And then failed to delete said message from the outbox of the ship’s shared email computer…
-----Original Message-----
From: 3m [[mailto:3m@vessel.local]]
To: [REDACTED]
Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2016 8:52 AM
Subject: yo
Well I finally got a job! I had to drive to the union hall every day for 6 months, and I gotta tell you that it sucked. There were many times I thought about giving up. but finally I got this 120 day job. When she told me the job was mine i almost cried. I couldn’t believe it, but it was true.
Since we are a container ship, we discharge and load cargo super fast. We’ll do like hundreds of containers in less than 12 hours. So we are in and out of port in a little less than a day usually. The ship I’m working on is 798 feet long. It is huge. We go roughly 20 knots, about 25 mph, which is fast as shit for a ship like this. Most ships I se that we pass on the water go about 10-13 knots.
So we are always passing and crossing other huge ships. And let me tell you, being in command of a ship this size, while we are passing, or crossing other huge ships, is pretty intense. There have been times when I was a little scared, but I know what I’m doing haha. It’s just crazy to think I’m really the only thing keeping us from running aground, or hitting another ship, or staying on course.
I gotta tell you, it is grueling work. There are were times where I literally had to work through the night not getting any sleep in days. I work a lot, with no breaks, no days off. It sucks, but I love it. The work is really worth doing. I really feel accomplished.
I am the youngest person on the ship, and I am one of the most senior officers. I’m 4rth in charge under the captain. Can you believe people call me sir on a daily basis. Like I have teams of people, of workers, that work under me, do what I say, I give them commands. It took some getting used to it really did haha.
It’s just great. It was so worth it in the end after all the bullshit from school. I’m loving it. Being in command of a huge ship. Sailing across the ocean. Having so much power/ responsibility.
Let me tell you what it’s like sailing in the English Channel. There are literally hundreds of ships in that channel at all times. It is the most densly trafficked area of shipping in the world. I mean, at any given time there are ships in front of us, behind us, and crossing us from either side. And they are all going different speeds. When I tell you how nervous I was sailing through there being in command of my ship. When I got huge ass ships coming so close to me, and having to give commands to my helmsan (the non-liscences mariner who drives the ship on my watch) it was brutal.
I mean If I was off my a tiny bit in my commands to him, that was the difference between sailing safely past other ships, or getting into a collision. When I tell you that I had to sail past other ships at a range of a couple hundred feet at times, it was something. I mean when my ship is 800 feet long and his ship is 1000 feet long, a hundred or so feet away from each other is nothing. It get’s pretty crazy at times. But I love it. I love being in command. All the respect I get from the crew and everyone. Everyone listening to me and counting on me. I love it. it really is great work.
A lot of my responsibilities are serious shit, like life and death shit. I’m in charge of every single piece of life saving equipment on the ship. I need to inspect everything monthly, make sure everything is working, make sure everything is ready to go, whether it’s having enough food/water in lifeboats, or making sure every crew member has a good/working life jacket. I take it all very seriously.
And let me tell you, I have seen so many sunsets and sun rises over the open ocean that I don’t even notice it anymore. Every morning I take command of the ship up on the bridge, looking out over miles of endless sea, endless blue, sipping my coffee, classical music playing softly over the radio, I just stand there and smile for a minute, taking it all in. the feeling is indescribable.
I really can’t believe I’m here in my life right now haha. It’s just Crazy to finally be working at this job I trained so much for and worked so hard for. I feel so. I can’t even think of the word. I just feel like an adult I guess. I feel badass! I’m traveling the world, on my own, working hard as shit, going to different places!
Travel used to mean something different for me. But now after having days where I’m pulling off the dock in one country one morning, and pulling into a dock in another different country that Same day at night. Haha, it gets normal to travel so much, be in all these different countries. I finally feel like I “made it”, like I can finally be a much more confident person I guess. I just feel so successful.
It’s just a great feeling. I feel so different. I feel so mature. I think I changed a lot from last year haha. I guess I grew up or something. I don’t know, I just feel very different, but it’s a good feeling. I’m even eating healthier, working out, and losing more weight. I really never felt better in my life man.
It does suck being out here away from home, but I’ve been on this ship for over a month now, 35 days. And it went by really quick. I mean from all the work I’m doing, and all the stuff I’m still learning, it really does go by quick. So hopefully, I’ll be home before I know it. then when I get home I get to go on a 4 month paid vacation. So I really want to get our group of friends to be doing things when I get back. I want to take trips. I want to at least get a cabin somewhere to go skiing/snowboarding/getting smashed. i also want to throw a huge party when I get back. No regrets.
You can’t come unless you are getting regret status drunk. Just to cut loose. You can’t grow up too much right? You gotta cut all ties to adulthood and just pretend to be a Bear every once in a while right?
It will happen. It will be a great time. Like I’m thinking bars in the city, no beers, you can only drink expensive mixed drinks and we just party or something.
Also, my hair is long as shit and my beard is really growing in nicely. Just wait until you see me again. I guarantee you won’t even recognize me. It’s gonna be hilarious when I finally get home to see my family again haha.
Kill yourself.
Received: from MPD at Globe Wireless;
Sat, 12 Nov 2016 17:03 UTC
Message-id: 200253607
