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!)