Non Stop

This is certainly turning out to be a busy trip and I really can’t believe the first month has passed so quickly. I suppose it helps that for most of the time I have had little time to do anything but work, and get sleep when I can.  I must admit I wasn’t too happy when I joined to find out that I would be watchkeeping and Nav Ops in the work up to a major deployment but in a masochistic sort of way it was fun as I was going back to my routes. I always prefer the sole ops posts but I must admit it is really good to get back to driving the ship in and out of port again and having control of both the operations and the navigation functions. Whether it’s abuse or not I don’t know but I even programmed in DP trials into the shortcast so that I could play with all the buttons and joysticks on the bridge. This class of ship is always worked hard but it is good to be on a reasonably new ship.

 

The down side of course is always the hours, whilst watchkeeping I did three weeks of generally 15 hour days, needless to say that by the time we came to deploy I was still behind the curve on work and rest. We got our replacement officer just as we started the deployment which did help but the hours then increased due to operational tempo and I was pulling 18 hour days. I must admit by the time we left home waters earlier in the week I was about ready to drop. Thankfully though we have now been on a nice steady passage for a few days so I have managed to just about catch up before the next phase where we will do it all over again.

 

I do miss home, Debbie and the little ones, it is strange really going from being at home 24/7 with Debbie and the little ones to being away and not being able to see them. At least we can have phone calls. Whenever I ring the first thing I tend to hear is the little man saying ‘My turn, My turn’ as he makes a grab for the phone. The little girl on the other hand is far more patient and usually wants to watch Charlie and Lola instead. I do think as they get older it is going to get much harder but I suppose I have to earn a living somehow.

 

Anyway into port tomorrow for a very short stand-down, I plan to take a stroll into town after we arrive for a change of scene and a break from work to recharge batteries before hitting the grindstone again on Sunday, getting up to speed, drawing up routes and areas and reading through the 4 inches of signals that I get daily before sailing back into the wild blue yonder on Monday.