Day 6: in the Gulf

Wednesday, July 31st. 19:12.

Around 07:00 this morning, we rounded the point at Cape Decision and headed out into the Gulf of Alaska. We let out a few layers of wire and pointed Northwest towards Anchorage. It will take us about 2-3 days to cross the Gulf, depending on weather, winds, etc., which drastically affect our speed. Right now, the seas are manageable. 4-6', and we are hitting about 8-9kts, which is pretty good. We heard that we are expected to have a 12-14 hour turnaround in Anchorage (that's the goal), so it'll be hustle and bustle to get this barge completely unloaded, loaded, the boat fueled, the galley stocked and everything back underway. Apparently they want us to stop by Ketchikan again in the way back to bring some reefers back to Seattle. More cargo time, means more money, so no complaints. The other AB has a family emergency and will most likely be leaving us in Anchorage. No word in a replacement, but if they don't find one, the Engineer and I move into a 6/6 rotation, which means I get 4 hours of overtime each day. I think I could handle that, although cargo will go slower with one man down.

This morning I whipped up some French toast for breakfast and made some chili for the crockpot to be served at lunch. For dinner, I made two racks of BBQ pork ribs, corn, and the typical salad bar routine. Many compliments on the ribs, and I must admit, they turned out perfect.

Cooking with the boat bouncing around wasn't too bad. I expected it to be more challenging, but if you think everything through, you tend to plan for the movement a bit better.

Hitting the rack and aiming for a full 7 in this sleep session. Gotta stock up for those cargo days.

 

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