February 26, 2010 - Around Tutuila

Fridays on a ship is like any other day. You kid around as if you were going to be doing something big over the weekend. In solitude, thoughts of what you would be doing if you were home race through your mind as you can conjure a million things. Weekends back home would consist of my son coming down to visit and the three of us would go somewhere or sit at home and relax. Prior to the season beginning, the three of us went to the movies. It was the first time that ever happened and a long time since my son and I went to the cinema. As long as I’ve known “L” it was the first time she and I went to the movies. I told her it felt great and now an equal par to her ex-boyfriends. It is something that will continue when I get back in spring. A phone call tonight indicated my son was home for the weekend and that he and “L” were planning on a shopping trip to different ethnic grocery stores in Seattle along with “I”s interest in model building.

Straits between Tutuila and Aunu'u

A surprise visitor came to the ship and will be here for a brief time. A former survey tech who left the ship two years ago came back to do some mapping. He will likely fly back to Hawaii on Sunday or Thursday after we return to Pago Pago on Sunday night for a brief rest on Monday. We are still working around Tutuila and when I woke this morning we were on the eastern side of the island. We sailed up and down the length of Tutuila and saw the black cliffs of Vaitogi, where “L” and I stayed two years ago at a place called Turtle and Shark Lodge. Just when I was about to snap a picture of the black cliffs, my name was mentioned over the public address system and did not get a chance to snap a photo.

Faga itua Village

The weather was hot and temps were in the lower 80’s. Humidity was around 70 to 75 per cent and as night fell, we were getting closer to a full moon. The moonbeams shone on the water but not as bright as nights with a full moon. Several crewmembers were on the boat deck sitting in lawn chairs chit chatting. One was playing a guitar while the other two was carrying on a conversation. Off to the distance on the port side you could see the flickering lights of American Samoa. We went out from the shoreline to do some CTD casts to collect water samples for analysis.

Roadway and a Beach

My day was filled with setting up network shares that was affected by the new set ups. Resetting and ensuring data collection was correct after re-establishment of gyrocompass heading output signals from the port side gyro along with daily rounds and meetings. Another weekend is upon us and it is overtime. This pay period has quite a bit of overtime resulting from turnover with Mr. “S” and working on issues passed down and discovered.

Dive Boat Returning to the Ship

Here is another night to bid goodnight from the South Pacific and on ships we have no weekends as work is done seven days a week with subject to call back. It is out here where we make the money. So I will hit the rack for rest and another day.

Manuia-po from American Samoa.