Today was our first full day at sea steaming towards our next destination at full speed through headwinds and choppy seas. The sun’s rays beat down on the decks and the winds made the flags sing in notes of flutter. I made my rounds and again felt the salt on the handrails as I made my way between decks as I walked outside. I heard the same sounds from yesterday from the splash of the bow wakes and the feel rolling of the decks below my feet. It isn’t enough to make me seasick and having sailed in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, the seas of the South Pacific are mild as compared to her northern sisters.
I have always liked to sail the South Pacific. That is one of the reason I enjoyed my time on the Ka’imimoana as I the routes had us going up and down longitudes and cross the equator twice in each direction. On the Hi’ialakai we will be heading to the seas of Western Pacific next year to Guam and the Marianas. Meanwhile I have to get this one and the remainder of the season over with before I can even contemplate on that. As I said yesterday, there may be other plans for me at the end of the year where I may be transferred. I certainly hope not as I like this ship, the crew and going to Hawaii to work.
Professionally it was one of those days of putting out fires. Sunday is normally administrative tasks day but it started off with problems arising in different sections. It’s OK because it is my job and that is what I get paid to do. It would be nice to have answers and solutions to all the issues I encounter but I have done this long enough to know it is never the case. I do not have the answers for everything (actually just about everything) but I claim to have the knowledge to know where I can find it. Next to lawyers I think this profession has the most books at hand with a large library.
I put together an electronic library to use Adobe’s search of keywords to find the solution to my problem. I do not have time to thumb through manuals or the patience to read the table of contents or index. But I do keep hard copies for mobility and notes entered by other ETs at which I transfer to electronic copies for reference as well as back up. I do not know how many times an electronic backup copy of a home made sketch of wiring configuration saved my behind. We do not have wireless yet (sort of overdue isn’t it?) and trying to read a pdf file with a handheld computer or PDA is just not feasible.
It’s getting late and I am tired from today’s schedule. Tomorrow will be just as challenging and Monday on the mainland may be answers to some of my questions.
I bid you goodnight from the open seas in the South Pacific
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