On the Boat again!

Greetings Friends, Family, and Followers!  Oh how nice it feels to be blogging again! I type this from Chesapeake Bay on a beautiful Saturday of Memorial Day weekend aboard Master Plan!

It has been a wild spring for us . . .  let me start from the beginning.

First – RLC Events has had a great year so far – lots of programs and very crazy busy traveling in March, April, and May.  I feel truly blessed to be so busy and most of the additional business is coming from existing clients – how lucky I am.  So – I’ve been sprinting since early March.

Second – and most important – Paul started a brand new job in mid-March.   He is an AB (Able Bodied Seaman) for a large offshore supply vessel company called Edison Chouest (www.chouest.com) based in Port Fouchon, Louisiana and they support the oil and gas industry. Essentially, he works on a large ship that provides supplies to offshore oil rigs (about 75-80 miles offshore).  After giving it some thought, Paul’s love for and interest in the sea helped him to make this significant career change.  He started on March 12^th and we are still adjusting to his work schedule.  He works 28 days straight and then has 14 days off.  As he puts more time in, his schedule will change to 28 days of work and then 28 days off.  His goal is to continue to take classes and eventually get an upgraded license to First Mate and eventually Captain.  He is a licensed captain now, but with more time spent on large ships, he will be able to continuously upgrade his license.  He is very much enjoying it and here are some photos to show you his typical (or untypical) “day in the office.”

An Anchor boat - this boat sets the anchors for the drilling rigs.

The bridge on the boat - Akira - that Paul works on

Another angle of the Bridge

Deck Cargo taken from the Bridge

Cargo operations next to the rig

View of the rig from the bridge - keep in mind this is 80 miles offshore.

Getting a "lift" to and from the rig - Paul has taken this ride a few times.

One of the main engines - there are two mains in total - for perspective that ladder is 8 feet tall.

Crew change at the rig via helicopter (for the crew that works on the rig - not on the ship Paul works on)

Another shot of the big rig.

The Akira at dock - the small van in the foreground is what brings crew to and from the boat every two weeks - the main office is about 1 hour from the dock.

Side view of the Akira

The Akira's cargo deck at Port Fouchon - an area teeming with industry!

A different, newer rig at dusk.

For Paul’s first 14-day break, he and a friend brought Master Plan from Stuart to Chesapeake, VA (about 1,000 miles) in 7 days.  Nice and relaxing, huh?  Due to my workload, I moved back to our Rhode Island apartment on April 6th . . .  I was busy working, so couldn’t make the trek.  Fortunately, I was able to see Paul briefly in Philadelphia after he got the boat to VA.  I wasn’t sure if I would see him during his first break and I was so happy when it worked out.  It was a brief visit, but a visit nonetheless!

So - four plus weeks later - here we are together again on Master Plan over Memorial Day weekend on the Chesapeake Bay – how fabulous!  We met up at Norfolk airport on Thursday afternoon and headed to the marina where Master Plan stayed for the last month.  We left yesterday late morning and made it to Deltaville, VA where we anchored for the evening – lovely!  See photos below.  We are working our way together back to Rhode Island – our goal is to get there next weekend – June 2 or 3^rd – I will keep taking photos and blogging as we go!

Before we left Stuart, we had a great blue heron land on the piling in front of our boat and enjoy a fish for breakfast - it was quite a site to see!  

Down the hatch!  :-)

These photos are of Master Plan at the Atlantic Yacht Basin in Chesapeake, VA - very close to Norfolk and about 20 miles south of the actual Chesapeake Bay.  We had a slip in a shed for 5 weeks.

Master Plan in her slip in the shed.

View off the stern (at the shed slip) - very pretty . . .

Backing out of the slip yesterday morning . . .

"Feeding the bitch" before our departure . . . .

While we were fueling up, the crew at the boatyard carefully took this beautiful Duffy boat from being "on the hard" to the slings to move it into the water.  An amazing site to see - I could not resist capturing it on film.

The crew carefully place the slings around the hull ensuring everything is just right.

 

Carefully placing the slings to ensure no damage to the boat . . .

Time to take the stands away and put the boat's full weight on the slings.

Now remove the blocks . . .

Time to move her!

This is the gentleman in charge of the operation - he was amazing - very calm and under complete control!

And off it goes to the water . . .  As Paul says, it's much less nerve wracking when it's NOT your boat!

Leaving the marina - our immediate first step was going through the "Great Bridge" - we had to wait for the barge to come through first carrying huge pipes.

An Osprey hangs out at its nest on a Channel Marker.

Norfolk - this tug and barge were getting ready to depart.

Sunset at Deltaville last night - sigh - lovely . . .

Lean right please - I still haven't figured out how to straighten a vertical shot!  Paul at the bow right after we dropped our anchor.

Thanks, as always, for your fabulous support and love – enjoy the holiday weekend and don’t forget to honor our veterans for their service to our country!  Love, Jen & Paul

Today’s Quote:

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

~ Leo Buscaglia