Homeward Bound

We have started steaming back west and as of last night our ETA will get me home by Thursday night. I stayed up for my whole shift anyway, as we may have some work to do in a marine protected area we are stopping at on the way home (the Gully). It was clear all night and the stars were freaking amazing- you could see the milky way and the Pleidese and everything. I hung out on the stern deck to watch the sunrise too. I can't believe I'm getting payed for this.

Break Time

Because the chief scientist was giving a little talk during the beginning of our shift, we didn't have to start our watch until midnight, which was a nice break. I spent my free time in a cutthroat game of Trivial Pursuit, guy against girls. Unfortunately we lost, but I blame that on the fact that it was an 80's edition and only half our team was born before the 80's began. There were many questions about Michael Dukakis and Grenada and the invention of the microwave. Alas. Three more shifts to go!!! ... not that I'm counting or anything, but I could really use a good long bath. A shower is a very tricky proposition involving washing your hair with one hand whilst keeping a good grip on the railing with your other one, not to mention the slick floor.

Our Position, 300km of the SE tip of Newfoundland, on the Grand Banks

Waverider

Last night was the roughest yet- a couple waves actually broke over the stern deck. I guess that's why they discourage late night meandering on the ship. If you got washed over, no one would know for hours. Yikes. The swells were moving things around pretty good by the end of shift- I just about got conked on the head with the wine bottle I was saving for the end-of-trip barbecue. Luckily I caught it before it slipped off the dresser, or I would have had one hell of a nap. I'm going to try and load some pictures- my little blurbs really don't do justice to how beautiful it is out here.

Thar she blows

Once again forgot about the internet cutting off so I only have about 5 minutes. Gale warning tonight so it should be a pretty rough shift. Last night was dull as hell, so maybe a little excitement wouldn't hurt. How much is 40 knots in km/hr? That's the average estimate for wind speed with gusts to 50. Time for a ride!

-A.

Mo Money, No Problem

The Metis Association has agreed to fund my last year of school! Woohoo! And with the overtime I'm getting here, my financials should be good until I need to get a real job (there is a scary thought). I slept in today so I don't have much time to type but night shift went okay, dull as usual, and I am slowly getting adjusted to this whole 12 hours in the dark thing. Boy do I miss the sun. It's going to be so easy to go back to an 8 hour day... except that I don't have to because I'm done work when I get off the boat. I have about 8 days of absolutely blissful nothingness before school starts. One week to shore leave! Cheers!

-A.

Kiss the Cod

My stomach is a little better today, though I had to cut out of my shift about an hour early this morning. At about 4:30 I was getting to the point where I was wondering where the nearest railing was. I think it was partially because I was dehydrated and partially because I couldn't see the horizon in the dark. Generally that's what I've been using to steady myself, but one of the joys of night shift is the complete and utter darkness for 10 hours and the fog just makes it worse because there isn't even any stars out.

Night before last I drank a bottle of wine and a few shots of rum, and tried to have a push-up competition with some of the guys. Suffice to say I didn't get more than two or three so I decided I had to one-up them somehow, I was getting enough flack already for being an Albertan. Tammy the biologist had brought out a recently deceased cod (only about 3 or 4 inches long) from her research tank so we could perform the time honoured Newfoundland tradition of kissing the cod and taking a shot of rum. We all did it and then Brent (my supervisor), bet another guy, Shaun, 10 bucks to eat it. He got it all filleted for him and down the chute it went. A few more people showed up so we needed another cod. After it had done its duty, the poor little guy was unceremoniously left on top of a beer can. I grabbed it and popped it in my mouth- a couple of chews and down it went, head, guts and all. Rather salty but not too bad, all in all. There was no photographic evidence because I was too fast, but the boys sure looked at me with a new respect. At the very least, they aren't teasing me for being from Alberta anymore. I swear by the time I get back I'll be indistinguishable from a longshoreman.
-A.

Oh sea, why do you hate me?

We are out past Newfoundland now and the ship has gotten quite a bit more boisterous. I am eating crackers and gravol but my stomach does not seem to think that this is enough to calm the seasickness. It probably didn't help that I ate a raw cod last night. More on that tomorrow because I need to lie down for a bit right now.

-A.

I realized today that I have finally got my sea legs. I was walking down the hall to the mess and I didn't need to grab on the railing one. Exciting, hey? And my sleeps have been amazing- there is something to be said for the whole cradle rocking motion. Maybe I should get a water bed? Of course I might come across as a ho, even if it were a well rested ho. Alas.

It's a 36 hour steam to Terra Nova, our first station so I have until Wednesday night before I am actually on shift. I am running out of things to do and I mostly sleep a lot. If I'd have known there would be this much down time I would have brought a computer game or two. On the bright side I am getting a lot of geology reading done. It's a thrill a minute on the Hudson, I tells ya.

-A.

Soooo early...

Whoever said that the early bird gets the worm was obviously not at sea. I see no goddamn worms here- just the darkness out the window indicating that the 5:30 am breakfast precedes sunrise. Night shift doesn't kick in until we get to Terra Nova in two days so I have so far spent the morning watching three guys in the winch room hoisting the water sampler up and down. What I really want is a good solid nap- one thing this boat is good for is getting one to sleep, the rolling makes it feel like a big giant cradle.
-A.

All Aboard

After several delays, we are finally moving. I am watching the Halifax coastline slip by me as I write this (crazy, huh?). My day has so far consisted of unpacking, eating some stew and having a nap on my, ahem, cozy top bunk. It seems that I have no actual duties until at least tomorrow night and maybe not even then. It seems night shift is the place to be.

Apparently whale sightings are a regular occurrence so I am particularly pumped to spot one of these aquatic pachyderms. Who would have thought a summer job measuring the size of sand and mud particles would end up to be so exciting?

-A.

Batten down the hatches, me hearties!

I leave for sea on Sunday and I am most certainly a little freaked out. I will be working 12 hours a day for 12 days as the CCGS Hudson hauls my ass to Terra Nova, a place about 200km southeast of Newfoundland where they are looking for oil or something. My job will be as a general lackey for the scientists doing coring and sampling and such- about the hierarchical equivalent of the cabin boy or deck swab (I wonder if they have those any more? Maybe we can hang out). I have a full stock of gravol for the journey and a newly downloaded season of Xena: Warrior Princess to watch (I am assuming that I will not have much motivation for thinking after 12 hours of work). It looks like I will have access to email so maybe I will be able to keep a log of my seafaring here- you, dear reader will be the first to know if I had to fight off sharks or save a drowning man from Davy Jones' locker. Yarrrh!

-A.

I hate mud

I never thought I would be so thankful to be stuck in traffic. My stupid little mud machine that I use at work decided to crap out today and I also happened to be the only person in the lab. Fun ensued for 5 hours as well as copious cursing (I love alliteration!).

On a separate and equally annoying note, the mayor of Truro seems to be from southern georgia, circa 1953. He refused to fly the gay pride flag at city hall during pride celebrations, based on his religion (apparently he is only mayor for the Christians). He then proceeded to say that 'if I group of pedophiles asked me to fly their flag, I wouldn't do that either... not that I'm lumping the two groups together' . Nice to know he cares. To equate pedophilia with homosexuality is ridiculous. For one, pedophilia is ILLEGAL AND CRUEL AND DESTROYS CHILDREN. I really really hate stupid people.