Beyond the sea
Sunday, January 2, 2011
#In order to see the sail route, you'll have to zoom out some bit.
Pretty soon, I'll be leaving for a six week sail within Asia. Our LST has been dispatched as the platform for a baptism of fire for incoming Naval Officer trainees, and with that, we as the crew of the ship are required to bring them to various ports of call. Along the way, they will be grilled to perfection, both so they that they their feet on the ground (metaphorically) as they lead their crew in the future, and also so that they may gain our respect through their labour.
This kind of sailing only takes the LST to parts of Asia. If the ship crew is lucky, they get to go to countries like Taiwan and Japan, but there are also instances where they may stop at Bangladesh and Vietnam. While the officer cadets either stay on ship or do humanitarian work at the port of call, the rest of the crew are allowed shore leave, usually for less than 24 hours at a stretch. Required (but sometimes not adhered to) to stay in groups, we are more or less free to roam the area and enjoy the foreign land, barring any dangerous activities, and so long as we make our way back by the stipulated time.
Personally, I'm feeling mixed about this trip. As an NSF, it's probably a really unique experience that few get to enjoy, considering both the destinations and the journey. It's also a great opportunity for more obscure photography spots, as we're (so gratefully) allowed to bring our cameras. Heh, I'd probably never venture to these three countries as a holiday destination. And yet six weeks will be the longest span of time I've been away from my family, the longest by a long shot. Should I run out of things to occupy myself with during the long, long sail, then I'll be either dead bored, or have my mind wandering to people and places I miss, the latter more so. I guess it's time to start reading again then.
It's not like I'll be out of touch, though. There are times for us to use the satellite phones and internet on ship, though the latter will probably be highly sought after, so I wouldn't even try. There'll also be cohesion events on board, like when they allow use of the tank deck as a soccer court, or when they lower the stern doors and allow us to do practice shoots with Figure 11s, with the rounds spilling out into the sea.
It's all a matter of how I spend my time and days, then. I hear you can see fantastic things out at sea, like dolphins playing around at the ship's bulbous bow while it cruises at 20 knots. Or in the night, when you're apparently treated to the brightest display of stars you'd ever be able to see anywhere. These things should make the sail much nicer...
Labels: navy, thoughts
posted by joseph at 9:32 PM