hello, there, you at sea!

new year’s log

“Tradition states that the first entry of the new year in the official log in CG and Navy must be in verse and rhyme.”

So, here’s to tradition…

Zero one January two thousand one two.
Eight glasses for the old year and eight for the new.

Clear, windless day; low tide at o8h14,
The river has that beautiful blue-brown, cold sheen.

Hair making good knots, rolled out of my berth,
Dismayed by the thickening of the girth

After bubbly and beer and something chateau,
Feeling like sierra hotel india tango

It’s already into the forenoon watch
When I go to the galley to assess the debauch

Staring at all of the bottles in front of me
Feeling a bit post-frontal lobotomy

Semper ready for the challenge!
It’s not too bad, rank it code orange.

Monitoring 13 while the kettle does boil…
So, where are my friends moving cargo, people and oil?

Clearing the nav station of sketches and cat,
I scan AIS to see where everyone’s at.

There’s xx at the anchorage and xx on the KV
And look at the ships coming in from sea!

Can’t wait to tell Tuggie who’s going by now!
Containerships, tankers, tugs and their scows,

Ferries and fishingboats and tour boats galore,
A honeyboat, and the boats of the Army Corps

Icebreakers and buoy tenders, and medium response
A sailboat, some kayaks, and hopefully, clearance.

A cruiseship.  No ro-ro’s. The dredgers are at bay.
Do harbor charlie and fireboat get overtime pay?

Are the survey boats working? are the line boats out?
They’re not on AIS so I can’t see their routes.

I could do this all day, but muster midmess
To wish all of you for 2012: the best!

Thank you, CaptJJ for telling me about this tradition!

And thank you Ed, whose ship’s log is featured here in the official CG blog, Compass,
Look here for  more new year’s logs of the CG ashore! Both afloat & ashore: fascinating reads.

what is your log entry for today?

¡wow! thank you, west38! it looks so beautifully zen! click on her lovely blog to see the art of needle and thread in perfection: that corner is art.