My life at sea
 

Inspired by Charlatan's "world through my phone thread." Charlatan asked me last year to submit some photos from my ship. For those who don't know, I spend about 8-9 months per year living and working on the Great Lakes on bulk cargo ships. Some of these photos are from my camera, and some are from my phone, which explains their quality. I found it rather difficult to take pictures on board ship, partly because I find the subject matter so boring, I had to keep reminding myself that other people might find it interesting.

Leaving Cherry Street in Toronto after unloading salt. this is a good photo despite the quality because you can see the boom. I work on what is called a "self-unloading bulk carrier" which means that we don't require shore cranes to unload us. The cargo holds are have gates on the bottoms and a conveyor belt that runs the full length of the ship. the boom can swing either direction at right angles to the ship and can unload anywhere at up to 6000 tonnes per hour.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/eb69341a.jpg

this is a view of the cargo hold gates (and for scale, one of the deck crew is hosing the holds)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...060806_011.jpg

Here is the boom unloading salt in Picton, Ontario. this dock is scary because the mate (that's me, the officer in charge) can't see the top of the dock which is about 100 feet higher than the deck, and the boom is so close to the cliff that wildflowers growing on the side of the cliff are brushing the bottom of the boom. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, any damage to the boom, and I'm fired instantly!
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_0793.jpg

the forward draft marks. these show how deep the ship is when loaded
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...112306_002.jpg

the corridor outside my cabin
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...060606_003.jpg

my cabin, excuse the mess
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1898.jpg

officers get their own suites. the deck crew has to share bathrooms (and on some ships, cabins!)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1899.jpg

double bed (handy if your SO comes to visit) - did I mention that we ship out for 3-4 months at a time?
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1900.jpg

Chief cook bbq steak for saturday night
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...IMG_1917-1.jpg

the galley (that's the kitchen to you landlubbers)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1916.jpg

loading grain in Milwaukee
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...IMG_1876-1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...IMG_1877-1.jpg

everyday, I thanked God that I worked on a ship where they appreciate good coffee
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...IMG_1823-1.jpg

the Pilot station (where I spend most of my time in command of the ship)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1893.jpg

my ship in the Welland Canal
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1817.jpg

and alongside in Gary, Indiana (awaiting better weather to leave)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1821.jpg

everyone needs a mascot
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1885.jpg

when I'm not looking out the window, I'm watching the radar
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1890.jpg

exchanging pilots in Quebec
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1913.jpg

occasionally we pick up hitchhikers
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1790.jpg

yes, I do know what all this stuff does
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1895.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1894.jpg

and while I do work some pretty long hours, I do on occasion, get to see some beautiful sunrises
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...o/IMG_1784.jpg

Fascinating. That's a big pile of salt! Yours must really be a high-stress job. Puts me and my little office woes into perspective. Thanks for posting them.

oh, and is that Gromit I see peeking out from under your covers, hmmmm?

What, no Monkey Knife Fights?

Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:

No doubt! I guess it's one way to make the months go faster. ;)

Great pics. If I ever get near the bridge of one of those I'll be sure to call you up to find out what all the gadgets do...after I've pressed every single button in sight. :)

That was so cool!

What does VCTD stand for?

I still can't believe they let you drive that sucker... do you ever get the urge to do doughnuts or buzz the tower? Honestly, did you just about crap your knickers the first time they left you alone to pilot the ship?

great tour Lucy.........thanks for showin' us.

did you guys name the hawk?

MixedMedia: it's only stressful if I fuck up. If I do it right, its very boring. We like to say that the job is 95% boredom, 5% sheer terror.

Charlatan: VCTD stands for Victor Charlie Tango Delta. It's the ship's radio call sign. We usually only use it for speaking to the MCTC - Marine Communications Traffic Center. I actually do as little "driving" as possible. I leave the steering of the ship up to the wheelsman - it's his job to steer. My job is to command: to give helm orders to the wheelsman, to be in charge of (and responsible for) the work on deck, to be in command of (and responsible for the multi-million dollar ship, the 30 men and women living and working on board, and the million dollar cargo), to be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance for all radio/radar/navigation equipment on board, and to answer to the 1st mate and master for all of the above. The days of doing doughnuts is over, thanks to the ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display Information System) which records our vessel track (heading, speed) onto a hard drive. In case of an accident, the hard drive is the first thing the inspectors seize when they come onboard and it's admissible in court. I was kind of nervous on my first day on the bridge, but I usually only have to change my shorts when it gets stressful.

Fly: we didn't name the hawk. He kind of reminded me of Sam the Eagle from the Muppet Show, he was bedraggled (it was absolutely pissing rain that day), and very unhappy. Most ships pick up birds for a couple of days. We usually have a group of small songbirds hopping around on deck in the summer. Usually in the summer, a small hawk will be hanging out up in the superstructure, and sometimes you will see him streak down from the mast and there will be a puff of feathers.

Awesome thread. I live in Long Beach NY and we have huge ships like your's laid up just outside NY harbor all the time. I always wonder what life must be like for the people on board... now I know (kinda)

nice pictures, killer job man. thanks for sharing!

Awesome. Really enjoyed the pictures and story.

I now have a better understanding of what you do. Very impressive. Thanks for the peek into your world.

Sounds like you need to keep your boredom level as high as possible. Stay bored so you will stay safe. Awesome photos.

Where did Kaiser Soze hide the stash of money?

I always have coffee when I watch radar.

Very cool thread. Next time you're headed past Chicago, look downtown and I'll be the one waving.

Seriously, my old roommates and I used to take binoculars to the top of the roof to watch ships all the time. I'd be the envy of several guys I know if I ever got to go on board.

We go to Chicago all the time, not downtown of course, but to various docks in the Calumet River, I understand that it's scary as shit around there, but I'll trade you a tour of the ship for a tour of Chicago.

That's a deal. Just let me know what you want to see, and I'll do my best. If my buddy at the Field Museum is in the country, I'll see if he'll get us up to the "behind-the-scenes" area on the 3rd and 4th floors. It'll cost us a few beers, but that's where all the cool stuff like the (live) flesh-eating beetles and (dead) dodos are.

And I'm completely serious. And I'm equally sure that at least a couple other Chicago-based TFPers would be too. Just let me know when and what kind of stuff you want to see, and I'll get the ball rolling.

you got a deal, we'll try to set up something for next summer.

Great pics. I worked offshore on a OSV for a few years. Gulf of Mexico. I wish I'd had time to take some pictures of the sunsets, sunrises and bad weather days.

awwww, I want to see the flesh-eating beetles. damn.

Great pictures, and thank you for sharing your career with us. My father was a skipper (huge commercial crabbing vessel) and it's great to see things that he might have seen, though of course in a different context.

I have always been fascinated with jobs at sea... have fancied myself as a ship captain someday, if my other career plans don't pan out. :D In the blood, I suppose. Closest I got was being a crew coxswain for four years in college. :rolleyes: But we did get those beautiful sunrises on the water, between 5-7am all year... god, I loved those days.

Such wonderful pictures, Lucifer, and it's really great to get an inside look at what you do. I come from a family of seagoers on my father's side (my grandfather was a purser on a passenger steamer between the Netherlands and Indonesia until the airlines took over, my great-grandfather a sailor), and so have always been fascinated by ships and the sea. Things like this amaze me, and I really do love the behind-the-scenes feel.

So why did you chose this unusual career/lifestyle??? Seems really interesting to me because I've never really spoke to anybody who does this and never got a firsthand account.

Thanks for the pix of life on board a cargo ship. The sunrise picture was truly inspiring

Thanks-As an ex-R.N Commander,its always a great pleasure to see any mariner doing a good job,whether on the high sea or the inland ponds.Thank you for insights on everyday life aboard your vessel.

Freaking great thread. Thanks for posting those. It appears that a couple loads of salt from your boat might be almost enough to get me through a week or so. . .

...so whats the response like in turning that thing?? Just wondered, as I've seen them in the canals and there is so little of room on either side of those ships, to the canal sides...

thanks.. i'd love to get the chance to be on a ship like that. i got to be on an icelandic fishing trawler, declined going out to sea, should have taken them up on it but it was waking up really early...

That's great. Thanks.

pretty cool job, but i like to close to home.

Don't know how I hadn't seen this thread until now.... but, great pictures, Lucifer! It all looks fascinating. :)

Thanks to all who replied to this thread (I wish my other threads were as popular); I'm shipping out in about a month on this vessel:
http://www.greatlakesphotos.com/Phot...%206119-22.jpg
which is a traditional lake vessel with the bridge up forward (I can't wait, with the unloading rig back aft, it's going to be freaking SILENT), and I'm hoping for some more cool photos.

Wow! Looking forward to seeing more photos.

great pics!!! awesome to see all of this stuff, keep em coming.

That brought back memories of my Carrier days...would have loved to have a cabin rather than a rack/locker in a berthing full of 40+ guys.
I do regret not having pictures of the 'boring' ship life now (my biggest regret is not buying a cruise jacket when the chance was there)

very very cool stuff! how many people staff the boat?

about 28 give or take a few

Awesome shots.. I expect to see some more. I had an absolutely great time admiring those photos. :) Thanks so much!

edit: stupid double post.. my bad. :(

Awesome pics - we have tons of cargo ships in Charleston - nice to see them from a different perspective.