Well we passed through the Straights of Gibraltar at around noon today (Monday 19NOV) so we are out of the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean, I’ve always found the Gibraltar straights to be a fascinating place, not only for all of the shipping that passes through there, but you can see both sides, and of course if you were on either shore you could see the other shore on a clear day, we tend to think of the continents of Africa and Europe as far apart, but they are visible to each other, and the histories of each has been intertwined throughout history, I’ve been told that a cave in Gibraltar is the last know Neanderthals lived, if so I wonder if they ever stood on the beach and looked at Africa.
In more practical news, one of the fuel oil centrifuges shit the bit, so it was a long day of re-building that, to include multiple chemical burns from the carbon solvent, and bunker oil on everything (bunker fuel is one grade above tar) have I mentioned that I much prefer stem to motor plants? Not that an internal combustion engine that is three stories high, and 60 20 meters long doesn’t have a certain fascination, and enough to keep me working and earning overtime every night to at least cover a few bar tabs.
In people news we have uncovered among the crew that rarest of species, an actual republican, in this case in the form of a cadet from SUNY Maritime, this is such a rare sighting that some members of the crew have never seen a republican before, and this specimen doesn’t drink, well didn’t drink, he did try a beer the other night, but for some unknown, and un-knowable reason mixed it with Pepsi. Hopefully by the time this young lad returns to school we will have cured him of both of these disabilities (being a republican and not drinking)
Well that’s about all for now, say hi to everyone at the Alehouse, I ask Darryl to do the same in my letters to him, but I would be pleased if
you would as well.
Take care