War, Mars Bars and the Night Sky

It is Thursday and it has been another long day with hardly a moment to take stock.  Well being Thursday it has been that time of the week when we all put on our silly clothes and play War.  The same script every week but it is the first time the ship has done it for a while so we still have a bit to put in place.  I found it frustrating as Navigator and Ops I was split between the Ops Room and Bridge but at least I got to watch the planes fly at bridge wing level which is always fun.  It just gets me that in the 21^st Century we still use a Perspex board and chinagraph pencil to track incoming raids.  Why can’t we have nice computer systems with pretty pictures like the navy.  At least now the war is over and we have repulsed the badies (they are now fleeing across the Tamar and back into Cornwall) we can shred all the signals.  Until Saturday that is when they start coming back in ready for next Thursdays War.  I just can’t believe I have another four months of Thursday Wars, mind you we did get a Mars Bar with action snacks so that makes up for it in some respects (I know, I am easily pleased aren’t I).

 

That’s our week of silly exerciseing all over now and a busy few day’s ahead.  Why is it that when you agree a plan, prepare all the charts and start to think you are going to have a quiet day it all changes.  Yes I was finally getting ahead everything had been arranged and drawn up for a boat transfer when the old man changes his mind and decides he wants to do it in a different port 200 miles away. So I have now got another set of charts to draw up and anchorages to plan.  Nothing ever changes.

 

I can’t really complain though as the sky is breathtaking.  It is a wonderfully clear night in the Channel and the stars are breathtaking, it is if someone has taken a piece of black cloth and sprinkled silver dust every where.  As there is no background light the night sky is always that much brighter at sea with a fine covering of stars that you can rarely see from land between all the brighter stars.  I just wonder what is up there and if there is anyone looking down on us.