Peeing In The Pool

I saw the green flash two days in a row, now... the second one was much more
noticeable than the first. And sunrises and sunsets for the last few days
have left me speechless (photos to come). The sea and water colors haven't
had as much variation as they did in autumn, but the hematite seas - whose
water range from obsidian to electric indigo and churn a
1960's-pastel-beach-bungalow-powder blue - have behaved nicely and pushed us
along at 21.5 knots while turning only 80 r.p.m. (that is good speed for
minimal effort).

Last night the engine department was raising hell in the pool again.
Apparently the reefer is one of the partiers and the Old Man called him at
0300 because it was 85 degrees in his quarters (the reefer is the
refrigerated container and air conditioning guy and hot quarters is never,
ever acceptable)...

So today I ran into the Old Man in the elevator. I asked how he was doing
and he replied, "Shitty. I just had to chew some people out. I hate having
to do that. They're not getting anything done- except partying in the pool.
They need to do their [string of expletives] jobs."

I proposed one very likely scenario in the last post of how the engine
department raising hell in the pool and flooding the deck was all going to
play out with the unlicensed deck department, but here's another possible
scenario: The pool gets emptied, the rest of the ship gives the engine
department hell for the duration of this trip (and you don't want the
Stewards Department angry at you, let me tell you), and the reefer gets
"ill" and quits in Columbo City, Sri Lanka.

In all honesty, neither scenario is terribly probable (even though quite
possible). But hell, that's all there really is to do out here. My
schedule this trip is like this: I work from 0400 - 0800 as a watchman
(sunrise watch), 0800 - 1600 as a dayman (overtime), and then from 1600 -
2000 as a watchman again (sunset watch). 7 days a week. I can't watch
movies (not enough time), I can only read in bits and pieces, and I have
only other people's music to choose from because I didn't bring any. So
when I see something going off the rails I brace for it... call it ingrained
survival skills. And I speculate. And bitch loudly and often, which is my
sovereign duty as a blue water sailor.

My camera is full of sunrise and photos to the point of comedy... I will
cull them ruthlessly and share as soon as the internets are within my grasp.