Loading Cargo, at last!
The Captain received word a couple of days ago, while in Galveston,Tx., of a load of Jet Fuel originating out of lake Charles,Louisiana, destined for Port Everglades,FL. When the captain received the call, we were only given a couple of hours to prepare for the quick journey, Eastward. You could tell that the Second Mate, who was in charge of voyage planning, was a busy person as he was not one for much conversation and diligently prepared for the voyage.
The short, twelve hour trip, was non eventful and included a cloudless sky with a near full moon as a backdrop for viewing, while underway. Upon arriving into the Calcasieu waterway, we were quickly diverted to the nearby anchorage to standby for a harbor pilot.
Nearly twelve hours later, we would finally be embarking on the river transit up the Calcasieu River on our way to Lake Charles.
Having the chance of reviewing shipboard operations before conducting cargo, has given me the opportunity to settle into life on the seas. I’ve been off from shipping for over five months, and getting back into the normal routine onboard has taken me a couple of days to adjust. No worries, though, as I quickly have adapted.
The transit up the Calcasieu waterway took us nearly five hours as the wide river seemed to snake between marshes and barren land with hints of settlers, in between. The Harbor Pilot, or Pilot, as we commonly refer, had some stories to tell and to break up the monotony as well as the silence of concentration. I was monitoring the throttles, as is normally the case, with the Mate on Watch during pilotage. But after the five hours, of standing, I was noticeably tired and called it a day, at around two o’ clock in the morning.
Our orders are to load jet fuel in Louisiana, and then deliver the cargo to Port Everglades, Florida. This cargo operation should require a couple days to load, and another two to three days to transit around the South of Florida, and around towards the Atlantic side of the sunshine state.
I miss many holidays while working on the seas, and yet, a week ago, my plans for an Easter at home, was conceivable. However, things can change very quickly, and for my wife, as well as other family members, the call to work can be sudden.
Have a great weekend, folks!
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