The Merchant Marine Express

AT SEA

My days are dwindling aboard the ship! I found out that I am flying home around the second week of July to reunite with my lovely newlywed-bride of just one year,Michelle.

My four months are almost over, but home is a much dreamed location. My wife and I, we were married last year on the nineteenth of June;gosh how a year has flown by! In a calendar year, from last August until now, I would have been home only three months! It takes a VERY caring loved-one to understand the work a merchant mariner does, and to stand by their side even when they cannot be by their side!
I also found some good work to keep me busy during my “Overtime” hours- the bread and butter of my job. I am in the midst of repainting faded safety signs that illustrate the locations of Fire-hose locations (what we call “Fire Stations”) and also other vital safety equipment locations such as liferafts, lifeboats and exit signs showing the direction to the local water-tight door. I carry a spray can of paint and a touch-up pen with me, as I tour the ship in search of anything that needs a fresh coat of lacquer! This Chief Mate is much different than the previous one, whereby he wants the ‘mates’ to find something to keep them busy to work on, and is safety-related.
You see, I work extra hours throughout the day, in addition to my Navigation Watch. These hours are spent doing essentially any maintenance or inventory on damage-control and fire fighting safety equipment that this ship has, on hand. The overtime allowed is four-hours per day and is an incentive to keep the mariners happy, as well- to keep the equipment and supplies, in good order. On weekends, the officers get an additional bonus, the addition of the Navigation Watch, which equates to all hours worked as Overtime. So, in a weekend, we would count sixteen hours as overtime, plus the daily rate-not a bad deal, eh? Most union contracted ships add the weekend hours as Overtime, but may limit the week to three or four days of overtime.
In addition, the unions set a bonus monetary “vacation” check that rewards the mariner with a lump sum, at the end of his or her voyage. This amount is approximately the daily rate for so-many “days per month” worked. As you all might know, we mariners take as much time off, as we work. This vacation money, hopefully, will keep us “afloat”, while at home or “on the beach” as we call it.
All the hard work and hot and humid conditions have been a challenge, but not impossible for me. At times, the deck temperatures reach in the low 100’s. and hardly a cloud to shelter from the intrusive rays and heat cause for many more water breaks. But there are a few rain showers or Squalls as we call them with accompanying lightning and thunder, at times. Most nights, the sky comes alive with flashes of heat lightning in the distance, with an occasional downpour.
Any drop in temperature is welcomed even if the crew, onboard, seems oblivious to the climate.
I would love to hear about how the Summer is being enjoyed by folks back on land. Drop me a note-
Have a great day!

Tags: USNS Fred Stockham