Day 1
Off on our first hutch. a job they say will take 5 days once we arrive. The site is about 90 miles out so there is no chance of TV, radio, or cell phone service. we had XM radio but nobody wanted to listen to the news on it. I have a feeling that this is going to be a really long job. Every piece of equipment on the back deck is new, good you say? bad. new survey equipment rarely comes together perfectly on the first try. you have to kind of work out all the kinks trial and error style. I'll call this "breaking" in the equipment. It usually takes up a couple of days every time you have all new gear.
Day 6
Things aren't getting better, we have returned to port after completing only 10% of the job because the hydraulic pump that powers the winch that brings the sonar up and down started leaking fluid really bad, after docking for a day and making repairs, we set off again for the survey area.
I've taken up video games and movies to pass the time when I'm not working. I also purchased some books to read, one is an analisys of Dan Brown's Davinci Code, the other is one of Dan Browns first published novels called "Digital Fortress" we will see how good it is. I was sitting in the Galley one day looking at some Bach Inventions for my senior project and one of the deck hands walked by and asked "what's that?" I replied " Bach Inventions"....... He gave me a puzzled look. Then he said "It looks like music to me." And I said, "yea, it's Bach" no response. " you know, Johann Sebastian Bach" He said, "No I don't know them, are they a band?" I'm sure I looked really frusterated and I tried not to sound belittling as I said, "It's really old music with no words." And I turned back to what I was doing.
AHHHHHHHH GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!
Day 14
The first job is of two has been completed, It feels good to be halfway done. Everyone was in pretty good spirits as we ran back to the dock for a quick restore on supplies and fuel and then head back out again for two weeks. When I say quick I mean like...5 hours after we hit the dock, we're headed back out again, no time to drink and party and find hookers (if that's your thing). I was awaken at 4am with a "get your ass out of bed" as a summon to help with the loading of groceries and other supplies so that we could exit the dock as quickly. Suddenly, all the good mood that was acquired from finishing the job vanished as we hauled groceries and equipment from the dock to the boat. We were in Port Fourchon (pronounced Foo-Shon), a place that I have been before and never want to return to. But because of my line of work I know that it is only a matter of time before I will be back here again. I may have said this in one of my earlier travel logs about Fourchon but let me say it again to be sure.
Every drop of water that falls between the Rocky Mountain range and the Appalachian Mountain range, eventually runs down into the Mississippi River, and flows right out Louisiana into the Gulf. So think of Louisiana and the Ass of America. Now, if Louisiana is the ass of America, Port Fourchon is the sphincter, the little pink puckery part that catches all the cling-ons and dingleberrys. I'm serious, This place is as shitty as it gets. (If anyone want's to come to Port Fourchon's rescue and say it's a good place, please post a repy on my wall and defend yourself because I am laying into this place.)
Just North of Port Fourchon is Leevile, the place that the boat pulled out of when I arrived, That town has, a hotel, and a bar, and some trailers that are replacing the homes that were destroyed by Katrina. That's it, and I am not joking. Just north of THAT, is Golden Medow, And there is maybe something in Golden Meadow, but I will never know because I never have and never want to stop there. Golden Meadow received national news acclaim because of their famous speed trap. If you go one mile an hour over the speed limit, you WILL receive a ticket in Golden Meadow, LA. It's a sure thing like death and taxes. Almost all of the guys on the boat have been pulled over and been given tickets in Golden Meadow,
Breath slowly Kevin, your halfway done. Soon you'll be out of here and you won't have to come back for at least a year or so.
There I'm finished venting.
I got word that my next job may be in Alaska, I think that's awesome.
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