The Blog is Moving!

I am excited to announce the launch of my brand new blog at www.thewanderingsailor.com! Check it out and subscribe on the new blog. All future posts will be from the other site. Follow along on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thewanderingsailor and on Instagram @thewanderingsailor

Winter Storms

As winter approaches, the storms and swells are starting to build in the North Pacific. For some frame of reference, our freeboard, or deck height above the waterline, is 16 meters or over 54 feet. The seas aren't actually as calm as they appear from the bridge... 

Anchor the Tanker

We dropped the hook in San Francisco Bay to take on bunkers (aka fuel). We are loading 9,000 barrels. If there are 42 gallons in a barrel, that's quite a bit of fuel!

From the Tug

One of the tug operators captures some great shots! Here we are approaching the dock Valdez with our lines out ready to tie up.

Taking a screenshot was the only way to post this photo. Sorry for the weird format. 

Sunset and Rain Clouds

Here is my favorite sunset from our most recent trip north to Alaska. I always make sure I have the camera on the bridge for moments like these. 

For Those in Peril on the Sea

This week saw the greatest US maritime disaster in my lifetime and it was a tragic loss. 

Eternal Father strong to save

Whose arm has bound the restless wave

Who bids the mighty ocean deep

It's own appointed limits keep

O hear us when we cry to Thee

For those in Peril on the sea

Views from the "new office"

Sunsets and northern lights are a great bonus to my job which has me looking out a window for 8 hours every day! Here are a couple of my favorite shots from the past few weeks.

The first is at anchor in Anacortes, WA with a view of the sunset out the window over the bridge instruments. The second is my first ever view of the "northern lights!"

Raise the Flag

Our 18' x 24' looks small when it's hoisted up on the crane, but we were all proud to fly it today while discharging cargo at the Shell Anacortes Puget Sound Refinery.  

Why I Want To Be A Captain

KWhile supervising cargo ops on a Matson container ship in the Port of Honolulu this evening, I needed to run up to the navigation bridge to read some weather data and silence some alarms. I walked by the chart table and came across this wonderful essay, which according to the editor's note was written by a 10 year old. It makes me smile every time I read it!

If I must go to work...

I only assume it could be much worse than this. I'm breaking the rules today and posting two pictures. The first is from a quick walk up to the top of Diamond Head for a view of town and the second is while I was walking off the ship for my second day on the job. I know it's hard to believe, but they actually pay me for this. And they leave me in charge. Both of these almost blow my mind!

276

It's been a busy week and I'm a little late on this one. As tradition has it for the past two years, I have ended my time at sea with a sunset photo. It's one of the moments about a career at sea that will never grow old. With this sunset comes 276 days at sea as a cadet and the completion of my sea time to earn my license as a professional mariner. Next step? Graduation and a job!

Final Trip to Valdez

We are headed into Valdez for the last time with our escort tug, the Crowley Alert, and outbound sister ship, the Polar Discovery in the background. 

On the Hook

We are sitting at anchor in Port Angeles, WA with another beautiful sunset reflecting off the bow. 

Alaskan Legend

I was on the launch boat headed from shore back to the ship at anchor when I saw this beautiful sunset and the tanker Alaskan Legend in the background. 

Sunset in Valdez

Here I am looking over the stern and the stack on a beautiful Alaska sunset as we load 900,000 barrels of crude oil in Valdez. 

Port Bridge Wing

Here is the view from the port bridge wing while we are underway at sea. There are duplicate steering and propulsion controls on each wing for the captain to use while docking the ship. 

Celestial Bearings

While primary navigation now happens by GPS and electronic charts, we still look to celestial sightings to verify that our electronics are correct. Here I am taking an azimuth of the sun to determine compass error. 

Daylight in the Narrows

Today was the first time we have had daylight on our approach to Valdez and it was a breathtakingly beautiful day to enjoy the transit through the Valdez Narrows!

Bridge from the Bridge

Here is a different view of the Golden Gate Bridge from inside the navigation bridge on the Polar Endeavour. 

USS Ranger

She was 2 miles off our port side, so it is a little hard to see, but this is the USS Ranger, an aircraft carrier commissioned in 1957 and now being towed to the scrap yard in Texas. She was featured in the film Top Gun and served extensive time in the Pacific, especially in the Vietnam War. She was also the first carrier to be built with an angled flight deck. 

Eagle Landing

This young eagle joined us for our last trip from Valdez to the Puget Sound area in Washington. He made it through a few days of rough seas and strong winds and I'm sure he was happy to see land when we arrived. 

Golden Gate

After 6 days at anchor in San Francisco, it was finally time to set sail and head back out to sea!

A Different View

While we are sitting at anchor in San Francisco Bay, a launch boat comes out to take crew to shore. Here is a photo from the launch boat as we pull away from the ship. 

Anchorage #9

It's a busy day here in the anchorage area of San Francisco Bay! All these ships need a place to park for a few days. 

Sunrise in Valdez

We just finished loading 900,000 barrels of Alaska North Slop Crude Oil as the sun rises in Valdez. Headed back to the west coast!

Setting Sail

About to let go of lines and head to Valdez for the first time!

Whiteboard Lesson: Tank Soundings

Today's whiteboard lesson from the chief mate: taking ullage and interface soundings (aka how much oil and water are in the slop tank). Cadets look like park rangers these days...

The Final Sea Project Begins!

I don't think I'll be able to commit to a daily photo update this time around because there will be days where I won't have a signal at all, but I'll try to post when I can. 

Here is a photo from the dock this morning before I boarded the ship for the first time!

Orientation Week

After a week of orientation at the ConocoPhillips / Polar Tankers HQ in Houston, I'm headed out to begin another 3 month journey at sea to complete my sea time for my license. This time I'm off the lakes and will be joining my ship, the Polar Endeavour, in Port Angeles, WA!