March 30, 2010 - Transit to Jarvis Island on the Equator

Today looked like yesterday and yesterday looked like day before yesterday. The weather was again hot, sunny and humid. I made a mistake yesterday when I said dry I meant no rain. It is not dry in these regions at all. Some of the deck crew was painting and because of high humidity, the paint did not dry quickly. However, the sunset was delightful; the ocean cooperative with a few swells and rolls and all in all it was a good day, professionally as well.

It seems most of the crewmembers I talked to are counting down the days until we get back to Honolulu. Opening season is always long for this ship since we are away from our regular passages to the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Those trips are usually 30 days and we are back in Honolulu for ten days before heading out again. We should be at Jarvis on Thursday and diving ops begin. For me it is back to overtime to finish installation projects I have lined up. I am getting the task list down to controllable level. The good thing about long hours is the day goes by faster.

I talked to “L” tonight and she too is counting down the days but 30 days is still long for her. When I see her next month I will commend her for the time she spent literally alone the past four months. For people in the Navy sailing on Wespac’s or Med cruises four months is a short time. Or for people in the Army or Marine Corp four months is very short compared to a year tour in Iraq or Afghanistan. As I said in my previous blog, the military has support network for families as for NOAA does not. Wage Mariners stay on the ship most of the year with time for leave in between; normal tour for ETs is 60 days. It will be nice to see her again and tell her I have the tickets to Samoa for her and “I” to go back.

I have to get up earlier than normal tomorrow. I have plenty of admin tasks to finish as well as order parts. Tonight is a bit short and I am tired. So to fill in a paragraph or two, I posted a photo of tonight’s sunset looking towards the southwest from the southern hemisphere as the Hi'ialakai steams towards the equator and Jarvis Island for it's next mission.

I bid you goodnight from the open seas of the South Pacific.