Author: KeriCDN

september 9 2009

I’m sequestered deep in the ship, editing.  Shortly after I took these photos I fell asleep on top of my fannypack until someone woke me up and sent me to dinner.  

For a girl who has endless energy it was confusing why I was so sleepy but then I remembered something I learned from Curtis, a 20+ year Master Seaman, during ‘Operation Doors Open‘.

He said that “10 years of Navy life is like 20 years of civilian life” and I understand that now because woah, SO much gets packed into one day here that doubling the number might still not be enough.

When interviewing the crew today so many told me their favourite mission ever was last year’s ‘World Food Program‘ (WFP), but they felt down because they didn’t get much press about it, so listen up please.

september 9 2009
That’s a mural on the ship’s main weapon housing, also see it in yesterday’s post ‘1st Day on the Ship’.  

In August 2008 they sailed over to the east coast of Africa and escorted the WFP ships through the hostile waters of Somalia to ensure the food got to the people instead of the pirates.  By September 2008 already 60 pirate attacks had occurred, making this area the worst in the world for piracy.

Then, on their own volition, they decided to extend their stay by a month… when the other escort ships were canceling their WFP contracts because they were too scared.  This mission, along with other donations, makes Canada the 3rd largest donor to the WFP worldwide.  Read more about it here.

Okay so sleeping on a ship is like being in a sensory deprivation chamber.

Probably you’re not supposed to say “drove” but I’m not sure of the correct word.  Helmed?

While the crew was not far away, still I was in charge (way more than that time I flew a plane).  It takes immense concentration and it’s terrifying, look at my eyes:

september 8 2009
It’s worth a billion bucks, we were speeding along at 21 knots and if I were to jam the wheel too quickly everyone and everything below would start flying around.  I lasted 8 minutes before I said, “thank you no more”.  

Then I learned about navigation, and that screen there is the ship’s main navigation screen.

A path between points A and B is decided and entered into the computer based on ‘waypoints’ – little spots along the way that when you reach them in real life, a change in course is required.  To consistently hit all the waypoints you must do constant, fast and accurate math in your head which is why one is stationed here for 4 hours at a time max.  

Sea navigation is done in yards, miles and degrees, and when I asked what happens if you’re a few degrees off the reply was “this is the formula drilled into our heads – 1 degree at 1 mile = 33 yards”.  They told me to test people tomorrow to see if they knew the forumula, okay.

I also asked if anyone checks up on the actual course sailed versus the charted one, “oh yes Keri, and if they see a zigzagy line well, that’s just embarrassing”, ha. 

september 8 2009

Look how red I am.  Each night the ship goes to all red lighting, because red lighting preserves your night vision.  

The bridge (the area you drive the ship from) is lowly lit only in red, and someone told me, “if someone comes onto the bridge at night and they don’t trip or walk into something, it’s not dark enough”.