Time: 1200

Position: 36° 20.8’ N 002° 44.8’ E

We are headed back to Gibraltar and then on to Vigo. Before each port, there are “port briefs” to bring students up to speed with key features or things to expect in each port. My company just had theirs this evening, so we must be close! The weather in the Mediterranean is fantastic. There is lots of tanning, reading, cornhole, and chatting on the weather decks, so everyone shows up to dinner an uncomfortable shade of pink. In the evenings, there are lots of little gatherings about the ship for movies or music. On the fantail, there are often groups in camping chairs circled around a little portable speaker quietly singing along to some country music. Recently, there have been some spontaneous live music concerts which have really been a hit. Last night, “Captain Ron” played in the forward lounge, which was well attended. I have always liked going to the theater, where I am blasted to another world in reclining seats with massive speakers. Even in the very upright metal chairs in the forward lounge, there is something special about giving yourself to another story for a couple of hours. I definitely have a newfound appreciation for the magic of movies and I always look forward to the next screening.

Today, I had training which left me with some energy to write this post. In the morning, I was in engine training, where we were split into groups of three. Each group of students had a different system in the engine room to draw out on a piece of paper. This is something students have already done during our Pre-Cruise project so I had a good idea of what to look for. However, at the end of Cruise, there is an assessment on our familiarity of a randomly chosen system so this was a good trial round. My friends and I made our way around the engine room, drawing pumps, valves, heat exchangers, expansion tanks, valves and gauges. Identifying the components of these systems puts classroom-learned concepts into action. An engine training officer with many years of experience overseeing the engine rooms of naval vessels was a great resource while we traced our system out. He asked us questions about what we were looking at, similar to the final assessment, which was good practice. In the afternoon, there was a deck training midterm which I think went pretty well.

I don’t write too much about the ship’s crew for a couple of reasons, but mostly because they have a job to do and therefore don’t spend their downtime with the students. Capt. MacArthur often hangs around for a bit after morning muster if any students want to chat. He is really well-liked by the students and seems to say the right thing at the right time. He releases a noon report with some key info about the weather and stats of the ship’s position etc. Capt. Mac also includes some mariner jargon and a quote; recently, he shared my favorite quote from Wind in the Willows, “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing–absolutely nothing–half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” ~ Kenneth Grahame. Today, the quote caught my attention again because it perfectly put to words a feeling I have often had while on Cruise,

However bewildered, homesick, or seasick young sailors may be, they will forget themselves for a few moments when they watch their first sunrise at sea.  There is something about a      ship emerging from the night that cannot be equaled by any dawn ashore….  Dawn breaks at sea high in the sky: a faint flush on the highest peaks of the clouds. Then the miracle starts     that never fails to make a person humble.” ~Jan de Hartog  – SUNRISE from A Sailor’s Life

I am looking forward to Vigo and the far-away port of Castine, Maine, but there is a lot to appreciate while on cruise. The Mediterranean is beautiful and warm and we are sailing where the first professional mariners once sailed, which is incredible. I have watch tomorrow so I’ll end here but if you have any questions or comments, email me at odeagaard.fields@tssom.mma.edu, and I will try to incorporate my response into the blog!

-Stay Tuned

4/C Odegaard Fields