Back in Manzanillo today

Alina's flower

How will I sleep in a bed that isn't rocking me gently in the sea?

Oliver and I left this morning. and I already miss my ship. I miss My Captain, My Alina, My Chiefmate, My Deck Fitter and I've been missing 3rd mate John since Korea. Cookie, Stewie.

Alina and France (a new Wiper in the Engine Room) and I had a fun girl's night,

I spent a special evening with Alina, Captain and Chiefmate being honoured as a Senior Land Rat, and a BBQ with the whole crew on Sunday where I got to talk to Vicente for a while and enjoy another Karaoke. Cookie (his real name is Herbert) made me buckwheat (one of my favourites of his recipes) for my last day which I had for lunch and supper. These events have helped me say goodbye, but it wasn't easy leaving the people I've become so attached to.

I know that I'm a Land Rat, but I've really come to appreciate the people at sea. It is not an easy life. Seafarers are separated from their families for many months at a time. I've heard many loving stories of wives, children, nieces and nephews, girlfriends, parents, grandmas, brothers and sisters, friends. They miss their families. They work very hard. They work long days. Weekends--what are those? They all say: "This is the life at sea" as a refrain.

 The Captain and Chiefmate carry huge responsibilities.
I don't know if the Chiefmate sleeps. He is always working it seems, always patiently giving orders, running drills, doing paperwork and administrative stuff and helping the crew.

I see him half the time in red coveralls in the ship's office and on the U deck. I learned that he also has the most difficult watch (4am to 8am) because it needs to be manned by the officer with the most experience. And yet he is always steady.

The Captain has a massive responsibility, which takes expertise and experience to execute. Imagine commandeering that gigantic vessel, responsible 24 hours a day for months, knowing how everything works, everyone else's job, at sea and in port, in the world of shipping, all over the planet. I don't think he sleeps much either. He also has a huge heart, making him admired by his crew, and his care for others adds to his heavy load. The crew loves it so much when he sings karaoke with them, and they know he will listen to them when they come to him for anything. I think of him as thoughtful, considerate. He has gone out of his way to include me.

I wonder if I'll ever purchase anything again and not wonder where "my" crew is in the world and whether they were on a ship that brought that item to me. I was thinking about my favourite recorders to buy for the kids at school. They are made in Korea. A ship brought them to us.

I am so grateful to these people for sharing their lives at sea with me. They have been so generous and kind. I will miss them.

Last week I was reminded again how nice it feels to be accepted. Mark (OS=Ordinary Seaman) is the second youngest (24) and probably the biggest crew member. In November, when I first encountered him aboard the ship, he smiled shyly when I smiled at him but generally looked terrified of me. What is a passenger? What's she doing? What should I do? She looks old enough to be my mother! Last week, he was working with one of the new crew members that came aboard in Korea. This new person, I knew, was going to look terrified of me. I happened to come around the corner on the U deck just when they were getting ready to go up a ladder to where the containers are. Mark was holding a tool for tightening something on the sides of the containers. At that moment, he happened to be holding it out from himself, toward the water, as if it was a rifle. In front of the new terrified-of-the-passenger one, he casually told me, "We're watching for pirates." I roared. Three months will do that.

Now to sleep on a bed that stays still.