Well, we slammed out Anchorage in a shit-storm of "hurry let's go!". Our goal was a 12hr turnaround on cargo, which means we have to get everything off the barge, and new stuff brought back on, lashed down and ready to rock. We did it, but it was a long day with no breaks. We took a 30 minute lunch break, but aside from that, it was go go go all day. My hands were fried, swollen and numb, for about 2 days afterwards.
The last 2 days since we left Anchorage have had us bucking some high winds, heading mostly into it, and bouncing us around real good. I still managed to pump out the meals, but it was work. In heavy seas, everything becomes harder and slower. A simple task like getting something out of the fridge, becomes an exercise in patience. First of all, you have to get to the fridge, which requires certain "drunken sailor" walking, then you position yourself, feet approx. 3' apart for stability, then you are ready to open the door. At this point, you have to be ready to catch anything that falls with one hand, holding the door with the other, or catch many things and somehow hold the door with your knee. Last night, I went to the freezer, opened the door, and about 6 heavy frozen items came crashing to my feet before I could even get an arm in there. It sounded like we had run aground on a gravel bar or something. It was like opening a cage full of dogs who wanted to bolt.
Then there's the stove. Everything that goes on the stove, needs to be held down, this is done with metal bars and springs. It's crude, but works very effectively and keeps the hot stuff from dumping into your lap. I'll add a picture once we get home. One of the most dangerous items in my opinion, is the knife. You're cutting some veggies, you set the knife down for one second to grab another veggie, and its as if the knife will come to life and slide across the counter and is looking for something to kill.
So, meals are tough when the boat is a rocking. This boat rides like crap, so I've been told. I hear the stories from all the seasoned guys about other boats and other crew. Apparently this boat is a cork compared to some of the others.
I got word this morning that I will be sailing with the same crew on a different boat, leaving the 23rd. I'm cool with that since I like everyone onboard, AND they haven't screamed at me yet about any of my cooking. I'm fairly certain that I've done an ok job so far, so hopefully that continues and they stay happy.
It's now Wednesday the 7th and we are about halfway across the Gulf, heading east. We got word that we might need to stop in Sitka for a little cargo, but that may mean skipping Ketchikan. Either way, I think our arrival time back to Seattle will still be around the 13th.
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