ N.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="FR">001° 35” E.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Course: 083°</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speed: 17.92 kt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wind E, Beaufort Force
5</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sea E, Beaufort Force
2</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We crossed the <st1:city w:st="on">Greenwich</st1:city> line earlier today, and are now in the <st1:place w:st="on">Eastern Hemisphere</st1:place>. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Algeria</st1:country-region>
is visible to the south, but <st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region>
has vanished. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Algeria</st1:country-region>
looks a bit like Catalina from LA; from where we were during my watch, there
was even a part that looked like the Isthmus. </div>
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<br /></div>
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“Good Morning” and
“Have a good watch” are not just polite pleasantries here, they are a
necessity. You have to always try to have good relations with everyone aboard,
and that includes remembering to tell the cook how good the stuffed cabbage
was. Let that sort of thing slip and you soon start being nasty to each other.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ll be heading past
the shores of <st1:city w:st="on">Tripoli</st1:city> soon; these are the waters
of the old Barbary Pirates, the <st1:place w:st="on">Barbary Coast</st1:place>
itself, and I tried to get excited about it but it was too early in the
morning.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Bad news
from off of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Cameroon</st1:country-region>, <st1:place w:st="on">West Africa</st1:place>: The <i>Northern
Star</i>, a 7,000 ton ship, was attacked by pirates near midnight Monday night.
Twenty armed pirates in three boats came aboard, stole cash and computers,
smashed all the communication equipment on the bridge, and took the Capt. and
Chief Engineer with them as hostages when they left. No word on a ransom
demand. All the other crew are apparently safe. Don’t know what flag she was.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Watches
on a ship have been divided into three since Capt. Cook initiated it in the 18<sup>th</sup>
century. They are 12-4, 4-8, and 8-12. The Mates and the Watchstanding ABs
stand two bridge watches a day, so as the 8-12 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Watchstanding</st1:city> <st1:state w:st="on">AB</st1:state></st1:place>,
mine are from 8 am to noon and 8 pm (20:00) to midnight (24:00). After lunch,
if there is additional work on deck to do, I work from 1-5 for four hours of
overtime. Yesterday there was OT, today there wasn’t. We will be changing out
the wires that haul the starboard gangway up and down tomorrow; yesterday we
did the port gangway. The Bosun and two Dayworker ABs work from 8-5 daily and
on weekends. Weekends are automatic OT for Dayworkers and Watchstanders.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I am
finally making a living.</div>
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<br /></div>
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*****************Sent
5/19/10****************</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5/19/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
37° 19.5’ N.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
011° 61’ E.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Course: 122°</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speed: 19.3 kt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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A good bridge
watch is one where there’s enough traffic to keep you busy, but not enough to
drive you batty. Last night on the 20:00 to 24:00 was a good watch.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We got a
report that a passenger on an Italian cruise ship was missing, perhaps fallen
overboard. We’re too far away to join the search. Right now we’re off <st1:country-region w:st="on">Tunisia</st1:country-region>, though
no land’s in sight. Quite a bit of haze; visibility about 10 miles. Wonder if
the haze is from the <st1:place w:st="on">Sahara</st1:place> or is just smog.
If smog, is it from ships or land?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Commercial
ships do not normally fly the flag of their country of registry while at sea;
the shipping companies are too cheap. With the wind and weather, we’d go
through two or three flags a voyage, and that costs money. So we only fly the
flag while in port. NOAA and Navy ships use proper flag etiquette and fly the
flag at sea, up at sunrise and down at sunset. To check a commercial ship’s
registry at sea, you have to be able to see the stern, where the ship’s name
and her home port are painted.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Passed the
south coast of <st1:place w:st="on">Sicily</st1:place>
last night. Very pretty; small lights in bunches along the waterfront. No sign
of Mafia activity; no bodies floating by in the water, no fish wrapped in
newspaper.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Louie Louie</div>
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<br /></div>
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A fine big
container ship she sails the sea</div>
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I stand my
watch most constantly</div>
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The Mate
calls to ships that get in the way</div>
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Leave us
room so we can live today</div>
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<br /></div>
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Loading
containers, it is a job</div>
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Like putting
together a Rubic’s Cube</div>
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The heavy
ones go low and the light ones high</div>
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They pile
them up till they reach the sky</div>
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<br /></div>
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I drive my
ship to the port and then</div>
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We tie her
up and the voyage is ended</div>
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I take my
pay but it doesn’t last</div>
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Have to ship
out again real fast</div>
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<br /></div>
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5/20/10</div>
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35° 32’
N.</div>
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018° 38’
E.</div>
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Course:
106°</div>
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Speed:
16.1 kt.</div>
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Wind and
sea: Hardly any</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
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Another
pirate drill today; the unfortunate news is that if we get attacked, the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> Coast
Guard (even though they’re not on the spot, their rules govern us) considers us
a federal crime scene, and that means a communications lockdown. We wouldn’t be
allowed to make a satellite phone call home, or use our cell phones if we’re
close enough to shore. Our families and friends would be in the dark until it
was all over. Crummy policy. Think I’ll write Senator Murray about it. I
believe she’s on the Transportation and/or Commerce committees, which include
us. This is the same line of reasoning that kept people fleeing Katrina from
taking their pets with them; officialdom trumps plain common sense human
decency. Even the people on United Flight #93 at least got to call home and say
goodbye.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When we
were in our safe room, I asked the Mate, “What happens if they penetrate here?”
It would be grab the nearest fire ax and go down fighting. We’ll be rigging
some surprises for our pirate friends next week. The good news is that we’re a
big ship and go fast. Pirates like small ships that go slow.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Once we’re
past <st1:city w:st="on">Suez</st1:city>, I
won’t be giving our position anymore. You never know who might be hacking this.</div>
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<br /></div>
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5/22/10</div>
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<br /></div>
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The deck
dept. is not pleased with my four years off and forgetting nearly everything;
neither am I, but so far there’s been no damage to ship or cargo, and no injury
to anyone so I must be doing something right. Trust I’ll be an old hand again
by voyage’s end.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<st1:city w:st="on">Port Said</st1:city> has an elegant
mosque, Sah-LEM (Peace), which looks a bit like a Moorish version of Dr. Seuss
illustrations. There are loudspeakers on the twin minarets so people can hear
the muezzin. There is even a small mosque within the dock area itself. With
little time ashore, I asked the cab driver to just drive me around, and for $20
got a pretty good tour of the city. No meter in the cab; you dicker for the
fee. The cab driver said he’d like to see me again. Ah, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region>. The guys
come on to you as a matter of course. Is it because we’re Western women and
they can’t do that to the Egyptian ladies? Wore my head covering ashore, a wide
brimmed straw hat that looks rather chic, even more so when I’m not wearing my
grubbies.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Men walk
together, women walk together, but I only saw one man and woman with their kids
walking together. Most of the women wear traditional Arab dress, in very bright
colors. Don’t know about the construction standards—some apt. buildings looked
like they were literally ready to fall down. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Traffic
control is nearly non-existent (Beep! Beep!), and I forget the last time I rode
in a car without a seat belt—there weren’t any. Amazing that we didn’t run
anybody over. There is Kentucky Fried, Pizza Hut, Levi’s, and a street sweeper
man with a cart that looked liked something out of turn of the 19<sup>th</sup>-20<sup>th</sup>
century New York, with hand pushed brooms. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Vendors came
aboard the ship with tourist stuff, some of it very nice. I got a few things,
but didn’t buy any of the purses made of giraffe hide. The head vendor was an
Egyptian guy named Charley Brown. Weather warm, a bit humid, but breezy, a
little like <st1:state w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:state>.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Did I
mention corruption? The “Customs Men” come aboard with no ID, pick up their
cigarette bribes, and leave. The Pilots must be bribed. The starving dogs and
cats don’t get any cigarettes or vodka; when I have a few scraps, I always feed
them. Poor things. Poor starving kitties. Jean Lafitte, my big black rascally
cat, better appreciate what he’s got. </div>
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<br /></div>
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And you
were slaves, “and I led you out of bondage in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region>.” (Exodus) Slaved away in the
dumpster, had the bondage-to-the-tug line part when leaving, threw a last
minute vendor off the boat, politely, and headed on out for <st1:city w:st="on">Suez</st1:city>. Four am and I’m going to bed. Up again
for bridge watch at 8.</div>
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5/23/10</div>
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Steered the
<st1:place w:st="on">Suez Canal</st1:place>. Piece of cake. Narrower than the little
<st1:placename w:st="on">Beaumont</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype>
in <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state> and twists like the <st1:placename w:st="on">Sheldt</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype>
in <st1:place w:st="on">Holland</st1:place>.
Little wind today. Looks like the Arabian Nights out there; passed the sports
complex where Egyptian athletes train for the Olympics. One way traffic only;
all boats heading south now. Don’t know when they change to north. Twelve hour
trip max at dead slow, seven knots. I’m doing nicely on counter steering to
meet the compass course. No complaints from the Captain or Pilot; this Pilot
seems to know his stuff a lot better than the Port Said Pilots, who I suspect
may have gotten their positions through bribery or family connections or both.</div>
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Plus it’s
Sunday, so all this steering is on overtime. Huzzah, me hearties! Can I go back
to bed now?</div>
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********************Sent
5/23/10*******************</div>
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____________________________________________________________</div>
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5/23/10</div>
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And comin’
out of da narrows, by da powers we had ourselves a convoy, aye, Maersk and Yang
Ming and us’ns, three more galleons ahead of the Maersk ship, couldn’t see who
wuz on point, but we’re a turnin’ da shaft at Dead Slow (they couldn’t ‘a chose
a better name den Go Slow An’ Yer Ded?) and all of us good lil’ scallywags is a
headin’ down to the ol’ Red Sea, down thar by whar ol’ Mose crossed wit da
chilluns o’ Israel, aye bejesus, an’ we be havin’ ourselves a celleberlation
thar fer sartin, wit da camp meetin’ preacher hollerin’ Holy Hallelujah, praise
be to da God ‘o Israel, da God o’ Abram an’ Isaac an’ Jacob, an’ if ye don’t do
whut John da Baptist and da good Lawd Jesus say, you be facin’ hellfire an’
damnation, so repent ye sinners an’ turn from yer evil ways and follow de Good
Lawd and do what He say, and you be singin’ wit de angels forevermore an’ Amen,
brothers an’ sisters, Amen! Shout Hallelujah, Amen!</div>
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<br /></div>
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OK,
somewhere in this pirate is an old time southern Baptist preacher. But
somewhere between the Med and the southern end of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region>,
the Israelites crossed over to the Promised Land on dry land, whether it was
the Nile delta or the Red Sea, and the entrance to the Red Sea out of the <st1:place w:st="on">Suez Canal</st1:place> is relatively shallow and has flat plains surrounding
it, giving easy access to a multitude. Might not it have happened here? Gave me
weird feelings.</div>
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<br /></div>
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5/25/10</div>
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<br /></div>
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So from
Club Med we’re now into Club Red. Rigged the fire hoses on the rails as counter
measures to pirates today. Found out via e-mail that my carrots have come up
and are doing well, and that both my kitties are being well cared for.
Yesterday AB Dustin got called up to the bridge for a special satellite phone
call from home. Usually that means it’s bad news, but it was his girlfriend,
who apparently was lonely and just wanted to talk to him. Ain’t that sweet? He
was a bit red in the face as he left the bridge, saying, ”I can’t believe she
did that.” It really was charming.</div>
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<br /></div>
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5/26/10</div>
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<br /></div>
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Out into
the <st1:place w:st="on">Gulf of Aden</st1:place>. Commencing pirate watches
tonight. I’m on as rover on deck from 00:00 to 04:00, after my regular 20:00 to
24:00 watch. Watch out, bad guys, Bloody Wendy is waiting. Grabbing some sack
time so I’ll last through the night, then up again for my 08:00 to 12:00 watch.
One warship was nearby. </div>
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<br /></div>
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5/27/10</div>
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<br /></div>
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Off pirate
watches as of 09:00 this morning. Warm and very humid night, like <st1:place w:st="on">New Orleans</st1:place> in July, but
clear and beautiful, with a nearly full moon. No pirates. Passed a convoy
heading the other way last night; about fifteen ships, with Coalition warship
escort. Saw what looked like a Coalition destroyer. Couldn’t see which flag she
was. Warships don’t show up on our AIS (Automatic Identification of Ships)
readout. That’s how we know an unidentified blip on the radar with the convoy
is a warship. Two looked like carriers. Nice to know they’re out there looking
out for us. We hear them announcing on the radio to contact them if we see any
illegal activity. Not sure which countries besides us and the Brits have
warships out here, but I had a really good feeling about them and want to send
all the crews Christmas cards with a thank you note.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Days are
still very hazy with what looks like desert dust from Africa and <st1:place w:st="on">Arabia</st1:place>. Can’t be good for asthma. No land in sight since
yesterday, but we’re between <st1:country-region w:st="on">Somalia</st1:country-region>
and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Yemen</st1:country-region>.
One of the crew has a daughter in <st1:city w:st="on">Dubai</st1:city>,
our next stop, and is eager to see her. Only a few hours there but we will have
shore leave.</div>
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Passed
the <i>Sally Maersk</i> going the other
direction, one of Maersk’s big girls; she and her sister ship <i>Susan Maersk</i> are too wide for the Panama
Canal, but I think they can fit through Suez.</div>
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*******************Sent
5/27/10*****************</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5/28/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Folklife starts in <st1:city w:st="on">Seattle</st1:city> today. Wish I
could be there. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
God be my anchor</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Holy Spirit my speed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Christ’s hand on the tiller</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And St. Peter to kvetch</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Deck Sports=Fire and Abandon Ship
Drill today. The crew got a guided tour of the engine room from the First
Assistant Engineer. I love shaft alleys, watching the drive shaft go round.
Ours is about three feet in diameter. Thought it would be bigger for a
propeller for a ship this size. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Air and water temperature in the
90’s. Three fans and AC on the bridge and it’s still warm. All are tired.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saw a ship’s name, <i>Brillante Virtuoso</i>, on the AIS last
night. Nice name for a ship or anything else. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Chief Steward said he’s got
something special and hot for pirates in the galley. “Just send them down
here.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5/29/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two more ships with good names: <i>Easy Prosperi </i>and <i>Iron Butterfly</i>, both tankers. Threaded the Staits of Hormuz today
and down to tie up at Jebel Ali, near <st1:place w:st="on">Dubai</st1:place>.
There’s a good Seaman’s <st1:city w:st="on">Mission</st1:city>
there with Internet access.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overhearing a lot of interesting
radio traffic in the wee hours. Some of it sounds like 3 am SF Bay Area talk
radio, and that’s the English I hear. Suspect the other tongues are saying
similar stuff. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5/30/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Didn’t get off the ship in Jebel
Ali but heard the Pilot say last night that the depression hurts even here in
the oil rich UAE (<st1:country-region w:st="on">United
Arab Emirates</st1:country-region>). Their
palm-tree-out-in-the-water-shaped development is built, but no one is buying
units there. Interesting approach from the water; the entry lane is a narrow
channel marked by buoys, with a strong SW current running across it, and you
would think the pilot pick up place would be much sooner than it is. The
Captain conned us through most of the entrance channel, and there he stood,
with his binoculars, silhouetted in the bridge window and calling the compass
course or number of degrees to turn, absolutely in his element. And there I
was, on the helm, calling out in repeat his commands, and steering to the tenth
of a degree. Dead on it most of the time. Counter steered 5° to 7° against the
current. Captain said I did a good job.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other deckies don’t think I’m
so good on deck as I am very rusty there, but I asked the Captain today and he
said I’m still employed. On to <st1:place w:st="on">Karachi</st1:place>
tonight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I used the proper term, “Small
vessel” when calling out a sighting, but the 2<sup>nd</sup> mate said with
feigned vexation, “Wendy, that’s a little boat.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/3/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Didn’t get off the ship at <st1:city w:st="on">Karachi</st1:city> but the birds on
the dock are immense. Not sure which kind they are; some looked like raptors.
Boats, 2<sup>nd</sup> Mate and I did the let go on the bow yesterday, Boats on
the winches, Mate calling the shots, and me humping lines all by me lonesome. A
couple of snags but got them cleared before turning into major foul-ups, and
all secured. About 100°, 90 per cent humidity.</div>
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******************Sent
6/2/10*****************</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/4/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All quiet on bridge. No traffic,
clear, some clouds, mostly blue sky, small swell in a blue sea. There’s all the
crap and then sometimes you get a day like this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/5/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Had a DIW (Dead in the Water)
alarm last night on my watch, about 23:30. I had just changed the autopilot to
150° and was waiting for the compass to swing to check the magnetic course
against it, when every alarm on the bridge went off, and we lost steering,
engines, gyro, everything. I stood by the helm till the Third Mate switched to
hand steering, then kept her on course as we went from about twenty knots down
to five, drifting without power. The Captain, Chief Engineer and First Engineer
all came up to the bridge, and got us underway again after a few minutes, but
they still don’t know exactly what went wrong. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think it was just a fine old
lady’s way of saying, “I’ve been sturdy and true in the water for many years.
It is a bit warm out. I’d like to stop and rest my flippers a bit.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Think a better way then all the
bells and whistles going off would be to have a female computer voice: “You
have had a malfunction. Please hang up and try again. Thank you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All quiet on watch today. When AB
Rhonda came in to do bridge sanitary, she pointed her finger at me and laughed,
“All right, Wendy, what did you do?” to cause the DIW. Swore I didn’t do anything
but she didn’t believe me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A void, an empty space below decks
forward, filled with water yesterday and today the day workers were emptying it
and cleaning it out. Not sure where the water came from, the sea or a water
ballast tank. Saw a tidal chart for the shipyard in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Singapore</st1:country-region> on the Chief Mate’s
office door. We may be going in there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just got a knock at the door. AB
Romy and the Chief Engineer were there, asking if the smoke alarm in my room
had gone off. I assured them it hadn’t, and there was no fire in my room.
Apparently the indicators on the bridge and engine control room said there was
a fire on this deck. Weird. Maybe we’ll spend more time in the shipyard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nobody will complain if we have to
stay in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Singapore</st1:country-region>
a while, even if things are expensive and you get arrested if you litter or
spit on the sidewalk. Shore leave is shore leave, and it’s even nicer when it’s
not in a <st1:place w:st="on">Third World</st1:place> country, where you don’t
have to worry about terrorists or drinking the water. In <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Karachi</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region></st1:place>,
the security guards had AK-47’s and big, mean looking shotguns on the dock, and
I made it a point to be friendly with them, waving from the deck and smiling
when I was on gangway watch. Stand your watch and don’t get shot. That’s a good
watch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/7/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our #2 gyro compass went out at
09:00 this morning during my watch, and our steering went cattywampus without
the compass for a moment, then we put it in hand steering until the Captain
came up and switched to gyro #1, growling, “Piece ‘a shit.” Don’t know if
they’re going to get it repaired in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Singapore</st1:country-region>
or have the mate on the APL ship <st1:country-region w:st="on"><i>Philippines</i></st1:country-region> take a
look; the Captain said he was good at fixing them, but as to the whereabouts of
the mate or the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><i>Philippines</i></st1:place></st1:country-region>,
I haven’t a clue. If we do have to steer home by hand on magnetic, we can
switch the gyro dial by the wheel to indicate the magnetic compass heading
instead, so the helmsperson doesn’t have to look up at the magnetic reading
overhead, its standard position on most ships. That would save a lot of stiff
necks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More good ship’s names: <i>Genius Star VIII, Sunbird Arrow, C. Mighty,
M/V Surplus </i>and <i>Holy <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Victoria</st1:place></st1:state>.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was a rumor that instead of
spending any time in the shipyard, we might be leaving <st1:country-region w:st="on">Singapore</st1:country-region>
earlier than scheduled (Rot!) but the Third Mate said this morning that it was
only a rumor. We’ll see. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have no falling down drunks aboard at present, though one
AB was fired once for showing up smashed, and on another ship I was on, the
previous Chief Engineer lost his job for coming up to the bridge under the
influence and hitting the Captain in the jaw. Very unmannerly, particularly so
as this skipper was a fine and decent gentleman who knew his stuff ship-wise,
and could teach an AB a thing or two about steering; he took the wheel himself
once.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shipping has cracked down on naughty chemicals and alcohol
since the Exxon Valdez in ‘89, and we are all subject to spot check urinalysis
as well as a required one if there is any accident aboard, plus the required
pre-employment one. I believe the official alcohol blood level limit now is
0.04. I’ve never failed a drug test and don’t plan to in the future.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are allowed spirits aboard, though the options from the
slop chest are somewhat limited. The wines are Wal Mart specials, and would not
win any contests. I’m the only sailor I know who doesn’t drink beer, so the
others can have that, and the Dom Perignon will have to wait till I get ashore.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the cruise ship I worked on in 2005, the crew had their
own bar, way below decks, far from the elegance of the passenger dining areas,
and the difference was something like that scene in <i>Titanic</i>; “Want to go to a real party?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My shipmates include an experienced AB named Rhonda, who has
reverse pride in being pure white trash. She has a mouth like a whip and a
heart of gold. She collects discarded life rings from ships she has sailed on,
and hangs them on her wall at home. We were below decks in the void that had
filled with water, purely from condensation, and we were pumping it out. Really
filthy work. So at the end of the day, on the way out, I was about to cross a
catwalk and Rhonda said I would have to take the ladder down to the deck, cross
the deck, and then go up the ladder to the other side where the exit was. They
didn’t trust me on the catwalk, she said, as I was new on this ship. I politely
explained that I was an experienced tall ship sailor with plenty of time up in
the rigging and no fear of heights. She then gave me a ten minute lecture on
safety, while all this time I’m standing on a ladder twenty feet above the
deck, with no safety harness on, as the ship rolled back and forth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is sad to find out how limited a life some of the sailors
have had. One, in his forties I think, looks and sounds a bit like Yul Brynner,
but had never heard of him or seen <i>The
King and I</i>, and another, 29, had never heard of Lawrence of Arabia or seen
that movie. I am going to send them the movies when I get home. Some guys
really do spend all their shore time in bars, apparently.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.5pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; tab-stops: 241.4pt; text-align: center;">
*******************Sent
6/7/10****************</div>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 241.4pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/8/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saw a printout on the bridge this
morning that said a 7.5 earthquake had hit the same area that got trashed so
badly five years ago out here. We passed through those waters last night, but I
didn’t feel any notable swell or rise from a tsunami. At sea though, they say
you usually can’t feel anything as it’s too gradual to notice. Haven’t heard
any tsunami reports. Will check the papers in <st1:place w:st="on">Singapore</st1:place>. English, Malay and
Chinese are all official languages there, so there will be an English paper.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More good ship names: <i>Y.M. Great</i>, <i>Ever Useful</i>, <st1:place w:st="on"><i>St.</i></st1:place><i> James Park</i>,
and <i>Front Hunter</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saw a piece of driftwood on watch
that looked just like a miniature submarine; it had two pieces of wood that
stuck straight up, like the periscope and radio antenna, and for all the world
it might have been one of those Japanese mini-subs from WWII, maybe with a guy
80 or 90 years old in it, still thinking the war was on. Didn’t report it as a
sub; just called out, “Contact, two points to starboard.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/10/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Got to Raffles Hotel; 19<sup>th</sup>
century British colonialism to the hilts, with white marble walkways and
balustrade upon balustraded stairways descending to meet each other. The on
site museum had a lot of info on her illustrious guests, and an old rickshaw, but
no sign of John Wayne or Sidney Greenstreet from the movie. I found a veranda
with round tables and wicker chairs, low and wing backed, the wicker a chestnut
color and elegantly woven, the seat cushions a forest green and chestnut
pattern. I sat in one and pretended to be Sidney Greenstreet: “Your tale is
intriguing. Alas, I am unable to assist you. Do have a pleasant time/enjoy your
stay in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Singapore</st1:country-region>.”
Wine was $30 a glass. I passed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tonight I came back to the ship
with a sandwich from Subway, identical to the ones at home, down to the breads
(they also have 7-11 and McDonald’s), and saw a thin tuxedo black kitty, about
eight or nine months old, by the entrance to the Immigration building. Its
bones were very fine, like Asian people’s bones, and I wondered if cat food here
was more rice and fish based than <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> meat based cat foods. He looked
a bit like my Bijou at home, but with a more elongated face. It turned out the
kitty had two identical siblings crouched nearby, all ferally shy but hungry,
and I tore off some of my sandwich for them. I have fed starving cats in <st1:city w:st="on">Venice</st1:city>, Crete, and now <st1:country-region w:st="on">Singapore</st1:country-region>. My Jean Lafitte at home
thinks he’s a starving kitty, but he is delusional. You wouldn’t know it to
hear his piteous little kitten mew at mealtime, crying like a four week old when
Mommy leaves the litter, for all the world like a poor abandoned kitty who
hasn’t eaten for a month. Ha. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before I could feed them the rest
of my sandwich, the Third Engineer, who had been putting down some highly
supercharged fluid, and had arrived back at the dock gate the same time I did,
started hollering if I wanted to go back to the ship I’d better come now. I
couldn’t see our #35 shuttle bus, but it turned out the Third had befriended a
dockworker with a car, and had called him for a ride. “We are brothers from one
mother!” the Third kept repeating as he drove, hitting the poor guy in the
shoulder each time. I put my hand between his and the shoulder, and pointed out
that the driver’s shifting arm might be in jeopardy if he continued, and without
a shifting arm we might not get back. I gave our good hearted friend, who had
obviously escorted more than one drunken sailor to his berth, a few dollars for
his trouble. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we got to the ship, the Third
held out his hand to me like a courtly gentleman, and graciously assisted me up
the one step to the gangway. It’s the first time this trip anyone’s done
anything like that, and it was genuinely charming. He followed me up and
actually made it to the top without doing a Jack from Jack and Jill went up the
hill. I signed him in with an “X.” Didn’t see him again till this afternoon,
when he appeared to be OK.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/11/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Away from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Singapore</st1:country-region> this
morning; I took her out leaving the dock. We got the gyro fixed here, so there
shouldn’t be any more alarms from it. Shouldn’t be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Time line: Called at 02:30 for
03:00, got dressed and went down, but found it had been a mistake and call was
to be an hour later. Called at 03:30 for 04:00, did a trash sweep around the
deck, stowaway search up and down through the house, stood around and waited a
while. Up to the bridge to steer at 06:00. Relieved at 07:00. 07:45, back up to
the bridge for regular watch till 11:45. Did our deck sanitary 13:00 to 15:00.
Stand down. 20:00 to 24:00, regular watch. 00:00 to 04:00, pirate watch. Stand
down. Up again for regular watch at 08:00.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Night watch. Standing on
the starboard bridge wing, warm, dark sea green water below, like the ocean off
southern <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state>,
a salt breeze up, and I thought, nowhere else I’d rather be! Halfway around the
world, dropping from exhaustion, in the middle of pirate waters!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saw a flying fish zipping
away from the ship; first one I’ve ever seen. Haven’t seen any dolphins,
anywhere, and few birds either; this trip has been a disappointment as far as
bird watching goes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 241.4pt 376.95pt; text-align: center;">
******************Sent
6/12/10*****************</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
____________________________________________________________</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/14/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing you don’t have
to worry about out here are bad hair days. Bad hair doesn’t matter much here,
only ashore.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/15/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Went ashore in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Colombo</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Sri
Lanka</st1:country-region></st1:place>. Two guys took me on a tour of the
city in a little van for about $30. Their Thirty Years War is finally over, and
they’re going to have a victory/memorial parade this Friday the 18<sup>th</sup>.
Numerous soldiers still about on street corners, armed with shotguns and AK
47s. Taxis are little three wheeled golf carts. Bit of British colonialism in
some of the old buildings’ architecture. Saw a book on FDR driving by a
sidewalk bookstall. Passed a fine looking modern public library. Where there’s
books, there’s hope.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fishermen came to the
boat with a chunk of tuna, shrimp and crabs in ice chests and plastic bags for
the Chief Steward to peruse for our mess; saw other fishermen on the street
carrying their catch between them, hung midships from their poles that they had
on their shoulders, one guy fore and one aft. Sengalese and Tamil spoken here;
I have neither one. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People extraordinarily
friendly, especially to us rich sailors off the container ships. Dogs all
seemed to be one breed of sandy hound; thought they were all clones. I put identification
wrist bands on the local workers who came aboard to work cleaning the engine
room, and some of these grown guys’ wrists were almost as thin as my own.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gem sellers came aboard
with some fine looking stones, but the ones you can get ashore are cheaper.
Gems are a big industry here; star sapphires are excellent, as are the
amethysts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The entrance to the <st1:city w:st="on">Colombo</st1:city> harbor is the
narrowest I’ve ever taken the ship through; felt like we were going to scrape
the stone breakwater light towers on both port and starboard sides. Found out
it was 800 feet across; this seems fine and wide enough, as we are only 130
feet abeam, leaving more than a football field on each side. But we are also
900 feet long, and if the bow thruster or steering had gone cattywampus, we
could have racked ourselves up in the entrance. And those towers still seemed
awfully close.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saw on the Internet at
the Seaman’s <st1:city w:st="on">Mission</st1:city> here that <st1:country-region w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:country-region> has
a huge array of mineral wealth, newly discovered. This is fantastic; they will
not have to rely on the poppy industry any more. Hope they can mine the stuff
without totally destroying the environment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remembered a sign from <st1:place w:st="on">Singapore</st1:place>:
“No Smoking. No Naked Lights.” No open flames, that is. Lights must remember to
be modest.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Singapore</st1:country-region>: the
container cranes are the most unique I’ve seen yet. The unit that attaches to
the container has a contraption in the middle that looks like a cross between a
smokestack and the Tin Man’s hat. Vivo, the shopping mall near the docks, looks
like the Sidney Opera House under construction. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/16/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bloomsday. “Absinthe
makes the heart grow fonder.” Hope the Wild Geese Players’ Circe reading in <st1:city w:st="on">Seattle</st1:city> goes well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leaving <st1:city w:st="on">Colombo</st1:city>—Call out was 00:30 for 01:00, after a
long day and twenty minutes lying down but not sleeping. We stood to and
waited. And waited. Didn’t get away till about 05:00, off watch at 06:00.
Enough time to get cleaned up and lie down for another twenty minutes before bridge
watch at 07:45. Third Mate had had the same hours so we pulled down all the
window sun shades to spare our bloodshot eyes from the cheery morning light. No
OT today; everyone catching up on sleep.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Flash! Zombies Take Over
Ship!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mindless maniacs sail
ship in great circle off the coast of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Sri Lanka</st1:country-region>, as long dead creatures
rise up out of the sea, and with zombie riders, slosh ashore to steal popcorn
and spread green slime around! Stay tuned!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ll be going against
the sea and current all the way from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Sri Lanka</st1:country-region>
through the Arabian Sea, and Red Sea to <st1:place w:st="on">Suez</st1:place>,
and the forecast is for a considerable swell. But we are still turning from 85
to 90 rpms, and making 20-21 knots. We have already had several engine
overheating alarms on the bridge. The engineers are not going to be very happy.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of our AB’s didn’t
know how many sheets a ream of paper was. Some of these guys don’t seem to have
gone to high school, let alone finished it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another pirate drill
tomorrow. Haven’t seen any stinking pirates. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Poetic ship names: <i>TH Symphony, Ocean Prelude, Orion Trader,
Aphrodite Leader, <st1:place w:st="on">Saigon</st1:place> Princess</i>, and <i>Sky Dream</i>. A very positive ship name: <i>Double Rejoice.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sailors are the most self
reliant, fix-it guys there are. They can handle any situation and come out on
top. I can’t help but think that if my salty old dad and a few merchant seamen
had been aboard United Flight #93, the plane would have landed safely, with the
terrorists tied up, ready for the authorities. And anything wrong with the
plane would have been fixed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.5pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; tab-stops: 241.4pt 376.95pt; text-align: center;">
**********************Sent
6/19/10********************</div>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 241.4pt 376.95pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/18/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My steel toed boots are
still giving me blisters. Guess they never will fit right. After the first
three days out, both heels were a pulpy mess. Know how orange juice has “No
Pulp, Some Pulp, and Lots of Pulp”? Well this was A Whole Lot of Pulp. Pretty
much wear my sneakers all the time now. Heels fine that way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 241.4pt 376.95pt; text-align: center;">
The
AB and the Uncommunicative Mate</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 241.4pt 376.95pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
AB. Contact,
two points to starboard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mate. Uhh.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
AB. More
coffee, mate?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mate. Uhh.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
AB. Pirates
attacking astern!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mate. Uhh.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/19/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sat., 09:15. Off of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Oman</st1:country-region>. Rough and
choppy, many whitecaps. 40 kt. wind on the bow, a little to port. White water
and spray over the forward port side; spray arcs up over the containers to
starboard, sun catches it and makes rainbows.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thought nobody in their
right mind would be out in a small boat in this stuff. But then pirates aren’t
in their right minds.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Out here we sign off
radio calls to other ships with variants on “Thank you, and have a nice
watch/safe voyage/good trip.” But out here we mean it. Things can go from nice
to nasty pretty fast.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the deckies
evidently drank the water in <st1:city w:st="on">Colombo</st1:city>
(dumb), and has been out with a dysenteric sort of tummy since this past
midnight. The dayworkers are splitting his watch between them. A bit awkward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After dark. Lots of ships
out tonight, most headed for <st1:city w:st="on">Suez</st1:city>.
They were all cranking, as these are pirate waters but we were cranking too,
and slowly passed everyone else.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were the fastest ship
in the fleet. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the bridge wing, night
vision binoculars slung over my shoulder, I yelled, “Hey, Pie-rats! Get outta
here!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/20/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
02:30. It was a very warm
night/early morning on pirate watch, and I was on roving patrol on deck. We
carry a hand held supercharged searchlight known as the Ronnie Ray-Gun, after
the late president, and I was also armed with a radio, a knife, a Leatherman
multiplex, a small flashlight and my keys. Those pirates better not mess with
me. Got up to the bow where there was a bit of a wafting wind, and wanted to
cool off, so I sat down, unbuttoned my shirt and let God admire His handiwork.
Felt a bit like the Little Mermaid, or like pirate Mary Read, who, disguised as
a man, killed another man in a duel. As he lay dying, she ripped her blouse open
so he could see, to add insult to fatal injury, that the man who had killed him
was a woman. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Day. Visual on a warship,
looked like a destroyer or light cruiser, broad to starboard, #101 on her bow.
A white chopper with black doors on her aft deck. Couldn’t make out her flag as
it was fouled, but it appeared to have orange and black in it. Belgian, German?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is Pirate Central,
where the Gulf of Aden joins the Red Sea, from about 12°12.5’ N., 45°47.5’ E.,
to 13°08.4’ N., 43°05.9’ E., between <st1:country-region w:st="on">Somalia</st1:country-region>
and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Yemen</st1:country-region>.
Collected some Genuine Pirate Water up on the bow at 12°24’ N., 44°16’ E., and
put it in a bottle. Maybe I can sell it on E-Bay.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the bridge, looking at
our computer chart with AIS ship names and positions on it. Big cluster of
ships ahead, so dense you can’t read the names. Feels like we’re at the back of
the pack in the Indy 500. Shipping lanes are marked on the charts here so the
pirates know where we’ll be. Still no sign of any. EU warship out of sight
broad to port, six miles out; visibility poor, lots of haze. British by the
sound of their radio calls. Nice to know they’re out there. Two choppers flew
by as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
16:00 to 20:00 pirate
watch. It’s Rhonda’s 43<sup>rd</sup> birthday so I took her watch. Over an
hour’s time, half a dozen very small launches, in ones and twos, sped toward us
and tried to keep pace. None could, and they all fell away. There were two or
three guys in each boat, no room for more, or for any artillery bigger than a
shotgun; more then that and the recoil would capsize them. I was told they were
fishermen. Fishermen? Drug runners? Or pirate scouts? They didn’t look like
fishing boats; no room for any real gear or fish. The fishing boats around here
are bigger, enough for five or six guys and a reasonably sizable catch, thirty
feet long at least. These were much smaller. And if they were fishing boats,
I’m Prince William.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I called their positions
in to the bridge, from the forward catwalk on the bow. It’s between the forward
mooring station bulkhead and the first row of containers, you get a good view
to port or starboard, and it’s well protected. It was exciting, running back
and forth on the catwalk to check both sides, and not scary. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They didn’t fire at us so
technically we weren’t under attack. But were they pirates or drug runners or joyriding
fishermen? Why would fishermen do that? Exciting anyway. Chased by pirates!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Night. The half moon,
sunken yellow, dissolved into the murky mist. “Hover in the fog and filthy
air.” <i>Macbeth, I.i</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 241.4pt 376.95pt; text-align: center;">
Looking
for Pirates</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking for
pirates is all fun and games</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Till
somebody stubs their big toe</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It swells up
and falls off</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Needs a
dolly to haul off</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And no one
listens to your tale of woe</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But now
there’s a space </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the
missing place</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To smuggle
in jewels from <st1:city w:st="on">Colombo</st1:city> (<st1:country-region w:st="on">Sri Lanka</st1:country-region>)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking for
pirates is all fun and games</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Till
somebody stubs their big toe</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, it’s all
part of looking for pirates</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For pirates!
For pirates!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And you
can’t find a pirate</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With all of
your parts (2X)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking for
pirates is all fun and games</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Till
somebody jams their pinky</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pain
never leaves</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And you
can’t believe</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So much hurt
from something so dinky</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Put on some
ice</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And it feels
so nice</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And fixes
you up in a twinky</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking for
pirates is all fun and games</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Till
somebody jams their pinky</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chorus</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking for
pirates is all fun and games</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Till
somebody loses their tummy</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can’t go
aloft</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘Cause it
ticks people off</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sending down
something that was so yummy</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pirates
say, “Judy,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cut throats
and take booty,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then you
won’t feel so crummy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking for
pirates is all fun and games</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Till
somebody loses their tummy</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With thanks
to Don Freed and Tom Lewis</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/21/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Was needle gunning
on the flying bridge and the needles went through a small hole in the metal and
got stuck. Took our biggest deckie to haul it out, after half an hour of
everyone else trying. Haven’t had anything stuck that tight since I was a
virgin. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/22/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The more I see of
the world, the less I believe in the necessity of war. It is a terrible thing,
and there are enough terrible things in the world without it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/23/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place w:st="on">Suez
Canal</st1:place>. The Egyptian pilot made little paper boats out of his
piloting papers when he was through with them. Charming and sweet. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/24/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Port Said. Call at
01:30 for let go; actual let go at 05:45. Sang “Go Down, Moses” at let go; “Let
my ship go.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Med is an
incredibly deep crisp blue, and visibility is clear and excellent, after the
haze and murk of Sandyland, aka the <st1:place w:st="on">Mideast</st1:place>.
Looks like the Pacific on a fine day. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Watchstanders never
get a full night’s sleep, and with call out from 01:30 to 05:45, then bridge
watch from 07:45 to 11:45, you carry a layer of weariness that fluctuates,
increases or decreases, but never goes fully away. And then there is the
boredom of long, uneventful watches; sometimes an entire four hour watch goes
by without a ship sighting or significant change in the weather.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 1.5in 241.4pt 376.95pt; text-align: center;">
*******************Sent
6/26/10*****************</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 1.5in 241.4pt 376.95pt; text-align: center;">
___________________________________________________________</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/25/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
08:00. Captain just
came to the bridge in a sweatshirt and his jammie bottoms.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Was actually cool
on the bridge last night. Felt like getting a sweater. Hooray! Normal weather.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
08:45. Captain, in
jeans, just brought a roll of paper towels to the bridge. “Rhonda delegated me
for sanitary; ‘Are you going to the bridge? Could you take this up for me,
please?’” Don’t know anybody but Rhonda who could get any captain to do that.
She turns on the sweet southern charm (she’s from <st1:state w:st="on">Louisiana</st1:state>) and men, particularly captains,
melt like butter in her hands.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/26/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Republicans never
raise taxes. They impose:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Additional Fees</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Surcharges</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mandatory Donations</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Increased Library Fines</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/27/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ship names: <i>Gisela Oldend, Cielo di Vancouver, Adventure
of the Seas</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Don’t know why it
is, but I never get tired of looking at the ocean. Well, sometimes. But hardly
ever. Good thing for a watch stander.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back on the <st1:place w:st="on">Barbary Coast</st1:place>. Very quiet these days. Pirates all went
south.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Boats has a maroon
knit cap that makes him look exactly like a bag lady. I go into hysterics
whenever I see him wearing it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/28/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our big deckie
opened a watertight door that had a lot of pressure behind it and it shot open
and banged him up. Don’t know if he opened it properly, from the hinge side
out, or not. He’s been coming to watch with a big sack of ice and a pillow.
First his tummy, now this. Being big and strong doesn’t make you invincible,
especially against steel; when flesh and blood meets steel, steel wins. Always.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A heroic ship name:
<i>Alexander the Great</i>. Passed a cruise
ship, <i>Adventure of the Seas</i>. Don’t
know what her registry was.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>,
VHF Channel 16 is the emergency and first contact frequency, to be used only
when necessary. In the Med and <st1:place w:st="on">Mideast</st1:place>, it’s
an open party line, for anyone to say anything, including love letters and
insults to someone’s mother.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/29/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
38°09.8’ N.,
15°12.2 W.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place w:st="on">North
Atlantic</st1:place></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Course: 293°</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speed: 20 kt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Temp.:69° F.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wind: 27 kt. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Out through <st1:place w:st="on">Gibraltar</st1:place> yesterday morning, but the Rock was hidden in
haze. Nice then, gray and choppy in the evening. Lots cooler. Nice again today.
Welcome back to the <st1:place w:st="on">North Atlantic</st1:place>. Heading
west to the <st1:place w:st="on">New World</st1:place> and home. Thought of my
mother’s people, Irish Catholics heading for <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region>
in 1835 in one of the potato famine coffin ships, and of my father’s folks from
<st1:place w:st="on">Ukraine</st1:place>,
Jews fleeing the pogroms in 1906, over in steerage on the <i>S.S. Amerika</i>, Hamburg-America Lines. They left everything behind,
not that there was much to leave, except that it was home, and sailed to the <st1:place w:st="on">New World</st1:place>. They didn’t know what would be there for them,
didn’t speak the language, but they came. Dad’s people saw the Statue of
Liberty and went through <st1:place w:st="on">Ellis Island</st1:place>. So will
I, soon. It’s the same trip.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/29/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Off the <st1:place w:st="on">Azores</st1:place>. Saw three or four whales along the starboard
side. Looked like finbacks. First cetaceans this trip.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/30/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
40°39.4’ N.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
25°19.5’ W.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Course: 286°</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speed: 18 kt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Temp.: 72°</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wind: 40 kt., over
port bow</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
09:15. Overcast,
bit of a chop with whitecaps. Went out on the flying bridge to check
temperature. I love standing out in the wind. Don’t know if we’ll be able to
chip on the flying bridge this afternoon. Pretty blowy. Might have to lash
myself to something to keep from blowing away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
17:00. Didn’t blow
away after all and didn’t need lashing down, though a few knots more would have
made it iffy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
20:00. Rain and
fog; visibility about one and a half miles. Wind more insistent and starting to
howl.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7/1/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
42°05.03’
N.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
34°41.01’
W.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Course:
277°</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speed:
20.kt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Temp.: 64°</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wind: 20
kt., over the starboard bow</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Much nicer.
Few clouds out, no whitecaps. Visibility good. Perfect <st1:place w:st="on">Seattle</st1:place> weather. Looks like our weather
system from last night went south. Maybe the first tropical storm of the
season? Where we were, between the <st1:place w:st="on">Azores</st1:place> and
the Canaries, is where hurricanes start. Wonder what we’ll get this year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Signed my
official discharge papers today; sixty-three days of sea time. Another two
month trip and I qualify for SUP health insurance. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One can get
cut off from things out here, but now that is by choice, not necessity. Before
GPS and e-mail, before satellite phones, before radio and radar, a ship’s only
communication with land was with letters sent via any homeward bound ship they
met, which could take months to arrive. And not all ships made it back.
Sometimes you literally sailed away forever, with no word of what happened. Now
you can actually keep your life going ashore, pay bills, keep in touch with
family and friends, etc. But it’s not the same as being there. Will be home
soon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Went out on
the starboard bridge wing. Sunny and excellent, salt air in the breeze, bright
water in the sun astern. But even so, the ocean is always trying to kill you,
and the waters are cold out here. I looked over the bridge wing and said, “Not
this time,” to the <st1:place w:st="on">North Atlantic</st1:place>. “Not this
time.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cold
Stone Below</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Off shore, granite
cliffs, and there is</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cold stone
below</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Curl of hot
bacon crisp</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pancake
flipper swipes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Off to paint
the deck this morn</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But a
thousand meters down</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is cold
water, cold stone,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cold stone
below</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Celebrate
the summer, celebrate July</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dine outside
in the salt and freshing air</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But do not
celebrate the cold stone below</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tie up safe
and home</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No more
granite cliffs</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And raise a
glass to sailors</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But do not
think too much</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of the still
tomb that waits</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On cold
stone below</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7/2/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
42°43.1 N.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
44°47.8 W.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Course:
272°</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speed: 19
kt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Temp.:70° </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wind: 30
kt. over the port bow</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
08:00. Haze,
about six miles visibility, but cumulous clouds breaking up overhead, and
patches of blue sky. No one out here but us for two days, no radar contacts. We
were equi-distant from NY and <st1:place w:st="on">Gibraltar</st1:place>
yesterday, so I told the Chief Engineer, “Hey! We’re in the middle of the
ocean!” Literally. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
09:00.
Visibility down to one to two miles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two
officers were griping over their union’s hiring policy; neither has a
permanently assigned ship. Oh, insecurity! Hell, they’ve got jobs and get paid
more than I do. Go live in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Sudan</st1:country-region>
awhile, guys, and shut up. Or go be unemployed and live on food stamps and food
bank food in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region>.
That is starvation in the long, drawn out way; there’s little nutrition in
stuff that’s past its shelf life and fruits and veggies about to go bad. Or
live on junk food. Potato chips are cheap. Why do you think the people in third
world countries are always trying to sell you things? They’re hungry. Can’t say
this stuff to those who out-rank me; I’d be cited for insubordination. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
23:45. Got
some condensed water from a glass on the bridge wing, gathered from the Grand
Banks fog that was coming over our starboard bow tonight, 43°52’ N., 50°24’ W.
Put it in a bottle, and now you can put the bottle in the microwave and voilá!
It turns back into fog! I’ll sell it on E-bay. Now everyone can have their very
own vial of Genuine Grand Banks Fog, the thickest soup in the world. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7/3/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
42°23.1’ N.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
55°50’ W.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Course:
260°</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speed: 20
kt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Temp.:
58.4°</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wind: 14
kt. over the starboard bow</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I try to
treat everybody equally, maybe too equally for the hierarchy on a ship. Too
democratic for my own good. But everybody is important here, from the Steward’s
Assistant to the Skipper. All jobs are important; they are magnified out here,
from cleaning the head to steering the proper course. I do not like snob
hierarchies, and they really have no place on a ship. As I say, it’s about
respect. I give little deference to place per se; I have courtesy and respect according
to personal and professional admiration for quality and performance. And when I
can’t do that, good manners are also good policy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7/4/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy
Fourth of July! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
41°00’ N.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
66°29’ W.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Course:
261°</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speed: 20
kt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Temp.: 69°</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wind: 30
kt. over port bow</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
08:00.
Sunny, some haze on horizon. End of voyage and some nerves are frazzled; step
lightly. As for me, I have pen and paper, and am happy. Saw land on the chart
marked “<st1:country-region w:st="on">United States of
America</st1:country-region>” and smiled. The <i>Maersk Kokura</i> is still 38 miles ahead.
Been chasing her since <st1:place w:st="on">Suez</st1:place>.
Wonder if we’ll tie up anywhere near each other.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scheduled
to pick up pilot at 04:00 tomorrow and tie up around 06:30. Then Coast Guard
COI inspection and payoff. Hope to get off ship by early afternoon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
09:30.
Dolphins to port and a small pod of finback whales to starboard. First of these
cetaceans this trip. Hooray!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7/9/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Signed off
on July 5<sup>th</sup>, am back home, and will be sending this last log from <st1:city w:st="on">Seattle</st1:city>. Please do not
send any more correspondence to my ship e-mail, as I won’t get it. Do send any
comments to my regular e-mail, <a href="mailto:wjoseph924@gmail.com"><span style="color: windowtext;">wjoseph924@gmail.com</span></a> Hope you enjoyed these scribblings; will be
sending more when I ship out again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 1.5in 168.0pt 241.4pt 376.95pt; text-align: center;">
************************Sent
7/10/10****************************</div>
Wendy Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05194112198132652304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510699580543834591.post-55506073524646309772012-08-20T11:34:00.002-07:002012-08-23T17:08:21.208-07:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">General
Life at Sea<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Szm0esI-cPI/UDKC2akodGI/AAAAAAAAAFU/9ILAmBxRDr0/s1600/DSC_0126a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Szm0esI-cPI/UDKC2akodGI/AAAAAAAAAFU/9ILAmBxRDr0/s320/DSC_0126a.JPG" width="218" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've shipped with both SUP (Sailors' Union of the Pacific) and SIU (Sailors' International Union); I also worked briefly for NOAA,
on a fishing trawler up in the <st1:place w:st="on">Bering Sea</st1:place>. Got
my sea card - Merchant Mariners' Credential (MMC) officially - in 2000. You get them through the Coast
Guard, and have to jump through a lot of beauracratic hoops, what with all that
Homeland Security requires now. They used to call them Z cards in my dad's day
because the ID number always started with a Z, but that went by the wayside a
long time ago. I've sailed the Atlantic, Pacific, North Sea, Bering Sea, Gulf
of Alaska, Norwegian Sea, South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Indian Ocean,
Persian Gulf, Gulf of Mexico, Suez Canal, and the <st1:place w:st="on">Mediterranean</st1:place>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Best experience so far was steering a
ship the size of an aircraft carrier through the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Strait</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Gibraltar</st1:placename></st1:place>
in convoy formation with seven other big ships, with the Spanish Navy escorting
us. It was just like the movies, only it was real. You can look out one window
and see Africa, and out the other and see <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Worst experience was crossing
the Columbia River Bar at 2 am in December, with snow, sleet, rain, and hail
all mixed up together. A lot of wrecks out there; it's called the <st1:place w:st="on">Cape Horn</st1:place> of the Pacific. I've sailed through two
typhoons and four hurricanes, and run into characters that defy description;
sailors are truly like no other breed there is. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Came in in 2006 because I
wanted a life; there's a lot you can't do out there, like go to the ballet,
which I love, and a lot of guys have big time problems with personal
relationships, both on and off the ship, for two reasons: great social skills
are not an absolute requirement for sailors, knowing how to do this or that job
is; and you don't have enough time ashore to solidify a good relationship with
anyone. Alcoholism is still a problem as well, and there are drug tests too,
both scheduled and random. I'm the only sailor I know who doesn't like beer,
and I've never failed a drug test. I worked at a school and in a law office for a while, but went back out in 2010.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Uniforms - Only the
cruise line in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:state></st1:place>
that I worked for required the crew to wear uniforms. For the deck crew, this
was a light blue work shirt or dark blue t-shirt with cruise line logo, dark
blue long pants or shorts, and baseball cap with logo. On the cargo ships, we
wore our own scruffy work clothes, old shirts, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Levis</st1:city></st1:place> or Carhartt pants, and the ship usually
had baseball caps with the shipping line's logo on it we could buy from the
slop chest, crew slang for the ship's store. Usually you could get toiletries,
soda and candy from the slop chest as well.
For work coveralls, the colors are standard throughout the industry: </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">white for officers,
whether deck or engineering dept; black for engineering crew, and medium
grayish blue for deck crew, with the shipping line logo on them.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">All but one shipping company I worked for
provided the coveralls free. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Safety calls for hard hats and steel toed boots,
but a lot of us wore sneakers because they were more comfy, and you're on your
feet 24/7. Some sneakers do have steel toes. I always wore a hard hat though, and hearing protection, plugs and
/or muffs, because the noise level is exceptionally high on cargo ships, what
with machinery and reverberation in a steel container, ie., the ship itself.
Enforcement of safety rules differed from ship to ship; on some we had to wear
steel toed boots all the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Only the officers on the
cruise ship wore standard officers' uniforms and hats; most cargo ship captains
wore whatever was comfy, including tie-dyed shirts, and only wore their
captain's hat if some VIP was coming aboard in port.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hair length - I had long
hair and tied it up in a bandana, then cut it short. You can't let anything dangly, including
hair, get in the way when you're working around machinery, so guys with long
hair had to keep it tied back. A lot have
beards, but Santa Claus length is not practical, and anyone who has to suit up for firefighting needs to be clean shaven so the face mask on the SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) will have an airtight fit. Everything on a ship is geared
toward work, toward getting the job done, and you have to keep things practical
for safety. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Laundry - All ships have a
laundry room; usually there are two, one for the officers and one for the crew,
with from two to six washers and the same number of dryers. They are the same
sort you would see in a laundromat but these are free. Soap and bleach is provided, but you have
to get your own dryer sheets. On my NOAA ships there was only one laundry room
for both officers and crew, and on the cruise ships, with 1000 crew, there was
a laundry room on nearly every deck in the crew quarters, way down in the
bowels of the ship - no portholes to look out of for us. We did have our own bar down in the crew
quarters, and that one, compared to the passengers' stately and proper
facilities several decks above was kind of like the scene in <i>Titanic</i> - "Want to go to a <i>real</i> party?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">One of the NOAA ship's
laundry had machines that were so old that they put red rust on your clothes,
rather than getting them clean. When things got really rough in the <st1:place w:st="on">Bering Sea</st1:place> (it is always rough out there; rough is
normal, then there is really rough, super rough, and only-idiots-are-out-here
rough), we couldn't run the washing machines, as they might have agitated
themselves loose. There was a really filthy cargo ship I worked on, oil and
grunge over everything, and the Stewards' dept, which does the cooking and
cleaning and always wears white, was ticked off at putting their whites in the
wash and having them come out all grease stained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Linens are provided by
union contract, but they are not always in the greatest shape - some are
ragged, thin and stained. One sailor I knew made it a matter of course to buy
some cheap sheets at Walmart for himself on every ship he crewed. And some ships only
provide towels and top sheets - no fitted sheets, no washcloths. I always
brought my own washcloths.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Speaking of
rough waters, most people don’t realize that the ordinary tasks of life have to
go on in spite of the weather, including cooking and bathing. Taking a shower
in the Bering Sea was a wild rocking affair, and you got adept at scrubbing yourself
with one hand while hanging on to the grab bar with the other. Plenty of grip
stuff on the shower floor wasn’t just a good idea, it was a necessity. All pots
have to be secured onto the stove, with the lids firmly clamped on, and pans
inside the stove have to be secured there too. Once on a training ship, the
chicken cacciatore wasn’t secured, and we had flying chicken. Everywhere.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Tattoos - Some of the older guys have tattoos of
anchors, but the younger ones go for whatever is current in body art. I think
I've seen more tattoo'd landlubbers than sailors lately. Some sailors, like
myself, have no tattoos at all. One female third mate I know got her arms and
back tattoo’d with seaweed. Another sailor had King Neptune tattoo’d on her
back. Generally speaking, the US-born crew had more
tattoos; the ones from Asia, <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place> and south
of the border seldom had any. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Some sailors have body piercings besides and beyond their ears, but again, I think I've seen more and wilder stuff ashore. I have one piercing per ear, and wear pirate style round gold earrings.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> There was a 16th century Dutch law that said all sailors had to wear at least one gold earring, to cover funeral expenses if they died at sea close enough to land to bury them, or if the body washed ashore. That is how the practice of sailors, including pirates, wearing gold earrings originated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Duffel Bags – Some sailors carry a duffel bag, but
most have regular suitcases you pull on wheels, like everybody else you see at
the airport. Sailors used to live close to the dock where they shipped out of,
so carrying a duffel a block or two was not a big deal. Now the union flies us
to whatever ship needs a crew member, wherever it is in the world, so we spend
a lot of time in airports, and the wheeled suitcases make more sense. One sailor
I knew traveled with his stuff in plastic storage bins. Another must have just
been thrown out by his wife, as he brought half his household gear aboard,
including his Bowflex exerciser. Speaking of which, every ship I was on had an
exercise room with various weights and machines. Mostly the officers used them,
as the crew got enough exercise on deck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Wendy Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05194112198132652304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510699580543834591.post-10965019935823344212012-07-21T12:54:00.002-07:002012-08-01T00:43:13.458-07:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wendy’s Shoreside Sea
Log – <st1:place w:st="on">San Diego</st1:place></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thur., 7/19/12</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greetings from Training Resources Ltd., where good little
sailors go to learn the ins and outs of crewing MSC ships. MSC stands for
Military Sealift Command, which is comprised of the Navy owned, civilian crewed
ships that supply the <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">US</st1:country>
military world-wide. They are designated by USNS, United States Navy Ship, to
distinguish them from Navy crewed warships, designated by USS, United States
Ship. I have crewed MSC ships before, but we need to re-certify every five
years for most things, and every year for firearms.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today we certified in firearms, and I am pleased to say I
did not accidentally shoot anyone. In fact, those pirates and terrorists better
watch out. Now if I could just get my Molotov cocktail/grenade throwing
technique down, there wouldn’t be any more terrorists. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P.S. I didn't shoot anyone on purpose, either.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wendy with A Shotgun</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFu26jd6wGs/UAsIE_lOpmI/AAAAAAAAAD8/1K_ZQCFsHBg/s1600/Wendy+with+A+Shotgun,+Sideways+-+7-20-12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFu26jd6wGs/UAsIE_lOpmI/AAAAAAAAAD8/1K_ZQCFsHBg/s320/Wendy+with+A+Shotgun,+Sideways+-+7-20-12.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Terrorists Watch Out</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pirates Beware</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note the open, empty chamber. No shot in the magazine
either. Guns are only loaded on the shooting range, and we were supervised by
two former Navy instructors and two retired <st1:city w:st="on">San Diego</st1:city> cops, all crackerjack gun guys who knew
their stuff and looked out for us. I shot 231 (expert) with the 9mm and did
considerable target damage with the shotgun. But I wasn’t so good at taking it apart for
cleaning and then putting it back together right. I still don’t like guns much,
and don’t own one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fri., 7/20/12</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Weird that the horrible shooting in <st1:place w:st="on">CO.</st1:place>,
happens right when we’re learning the proper use of firearms, especially when
not to use them. Rules of engagement are pretty strict on MSC ships, and on civilian
ships, we’re even more limited. Shipping companies don’t want to deal with the
liability issues if we accidentally shoot innocent civilians.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next week we learn more about handling ship security and smoking
out terrorists. Oh, and I am going to see Batman tonight. Unarmed. A theatre showing Batman is probably the safest place in the country tonight.</span></div>Wendy Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05194112198132652304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510699580543834591.post-60847271788455713842012-07-03T13:33:00.001-07:002012-07-03T13:33:34.134-07:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wendy’s Sea Log</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shanghai to <st1:city w:st="on">Long Beach</st1:city> and <st1:city w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:city></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Matson Ship <i>SS Lihue</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Faded with poison</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The city breathes, “Dance with me.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to <st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9/26/11, Monday</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <i>Lady Washington</i>
Never Did It Like This</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the wing over the Pacific at 35,000 feet, Capt. Cook
stowed his spyglass and screwed an eye at me. “Fortunate we are not putting in
at the <st1:place w:st="on">Sandwich Islands</st1:place>. Those feathered
heathen savages will be the death of me. But all in all, this is a damnably
dull means of transport. No leg room. Why, on my quarterdeck, you could put a
King’s Division.” Then the Old Man disappeared.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did I mention such visions are common to this little old
salt? The usual way was to wake up foggy headed after a night of carousing in a
dockside bar, which you couldn't remember much of, to find yourself in a foul
hold on a strange ship bound across the Pacific--the big one, not the little
one that starts with an "A"--for some godforsaken little fishing
village on the other side of the world called Shanghai. Lots of tea and silk to
be loaded there, on account of its being at the mouth of the Yangtze River in
China, wide as the Mississippi they said, and twice as long but they were
lying. So we be aloft in a Boeing 777, feasting on delights out of tinfoil and
plastic ware, meself, Bloody Wendy, the Wicked Witch of the Seven Seas, Harry
the Bosun, the Deadly McDonald Borthers and the Philippino Mafia, out to rescue
the good ship SS Lihue from the hands of Chinese privateers holdin' 'er in the
Nantong shipyard, and take 'er home wit a load a' loot. Don't know what they
did in the yard but we'll have a lotta cleanin' up to do, engine and deck. Good
thing they sent me. My seat is comfy enough for economy class, and the food
wasn't bad, though I was miffed they didn't have chopsticks for the rice on a
plane full of Chinese headed for <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK, <st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city>.
The Back Pearl of the Orient, the haunt and bedevilment of many a sailor,
forsworn and forsaken, the city that fused its name to the terrible practice of
kidnapping for a brutal ransom, hired slavery, a six month to a year to an
indeterminate time sentence to Hell, or direct entry thereto. The creepers
shiver up your spine, the word has a busted bottle with your name on it aimed
at yer head; the Ship of No Return is your lot. You are like to disappear from
the face of the waters. Oh the varmints! Oh the terror!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9/28/11, Wednesday</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tied up in Nantong Shipyard, up the river from <st1:place w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:place>. I was going to
bring some of the <st1:place w:st="on">Yangtze River</st1:place> home, but was
afraid it might eat through the bottle before I got there. Without a doubt it's
the filthiest water I've ever seen. The <st1:state w:st="on">Mississippi</st1:state>
doesn't come close. Don't drink it. Don't bathe in it. Don't eat anything that
comes out of it. Don't sail your boat in it. I saw some people crabbing with
small pots from a sampan, which they still have a few of, and wondered how long
they had to live. Wanted to shout to them, “Don’t eat it! It’s poison!” but
didn’t have any Chinese.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ship’s been here in the yard since the end of July and
the deck is still a mess, but we are scheduled to sail in three days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sailors and shipyards are a rowdy combination, but the
Chinese are more subdued than we are. The yardbirds here are hard workers, but
quieter, warm enough and polite, but resigned, maybe cautious. Maybe it's
knowing that if you say the wrong thing, the Red Federales will get you. Maybe
it's from not having a real say in how you're governed. Maybe it's a remnant of
Chairman Mao's repression. They have one release: Firecrackers! Never heard so
many firecrackers as in the last couple of days. Appears to be a holiday week
or weekend coming up, and I’m told they shoot them off for any old reason,
someone died, someone had a first date, someone stubbed their toe, etc.
Firecrackers going off in a shipyard! They’d get arrested for that in the
States.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suspect they make half of what we do. Not sure. No evident
resentment toward us about it. More to come when we get to <st1:place w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:place>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were about a dozen female yard workers, chiefly painters
and welders. Several did double takes when they saw me; are Western female
sailors that much of an oddity? Noticed that most of them were wearing make up,
eyebrow pencil and lipstick mostly, and if working girls are wearing makeup the
market in <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>
for it must be good. Tried to talk to one but she didn’t speak English. I have
only one Chinese phrase: “She-she,” “Thank you.” It goes a long ways. One gal
was littler than I am, but we hauled some heavy garbage to the bin together and
dumped it in, without needing to talk. Amazing what you can get done without
knowing the other’s language, using gestures and nods. Why can’t they do this
in the <st1:place w:st="on">Mideast</st1:place>?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Capt. David Burchard is a young looking 40ish, and looks
like a dark haired surfer dude. The deckies are all out of the Wilmington SUP
Hall, as are several in the Engine Dept.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/1/11, Saturday</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><st1:city w:st="on">Nantong</st1:city> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Shipyard</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Departure day. Chinese Customs came aboard: two officers,
one military, with four military enlisted guys. They called us all to the
officers’ lounge and checked that we matched our passports, then the military
guys went to search the ship for contraband and stowaways. Two stayed behind to
watch us, and it felt like being held hostage. They didn’t find any drugs or
bombs or pirated DVD’s or Chinese hiding in a container, trying to get to <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tied up at <st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city>, which is
down the Yangtze from <st1:place w:st="on">Nantong</st1:place>,
to load containers. No shore leave. We parted a stern spring line tying up but
had no injuries or damage from it. Can’t see <st1:place w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:place> for the smog. Literally. LA never
looked this bad, and I remember some bad days from the 1960’s, before emission
controls. A yellowish concrete hued haze smothers sea, land, and sky; the city
disappears before you can see much of it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead of the customary beep-beep from the forklifts when
they back up Stateside, here they speak in Chinese. No kidding. A warning
message is activated when the forklift goes into reverse. One forklift had a
lady driver; we caught eyes when she was helping with the forklift to haul the
gangway into position, angled away from the ship onto the dock. She seemed a
little surprised.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Left <st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city>
after less than twenty-four hours, and headed out to sea. I steered her out,
and had no trouble following the Chinese pilot’s English orders. While we were loading
stores late lat night after a full day’s work, the guy on the dock didn’t
secure the net properly and three boxes of food fell in the water. Don’t know
what kind. We’ll find out when we don’t have enough of something.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey! I get to sit down!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wendy’s Sea Log</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/3/11, Monday</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> At noon every day we test the ship’s
alarm bell and whistle. Today I pulled the whistle lever over and got a tiny
“ennnnh” sound. Apparently the engineers are messing around with something. The
ship’s forty years old, and mostly solid, but has her little glitches.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The Chief Mate likes rock on his watch.
The 3<sup>rd</sup> Mate likes ABBA. The 2<sup>nd</sup> Mate doesn’t like music
on his watch at all. Yuk. That’s my watch. Maybe I can change his mind. I
mentioned I was glad we weren’t going south to Hawaiian waters this trip, so
the Red-footed boobies wouldn’t be a problem. He said, “If that’s your biggest
problem you don’t belong here.” This man has clearly never washed down a deck
paved with boobie guano. Maybe he never washed a deck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Matson has a <st1:city w:st="on">Sparks</st1:city> on this ship, a radio operator. Radio
operators were phased out with Morse code, now that everything is high tech.
There is some older equipment on this ship, but not a Morse telegraph. He does
a few additional things like print out our daily e-news for the crew. Great
that the Tigers are 2-1 over the Yanks in the American League Division Series. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Had a bomb drill with a realistic
looking homemade “bomb:” a box with batteries, wires, flares, etc. stuck to it.
Not too much worry about that in this part of the world. But you never know. At
least we’ve had no pirate warnings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/5/11, Wednesday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">42°41’97” N</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">145°59’50” E</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Course: 090°</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">0150 hrs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This is the good part, the fifteen
minutes of romance and adventure. Heading home, through Tsugaru Kaikyo, the strait
between Honshu and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Hokkaido Islands</st1:city>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region></st1:place>. Could
see lights from <st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place>
on both sides. Clear night, no more traffic, and headed out into the Pacific.
Passed some trash in the water earlier—pieces of plastic that looked like parts
of food containers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There were ten to twelve fishing boats
about, longliners, and northern waters mean arctic birds—fulmars with mean
looking eyes, set into a natural permanent glare, narrower winged kittiwakes,
plus terns and gulls. Lots of birds now. Good fishing waters but we can’t drop
a line. Thank God we’re on the northern great circle route and so aren’t going
near <st1:state w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:state>;
that means tropical waters and Red footed boobies making poop all over my deck.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Saw two good ship names on the AIS: <i>Great Blossom</i> and <i>Oriente Shine</i>. AIS is the Automatic Identification of Ships (I
think those are the correct meanings of the initials), a little box with a
screen that tells us the name, position, distance, and bearing of nearby ships.
Pretty nice. Picked up some Japanese and Russian on the radio.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/6/11, Thursday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2345 hrs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">17 kt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My words to John, relieving me at the bridge
watch change: “Well, we can look at the radar screen here, and you can see
there’s lots of nothing. Out the window, more nothing. But wait! There’s
more—nothing! Nothing on the AIS! Nothing! Your watch.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Strong wind off the starboard beam.
Thought about the “still waters” the 23<sup>rd</sup> Psalm promises. Not a
night to be outside in the weather. Wonder what the wind is saying; “Eat you
alive.”? Maybe Mother Nature is doing some deep breathing. An alarm beep went
off and the 2<sup>nd</sup> Mate said to me, “Have any idea what that was?”
Great. Nothing like a guy who knows his bridge gear. Not a DIW (Dead in the
Water), when the ship loses all power and is at the mercy of the wind and waves,
or every alarm on the bridge would be going off. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Brought some tooth floss up here. You
don’t offend anybody when you do it in the dark. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sent 10/28/11</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/7/11, Friday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">38°55’29” N</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">162°03’94” E</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Course: 109°</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beaufort Force 7
weather; 28 kt. wind</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Midnight to 0400. Rocking and rolling, but
steered south to avoid bigger seven foot swells up north in the <st1:place w:st="on">Gulf of Alaska</st1:place>. Whee! Whee! Upsy daisy! Downsy daisy!
Wind and swell making lots of white horses. Temperature has gone from the 50’s
to the 70’s since we turned south. Might see those bloody boobies after all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Noon to 1600. Thought of Arwen in the
wind and spray and coils of spindrift last night. Think she was out there. The
Evenstar of her people has become a guiding spirit and light for all mariners. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Still see an occasional piece of plastic
floating by. Wish I could pick it all up. Came up to the bridge in a T-shirt,
long sleeved shirt, sweater and carrying my jacket, and quickly disrobed of all
but the T-shirt. Don’t want to get the guys too excited. I always sing “The
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” in heavy weather. Brings good luck on the
bridge. The mate doesn’t seem to be into superstitions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We checked the accuracy of the gyro compass,
in a room below the bridge, with its repeater on the bridge. I was below on the
radio, reading out the compass numbers to the mate on the bridge as we steered
on automatic pilot, when the compass jumped suddenly, so the report went like
this: “90.5°, 90.2°, 90°, oops, 88.2° . . .” “Oops” is now an official nautical
term. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/8/11, Saturday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">30°00’00” N</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">178°51’04” E</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Midnight to 0400. The wind has shifted
from the starboard to the port quarter. The moon is nearing full and is bright
enough to write by. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The 2<sup>nd</sup> Mate never read
Tolkien and doesn’t want to. How sad to have no imagination. Our ETA on the
navigation computer says, “ Never (space) Never.” We’re going to Neverland!
Second star to the right and straight on till morning! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 1155 hrs. The outline of the wheelhouse
looks like the Art Deco ferry Kalakala, like a rounded sea slug. Got our first
visual contact of another ship in three days. Many small pieces of trash,
mostly plastic, have floated by in the last couple of hours. There was one
bathroom sized trash can. We see them every ten seconds or so. There were also
three crab pot buoys between 1300 and 1400. We’re halfway through the voyage. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Closed in on the International Date Line
and crossed it around 1500. In the <st1:place w:st="on">Western Hemisphere</st1:place>
now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/9/11, Sunday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Midnight to 0400. Ship’s doing long
rolls, slowly back and forth. The wind’s up as a small front is overtaking us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Standing lookout is mandatory by federal
law, even in the middle of the Pacific without a ship in sight or on the radar.
It’s not like we have to worry about terrorist attacks out here, either. Just
Mother Nature, but she can be a real child abuser. Going through multiple time
zones can play holy willy with your circadian rhythm. Wonder if the real reason
they have two of us on watch, an officer and an AB, is so one can make sure the
other doesn’t go to sleep.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> What makes me feel good? Not sinking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There’s no getting around it. As dull
and boring as it can get out here—and staring out the window at an unchanging
sea can get pretty dull and boring; “What do you do for a living?” “I look out
the window”—there is still the romance of the sea. The weather can stink, the
people be difficult to work with, and the hours unending, but there’s something
about the sea. It’s a different kind of job; it’s not something everyone does
for a living. It’s not something everyone can do.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1240 hrs. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">38°27’30” N</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">172°04’60” W</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Temp: 70’s</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ship rolling all
night through today, gentle to severe, things about the house bumping, my
closet doors swinging open. Had a bizarre dream that I was on a ship rolling in
the ocean. Usually my dreams have nothing whatsoever to do with the waking
world. Rain earlier; clearing now. Some cumulous clouds at the NE horizon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The deckies, day
workers Jun and Gabby and Bosun Harry, are done on the bow and are going below,
after hauling two big mooring lines up from the foc’sle hatch and faking them
out and securing them on deck. I was concerned for their safety as the ship is
rolling and the wind is a near gale, but no waves are coming over the bow. The
ship is riding well, angled at about 45° to the seas. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bosun Harry is
amazing. About eighty, shuffling walk, and is hauling lines and moving heavy
stuff. White ruffled fringes of hair. Never carries a radio, which bosuns
normally do. Yells a lot, which bosuns normally do. Gets ticked off at us AB’s.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1400 hrs. Near
gale; wind shifted 180° from the starboard quarter to the port bow. Beaufort
Force 7; 28-33 kt. wind. Heaped up waves starting to break ,and white foam
blown in streaks by the wind. That front that was astern has caught up with us.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sent 11/3/11</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/10/11, Monday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">0100. Partially
cloudy, little rolling, temperature in the 60’s. Bright moonlight. Walked out
on the starboard bridge wing and laughed; breathed, “I get paid to do this!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Columbus Day
celebrated today, an officially union recognized holiday, ergo, OT (Overtime)!
Twelve OT hours! Eight hours of watch standing plus my usual four of overtime. Since
all of the following discovered <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>,
how about a holiday each for St. Brendan the Navigator, Eric the Red, or was it
Leif Erickson, and the Chinese from the Pacific side, was it Madame Chang or
somebody from the Ming Dynasty? Put them all in August, which doesn’t have any
holidays, and you’ve got three OT days. Huzzah!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just after
the noon bell and whistle check, we are also required to test the steering. The
sequence of actions I do under the Mate’s orders is this: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 1. Switch from autopilot to hand
steering by turning the little handle below the wheel </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 2. Turn the switch on the console from
port to starboard hydraulic pump.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Or from starboard to port,
depending on which pump we’re using that day)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 3. Wait ten seconds for the pump to get
going.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 4. Turn the wheel five degrees right,
wait to see that the rudder angle indicator </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> shows that the rudder is responding
five degrees right, then repeat to the left.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 5. Switch the Gyro/Hand/NFU control knob
to NFU, Non Follow Up steering. This </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is a separate system and uses a knob
instead of the wheel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 6. Turn the NFU steering knob five
degrees right and left, as with hand steering. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 7. Bring the ship back to its original
course, with either NFU or by switching back to </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> hand steering. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> All done!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Oh, if any of the systems doesn’t work,
we yell at the enginheers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Temperature’s
in the 60’s; the thermometer is still put away somewhere and is not in its
outside mount, so this is a guesstimate. Overcast with strato-cumulous clouds.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beaufort
Force 4 – Moderate seas, some whitecaps. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Waves: 2-5
ft.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wind: 15
kt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Direction
of wind 315° and seas135°, off the port quarter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fairly
smooth, with little rolling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Course:
85° Steering great circle route.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speed:
17.5 kt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Talked
with the AB’s and Bosun about ships’ ghosts. The container ship <i>Mahi Mahi</i> had a bosun who fell to his
death while fixing a bow antennae, and he’s still aboard and has made his
presence known. He is there to help, like the Tryfina’s Extra Hand. You can
hear him walking, and sometimes you hear music with no source nearby. They
called him <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>.
He was Hawaiian. Another ghost on the ITB <i>Moku
Pahu</i> said to a crew member, “I mean you no harm,” If you die on a ship you
become its guardian angel. ITB stands for “Integrated Tug Barge,” where the bow
of the tug fits into a wedge shaped cut-out in the stern of the barge. It is
considered one vessel. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1400 hrs.
Up to Beaufort Force 5, Fresh. 17-21 kt.wind, with more whitecaps. We’re
skirting the edge of a front from a low system in the <st1:place w:st="on">Gulf
of Alaska</st1:place>. Skies clearing. Cumulous and cumulostratus clouds.
Never pay much attention to weather at home. Take a coat or umbrella with you
is all it means. Out here, it’s fascinating. Weather is way more important at
sea, as weather changes can delay arrival dates and mess up scheduling. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/12/11,
Wednesday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">0001 hrs.
Another fine night on the SS Lihue. Some squalls on the 1200-1600 watch Tues. but
clearing with some leftover cumulous and smooth sailing now. Course 093°; we’re
starting to curve south on the great circle route to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Long Beach</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">CA</st1:state></st1:place>.
Out on the bridge wing, the Mate said the star overhead is Venus. I think it
may be Jupiter or Saturn. I started singing “When You Wish Upon A Star,” and
the Mate went inside. Sang “Eddystone Light” in the mess at dinner, and no one
had heard it before. The checkered red tablecloth and wine bottle shaped
Balsamic vinegar bottle made it feel like a NY Italian restaurant, so I sang.
No tips. Course 094° now. Will be home in time to watch the World Series. Nice.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The secret
to longevity is good genes and a steady job. One you like. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">39°08’30” N</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">145°24’10”
W </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Course:
097°</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speed: 15
kt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wind
Direction: 320°, from port quarter (NW)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wave/Swell
Direction: 140° (SE)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overcast
but warm on the bridge. Don’t need a sweater. We’ve slowed to meet our arrival
time. The Bosun is outraged because he thinks the Chief Steward is running
short on food. No more milk for the mess or bridge coffee. Thought the White
Act abolished all that, along with corporal punishment, i.e., flogging, back in
1898. If there’s a shortage the other unions aboard will have it out with the
Steward’s SIU (Seamens International Union). We’re not starving but the
breakfast cereal boxes are getting low. Don’t know what the stores problem is;
the three boxes we lost in the drink in <st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city>
weren’t that big. Maybe they didn’t deliver enough even with the boxes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt 37.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were
throwing some pieces of scrap metal over the side. Rusted iron makes good fish
food. Been hauling old lines and crap out of the foc’sle hatch. Our expensive
new navigator computer is trying to steer 074° when the Mate asks it for 097°.
Machines. Switched from the nav. computer to gyro autopilot. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sent 11/23/11</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/13/11, Thursday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">38°07’83” N.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">137°22’24” W.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Course: 101°</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speed: 15 kt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wind Direction:
014°, over the port bow</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wind Speed: 23 kt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Swell: 225°, SW</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Temperature: 63°</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1200-1600. There
is nothing better than warm and dry after cold and wet. Spent the morning out
in the rain, humping the old crappy lines back below to the storage holds. Felt
like Sisyphus, as we’d pulled them up to clean the holds last week. Rainy and
blowy on the bow. Warm socks are toasty, and my boots and gloves are drying in
the laundry room, with both dryers going. And hot Navy Bean soup never tasted
so good.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saw a flock of
birds this morning around 9 am, flying just ahead of us. 1<sup>st</sup> since
leaving Japanese waters. Finally got our thermometer set up outside the bridge.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/14/11, Friday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">36°45’54” N.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">130°24’84” W.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Course: 106°</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speed: 17.4 kt</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wind Speed: 25 kt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wind Direction:
225°, from the SW, off the starboard quarter</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wave Direction: 045°,
NE</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wave Height: 1-2
ft.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Swell: 145°, from
the SE, wide but gentle, 3 ft., underlying the surface waves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Temp.: 67°F</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1200-1600 Watch</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Beautiful Day!
Sun out, some scarce, high cirrostratus and stratus on the horizon, deep blue
ocean, and I Love My Job! Skylord Apollo’s flint and steel hoofed horses have
ignited his chariot and catapulted it onto the waters, spilling a fiery shimmer
that invites us south. Bright sunlight on the forward port counter, where I
write when on the bridge. The crew mood is jubilant and the girl-starved guys
are reading Maxim magazine, copies of which are appearing in the crew coffee
room. The last time change was last night and we are on West Coast time now,
with three days to go. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did some “pretty
work” painting this morning—lipstick on burnt pork chops. They painted one coat
over rust and dirt in the shipyard, so it looks good for one photo op, then
rusts away again. We will look decent enough when we pull into the layup berth
in <st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city>.
She’ll be there till she’s called out again to replace another ship. No plans
to put her on a regular route, as steam engines are far more expensive to fire
up than diesel, and the <i>SS Lihue</i> is
just what the first two letters say it is—a steam ship. She’s an old girl,
built back in the 70’s before the oil crunch made fuel costs soar. Wish they
could figure out a way to recycle the steam, turn it back to water, then reheat
it and use it for power again, instead of just letting it go out the stack.
Would solar heaters and a non-toxic refrigerant work?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brought my laptop
up on the bridge again last night and we had Gilbert and Sullivan on the
0000-0400 watch. A number of water level clouds out there now—fog banks that
reduce visibility to one to three miles for a few minutes, and then we’ve
passed by or through them and visibility clears. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/15/11, Saturday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">0030. Moon bright
enough to write by, though past full, right through the port bow window onto
the counter. Hanging up there just off the port bow. Picked up our first Coast
Guard radio message, out of <st1:place w:st="on">San Diego</st1:place>.
Welcome to home waters. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Comfiest watch
chair I’ve ever had to sit in, like a Captain’s chair. Feel like a little kid
sitting in the Grownup’s Chair. Nobody ever really grows up. Not if you’re
lucky. got Steve Lalor’s <i>Airs to You</i>
CD on now. Ah, Bach. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just got a GMDSS
warning about a rocket falling out of the sky into the Western Pacific. Wonder
if it was from the missile range on <st1:place w:st="on">Kwajalein</st1:place>.
I’d rather deal with Mother Nature on a Katrina day then this. P.S. No sign of
a rocket. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/16/11, Sunday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">34°35’05” N.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">122°17’40” W.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1200-1600. The 3<sup>rd</sup>
Mate left his whale watching book on the bridge. No sightings yet. Not onto the
continental shelf yet. Gray and overcast but a bright glare; shades down on the
bridge windows. A birdie flew across the bow. First <st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place> bird today.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve got 45 hours
of OT, second only to John’s 49. The other guys have 20’s and 30’s OT hours.
Mine works out to 60 hour work weeks, seven days a week. Our very experienced
AB, Jun, asked me for help carrying the bridge life ring holder from the main
deck level up to the bridge. Hooray!! A sign of respect. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/17/11, Monday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1200-1600. In and
out of <st1:place w:st="on">Long Beach</st1:place>
in 12 hours. Now heading up the coast to <st1:place w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:place> at 22 kts. Got to sleep in today; no OT call
out. Hooray! Going to a spa when I get back and get all pretty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">South of <st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city> I saw a
whale blow three times. Didn’t break the surface. But I got to say, “Thar she
blows! Whale, two points to port!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fog at 1300 hrs.
Visibility down to a quarter mile. Closing in on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype></st1:place>;
in the traffic separation zone, where you have lanes with invisible lines on
the water you have to stay within.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By 1500, the fog
had cleared and we made our entrance. First time sailing into <st1:city w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:city> Bay and I got to steer under the Golden Gate and the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bridges</st1:placetype></st1:place>!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Checked the chart
and was surprised they haven’t officially charted McCovey Cove as such yet, by
the Giants’ stadium. What’s the matter with those guys? What are they waiting
for?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10/18/11, Tuesday</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 22.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Signed off, took
my pay, and flew home.</span></div>Wendy Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05194112198132652304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510699580543834591.post-12356968499949001052012-07-02T22:57:00.001-07:002012-07-02T22:57:08.242-07:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wendy’s Sea Log</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">USNS Yano<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8/6/11 to</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At Sea – Gulf of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greetings to all again, and welcome back to the highjinks
and shenanigans of your humble Able Seaman. Joined the ship in Violet, LA, on
the muddy <st1:state w:st="on">Mississippi</st1:state>, just south of <st1:city w:st="on">New Orleans</st1:city> and not too
far from where they fought the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. Hadn’t been here
since 2004, so I didn’t know what Katrina had taken and what she had left.
They’ve re-done the Superbowl, the food is still great, the politicos are still
crooked, and all’s right with the world. The road to the ship had a tree lined
avenue section, with big oaks or big somethings overhanging it, like you see in
the road up to the plantation house. Did Katrina demolish them? There was a 90
year old frame house near the ship, and the lady who lived there had a lovely
garden with roses and other flowers. She had once given me some for the ship.
Was it still there?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The trees remain, and are still grand. The house and garden
are there, and well cared for, but I didn’t get a chance to knock on the door
and say hi. I couldn’t find Bessie, our gate security guard, or anyone else I
shipped with here in 2004. But the new gate guard is an off duty cop, and if
you ever get in trouble down here, just mention my name and you’ll be fine. Under
the table money is good too. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Started off on the wrong foot when signing ship’s articles.
I signed my name on the Captain’s line, and flubbed up a couple of other
places. That is not the way to make a good first impression. I then went to my
room, pulled out a piece of paper and wrote, “I will never mess up signing
articles again.” twenty-five times, and handed it in to the Captain. So I’m
still aboard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Wendy Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05194112198132652304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510699580543834591.post-83051239072434027202012-06-30T13:45:00.000-07:002012-06-30T13:45:54.029-07:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Wendy’s Sea Log</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Moku Pahu, 4/1/12 to
5/15/12</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sat. 4/7/12</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Between <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>
and <st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place>,
surrounded by fishing boats. Too busy avoiding collisions to write.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mon. 4/9/12</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few hundred miles south of the <st1:placetype w:st="on">island</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:placename>, <st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place>, and no traffic for the last two
days. Saw what looked like the tops of container ships but they were actually
volcanic tops of a bunch of islands, which got clearer as we approached. The
Mate’s been top notch, working with me on adjusting the radar, radios and other
instrument displays. Some officers have an AB-is-strictly-hands-off approach,
but l like getting the bridge stuff down. Plan to get my mate's license when
I've got the three years' sea time for it. Got a little over a year that counts
toward it now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Got more crane ops time when we were tied up too, which is
great; it’s one of those jobs that requires a steady hand, not upper body
strength. Yesterday I couldn’t get a big water valve on deck open, and asked
one of the guys for help. Felt better when he couldn’t get it open either, even
with the big wrench; turned out the thing was frozen tight with rust and paint.
Today I will be using my advantage in small size to scrunch under the anchor
windlasses and clean out all the gooey crap underneath. Romance! Adventure!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got the Chief Steward to boil up some eggs yesterday,
Easter Sunday, and hid six of them for an Easter egg hunt. Didn’t think I hid
them that well, but the avid hunters Cyn and David only found four. Fun to be
kids again. I hid one they didn't find under the stack of paper cups on the
mess table, right under their noses. The prize is a little bag of my Reeses
Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures, which I seldom share, being naturally stingy and
a chocoholic. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Passed Sofu Gan again, 600 feet of rock sticking straight up
but had to take that on credit this time. After a first glimpse in the
distance, the fog closed in and we could see the stars light years away but not
a rock four miles off.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wed., April 11</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paint the deck! No, not that part, this one! Wrong color!
Use a brush! Use a roller! Three weeks to finish? No, three days! Faster!
Faster! But make it neat and pretty. What do you want, pretty or fast? Never
mind. Paint! Paint your boots! Paint your coveralls! Paint your face! Black,
yellow, red, green, blue, white. Whee! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With squares of newly painted gray covering various spots,
the deck is starting to look like a checkerboard by Picasso.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Second Mate Liam has graduated from paper airplanes to a
remote controlled helicopter. He took it down into an empty hold and it flew
well—lots of space in a hold on a 750 foot ship—but it hit the hatch overhead
and crashed. He thinks he might be able to fix it. I said to him while painting
on deck, "Someday I too will be a mate! Isn't that frightening?" and
he said something nice. "No." </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tossed a message in a bottle overboard tonight. It held a
note, and a dollar bill with George prominently displayed. The note gave our
position, 28°13.2' N, 151°24.9' E, and the date, said whoever found it could
keep the money, and requested the finder to contact me at my email address. So
we'll see if it ever shows up again, and where. Who knows?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sent 4/12</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Chief Engineer's birthday is today, so we had a barbeque
and cake. Liam fixed up a picture of Captain Cook with the Chief's face, and
grubby engine grease pasted in. The Chief himself is actually better looking
then Cook. We warned him to be careful in <st1:place w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:place>, as the natives there killed Cook. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Coleridge used Capt. Cook's best selling accounts of his
round the world voyage for descriptive details in "The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner." </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
About, about, in reel and rout, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
The death fires dances at night. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
The water, like a witch's oils,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Burnt green, and blue, and white</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The colors are the Northern lights, reflected in the sea.
"About, about" is from the witch's chant in Shakespeare's <i>Macbeth</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sat. April 14</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Titanic hits the iceberg just before midnight tonight.
Wonder what sort of commemorations are going on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I finally took a day off doing overtime today, after two
weeks of 16 hour days and round the clock watches. The other two AB's have
already taken time off. I outlasted them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ta-da! Now I'm going back to bed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mon. April 16</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 14<sup>th</sup> was my niece Michelle's birthday. Sunday
the 15<sup>th</sup> I sent her a Happy Birthday email, thinking it was late, then
realized that across the Date Line, it was still the 14<sup>th</sup> in the <st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place>, so
it got there on the right day. One of the nice things about yesterday being
today.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
AB Cody's room sink fell off the bulkhead today. Don't know
if he hit it or was leaning against it. Weird. Those things are epoxied pretty
securely. At least it didn't hit his foot. AB Ben and I would have had to do
all his work. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tue. April 17</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Message verbatim off the internet from EGC, Electronic
Global Communications, which usually sends weather alerts; this one was marked
"Urgent":</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NAVAREA XI WARNING</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NAVAREA XI 0233/12</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="FR">SINGAPORE STRAIT.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="FR">PIRATES
INFORMATION. 151600ZAPR.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
01-35N 104-37E</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SEVEN PIRATES ARMED WITH GUNS AND KNIVES </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
BOARDED A TANKER UNDERWAY.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THEY THREATENED THE CREWMEMBERS, DAMAGED</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THE COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENTS AND STOLE</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SHIP'S CASH AND PROPERTIES AND ESCAPED.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NO INJURIES TO CREW MEMBERS.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
VESSELS REQUESTED TO BE CAUTION ADVISED.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NAVAREA XI is the Singapore/Straits of Malacca Navigational
Area. Haven't had pirate activity there in quite a while. 0233 would be 2:33 am
<st1:place w:st="on">Singapore</st1:place>
time, when GBC received the piracy report. 151300Z is 3:15 pm, Greenwich time,
when they sent the alert out. We received it on the ship via satellite at 3:48
am, nearly halfway around the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wed. April 18</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Normal people do not go to sea. Our QMED (Qualified Member
of the Engine Dept., equivalent to an AB rating in the Deck Dept.) Cin used to
roll up Hershey's Kisses foil into little balls and stick them in her ear as a
kid. She has ear trouble from it to this day. Our Chief Mate ate spaghetti
through his nose as a teenager. As kids, my little brother and I would make
paper airplanes, tie a string to them so we could fly them around our heads in
a circle, then sail them in and out of the fireplace until they caught fire and
burned. Don't know where our parents were. Sailors are not normal people, and
this aberrancy usually shows up in childhood.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wed April 18</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is not a duplicate entry. There really is a second
Wednesday on this voyage, courtesy the International Date Line. Like Groundhog
Day, we get a chance to do everything over again to get it right. Don't know if
we'll make it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sent April 20</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sat. April 21</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We're painting the living daylights out of the ship; in
places no one ever goes, all must be spic and span, and look like new. The
shipowners, the business suits, are coming aboard in <st1:place w:st="on">Maui</st1:place>.
Suits. Wish they'd OK another Ordinary Seaman day worker in the Deck Dept. That
would help.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mon. April 23</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place w:st="on">St. George's</st1:place>
day and Shakespeare's birthday. The Mate and 2<sup>nd</sup> Mate Liam were
going over the "confined space entry" paperwork for a leak in the
chain locker, and I said, "Confined space entry? Come on, you guys! No sex
until we make landfall!" </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is not the most politically correct business. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wed. April 25, 2012</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Drifting on purpose off of Oahu, till our sugar on <st1:place w:st="on">Maui</st1:place> is ready to be loaded on the 30<sup>th</sup>. Then
we head in, fill the holds, and go to Crockett in the Bay Area to deliver the
goods. Drifting saves fuel, and wear on the anchor windlass and chain. Plenty
of sea room out here, southwest of <st1:place w:st="on">Oahu</st1:place>,
mostly in the lee of the Northeast trade winds. Gentle rolling and a nice sleep
at night. Beats the <st1:place w:st="on">Suez</st1:place>
run. No nasty natives. Wish I could get ashore to a drug store and get some
shampoo, conditioner, and hand cream. Running low, and an air drop is not
likely. Now if we were running low on toilet paper . . .</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Getting enough sleep is always a challenge out here. The
work is continuous; there are innumerable jobs to be done, and usually someone
who wants them done yesterday. Yet you can't work too fast or with too little
rest, because then accidents happen. So far this voyage we've had no injuries
or damage. But everybody is tired. Had three cups of coffee this morning and
still couldn't get my eyes open.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Steered in hand while we were maneuvering into drifting
position yesterday. From casual watch banter, the Mate's voice went to crisp
authority and mine responded in kind. Got her where we wanted her, and I was
glad to steer. Doesn't happen enough anymore. Autopilot does most of the
steering when we're at sea. We only put her in hand coming in and out of port,
with the pilot aboard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sat. April 28 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wish we could put in to port.
Feel more like taking a Hawaiian vacation than working. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sun. April 29</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's getting like Groundhog Day
out here, continuously drifting. Makes me think of the ship that drifted in the
Pacific for years till she washed up on the West Coast, with only skeletons
aboard. They hadn't been able to make landfall or meet another ship to resupply
food and water, so they all starved to death. Forget what her name was, or
which century it was. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We've started up and are heading
out further from the islands so we can dump trash. Matson observes a fifty mile
boundary instead of the usual twenty-five for trash dumping. Only things we can
never dump are oil and plastic. Everything else can go over the side. Good
thing too, as all our trash barrels are full.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally dumped trash.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mon. April 30 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Made official contact with the US
of A this morning, and we've cleared customs via our agent, who came out in a
water taxi off of <st1:city w:st="on">Honolulu</st1:city>,
and took our entrance documents in to port. Easiest Customs clearance I've ever
seen. Pilot also came aboard, and guess what? I came in second in the pilot
pool and won $50, for guessing the second closest time the pilot was officially
logged aboard. Oh, goody. Now I can pay for cat food for my poor starving
kitties. And the really good part was when the Matson ship <i>Mahi Mahi</i> hailed us as she was passing by, and told us, "Welcome
home." Nice. No more Chinese food. Hooray for the US Dept of Agriculture,
the Food and Drug Administration of America, and all the other good people and
rules that give us decent food here, with no cat bones in the ground beef!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Got thoroughly doused on the bow
doing port prep, which is hauling out the mooring lines and laying them out for
tie up. Lots of spray. I told Hawaiian sea god Kanaloa he can baptize us all he
wants, but he's still a pagan god and I don't worship him so there. Was
thinking of Japanese Zeros and the <st1:state w:st="on"><i>Arizona</i></st1:state> while passing the entrance to Pearl Harbor,
and of Father Damian as we passed <st1:place w:st="on">Molokai</st1:place>
during port prep. And Capt. Cook too. Can't get away from the history here. I
should keep my mind on my work more. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tied up in Kahalui. Midnight. Had
to wait for my old cruise ship <i>Pride of
America</i> to leave the dock. A little blowy with some whitecaps, about 25
knots; they waited till dark so the passengers couldn't see the waves and get
upset at the terrible sailing weather, oh horrors. You're on a boat, folks,
with bilge keels to keep it from rocking. Sailor up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Note re Chinese American
relations: the Chinese girls claim they can't pronounce our 1<sup>st</sup>
Engineer's name. So instead of Seth Warner, he's Sack Warmer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wed. May 2</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Went ashore last night and got a
pedicure. Ta-da! My first treat this trip. And we loaded up with stores of
American grown food, including <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state>
apples and potatoes. Ah, bliss! Nobody better criticize the US of A in my
presence. I'll pack them off to <st1:place w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:place>
and have them eat Chinese garbage with God knows what in it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fri. May 4</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Left Maui yesterday. Up at 12:30
am; secure the holds, lowering the hatch covers with the big cranes, 24
thousand tons of sugar piled high in all six holds. We smell like a Southern
bakery because of the molasses in raw cane sugar. As usual some has spilled on
deck and we'll have to hose the slippery stuff off. Then cast off at 3 am,
secure the lines, and head out. Up to the bridge for watch straight from the
deck at 3:45; steered out mostly in hand through the watch. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At 7:20 we played chicken with a
little whale watching launch, between Maui and <st1:place w:st="on">Molokai</st1:place>.
He was approaching from off our starboard side, which in an equal situation
gives him the right of way. But when one boat is much bigger then the other,
and therefore far less maneuverable, it has the right of way, and that was us.
We were changing course, turning to starboard in a big circle, and at first it
looked like he was going to cut astern of us, but then he changed his mind and
decided to continue across our bow. I held her through the turn as the Capt.
jumped up and down yelling, "I'm bigger than you are!" </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nobody flinched, and she crossed
our bow with about half a mile of sea room, which is a few inches when your
ship is 760 feet long and takes two miles to stop. I guarantee all the
passengers on that boat were freaked at seeing a huge ship bearing down on them
when we were dead ahead of them, with our bow toward them, during our slow
turn. "She is going to miss us? She is, right?" Right.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Off watch at 7:45 and back to the
deck right after to stow lines below. Taking lots of spray on the bow; they put
me below to stow the line in the huge baskets there because little me fits best
there. The first basket we stowed properly, with the line fed in through the
scuttle hatch, from the winch at a regular speed, so I could stow it in
concentric circles, winding it around and around in a growing coil. I got wet
from the line and spray falling in anyway. The second basket they were tired of
getting soaked above and I played dodgeball with cascading heaps of four inch in
diameter braided line, piling it up the best I could in the basket. But it will
pay out without getting tangled. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More work on deck, then afternoon
watch, 4 to 8 pm, then to bed. Lots of overtime, but where did I stow my brain?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sent 5/4/12 <s><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></s></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5/13/12</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anchored in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
Trip across a little bumpy. Last night the Captain came up and polished the
4"x6" brass plaque on the wooden statue of Kanaloa on the bridge. I
said, "I'll do that, Cap," but he said he'd do it himself. Only brass
we have on the ship. We've cleaned and polished and painted her up like a real
ship, and she looks and acts almost brand new. Now we'll proceed to get her
dirty again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2<sup>nd</sup> Mate Liam is
getting off soon, so I drew a cartoon of the <i>Moku Pahu</i> sailing under the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Golden Gate</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bridge</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
and him getting off onto a Jacob's ladder tied to the span. Lots of people jump
off, but I never heard of one climbing up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Had one injury; AB Ben hurt his
hand on the way from Hawaii and got replaced here by Cory, a new kid, good
attitude, knows stuff and picks up stuff quickly. Ben was on his second stint
of overtime the afternoon he slipped and hurt his hand. Our most experienced
AB.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I steered her under the <st1:place w:st="on">Golden Gate</st1:place>, and we had two traffic advisories. Both were
for small groups of swimmers. The water here is not very warm, and it was 7 am,
but some people do weird things. They couldn't have stayed home and helped with
Mother's Day breakfast in bed? One group was swimming beneath the bridge span from
south to north, and another was going from <st1:place w:st="on">Alcatraz</st1:place>
south to somewhere. Both paths went across our course, but we didn't run over
anybody. Or maybe they just didn't scream loud enough to hear. Nobody jumped
from the bridge this time, and a kayaker wisely stayed put on our starboard
side so he could cross astern of us. On a sunny day the windsurfers like to do
suicide runs across our bow. So many windsurfers. So little time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lost Track of Time</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We tied up a few days later in
Crockett at the C&H plant to unload the sugar. Crockett’s at the delta of
the Sacramento River, at the north end of San Francisco Bay, We have to open
the holds with our big cranes, and from fifty feet up the sugar in the hold
looks like Arizona, pale brownish, and falls away in scooped out areas like the
Grand Canyon. Other places it looks like sand dunes and you expect the Sheik of
Araby to materialize. There is a temptation to dive out the crane cab window
into a seeming soft cloud of sand below, but I yielded not to temptation. The
dockside unloaders look like something out of Star Wars, big contraptions that
scoop/vacuum the stuff up and send it onto a conveyer belt to be processed in
the plant. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The C&H plant here was built
before and survived the 1906 earthquake, and looks it. Great for a night shoot
at a creepy old factory.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sun. May 20</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Surprised to learn there was an
annular eclipse today, conveniently scheduled to start right after we got off
at 5 pm. Very bright on the water, and a weird bright gray light at its max.
The engineers let us use their welder’s masks to look at it directly without
frying our retinas. Very cool view. First annular I’ve ever seen, the sun a
nearly complete bright ring around the moon. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tues. May 22</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally got her unloaded and tied
up at her layup berth in <st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city>.
I tarred the cogs on the anchor winch the last time we pulled up the hook, and
it took half an hour to get the stuff out of the unprotected parts of my
epidermis. Oh joy. We gave our leftover stores to the Delancey Street
Restaurant, which trains people just out of prison in the restaurant business.
A couple of nice felons came to pick it up. Then onto the plane and back to LA
and I am going to bed now. Good night, all. This voyage is ended; finished with
writing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sent May 25, 2012</div>Wendy Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05194112198132652304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510699580543834591.post-59032414066778219212012-06-30T12:50:00.001-07:002012-06-30T12:56:50.310-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zSw23PsDRhM/T-9UTRw2izI/AAAAAAAAADU/QKl1gUirXQQ/s1600/Wendy+Filthy+on+Moku+Pahu+2+Good.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zSw23PsDRhM/T-9UTRw2izI/AAAAAAAAADU/QKl1gUirXQQ/s320/Wendy+Filthy+on+Moku+Pahu+2+Good.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 5.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Wendy’s
Sea Log – Matson's ITB, the <i>M/V Moku Pahu</i>, 12-16-11 to 2-5-12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">12-19-11, Monday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Tied up at <st1:city w:st="on">Richland</st1:city>
in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype></st1:placename></st1:place>,
taking on garbage. Literally. We’re ferrying a load of scrap metal across the
Pacific, to make toys for all ages which they then ship back to sell to us.
Destinations, according to the articles I signed, include "one or more
ports in the <st1:place w:st="on">Far East</st1:place>, for a period of not
more than six months." A little over a month is what it sounds like. We’re
headed for <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Korea</st1:country-region>, most likely <st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city>
and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Pusan</st1:city></st1:place>, and
will leave the ship in the shipyard at one of those ports for some regular
required maintenance, then fly home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We loaded a bunch of tons of finely
macerated scrap, each piece about the size of a cell phone, until it rose in
one or two steep heaps in the hold. Then we hooked up a caterpillar bulldozer
to one of our three big cargo cranes, hoisted it up and lowered it onto the
heap. The driver was strapped in for the ride, and just as the dozer was
brushing the top of the heap, he started her up and began pushing the heap
down, still hooked to the crane and using it to swing him this way and that,
kind of like "The Pit and the Pendulum." Then we set him down on as
level a place as there was, he unhooked the crane straps, and started pushing
the scrap around to level it off so we’ll be balanced, on an even keel and not
listing from being too heavy on one side or the other. But consider this: the
guy is literally teetering on this steep hill of rusty metal, making small
avalanches as he works, inches from either being buried alive or flipped over,
and capsizing a caterpillar rig is not something I want to think about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When the scrap was all leveled, we
hoisted him out and into the next hold, for four holds. He did this for a day
and a night, without many breaks, then we hoisted him back up and onto the
dock. If the cat had been red, it would have looked like Santa’s sleigh up
there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Whatever they pay that
guy, it ain’t enough. Or maybe he’s just mental.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Moku Pahu is an ITB,
an Integrated Tug Barge, the first one I’ve sailed on. The stern of the barge
is cut out so the bow of the tug fits into it, and they’re held together with
hydraulic link arms. From a distance she looks like a regular ship. We were
down where they join today, greasing the gear that holds her together. The
hydraulic link arms can lift straight up or back and forth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The nice part about this
ship is that it takes longer to fill her holds than it does to load container
ships, so maybe we’ll get some time ashore. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">12/23/11, Friday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Off the coast of southern <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Left</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <st1:placename w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype></span></st1:placename></st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;"> at 0130 after a day of deck work. I took her out; no
steering problems. Went forward at 0400 after watch to help with securing the
anchor. Then crashed in my clothes till noon watch; I’m on the 12 to 4. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Scraping the sugar gunk
from the hatch seals was a new one for me; this boat’s last cargo was cane
sugar, and she’s 660 feet long with six holds, so that’s a lot of sugar. Some
sugar spills during loading and unloading, and it looks like dirty corn snow
when it clumps up around the hatches. Underneath, it’s super gooey. Got covered
with the stuff all over and felt like the Sugar Plum Fairy. Or a candy cane. Or
a popsicle. Or the time I picked pie cherries on <st1:place w:st="on">Vashon
Island</st1:place>. Pie cherries are thin skinned and break easily, so by the
end of the day I was a walking, sticky piece of cherry pie. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Beautiful day. 2<sup>nd</sup>
Mate Liam came up to the bridge for noon watch looking like a pooch somebody’d
just dragged out of the water. Nice guy, easy to talk to, and a musician too,
who likes some of the same stuff I do, so watch should go well. Saw a whale
blow, and its back slightly surfaced off of Pt. Sur. Probably a gray whale;
didn’t see a dorsal fin. Don’t want to hit any whales. It’s illegal, and no fun
for the ship or the whale. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We were to bunker (fuel)
in San Francisco Bay but they didn’t the right kind of ignitable propulsive
hydrocarbon we needed, so we’re on our way down to LA to bunker there. It’ll be
at anchor, so no shore leave. I think it’ll take about 12 hours, so we’ll have
another one am departure. My watch again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">By the way, the guys on
this boat are the best looking bunch I’ve seen yet, mostly 20 and
30-somethings. Pity I’m not a little younger. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In <st1:city w:st="on">Richmond</st1:city>,
north of <st1:city w:st="on">Oakland</st1:city> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype></st1:placename></st1:place>, we tied up across
from the <i>USS Iowa</i>, the retired battleship that had the guns blow up on
her a few years back. A grand warhorse in her day, she looks small now, and her
hull is rusty, in need of a lot of TLC with a needle gun and sandblaster. She’s
coming down to San Pedro when she’s refurbished and will tie up permanently
near the <i>SS Lane Victory</i>, the WWII cargo ship I’ve volunteered on. The <i>Lane</i>
people are happy; the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on"><i>Iowa</i></st1:state></st1:place>
will be a draw, so more people will be coming around to see the <i>Lane</i>
too, and sign up for one of her WWII cruises. The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on"><i>Iowa</i></st1:state></st1:place> doesn’t offer that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">12-24-11, Saturday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We dropped anchor in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Long Beach</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbor</st1:placetype></st1:placename></st1:place>
for bunkering; the bunker barge came out to us to tie up alongside. So, no
shore leave. Almost could have roped my guitar in from my room in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Wilmington</st1:city></st1:place> with a heaving
line.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Merry Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Peace on Earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">12-25-11, Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Found a Christmas stocking
on my door in the morning, with a bottle of Pilsner and assorted candy inside.
Pity I don’t like beer, but it was one of those “aw, how nice” moments.
Everyone on the ship got a stocking. Steered the ship out of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Long Beach</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbor</st1:placetype></st1:placename></st1:place> at 1:30 am,
trying not to let anybody see me falling asleep at the wheel. Got her out
without mishap and on course except for a three degree deviation outside the
harbor breakwater, but got that corrected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">12/28/11, Wednesday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now it looks like we’ll be
going straight to the dock/shipyard in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Nantong</st1:city></st1:place>,
on the Yangtze, instead of the port further up as originally planned. About a
three hour drive to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city></st1:place>,
so here’s hoping for shore leave. My watch partner, 2<sup>nd</sup> Mate Liam,
said something awfully nice today re my being a woman trying to hold her own in
this business: “I take my hat off to you.” Ah. gee!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We have a pool going for
the International Date Line. $10 a guess, and whoever gets the right minute we
cross the Line wins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sent 12/29/11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">12/31/11, Saturday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">New Year’s Eve. Barbecue
on the aft deck. We landed two mahi mahi this morning, so I wrote it up for the
ship’s paper:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mariners <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Battle</st1:city></st1:place> Invading Fish<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sailors on board the <i>M/V
Moku Pahu</i> fought of a massive assault by an army of invading mahi mahi
today. The attack was apparently in retaliation for the deaths of two
outstanding members of the local mahi mahi school, at the hands of the <i>Moku
Pahu</i> crew.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Singled out for heroic
conduct were Wiper Abdul, Chief Mate Rob, and Chief Steward Marcus, who fought
bravely at the aft lines, and alert 3<sup>rd</sup> Mate Beau, who warned of the
fishy armada’s approach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There were no crew
casualties. The number of fish casualties will be made available as soon as the
Chief Steward and Chief Cook finish counting and freezing them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/1/12, Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Big blow and rollers began
early am; sun out though, air fresh, and I LOVE MY JOB! No one allowed on the
aft deck as we’re pitching and taking water over the rails there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/2/12, Monday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">28°16.859’ N.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">151°24.964’ W.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Wind brisk and plenty of
whitecaps, but lots of deep blue too. We have no anemometer on this ship—why is
an unanswered question—but it looks to be blowing 25-30 kt., over the port bow.
Lots of arcing white spray over the forward #1 hold. Was working with the Bosun
up there earlier; another deckie there now, helping secure the huge steel cable
bridle for lifting containers, inside the #1 crane tower. Hard work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The <i>Moku Pahu</i>’s
stern is cut away in the center, so her hull there extends out on both sides,
like catamaran pontoons. From one side you can watch the propeller working
beneath the other side, making light blue sliced curves under water. Unique
view.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Gone south from 30°
latitude to 28°; amazing what a difference in temperature a couple of degrees
makes. 76° now, at 1330, from the 50’s a few days ago. My watch partner Liam
tried yet another paper airplane from the bridge, this one made from a
cardboard box. So-so flight. The random sized pieces of cardboard he tossed
over next flew just as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Our oxygen measuring gizmo
decided to go Beep Beep all night long, so it ended up in the Mate’s office
where it wouldn’t bother anybody. If we’d kept it on the bridge, the scenario
would have gone like this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mate. Bring her over to
270° (BEEP BEEP) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">AB. What was that? (BEEP
BEEP) Say again? (BEEP BEEP)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mate. 2-7-0 (BEEP BEEP)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">AB. 2-7-3?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mate. No, 2-7 (BEEP BEEP)
zero.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">AB. 2-7-0. Right. She’s
(BEEP BEEP) drifting to port (BEEP BEEP).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mate. No, not (BEEP BEEP)
2-3-4!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">AB. Roger that, (BEEP
BEEP) bringing her to 2-3-4.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mate. No, (BEEP BEEP) no!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Beeper ends up in the
drink.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/3/12, Tuesday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">27°58.60’ N.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">154°22.02 W.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Course: 270°, due west<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Speed: 6 kt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Just over the Big Island
of Hawaii about 100 miles to the south. Only sign of land is a seabird or two
sighted. No traffic for quite a while. Rising and falling on 40’ swells, coming
at us from about 330°, NW by N. We were heading more straight on to them but
that means that when there’s a swell under the bow and one under the stern,
there might be nothing but air beneath us midships. With no water supporting us
there, and with tons of scrap metal in our holds just above, the hull and keel
could literally break in two. The Captain said, “I don’t like breaking,” and
ordered a course change so we’d be taking the swells more diagonally and riding
along their sides more, rather than just hitting the tops.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A three foot high wood
statue of Kanaloa, Hawaiian god of the sea, stands on the bridge. I’ve
abstained from rubbing his head for luck. No way, my Judeo-Christian and Muslim
friends, is this good Jewish Catholic girl going to be accused of idol worship.
To the pagans out there, my regrets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Fire drill today. Helped
squad partner Cody get attired in his firefighting gear, and tended the hose.
Went well. Fires at sea are not nice so we drill once a week. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sent 1/5/12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/8/12, Sunday <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Been spending the last
four mornings doing overtime in the three big cargo cranes on deck. They’re
hydraulic, which means they leak a lot as the hydraulic fluid is under a lot of
pressure when they lift tons of cargo. So somebody has to go up and clean up
the stuff that leaks under the winches. Who do you send to scrounge around in a
very small space, hitting your head a given thing, getting drenched with very
slippery stuff, and swabbing out all that gooey goo? A big tough guy sailor
dude with shoulders the size of a Suburban? Nope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">They send scrawny little
me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I can get into the little
places where the big guys don’t fit. The winches are about halfway up the 60
foot crane towers, on platforms with a two inch coaming around them. The
platform under Winch #1 had a lot of filthy sludge. Winch #2 had clear
hydraulic fluid, and not much of it. Winch #3’s platform was nearly full with
mostly clear fluid. Noah’s ark would have floated in it. It’s the consistency
of corn syrup, or the oil you put in your car. The area of each platform is
roughly 7x7 feet, and I filled two five gallon buckets with fluid and four
trash bags with sopping diapers from the three cranes, scooping up the goo with
a scooper made from the bottom of a plastic gallon jug. Not the fastest
cleaning technique. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">These diapers, by the way,
are not the kind you put on babies; they are made of soft adherent material
that makes grease stick to it. Gets pretty goopy. Oh, and the winches with
their wound up cables are themselves tarry with grime, which sticks to you if
you brush up against it. We can’t send photo attachments with this ship email,
so when I get home I’ll email pix of me after four days of this little job.
This will be to quash any notions that working at sea is glamorous or romantic.
Well it is in a way, but it’s pretty filthy too. You’ll see. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I gave up on the idea of
washing my winch cleaning clothes and threw them in the HazMat (Hazardous
Material) barrel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E_11by-dSlo/T-9X5cRho0I/AAAAAAAAADg/2F8vyY810zA/s1600/Wendy+Filthy+on+Moku+Pahu+3+Back+Good.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E_11by-dSlo/T-9X5cRho0I/AAAAAAAAADg/2F8vyY810zA/s320/Wendy+Filthy+on+Moku+Pahu+3+Back+Good.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">On noon to 1600 watch:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">28°35.3’ N.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">172°54.7’ W.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Course: Steering 275° to
make good a true course of 283°, countering the wind and seas, which are trying
to throw us off course.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Speed: 7.3 kt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Wind: 27 kt., Beaufort
Force 6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Waves: 10’, coming from
330°, off the port bow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Temp: 75° F.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Choppy swell; magnificent
white horses off the port bow. Bumpy ride. Our twin sterns have dipped under a
few times. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">My <i>Moku Pahu </i>t-shirt
boasts that she’s delivered over 8 million tons of C&H Sugar since 1983,
but the Chief Steward still has to buy our bags of C&H, the same as he does the
other stores.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/9/12, Monday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">“SKIP TUESDAY”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The International Date
Line looms ahead. Today the notice board in the mess read, “Retard clocks one
hour tonight, and go from Monday to Wednesday. Skip Tuesday.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/11/12, Wednesday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We won’t actually cross
the Date Line till around 1930 (7:30 pm) tonight. So if we haven’t crossed the
Line yet, is it still Tuesday? Nope. The Captain said it’s Wednesday, so
Wednesday it is. Our daily enews printout says it’s Tuesday, however. This
means that from now till the end of the voyage, we’ll be getting yesterday’s
news. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sent 1/11/12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/14/12, Saturday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">30°00.1 N.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">169°00.7 E.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sloooooow boat to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
We’ve been running a lot of experiments in aerodynamics from the bridge wings.
So far we’ve been averaging 16 paper airplanes in any given 24 hour period. As
long as we don’t make them out of navigation charts, we’re OK. Results: one
semi-parachute action, one impressive wave skimmer, and a lot of
loop-the-loops, tumbling tumbleweeds, and nose dives into the drink. Second
Mate Liam makes planes that fly better than mine. Damn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Got a notice that the
Russians’ Phobos Grunt satellite (I didn’t name it) will be re-entering the
atmosphere off of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>
between Jan. 14 and 16, and that not all the pieces will burn up in the
atmosphere. Don’t think any will come this far out. But will be watching. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/17/12, Tuesday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A weather system began
right over us today. Sprung out of nowhere; nothing in the weather report about
it. Supposed to be clear and smooth, with the wind and waves out of the
northwest. Well this morning the chop picked up, wind and waves out of the
southwest, and the barometer did a swan dive into a flat tire, a bungee jump
that didn’t come back up, wheeeeeeeeee-oomph. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The gyro steering couldn’t
hold our course on just the starboard engine at 4.5 kts, so we went to hand
steering. It was like trying to drive a steam roller uphill and backwards
through an avalanche. But I did better than the gyro, human being better than
the machine once again, yes! Hard over and she took a good five minutes to
begin to turn. Wind was blowing over 40 kt, bumpy ride, and the Captain came up
to the bridge and took the con till the engineers got the second engine, port
side, up and running to give us ten kts. OK now but still bumpy, and no one
knows what this storm’s going to do. It wasn’t on the chart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/18/12, Wednesday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Midnight to 0400<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Still rough. Times like
this make you think about not knowing if, when you go to bed, it’ll be your
last night on earth. No fear among the crew and nothing spoken, but with our
load of tons of iron and steel, one flooded hold could drop us under the water
like a stone before the alarms got going. Said a Hail Mary as I came off watch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">0700. Thank you Mother of
God. We’re still chugging. And without help from our pagan idol on the bridge,
Hawaiian sea god Kanaloa. The Captain told the story of a deckie who always brought
a McDonald’s Happy Meal aboard to lay at Kanaloa’s feet, everything except the
Coke, which the deckie drank. For the three months the guy was here, they had
perfect weather. Then the guy left, no one brought Kanaloa Happy Meals any more,
and the weather turned nasty. Real nasty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Over the last few days,
Kanaloa actually came a little loose from his pretty secure mount by the
Captain’s chair. But he’s been bolted there so long, stuck in one place, maybe
he just wanted to stretch his legs a bit, you know?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We have all filled out our
declarations for Chinese Customs. If you forget to include one of your CD’s or
DVD’s in your declaration, they can confiscate it. They can search your room
when they come aboard (oh police states!) and they must make juicy hauls from
forgetful people. Only cigarettes are listed to declare under tobacco products.
Apparently no one in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place>
smokes cigars or pipes, much less chews. Chewing seems to be an entirely
American habit. Liam has his chewing tobacco in little round, clearly labeled
tins, but there is the interesting possibility that the Customs guys might
think it was some other kind of herb, and undeclared, too. We’ll see what
happens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Our weather system
yesterday never did show up in NOAA’s official weather report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sent 1/18/12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/21/12, Saturday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">29°50.8 N.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">140°20.2 E.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Permit me to introduce
Honorable Sofu Gan. “Gan” means “rock” in Japanese, and I don’t know what
“Sofu” means. Black and stark, it sticks straight up 300 feet out of the water,
and looks like a tower out of Tolkien’s <i>Lord
of the Rings</i>, maybe Barad Dûr. Nothing else around for hundreds of miles. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region></st1:place>
claims sovereignty, which effectively extends her territorial fishing waters
1000 miles from the main islands, including the 200 miles around Sofu Gan. To
protect her fishing rights, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region></st1:place>
stations a destroyer in the near vicinity of the Gan. No sign of her, but we
have taken in our fishing lines astern. Not a good idea to tick off a warship.
With sunrays around the Gan coming through rain clouds, it really looks like
we’re sailing into a mythological world. We passed within three miles of her.
Up close from one angle she looks like a bare foot with a pointed toe, and from
another the Virgin Mary in a robe, holding the infant Jesus. Didn’t see any
pilgrims around though. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Things get crazy if you’re
too long at sea. Our Bosun did a dance on the bridge today, after washing down
the bridge wings—the open-to-the-weather parts of the bridge that stick out to
port and starboard—pretending he was the Scrubbing Bubbles bubblehead guy. 2<sup>nd</sup>
Mate Liam and I stepped back a little.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I finally got one of my
paper airplanes to fly well off the bridge wing, and so made a new business
card:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><img height="184" src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/WENDYJ~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image002.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_s1026 _x0000_s1027 _x0000_s1028 _x0000_s1029" width="328" /></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/25/12, Wednesday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Today was a bit blustery,
everyone in foul weather gear on deck, and we did port prep, laying out the
mooring lines where they’ll be needed for tie-up. Got splashed a bit in the bow
wash. Force 8 conditions, ship pitching, lots of spray, wind about 38 kt. Looks
like we’ll be anchoring out, then picking up the pilot tomorrow morning, then
anchoring again upriver for the night, and so into port on Friday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2<sup>nd</sup> Mate Liam
wore his white faced ski mask on deck, and it did look a little like ceramic,
like the Phantom of the Opera’s mask. Great. So I’m sailing around with the
Phantom of the Opera and the Scrubbing Bubbles guy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">What do you get if you
have an eye splice with many good tucks in the splice, and throw it into a hot
skillet? Friar Tucks!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1700<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Chief just started up
the starboard engine! We have both engines going now! No more 6 kts! Steering
that actually responds! Yippee!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/26/12, Thursday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Nearing the anchorage
outside <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city></st1:place>.
32 days at sea and we’re almost there. The Chinese were using Channel 16 as a
party line, the way they do in the <st1:place w:st="on">Mideast</st1:place>,
though it’s only supposed to be used for emergencies. Had a couple of guys who
thought they were singers. Ouch. They like rap here. Sounded like one guy was
saying Mao tse Dung/ Mao you suck. Maybe not. It was all in Mandarin. The Captain
was giving his interpretations. He speaks no Mandarin. I actually spent the
last watch either on the helm or spotting boats and calling positions, as a
good helmsperson and lookout does, instead of doing the crossword puzzle
because of no traffic for a hundred miles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/27/12, Friday<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 2.5in; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Moku Pahu Blues<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Woke
up this morning <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Too
early for light<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Woke
up this morning <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Didn’t
hardly sleep last night<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> On
the Moku Pahu<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> My
heart’s delight<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> On
the Moku Pahu<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Can’t
believe that girl <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> On
the Moku Pahu<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> All
around the world<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> She’ll
give you a ride<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> At
six knots, for the rest of your life <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> We
got mud on the anchor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Trying
to spray it down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Got
mud on the anchor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Every
link, all around<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> On
the Moku Pahu<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> She’s
a muddy machine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> She’s
a slow boat to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Halfway
round the world<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Stuff
ain’t there and don’t work<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> But
we gotta come through<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> She’ll
eat up your insides<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> She’s
a real mean girl<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Lower
the lifeboat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Can’t
get it back<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> You
lower that lifeboat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> She’ll
put you on the rack<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> She’ll
take off your fingers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Bring
your brains home in a sack<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> We
run out of taters<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> No
rice in the pot<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> We
got no more milk now<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Just
keeping the pasta hot<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> If
we run out of coffee<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Someone’s
gonna get shot<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Hey
reservation lady<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Get
me a ticket today<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> I’d
give all my money<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> If
I could fly away<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> But
on the Moku Pahu<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> I’m
gonna stay<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Made port in Jiangyin
at 2 pm, about 40 miles up the Yangtze from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Nantong</st1:place></st1:city>, where the shipyard is. Here we’ll be
discharging our cargo. Nothing but murky yellow haze up the river; hazy
horizon, hazy everything. How can people live in this stuff and never see blue
sky? I need the Northwest. I suspect the real reason we can’t throw anything
over the side into the filthy water is that the Yangtze would rear up and bite
back. Temperature in the 40’s, and drizzly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Last night we came
upriver to a continual fireworks show, on both sides. Unbelievable. They
celebrate Chinese New Year for two weeks here. Tomorrow is the last day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">While I was on the
helm today, the Chinese pilot said, “Right ten tee,” which I thought was “Right
ten degrees,” but he meant “Right twenty.” I said, “Right twenty,” stressing
the “w” so he’d get it, but his pronunciation stayed the same. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/28/12, Saturday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Went into town today,
past unsmiling Customs guys at the dock entrance. Thought the car that came was
the shuttle to the Seaman’s Club but it went to a place called Fang Fang, a
Seaman’s store with jackets, cell phones, Chinese souvenirs, and a bar
upstairs. The coats were name brand but may have been pirated. No computers for
Internet access. The 30-ish proprietress pulled me into a section with watches
and electrical toys. I changed some dollars to yuan and bought some ceramic
chopsticks. The Fang Fang lady was very forward and pushy, a real hustler.
She’d fit in in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state></st1:place>.
Capitalism seems alive and well at her Fang Fang store, but don’t know if she
owns the business or if the state has a stake in it. There were a number of
small shops and grocers on the street but the area was pretty tumbledown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Then the Fang Fang
lady said she was going into the city, downtown, where the shopping was and
where I thought the actual Seaman’s Center was. Passed a big Sheraton on the
way. Went to two dept stores, which had pretty good Western style girl power
stuff, and lots of people were out shopping though it was cold and rainy. The
economy is good when girls are buying frou frou stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Straight black hair
is the norm here, and most of the kids stared at my curly brown hair in
wonderment. Might have been the first time these kids had seen a real live
Westerner with hair like mine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Finally made it to
the Seaman’s Club after dinner, upstatirs in a sleazy old warehouse with a bar
and small store, plus a massage room. Only the bar and massage room were
heated. The 20-ish proprietress here was a competitor to the Fang Fang lady and
said her stuff was no good. Both spoke good English. There were two bar girls,
“We both virgins!” Five of us from the ship waited while one bought a phone
card and another got a massage, fully clothed, with the door open. We left
about 8:30 pm. Understand the place gets going around midnight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Chief Engineer
once spent two months here and had to go to the hospital with breathing
problems. It’s like trying to breathe through a stuffy blanket here. Good thing
we’re leaving in a few days. Think I’ll get a chest x-ray when I get back just
to make sure I haven’t got brought back some of the atmosphere inside. Anybody
out there looking to adopt, adopt a Chinese girl. Baby girls aren’t wanted here
and it will get them out of this poison.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">2/2/12, Thursday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">BLOWOUT ON THE
STARBOARD QUARTER<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Never thought I’d
prefer Jiangyin air to an alternative. Just after 9 am today, a rusty old fuel
pipeline on deck cracked and dumped 25 gallons of goo on the starboard quarter
of the barge. None went over the side into the water, so it wasn’t officially a
spill, just a mess. A real mess. The fuel oil we use is about the consistency
of molasses in the fridge, and the stuff on deck was about an inch thick. All
the deckies were out in force, just when I thought I was going to have a nice
morning inside, sweeping and swabbing the main deck passageways. Outside, it
was 30-something degrees with a wind blowing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We scraped and wiped
and cursed and wiped and cursed and got that awful stuff off our deck. Used
diesel and paint thinner to loosen it up and make it more wipe-able. Took a
couple of hours, and they had to rotate people inside to warm their hands up
when frostbite threatened. But the worst was the fumes. Everyone was coughing,
and at the end I felt like throwing up. I know what a bird in an oil spill
feels like. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We get an extra $16
an hour for helping to clean up oil messes, but I never heard of anyone causing
a spill for a lousy 32 bucks. We also saved the ship thousands of dollars in
oil spill fines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The air in Jiangyin,
by the way, was actually pretty nice today. A high pressure area had moved in,
there was blue sky, and it only looked like a moderately smoggy LA day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This job still beats
working at McDonald’s, but not by much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sent 2/2/12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">2/7/12, Tuesday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In home port now and
no doubt have TB, lung cancer, bronchial pneumonia, emphysema, and one of those
little creatures from <i>Aliens</i> growing
inside. Found out that the Fang Fang lady actually owns her store and pays a
business tax to the state. Bigger businesses are apparently state run and
owned. Saw numerous employees at the bigger stores standing around without much
to do, but this way everyone in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place>
has a job. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">On the cab ride to
the airport, AB Cody had us in stitches with his “conversation” with the
driver. Cody would say something to him in English, he’d respond with something
in Chinese, and neither one knew the other’s language but both acted like they
did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Remember about
adopting a girl from a toxic town like Jiangyin, <st1:city w:st="on">Nantong</st1:city>,
or <st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city> in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The official log
entry for the end of the voyage is “Finished with engines.” So, this is AB
Wendy, logging off: Finished with writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sent 2/7/12<o:p></o:p></span></div>Wendy Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05194112198132652304noreply@blogger.com0