Although I had already been at sea for three weeks, this week, I still managed to find myself in spaces on the ship that I had not yet been to. For one, I finally found myself in the engine room working on a project with the electrician to disassemble and replace the ball bearings in a hydraulic pressure pump motor running to the propellers. While down there, I got to learn from the engineers and oilers about the fascinating machinery that keeps this baby running and the many ways in which each of them interacts with and maintains it.
I also had the chance this week to practice stick welding with one of the oilers again. This time using 60 rod and stainless steel rod, both of which are somewhat different from the 70 rod I learned with last week and slightly more challenging to weld with. Still, each is useful for different fabrication applications, and fun to work with in its own way.r
Later on in the week, while going over the basics of marine fire emergency operations with the Captain, I once again found myself being exposed to spaces and equipment on the ship that I had not previously seen or noticed. It is incredible how differently each member of our team looks at any given ship space through the lens of their responsibilities and specialties. Each of us operates within such a niche role, and although we often interact with one another, it can be easy to start looking at the ship and its operations from a narrow perspective. However, it’s always good to be reminded how much there is to be learned from the other people you share this floating home with. If there is one thing this experience has exposed me to, it is the seemingly endless pieces of equipment, feats of engineering, and unique skillsets that make the work we do possible…and how much there will always be to learn about it all!
