X-mas, the new year and the year ahead

Location : The Caribbean

 

If you have ever heard me complaining of how busy I've been, all that pales into insignificance as compared to how busy I've been this last fortnight. I kid you not. The last sane day we had was the 30th of Dec, when we wished the best of new year to the Corpus Christi Pilots, Speaking of Pilots, A couple of posts back one of the Houston pilots had dropped a kind comment. He has a great flikr stream, which you really must see. I think I have put a link to his stream on the left of this blog, but as I'm not on the internet, I can't be too sure.

 

Picture above is the San Jacinto park on the Houston Ship Channel. The warship moored here is the USS Texas, that has been converted into a Museum. On the way out of Houston, the fog cam down so bad that I couldn't see the bridge of that ship. It was one spooky ride out of the city and I am really impressed with the guys who take ships like ours every day up an down what water body. 

 

Another reason I'm rather happy with Houston pilots is because of Christmas. I'm not sure if they had anything to be with the birth of Christ, but they sure did give away gifts on the occasion. We spent the Christmas at Houston, and the kind people from the Seaman's centre came over with gifts for the ships crew and brought along with them a lot of cheer that was sorely needed that day. Also as we were leaving, the Houston pilots gave us some neat pens that actually glow when you click them. Very neat if you have to write something on bridge at night. Not only do you not have to look for a torch, but it assures that every one will stop doing anything on bridge and start looking at you. Of course it also means that while writing you have to shout at people to steer the ship, keep lookout, plot the positions etc, but a really cool gizmo.

 

So thank you all, and a very sincere wish to you all for a safe and happy year ahead.