We finally reached Midway Island and borrowing the name of the atoll we are at midway point of the cruise. Whenever we come here it is the beginning of the end and the countdown towards going home begins. For most of the crew it is the return to Honolulu but for me it is another six hour plane ride home from Honolulu. I am hoping to make it back on time in the morning so I can be on the plane in the afternoon heading back home.
I have not kept up with blog for various reasons. One reason is I wrote about these trips to the Northwest Hawaiian Islands and Midway in depth last year. The contents would be redundant and now the ship has a page on Facebook, at which I am the secondary webmaster. I would rather let the ship and it’s cadre of scientists and officers do the talking about what we are doing. Another reason for the lack of inputs is the hours have been long and at the beginning of the cruise ten to twelve hour workdays are the norm.
Other reasons include working out in the ship’s gym to lose some weight and keep up with health. I am trying to avoid a scenario of surprises where I cannot sail because the doctors have found something or health related issues to genetics increased in strength. My main concern is high blood pressure and diabetes. Plus I have been cutting down on consumption of food. Sometimes it’s too hard to pass up a brownie though. I do feel some weight loss and improvement in overall physical condition since running/walking the treadmill and strength exercise with a Bowflex, probably the only Bowflex not collecting dust in someone’s garage. I will do some bike riding in my off time at Midway.
The trade winds started to pick up the past few days. We have been lucky that sailing was smooth and waters calm. During my morning rounds when I go to the bow to “exercise” the bell on the Sound Powered Phone and check up in the jack staff anemometer, I would lean over the side to listen to the water splash against the bow. Or if we are moving the sound of bow wakes splashing as the ship glides along the water. We are either heading to our next station or getting in position to recover small boats that take the divers/scientist to their research location. If you are wondering why I “exercise” the bell of the Sound Powered Phones, I do that to phones that are exposed to the elements.
Sound Powered Phones are usually our last resort for communications but used when we are dead ship or no power to the regular phone system. I am only protecting us from that one chance in astronomical odds that these phones will be used. The piston that pounds against the bell when the phone is ringing gets cluttered with salt and corrosion causing it not to move. If someone is trying to contact any party in the vicinity of that sound powered phone, best of luck if the piston is jammed with salt and corrosion. In addition, the cover on the enclosure will stick to the enclosure making it difficult to open if not “exercised” and check for corrosion. It’s the small things on ship that comes back to bite you if not attended to. If there is ever a bad situation adrenaline will be high and technical details are be overridden by the panic ability to use it. Every second counts in an emergency!
I will spend my five days at Midway working the usual. Items that is easier to do in port than underway. It is windy and when I was here last year it actually got cool at night, though I did not need my normal hoodies like I wear back home. Try to break away from the workaholic tendencies and try to enjoy other things. All work and no play make me a dull boy and I have been real dull as of late.
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