Lonely Sea
The sea is our friend, and not another soul in the shape of a wallowing ship floats on thee! In the past week, I’ve only encountered two of these ships and yet, they never ventured less than six miles from our intended course line. And yet, a few dolphin were spotted frolicking off our bow, jumping in the slight wake from hull, in a possible show of friendship, the other day seemingly to say, “Welcome to our part of the world, enjoy our neighborhood and smell the slight bitterness of the salt air while you’re stopping through!”
I noticed the captain is an avid fan of Peanut M&M’s and therefore, the gumball machine located on the bridge has been continually filled with this cache of chocolate delectables. The ship’s store or ’slop chest’ as we like to call it, is abundant with sodas of all flavors, candies, and cigarettes, among other things. I have yet to accrue any bill from the slop chest as I have missed each opportunity to visit at the store hours.
Paperwork is a mate’s other responsibility. And I’ve labeled myself a paper mate, as a result. For each document describing an element of a lifesaving or firefighting inspection, a duplicate copy is made for the shipping company office, the ship’s own copy, and for an entity such as the Coast Guard in the event of an inspection. The clipboard is a Third Mate’s best friend, as well as a small utility bucket with wrenches, grease, and various zip ties and labels tossed in for good measure. We anticipate an inspection from the Coast Guard upon returning to the states. I’ve been through a handful of these inspections, and the dread of failure looms in the back of our minds. But a mariner never shows this fear, as the day will pass with a bit of tension, yet seems to always end in a positive light.
The “Tern” continues on its trajectory towards port. For day and night, the distance closes and feet turn to fathoms which turn to nautical miles as the horizon stays constant and only the sun and moon change positions in the bright white sky. We are back to being alone upon the sea.
Have a great day!
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