Today the cadets were busy throughout the vessel. The majority have gotten their sea legs and are starting to get into the routine of cruise. For them this is an experience that they will carry with them for a long time.

Out on the fantail some of the cadets were busy chipping away at the paint. This is a time-consuming process that will take hours to complete. They chip away at the old paint to expose the metal underneath, tomorrow they will go over the newly exposed areas with a red primer, it will dry overnight and will be ready to have a new coat of paint. It is important to paint the ship to protect against rust, bare metal can rust overnight and compromise the safety of the vessel. This is a never-ending process.

Some of the engineers were in and around the aft crane doing some repairs. These repairs will take a few days to complete but it will allow the crane to be used if necessary.

Today we had our first fire and emergency drill while underway. These drills are important so everyone knows where to go and what to do in the event of an emergency at sea. This drill we had a simulated fire in the 02 Forward House. While on cruise there will be situations that are thrown at the cadets to make it as real as possible. Once the fire and emergency drill was complete, we then transition to Abandon Ship Drill. In total it takes about 45 minutes to complete both drills. Once complete everyone goes back to their daily tasks.

With smooth seas we make our slow steam towards Hawaii. Everyone is looking forward to catching some sun and a nice tropical breeze. Being out in the middle of the Pacific with an unobstructed view for miles is something that still amazes me.