Today was a typically atypical day. Got up "early" at about 7:40 to brief at 8:30 for the "Alert 30". The helicopter squadron on the carrier must always be ready to launch with 30 minutes in case there is a man-overboard or some other type of emergency. We stand this alert 24 hours a day. What it means for me is that I brief with a crew at the beginning of the alert period (usually 12 hours for each crew), then go preflight a helicopter. During this morning's brief, the seas were at 9 feet. After that, we keep the squadron duty officer (who hangs out in the ready room all day) up to date on our location wherever we are on the ship, in case they need to find us. It was pretty easy for me today, I was either in my room, in the Wardroom (for lunch), or in the Ready Room all day. We typically don't work out while we're on alert. No one wants to go straight from the gym to the helicopter if by some chance they called away a launch just as you're sweating through the 3rd mile on a treadmill. Unfortunately, that makes too many days in a row that I haven't worked out. I'll try to get on a bike tomorrow. They have a spin class at 1500 every afternoon. Maybe I can make that. Hopefully the seas will settle down a bit by then. They've been steadily increasing all day, and for such a large ship, we've really been moving today. Good thing I'm not susceptible to sea sickness. Up in my room, which is pretty far forward, I could feel the bow slamming into the swells. The hull would shutter with each impact--what an incredible force to move this ship around like a cork. The sea is an awe-inspiring force…
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea-
the LORD on high is mighty.
Psalm 93:4
The ocean is incredible and yet we serve a God who created and controls these daunting waters. There is no place like the open sea to be reminded who we are before God.
3 comments:
That sounds like loads of fun. The really fun part of heavy seas is trying to run on the treadmill. You figure out quickly how much balance you really have. I love sleeping in those seas though. A nice dark in a "quiet" place on the ship is the best. Is your room on the O2 or O3?
My "local" address is 02-62-4 (for the many folks to whom this is gibberish, I'll explain it later). Suffice it to say that my room is pleasantly quiet as long as we're not shooting off the bow. The bow cats still provide a good thump and shudder with each launch (and a few moments of missed dialog in the movie) but otherwise it's very nice. Very little foot traffic (my room is in a "cul-de-sac") and only about 12 paces (no knee knockers) to the nearest head. Plus it's a short ladder climb to Wardroom 1. Can't ask for much more. It's a bit of a long walk through far too many knee knockers back to Ready 4, but it's kind of nice to have my living space and work space separated some. Almost makes it like having two microcosms--a comute to work, if you will. Regarding treadmills in high seas-- one of our airwing flight surgeons tried that during workups and took a fall, completely destroying his shoulder. He'll never have full use of it again. No, I'll stick with the bike or eliptical on high seas--something that provides at least three-point stability and isn't trying to throw me across the hangar bay at the first distraction.
Better you than me on high seas. I got seasick on flat seas on a cruise ship to Ensenada. Then, it took me 3 days to get my "land legs" back. I don't think I'd have been a good candidate for the Navy.
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