So I'm back at work,stuck in Georgia and it's very unexciting.Over the last few days I have had much time to sit and think about everything from duck hunting,work and how I need to continue forward with my career and many other things I shouldn't worry myself about.I also thought about how when I started this blog I completely intended to try and explain the life of watermen and in general just educate the public about everything tugboat.I may have tried but I believe I should try harder.So wtf do I do now?When at home people ask me about where I have been and what have I been doing.Most of the time I keep it short and simple with a response like,you now just making money and paying bills.However sometimes I respond with a more in depth response that involves as many nautical terms as possible and it usually ends with the other person giving me an awkward blank stare.How do I remedy this?Do my friends and people even want to understand?If they actually do then where do I start?So since I have nothing better to do when I'm at work not working I,over the next few weeks,will try and walk everyone through every single part of tugboat life.I know,it's even sounds boring to me.If and when I complete this task,the next time I get the blank stare,I will simply respond you should have read the blog.So everyone,all five or six humans that read this,over the next few weeks forgive me if I bore you in any way.I'm only trying to educate people as to what it's like to spend 65% of your adult life on a floating office.There will be pictures of rope,machinery,wire,safety equipment and many nautical term vocabulary so please excuse me while I do this project.On the other hand mid November I promise I will return to duck hunting pictures.
3 comments:
Well my bruvva, that is an outstanding question. My answer would be to bring it home to the lowest common denominator.
Why do you have a career and what's the objective of going to sea every month? Tie it back to things people know about. Coal. Gravel. Consumer products.
You and I both work in fields where there is some "fundamental geography" of why things are the way they are, and why they are WHERE they are. It's cheap and efficient to move goods by boat. The speed and volume at which they are moved affects the "supply" part of "supply and demand," which affects the price of those goods.
WHY things are done is another bunch of interesting topics - the marine trades go back at least 3000 years into history. There's a story there.
indeed,indeed the history story is there and it's a long one.this isn't going to be easy,short or a rushed thing but I intend to try my best to educate people on how and why my job exists and why it's important to them.lesson one is coming soon!
I'll be following my man, I've spent my entire life on the ocean but have managed to find career options that are trying to pull me away from it. The industry you participate in is far greater than what I produce from my self-employment. Nobody honestly needs a lobster, but everybody needs what your barges hold. In our economy today, regardless of how strong or weak in it's fundamentals, will require marine shipping. That just can't disappear. I'd try to explain the big numbers behind what you move, for instance if you are moving butane hypothetically how many people will that serve. For instance, I got talking to this field boss in northern Maine while on a moose hunt and they were filling these "huts" with potatoes. I asked where do all these spuds go, his reply was "McCains and McDonalds". Then I asked how many pounds per delivery on these trucks. Answer: 25,000 pounds!!! While I was there I watched 8 trucks show up in 30 minutes with potatoes harvested that day!!!
Look forward to reading these future entries...
DEDH out
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