My Morning ala Photo Essay!

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Apparently Azores harbor pilots don't work in the dark.  After trying for an hour to hail the pilots via VHF I finally got a response back saying, 'It's dark out!  Call us back when it's light!'.  Well....alrighty then!

Luckily, the sun rose....yet again.  Isn't it nice having things in life you can count on?!

When we called the pilots back to notify them that it was now light out we were told that it was too windy.  Which, even though I hate to admit it - it really was windy.  The previous evening the Captain and I discussed that if the wind kept up we might not be going in right away.  However, it's been windy for days now....this might put a kink in our plans!

The pilots told us to call back at 1000 to see about going to the berth - at 1000 they told us to call back at 1400....I see where this is going....

Wanna know the good news?!

I saw me some dolphins!

I'm off to take a nap - I'm pretty sure they're going to call me smack dab in the middle of my rest period.  (But seriously, no complaints!  We're docking in the Azores after all!)

Land ho!

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Throughout the night we enjoyed rain and heavy dark clouds....a large northly swell and choppy seas....and spray over the bow.  After being in the fairly protected waters of the Mediterranean it's nice to feel like you're at sea.

Overcast skies led to an interesting sunrise - very dramatic....certainly not as cheerful as hot pink streaking!

After spending some time on deck with my camera I reported back to the bridge for my second watch.

I was greeted with a faint outline of an island off the Starboard bow.

Land Ho!

Whenever I sight land I can't help but imagine some poor chap up in a crow's nest damp and windblown - possibly sighting land for the first time in months.

We were soon steaming past the rugged coastline of Santa Maria.  The sun was catching her just right - golden hills and cliffs.

This was our closest point of approach at approximately nine nautical miles.

Other than a few small fishing boats out for an early catch we had her waters to ourselves.

Good Morning Azores!

These boots were made for walking...

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I was going to save this post for tomorrow - but I just got so excited that I couldn't hold it in! Long story short...I've worn lots of work boots....and I've found a pair that are rocking my world.

I'm a pretty loyal Red Wing fan.  My Dad bought me my first pair when I was at Maine Maritime - I bought them at the Winterport Boot Company and I wore those boots till they had holes in the soles!

Before joining this ship I bought a new pair - and I went with the King Toe.

You guys, they are a slice of heaven for your feet.  Seriously, the most comfortable boots I've ever owned!!!!!!  I told the man, I'm a size 8.5 - put them on - no breaking in necessary!!!!  They were super duper comfortable right from the get go.

Today, they exceeded my expectations yet again!

I went ballast tank diving with my Chief Mate (ballast tank diving deserves a separate entry).  The rubber boots didn't fit me properly - I hate having rubber boots that are too big because you have to climb lots of vertical ladders and there is a lot of stepping through holes - big boots make you a little clumsy in a situation where you don't want to be clumsy.  Plus, it is really muddy in the tanks and it gets slippery.  Slippery + dumbo feet = bad news bears.

Long story short, I wore my King Toes into the tank.  I didn't really want to get them wet (it's really hard to get all the water out of a tank....so you're usually sloshing through about 6 inches of water on the lower level) but I decided they were the better option.  After sloshing around the entire length of the tank in all three bays MY SOCKS WERE STILL DRY!  There was a tiny bit of water that I could feel around the laces where I hadn't done them up super tight but seriously, hardly anything!

If any of you are looking for a kick ass pair of comfortable boots check out the Red Wing King Toe - they're worth the bucks!

Magical Lines

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For some reason crossing magical lines never gets tiring.  I've crossed the Equator and the Prime Meridian - and I get excited every time I see the GPS zero out!  Someday I'll pass the International Dateline....there are a couple of other magic lines that I'd like to cross....but I'll save that for another post. On my morning watch we passed the Prime Meridian - the line of longitude that marks East and West and runs through Greenwich.  I snapped a photo just after passing through to the West.

Orange Goodness :: Shipping Style

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I meant to post these yesterday...but then again I had the worst day in my Second Mate history and clearly that took precedence. To truly understand that this is the ghetto version of Orange Goodness please refer back to mermaid mugs, granite counter tops and Martha Stewart cutting boards.  Not to mention french vanilla fat free creamer, stainless containers with heart handled scoops and pearl handled cutco knives.  Oh how I miss having a kitchen when I'm at sea!

A couple weeks ago I got a package from home (thanks Mom)!  I begged my mom to find me an orange peeler.  I meant to pack mine in my ditty bag but it got lost in the packing shuffle.  I got a lovely green handled orange peeler in my box!  Woo hoo!  Back in business!

I'd like to draw your attention to several things that make this a ghetto Orange Goodness:

*Stained coffee mug - stained plastic coffee mug

*Long life milk - icky (but better than powdered)

*Stainless steel industrial coffee pot

That being said, an Orange Goodness is an Orange Goodness is an Orange Goodness.  A lovely addition to any morning!