One day’s rest came to an end and it is back to sea. But not so quick, we almost thought we would have to stay for another night due to mechanical difficulties. Fortunately, engineers got the generator working and off we go to Manu’o Islands. It really is not a long cruise. In fact, you could see one of the islands from Tutuila. However, if I was paddling an outrigger to Manu’o I would probably think otherwise.
After the eleven and a half hour workday yesterday, today was slower paced. In fact, I worked only eight hours! I have some equipment that is failing at a higher rate so went into manufacturer’s publications to look for suggested preventive maintenance procedures. For one system, I found what was suggested and they did not make it easy. I do not know why some equipment must be designed to where you need a degree in rocket science to figure out the basics. Then others, you have to be a step above a box of rocks for intelligence just to push to button to activate the built in test program. It is so automated that when it finds a fault, likely it will not be listed in the manual or the solution so simple, it rejects you’re the suggested correction code. Then comes the part where you need degree in rocket science to figure it out.
A good ET is not one who memorizes vast knowledge of electronics or computers, hardware or software. It does help but not everyone, especially me, possesses a photographic memory. A good ET is one who can find the information to get the job done and if not completed, plans logically to come to a conclusion. An Electronics Engineer from the old school I worked for over 25 years ago encouraged taking and keeping good notes while having access to a large library for reference to support you. When I worked in research and development as well as test and evaluation, I spent many hours in the lab studying characteristics of instruments and systems I worked with or help assemble and evaluate. I had three to five bookshelves and several file cabinets, full of reference manuals along with brochures and specification sheets. When computers and Internet came along it became digitized. And from that school, a good ET knew the characteristics and idiosyncrasies of his/her instruments or systems and not depended on bells and whistles. It certainly is not a topic to impress ladies if you were single. I never found my profession to be a “babe magnet.” Am I what you call a good ET? I will let the judging be by those whom I am accountable to.
Here is a photo of the Rainmaker Hotel of the part that is not occupied I wrote about in yesterday’s blog. It saddens me to see this because I had said it had potential. I recall the lobby had a wooden bench donated to the hotel by famous Samoan sumo wrestler Konishiki. If you ever read the ratings, there was not much kind words said about this place and I agree with one blog that if you ever stay here, there would be stories to tell for years to come.
The Old Rainmaker Hotel
I am glad to be away from Pago for two weeks. Everywhere I go brings back memories. Two years ago “L” was with me and flew back to Western Samoa when I had to sail. This time she is not here and I am back at the place where we met. She is at my pad in Seattle where I used to call her from when she worked here. I will be back in Pago in two weeks and plan to look up a friend of hers.
What is so special about her friend? I had lost contact with “L” in early 2003 and I accidentally found her friend’s phone number that a fellow Cromwell crewmember had given me. On it was “L”s address and phone number in Western Samoa I jotted down before I left American Samoa to return to the mainland. I had not received a letter from “L” and the phone number I called; the people did not know who she was. Later I found out how the “public phone” system in the village worked but thought I was taken for a ride at the time. I called “D” from San Diego after I was assigned to the Ka’imimoana and asked her where I could find “L.” I had lost complete contact with her but for some unknown reason I could not write her off and give up. To make a long story short, “D” had sent her husband to Western Samoa to find “L” for me.
Unfortunately, I found this portion of the story out years later. If not for “D”, “L” and I would have never reunited and be where we are today. I never had the opportunity to thank “D” and her husband for doing what they did. She was gone when I arrived in American Samoa in May of 2003 and her husband never told me that he had found “L” for me. He was a cab driver in Pago Pago. So I do have a personal mission when I come back here in two weeks. If I find “D” and her husband, I will be glad to see her again after eight years and thank her personally. If not, it was not meant to be.
Goodnight from the waters between Tutuila and Manu’o Island. Manuia-po from the South Pacific
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