If you have ever worked aboard a merchant ship you know about the responsibilities of the lookout. A lookout is a person most often stationed on the ship’s bridge who maintains a constant watch of the water to report any kind of hazard that can be an obstacle in the navigation and cause harm to the ship. According to COLREG, a lookout is required to give his uninterrupted attention at all times to the ship’s navigation in order to inform the officer on watch (OOW) about other ships, shipwrecks, … [Read more...]
Do You Leave Your Values at Home?
Early in my sea going career one of the Senior Officers aboard the ship (I was on) introduced me to his wife and teenage son and daughter when we stopped at a coastal US city to load some cargo. This was where they all lived. They all met up and were going out to dinner before we set out on our two month trip to Central and South America. The ship we were on was commonly called a ‘stick’ ship. This was because it had booms and hatches carrying break bulk cargo of all different types. Due to … [Read more...]
How Well Do You Communicate?
What would others say? Like the people you work with... The people you live with? What would they say? When aboard a deep sea ocean going ship traveling internationally you will stop at a variety of ports. Each one having it’s own culture, architecture and language(s). When the ship first arrives at the port the first contacts are made with people from there. A majority of people initially helping the ship into and at the port speak English. This would be the Pilot, the Docking … [Read more...]
Where is Your Safe Place?
Ships at sea are witnesses to the art of nature. The beauty of a sunset as the red, orange and purple colors bring a close to the day. The wonder of a sunrise as the light from the sun seems to come right out of the ocean on the horizon. There are the dangers brought from nature as well. Ships are exposed to all of the elements of nature. The fury of a storm with strong winds and heavy seas tossing a ship about like a mere cork floating in the open ocean. For years if the storm was … [Read more...]
Is Any Port In A Storm How You Handle Things?
This month the nautical theme is ports. Where ships are going to and leaving from. This subject will then be tied into a topic, a teaching, something that may be utilized by you in your business, career path and personal development. The phrase any port in a storm has a few definitions. The proverb 'Any port in a storm' suggests that, when in difficulty you need not to seek the perfect solution; any solution will suffice. And... A person, group, or place where one can find comfort, … [Read more...]
Happy Independence Day
What are your plans for the holiday weekend? I hope you have a chance to spend some time with your family! "We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from the past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience." ~ George Washington "America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and on an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand." ~ Harry S. Truman "The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is … [Read more...]
