The Merchant Marine Express

Hey Y’all! I Made it to Texas! We arrived this morning, Monday, to the inner anchorage thereby being closer to the main town of Galveston. Cell phone coverage, as well as launch boat service is possible here and any crewmember can seek life ashore, for once.

The ship was in need of fuel, and a trio of bunkering barges would be required to eventually replenish what was lost as a result of back and forth transiting. I believe the final tally was over two hundred-thousand gallons received, at a cost of $3.30 per gallon of Diesel. This would make the gas bill top out at over seven hundred fifty-thousand dollars! These prices have increased over sixty percent in just five years as Low Sulfer Diesel has a more complex refining process over the traditional High Sulfer grade.

Regarding our journey,It took a while as we transited the oil rich Gulf and maneuvered amongst the multitude of oil rigs and its contributing vessels. Many vessels were encountered and the increased awareness for possible ship maneuvering was tested and tried. Weather was pleasant with only a freshened breeze at the beginning of the voyage, just as the ship rounded the Southern most tip of Florida and its Keys. Otherwise, seas were near calm and only a few white capped waves were generated from the south-east winds over the course of the journey.

I noticed what looked like a few White Huron birds, or Egrets, apparently hitched a ride from Ft. Lauderdale, as one could view a pair roosting on the bow as this would serve as a place of refuge during the four day transit. Proudly, one bird would stand Watch, as the other would be seen seeking any morsel of food of any kind. I would venture to bet that they could tell the difference between something edible, or in the case of a chip of paint on the ground, toxic. A puddle or two of fresh water could be used, by these birds, to secretly drink from as the remnants of a shi washdown would serve as a viable source for self sustainment.

I witnessed, too, other species of creatures from the depths such as Bottle-nosed Dolphin frolicking as the bow wake made for adventure and natural curiosity. It is known that the spray from the ship, causes flying fish as well as schools of other species of fish to scatter and, thus, enabling both predators from the air as well as the sea to take their fair
share of food. As I stand on the Bridge, I bare witness to this endless cycle of this type of cat and mouse game and only my watch partner or me can attest to. It’s like the commonly watched animal program,Wild Kingdom, in real time.

We shall be anchored for the next couple of days as no certain port has been established for cargo. News of the start of the baseball season and a glimpse of a USA TODAY newspaper and all the latest of news has enabled us
to catch up on world events.

Have a great day!

Tags: Chemical Explorer