Sea legs...

I'll be out to sea within a month and I'm starting to get real antsy. Not sure which company or which boat, but I need a lot of lower rivers trips (St. Clair and Detroit.)

This might make you a bit seasick:



Link to original at YouTube. From user.

Alive and Kicking!

Jeez! Hardly time to come up for air!

Yes, I still hate it here in TC. More and more each day.

But. The end draws nigh.

Sailed on our training ship last May for Spring Cruise and maintained a Cadet Log. Sailed on this boat last summer for sea project.

Oh. And the webcam for the training ship (I'm living aboard as a ship-keeper.)

"They talk of my drinking but never my thirst." –Scottish proverb

Light it off and put it OUT!

Well, we're on spring break. But no rest for the wicked. Fire school!

Check out the pics.

Grinding it out...

Oh my.

School is SO HARD! Well, busy would be more accurate. I understand all the concepts, but have to spend a lot of time immersed in the material and doing all of the lab work for navigation and meteorology.

So, not much time for anything other than school work. I had two tests last week, a test and a quiz today, and a test next Tuesday.

Every hour of every day is allotted for class or study of specific subjects.

But, here are some quick shipping links:

Modern Egyptian shipwreck

Ancient Greek shipwreck

Cocaine Ship bust

Mackinaw Crashing into wall (scroll down to Dec. 13th) and video

Pile it on...

Added one more class.

Watchstanding II
The purpose of this course is to begin to develop a cadet's piloting and watch management skills. The use of the Shiphandling Simulator/Academy Vessels will allow the development of the Bridge Team Concept through piloting exercises.

Another semester begins...

So here we go again. Here's a brief description of my courses for this next semster:

Rules of the Nautical Road
Comprehensive study of the international rules of the road–COLREGS–including their origin, purpose, history, technical provisions, and application. Included is a comparative study of both international and inland rules, their interpretation and practical application as well as a study of case histories and legal interpretations resulting from collisions at sea.

Navigation I
An introduction to principles of piloting and marine navigation. Includes chart projection, the magnetic compass, chart usage, buoyage systems, aids to navigation, fixes and running fixes, and the use of standard tables.

Navigation I Lab
This lab is taken concurrently with MDK 121 and concentrates on applying the principles of piloting to plotting on the chart. Chart projection and use will be introduced. Dead reckoning, terrestrial fixes, set and drift, lines of position, and the use of navigational instruments will be covered.

Ship Construction
A study of the principles of hull construction as applied to all types of vessels. Includes construction nomenclature, criteria of design, methods of construction, materials used in construction, and the forces acting on the hull.

Maritime Law
A study of the ship’s officer responsibilities to the owner, personnel, vessel, public and governmental agencies.

MTH 140 College Algebra & Trigonometry
This course is designed to provide the student with the necessary maturity and skills to begin the calculus sequence. The topics covered include elementary set theory, equations of the conic sections, polynomial, logarithmic, exponential, trigonometric functions, linear and nonlinear systems of equations.

Meteorology & Climatology
Designed to acquaint the student with the science and art of weather analysis, this course includes studies of the basic properties of gases, organization and composition of the atmosphere, basic energy flow, and general weather phenomena that result. Global climates are also investigated. The laboratory portion presents the function and effect of selected physical processes, and includes the use of weather instruments and weather maps.

Last semester went well. I made the Dean's List. The good one. You know; for feeling alright, getting good grades...

Of course, I worked me arse off. But that is part of the plan.

Spent the nearly month-long break back home in Colorado. So nice to be back in the mountains where I belong.

Off to Nav.

Arrrrgh!

Who knows where it came from, but dang it, this is the keyboard for me!

Google it.