Training, Training, and MORE Training! – that is the life of the Merchant Marine. You spend months at sea, and then spend your off time at doctors, and training centers in preparation to return to the sea once again. These past two weeks I have spent time in Dania Beach, Florida taking shiphandling training. This course was the last requirement I needed in order to become an Unlimited Tonnage Second Mate from the Coast Guard. So now begins the long wait to hear back. Using a 360deg simulator we got to practice precision steering to better our performance out at sea. I definately learned alot and got some serious hands on practice. What is good about this course is that not only did we practice a whole host of steering situations in restricted waters, we also practiced on different ship platforms: Rudder(s), Becket Rudder, Twin Screw, and with different propulsion plants as well. Shiphandling has everything to do with the characteristics of the ship, more than it does size. In fact, a smaller ship is not automatically more maneuverable just simply because she is smaller.
My instructor made the reference that maneuvering a ship in restricted waters is very similar to pushing a loaded shopping cart through the narrow isles of the grocery store, with displays and other people coming at you. Sometimes out of nowhere little children run all around and you try not to bump into them with your heavy cart. We all laughed and in some ways this was a very good description.
Of course while spending two weeks in Florida you have to have some fun! If you ever find yourself in Dania Beach you HAVE to go to Jackson’s Icecream shop! The ice cream is absolutely delicious. The best ice cream I have ever had!! 15th Street Marina is a great restaurant too. The food was amazing! I also got to walk around West Lake Park for an afternoon.
The best part of the trip was taking the time to see the art museum right down the street. The Gallery of Amazing Things: Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts. The bottom was art displays made completely of nature by Christopher Marley. He takes Butterflies and Dragonflis preserves them into his displays. The upstairs was a $10 fee. It ended up being an entire collection of blown glass art and pottery. The work was beautiful. A large part of their display was dedicated to Dale Chihuly and William Moorcroft. I have gotten the opportunity to see Chihuly’s work three time in my life and I am blown away everytime. Moorcroft makes pottery while Chihuly makes colorful blown glass displays. If you ever get the chance to see this man’s work it is worth it!
“Glass itself is so much like water. If you let it go on its own, it almost ends up looking like something that came from the sea.” D. Chihuly
Stay Salty!
– Emily
Modern Mariner 