Today was about....

Lashing gear inventory. We have some nice bins.....

But we need more.....

(happy fourth of july!)

Man Overboard!

THIS IS A DRILL.  THIS IS A DRILL.

 

Step One:

Throw a cardboard box over the side. Can you see it floating away? Think about it.....a box is MUCH bigger than a persons head.

 

Step Two:

As soon as you spot the individual hit the water you would put the rudder hard over - in the direction the person fell (if they go over the port side you go hard to port). This ensures that the prop kicks away from them.  Getting hit by the prop = Game over.

Step Three:

At this stage the ships crew would be preparing the man overboard boat for launching. The vessel would begin slowing down and would be steering for the individual in the water. Since we were only maneuvering I was taking photos of our wake.....since it was stunning.

 

Step Four:

The final step is recovery. This is tricky. The vessel should be stopped however; it may be difificult to maintain your position without speed. In this case we used our bow thruster to aid us. I was pretty proud of how close we got to the box! Way to go shipmates!

*In an attempt at full disclosure.  This is a round turn.  It is one of many different methods of man overboard recovery.  I would only use this method if I SAW the person fall in the water.  It is designed for immediate recovery.  If you hadn't seen the individual fall over and were hoping to retrieve someone who may have fallen over hours before the best method would be a williamson turn.

Also, I see that some of the spacing is weird in this post....I tried to fix it and just got too frustrated....I hate to say it but, I have WAY too many other things to worry about!  Sorry Nautie Friends!

Very Brief Update

Nautie Friends! Here's a super duper brief update (mostly because I MISS YOU)!

I'm busy.  Which is good.  I'm learning.  Which is great.  I'm challenged.  Which is stimulating.  I'm physically exhausted.  Which is (probably) incredibly awesome.

I have so many things running through my head at any given point in the day that I literally have to carry around a day planner.  I have LISTS.  I have a list for everything.  Things to order, things to fix, things to delegate, things to remember to think about later.  Seriously.  I have a list of things to think about later. 

I knew that being a Chief Mate would be a big change andI knew that the learning curve would be steep (I also knew it would be especially steep since I'm dealing with a brand new type of cargo).  What I didn't know is how I would handle the challenge and work load.

I'm basically just barely keeping my head above water.  Which at this point seems to be enough.

We're currently in the Gulf of Mexico underway for a few East Coast ports before crossing the pond and heading towards some deserty climes.

I've been taking photos of sunrises and sunsets and hope (and am crossing my fingers) that I can post them soon!

On My Mind.

I'm pretty much thinking about cargo. That's it. Well...maybe not all of it. I'm also thinking about certificates and inspections and overtime hours. We're getting underway either today or tomorrow. Tropical Storm Debby....you better stay a Tropical Storm....please don't upgrade!

In the meantime how about some photos of cargo cranes and a view from my port hole?

June 22nd

I was on deck pretty early this morning. I was able to snap a few shots of the sunrise while I was down in a cargo hold. The first task was to move the pontoons. This ship has adjustable decks within the holds. The decks are broken into moveable pieces called pontoons. These are then raised or lowered or removed completely as necessary to accommodate the cargo.

My day seems like it will consist of a lot of running around. A LOT! I go here go there, open this open that, move this move that. It's just a smidgen crazy although, I feel fairly confident that it soon won't feel nearly as crazy. What I will say is that my dogs are barking! I'm positively bush whacked!

On that note I think I'll hop in the shower because I'm pretty much a sweaty mess.

Just a few things.

Just a few things....because I really wanna show you some pictures! I'll admit the photos were quickies taken with my iPhone....but you know what's cool? Being able to use your phone on deck. (Thats a big no no on a tanker...you know the whole ka-boom factor.) So here are the few things:

This ship has BIG cranes. They're truly impressive.

I have a cute little office. It consists of a desk and computer, a settee / seating area, nice tv and shelves. (and yes, it's already a little messy. I'm going to have to keep things MUCH tidier this trip.)

My sleeping nook is tiny BUT my mattress is awesome. (I didn't include a photo of this...kinda weird.)

The bridge is nice. It is more of a console type - I've never sailed on this type of bridge. I have a feeling not sitting in those big comfy chairs is going to be really hard.