Clouds. We're making it an adventure!

This morning on watch we spotted a little sail boat.  In.the.middle.of.the.Atlantic. I looked at that boat and thought, 'there would have been a time if someone asked me to sail across the Atlantic where I would have felt like the Gods were smiling down upon me...now? meh.  not so much.'.  It was a strange feeling.  Knowing that my lust for adventure has shifted.

Go to Bali?  Yes please!  Stay in a hostel in Bali?  Mmmm...is there a private cottage available?  Anyone up for New Zealand?  Of course!  We're gonna rent a car right?  I mean, I don't really want to rely on the bus.  Sail across the Atlantic?  Ummm...have we subscribed to a weather routing service?  Do we have an EPIRB and SART?

These days taking photos of clouds with my camera set to aperature priority feels like an adventure.  Sunrise with no flash?  No way man, I'm gonna be daring and go with aperature priority!

I love how aperature priority darkens my shots.  As in looove how it darkens my shots.

Please excuse my crooked horizon.  You should try taking a photo of the horizon on a rolling ship.

I have millions of cloud photos.  That means that this post could be considered lacking with only four photos.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!!!

Those Darn Pirates.

Well Nautie Friends, it's that time.  The point in my trip where I get back up on my soap box and start ranting and raving about piracy (it has been known to happen).  I mean really, you knew this was coming, right?! Since we all know that 'Pirates are NOT cool' I won't spend too much time belaboring the point.  Instead, I'd just like to help you all understand why it's SO easy for Pirates to sneak up on Merchant Vessels.

This is what a Pirate Skiff looks like.  This particular skiff is only one mile away from the vessel and I'm zoomed in ALL the way.  One mile in sea going transportation is more than close.  You can barely see it right?

This is the same Skiff with no zoom!  Can you see it?!  It basically just looks like a white cap!

This Skiff is probably capable of doing twenty to thirty knots an hour - we're currently doing about eleven.  It could close the distance between us so quickly!

We currently have two lookouts posted at any given time not including myself (the Officer on watch).  Essentially, someone always needs to have a pair of binoculars in their hands and even then Skiffs sneak up on us.  

Mayuun Island

This is where  the Pirates like to hide.  As you enter the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden they hang out right here.  They just absolutely LOVE the Northern part of the Island of Mayuun.  You can pretty much gaurantee that when you turn the corner they'll be sitting there waiting for you. 

I swear they have travel booklets advertising the next best Piracy Location!

A little rough in the Gulf of Aden?  Monsoon Season getting you down?  Why not pack up camp and head for the Island of Mayuun!

Those darn Pirates. 

Back At Sea

It seems like forever since we were at sea for a few days.  It's glorious.  Sometimes there is nothing more relaxing than a nice long sea watch (I did say sometimes). For me personally, being at sea is the only time where I can really get ahead and get some real work done.  Just about all of my jobies are located on the bridge - so it works out quite nicely when I have a quiet watch.

Yesterday morning I enjoyed a lovely sunrise - and then the fishing boats showed up - of course.  You all know how much I love little boats!  (Strangely enough, these little fishing boats were exactly where these ones were!  I have yet to pass this spot without some sort of 'encounter' - the good news is....now I KNOW they're there!)  Hence the 'sometimes' relaxing!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

It is not happy people who are thankful; It is thankful people who are happy.  -Unknown.

I'm thankful that I'm from a place where you can watch lovely ladies dancing hula, spend a day on a beach with your Mom and not see another soul, and buy anthuriums for 2 dollars a bunch.

I'm thankful that I survived Florida (it wasn't the beaches that required surviving - it was the stability)...and that I now hold an unlimited tonnage Chief Officers license!  Yippee!

I'm thankful that I have friends who know how to put lobsters to sleep and love bonfires and as much as I do!

I'm thankful for my job - and the glorious sunrises - they'll never get old (I'm also thankful that I haven't hit a fishing boat).

I'm thankful for fall leaves, fresh cider and L.L.Bean boots.

I'm especially thankful for my family.  Thank you for cutting down my bananas, going out for lunch on my birthday and sitting outside in the pouring rain, and having crazy dogs who like to kiss me awake in the morning when I visit.

I'm also sill thankful for everything I was thankful for last year!

What are all of you thankful for?!

pea soup

Fog, fog go away...come again another day....or not...don't ever come back.  EVER. I swear to goodness fisherman wake up in the morning and think, 'today it's going to be foggy....I better get out there and cause some trouble!'  There is really no other explanation for having a rogue fishing boat cross your bow 9 foggy watches out of 10.  It seems like I'll be looking out at clear skies with not a ship on the horizon...fog rolls in...and before you know it you're saying, 'Captain, I have a small contact - he'll be crossing the bow.'  This quickly turns into, 'Captain, well he was going to cross the bow...but now he's heading straight for us....'

Seriously?!  Yes....seriously.

Pretty Pictures.