1ST FULL DAY ON SHIP

Andy and I had a pretty seasick morning. This is actually pretty pathetic because the sea was very calm today. However, the crew and officers said not to worry, we just need to get used to the ship’s motions, which are apparently especially weird because the superstructure is all the way forward. The following seasickness cures were proposed:

-dramamine (we both took some, and is was afterward that we were at our worst)

-peppermints (works)

-crackers (tasty)

-ginger/ginger ale (probably also works)

-2 beers (messes up the equilibrium in your head enough to counteract the messed-up equilibrium you already have, leaving you perfectly coordinated. Can not attest to the validity of this)

-fresh raspberry tea (raspberry jam + hot water != raspberry tea, NO MATTER what the 2^nd mate says)

So, after we (mostly) completed our paperwork, they sent us both back to bed. I again decided to not do this. Instead I wandered around the outside of the superstructure (the house) and in and out of the bridge. I felt a lot better outside than I did in my room. Also, while I was on the bridge this morning we saw some porpoises off the port bow. That was neat! Eventually I decided to rest a little before lunch, which we almost missed because I slept through half of it.

After lunch we made an effort to actually do work. Andy went back to the engineers and I…didn’t really have any orders so basically I put myself on watch. The 2^nd mate (of raspberry tea fame) and the quartermaster (one of two other female crew on this ship) had the 12 to 4 watch. I mostly sat around, looked around, ate crackers, wandered out on the wings, and operated the ship’s whistle a few times. The whistle (somehow?) helps clear the fog, which there was a lot of today. Also, it definitely makes more of a horn sound, but whatever.

The chief mate, helmsman, and Marty (he’s the 3^rd) came on watch from 4 to 8. I stood around for a little of that as well, since the chief mate is in charge of me right now, before dinner at 1700. Marty spotted a whale and I MISSED IT. Hopefully there will be more whales.

Dinner was special for New Year’s Eve. The chicken parmesan and pasta was GOOOOD. Marty’s champagne reappeared for the officers, and the 2^nd mate then told stories about his Viking ancestors. Overall, very entertaining dinner.

And now, I’m going to sleep, because I’m getting up at 0330 for the 4 to 8 watch.

Happy New Year! We should reach Hawaii in 4 days.

DAY OF EXCITEMENT

Today started as planned. Andy and I caught our flight to San Francisco, no problem. However, satellite tracking had still shown the Manoa in port in Seattle that morning and we weren’t sure when it would arrive in Oakland, so we decided not to continue on our journey until later. Andy then called the Matson offices to see if they had any information for us. We thought we might be stuck in either San Francisco or Oakland until tomorrow.

Turns out, the Manoa’s plans changed and we got lost in the shuffle. So the ship wasn’t coming to Oakland at all, but going straight to Honolulu from Seattle. And apparently it was leaving in 4 hours.

Well, a very panicked Matson employee managed to get us last-minute seats on a flight to Seattle. We had to go through bag check and security all over again but luckily there was enough time for lunch before boarding. (Also, when given a choice, you should always fly Virgin America, because Mikey the flight attendant delivers their safety briefing through song and dance.)

Our instructions were to call Captain Idema of the Manoa as soon as we touched down in Seattle. His words: “Webb cadets! Well, aren’t you having an exciting day!” He told us he had sent a crew member to meet us at the airport, and that we should look for a tall guy, “kind of homeless-looking, which is typical of most sailors” named Marty. We couldn’t find him right away, so a few minutes later I got this text message from an unknown number:

Get bags
Proceed outside and look for blue Chevy truck
Marty should be there

Out of context that’s pretty sketchy. But we did find him eventually.

Marty got the job of retrieving us because he had already been out on a Very Important Errand (to get 3 Costco boxes of champagne bottles for New Year’s). On the way back to the ship, he told us the schedule had been changed because the Manoa had some trouble with its governor and they had to stay in Seattle to get it repaired, after which I guess they decided to cut out Oakland to save time.

We got on board (with champagne) and dumped our stuff in our rooms, then went off to tour the ship and meet the crew. The way Matson unions work, a ship can only employ one deck cadet and one engine cadet, so for now I’m deck and Andy’s engine. But since we’re switching halfway through the winter work term, we’re “dualies”.

After the tour we split up to meet with the appropriate crew members and observe/help in the ship’s departure. I went to the bridge with the captain, first mate, pilot, radio operator and some other assorted crew. My job was to take notes (“tug away at 1915”, “last line 1919”, “bow thruster secured 2008” etc). And also, to operate the bow thruster, which unfortunately is not as exciting as it sounds. It’s controlled by a touch screen menu and I just had to tap to turn it on and off. The engineers below controlled it during use.

So first, we pulled away from the dock briefly to check that the problems were fixed and the engine was working OK. Then we had to move back to let the technicians off while the ABS and Coast Guard people completed their paperwork (an hour of do-nothing time) and then out of the East Waterway we went. At this point it also became my job to change the engine speed as per the pilot’s directions. (Why are you giving me this much power! I just got here!) And then once we had finally technically departed they told me “you have been up since 2, go to sleep.”

Of course I did not, I had to unpack first. Some things about my room:

-the bathroom has no door. (Good thing they gave me an extra sheet)

-the bunk looks like a pediatrician’s exam table. (I find this very amusing)

-It does have a key. I found it in the corner on the floor. (??????)

-Why is there a fork in the medicine cabinet????

-All the drawers have little latches to prevent them from sliding open with the movement of the ship. (And someday, I will remember to unlatch them before trying to open the drawers)

-Previous KP cadet, wherever you are, I will find you and throw trash all over YOUR room.

I really was pretty unhappy about that last thing on the list, but one (“ONLY FOR INDUSTRIAL USE”) bottle of Windex and a broom later it’s not so bad. Can faux-wood be windexed? No? Too late.

Also, there are little Christmas care packages outside everyone’s door. Even Andy and I got one, which was pretty nice. It was another company that came through and left them and I appreciate the gesture. But

-hat, gloves, chapstick, socks (A+)

-large box of q tips (??)

-petroleum jelly (??????)

-3-pack of men’s briefs (???????????????????)

Final words before I go to sleep: yes, the food really is good. Also, this ship used to have a pool. It no longer has a pool. They converted the pool into a molasses tank. (HA!)

This is the blog of Jenny and Andy, two Webb Institute students on our Winter Work term at sea. We are sailing on the Matson containership Manoa.

Our route is a circuit between some ports in California (probably Oakland, Los Angeles, Long Beach), possibly Seattle, and the Hawaiian Islands.

Matson has been doing this for a while.

We're flying out tomorrow morning for San Francisco, and then we're going to creatively find our way to Oakland. Should be exciting.
We'll update this blog as internet availability permits. Until next time!