Back to 2016

I remember lounging in my friend’s minibus on Election Night 2016. It was a weeknight, and we’d have to be back on the ship in the morning. Donald Trump won Wisconsin; I knew the election was over at this point, since the midwestern “blue wall” had been broached by Republicans for the first time in my life. We’re eight years down the stream, and some of the long-term projects from the original Trump administration have come to life. Eight years is enough time to get things done, even on the governmental timescale. Most monumental for American mariners is the construction of new, oceangoing training ships, two of which are now in service (in New York and Massachusetts). At the deckplate level, the training ships are admittedly controversial, since they have not been assigned to a continuing education role, and have only been used in original licensing programs. Nevertheless, they were a significant investment, and employ American mariners as staff and crewmembers. To an extent, it feels that we are entering Trump’s third term. Former Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, who spearheaded that shipbuilding project, resigned after the events of 1/6/2021 (don’t forget that date!), and we haven’t had someone to fill those experienced shoes: Pete Buttigieg and Sean Duffy both have entered their roles without significant maritime experience.

Never Fear! I’m Still Here!

If you follow my biweekly posting schedule, you will notice that I owe you another fine maritime blog post. The honest truth is that I've been occupied by a couple once-in-a-lifetime events, and several other notable occasions. The first of these is my brother's wedding. (My only sibling, to add). A very fine week in Reykjavik, Iceland, in which I got to meet the bride's family, and my brother's circle of friends from the fire and rescue world (the mere word "firehouse" wouldn't do it justice), and from the maritime world- some sailing and some now ashore. I must say that "boat people", even us with the high-end college degrees and most potential to integrate with shoreside society- have a certain way of speaking, of addressing challenges, and in viewing the world through well-travelled eyes. I will be spending the next two weeks at the American Maritime Officers' training center in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I will be studying gas turbine propulsion, which I last experienced at sea as a Third Assistant Engineer on the USNS Supply in 2017. This capstone course- if successfully completed- would qualify me to serve as a Chief Engineer onboard that class of vessel. Again, once-in-a-lifetime, as this qualification is good for life. On another note, for about six months I was the owner of a commuter van. It was a medium-top Ford Transit 350 with space for 14 seats- I opted to remove the back row in favor of storage space. Indeed, I am one to go for action, and not just words about the needs for better transit. Through this endeavor, I learned about the challenges and opportunities of operating a vehicle fleet of one, including the nuances of permitting, regulation, and taxation. I decided to wrap up that little enterprise on account of my upcoming return to sea, finalizing the sale to Carvana today.