The Merchant Marine Express

Well, We Finally Arrived into Port- Antwerp, Belgium is where the USNS WATKINS is ‘calling’!!!

We arrived late late last night- and with an early morning wake-up for cargo- I only got 2 hours sleep after 20 hours of work. The transit here was not bad, at all- but we were sure glad to make it to port.
I will be extremely busy these next few days for cargo- I am making sure all the ‘roll-on roll off cargo gets properly secured, in place. We have cargo personnel that “lash’ the vehicles in place using special steel hooks and turnbuckles, and If I see that something is not right, I tell a Foreman to correct the problem. I am wearing my ‘blue maersk suit that is nick named the “Smurf Suit” since it is a baby-blue colored overalls.
Pictures will soon follow….lots of exciting weeks to come.
It is very cold here in Belgium with snow flurries and winds that don’t stop.
The days are turning into weeks that are turning into months. And before you know it,It’ll be time to go back home. But I remember a saying,”if you sleep 12 hours a day, then the day will go twice as fast”. That was a quote from a cadet back at my academy days-referring to the voyage onboard the Training Ship “Golden Bear” when he tried to convince me to believe the 2 months would go by faster if you ‘just slept more’.
Here is a new proverb one that a prudent mariner once said,” Red to Red, Green to Green-Close your eyes and go b’tween”. This meaning a sarcastic way of navigating at night just by the lights of other ships approaching.
Relating to ships passing with their red and green navigation lights “Port to Port means, “Each ship passing so that each other’s red light will be opposite the other. If you were Starboard to Starboard- then it would be green-to-green. But in this case, If you see two ships coming at ya’-watch out! and hope for the best!!!

Tags: USNS Watkins