Every person out at sea count the days... Days until they return… Days they will be onboard… Days until the next port… “Travel brings power and love back into your life.” Rumi Meanwhile back at home there is family and friends missing their presence too. Here are a few thoughts for the family and the seaman to think about in their loneliness… We chose this. We live this. We can do this. When I’m with you, hours feel like seconds…when we’re are apart, days feel like … [Read more...]
Where Are You Right Now?
The majority of us depend on an app, on our handheld device, for directions these days. You may have a personal favorite app for directions and driving, walking and even for hiking. Feel free to share the name of your favorite and why it’s your favorite in the comments section. Odds are good that if you’re under thirty years old you never saw, no less utilized, a paper map. The kind of fold out map that no one can quite get folded back up correctly once opened up. You may have seen these in … [Read more...]
Mark Off The Date With A Big X
A favorite and consistent habit of every person working aboard an ocean going merchant ship is marking off each day on the calendar. A big X signifies another day done and dusted. Sometimes the calendar is a large one on the bulkhead (that’s the wall you land lubbers!) and for others a smaller calendar on the writing desk or by their bunk. It’s a combination of seeing the days gone by and looking ahead to the days when it’s time to leave the ship and go home again. Other than a few words … [Read more...]
Do You Have A Crow’s Nest?
If you have been aboard any of the popular ocean-going cruise ships, one of the popular night spots aboard is the club located on the top deck of the ship. The name is usually something like Roxy’s and then followed by the words ‘crow’s nest’. Why crow’s nest you might ask? The crow’s nest was critical to whaling vessels in spotting whales at sea as early as possible to direct the vessel to the whales and to have the crew prepare for the kill. This early sighting was made possible by having … [Read more...]
Do You Begin With A Clean Slate?
When a tanker discharges the entire contents of her cargo, typically the tanks are cleaned prior to arrival at the next port location to load a new cargo. A similar method is followed for dry bulk cargo ships as well. There are numerous reasons with the two main ones being to avoid any contamination from the previous cargo and to insure the proper measurements at loading and discharging are accurate. In a similar fashion don’t we like to begin working on something new with a clean slate? This … [Read more...]
What Will You Do in the Next 112 Days?
One thing for certain every seaman does is count the days. Once their ship sets out to sea – how many days until they return? How many days do they need to stay aboard the ship to work to fulfill their obligation? On a long International voyage – how many days until the next port? “Travel brings power and love back into your life.” Rumi Meanwhile back at home there is family missing their presence too. Here are a few thoughts for the family and the seaman to think about in their … [Read more...]
