We are about 600nm away from Hawaii, everyone is looking forward to our arrival. This evening we have our BBQ, hopefully it goes well, and everyone has a fun experience.

Out on deck some of the deckies were learning how to use a block and tackle. This is used to move heavy/awkward loads in certain areas of the ship if there is no crane access. These cadets had to move a bucket of water across a 20-25ft span without spilling any water. Watching them think through how to set it up was unique since they all had different ideas.

Some of the engine cadets were seen in the emergency fire pump trunk, they were attempting to find a stuck valve that needed to get turned. To get down there they had to climb down about 5 decks. Tank entry precautions are being implemented.

After lunch the cadets learned how to fire off pyrotechnics, even though these are recently expired it makes for a valuable lesson when using them.  We fired off two types, hand flares and rocket assist parachute flares. Each have their own advantages and disadvantages Either way it was unique to see them in use. These were set off in open ocean, without any traffic in the area. A SECURITY announcement was made on VHF to disregard these emergency signals.

Some cadets were busy in the classroom learning how to plot courses on paper charts. The process for plotting takes a lot of time and good math skills. They were given two different areas in which they were supposed to plot a track from port out to sea. Each one of these places posed a challenge due to the differences in channel depth, currents, and possible hazards to navigation.

Last night’s BBQ went well, the cadets were happy to have a meal out on the fantail. There was music, fishing, and good company. Near the end of the BBQ one cadet caught a decent sized fish, watching it get brought in was amazing and the colors on the fish were very vibrant. Later in the evening there was karaoke on the helo deck, that was exciting to watch.

As the night drew down, we were met with a beautiful sunset that made the water light up. Once the sun went down the skies blackened, and we were surrounded by the dim twinkle of stars. Being out in the middle of the ocean without light pollution is amazing, you don’t really appreciate how many you’ve seen until you’re back on land.