The Matthew Perry

So much has happened since the last update (which seems like ages ago), I'm not sure where to start. so I'll just dive right in, forgive me for any randomness that might appear. I just had some cookies and feeling the sugar rush. ;)

Well, the plans to go to the Frank Cable in Guam fell through, and I was reassigned to join up with the USNS Mathew Perry, AKE-9. The Perry is one of 15 or so ammunition ships that MSC runs. We also carry fuel and oil onboard for transfer as well. But primarily, we carry stuff that goes boom. The Perry right now is operating as a floating warehouse, moving from place to place transporting missles and explosives from point to point. We aren't doing any underway replenshiment of Navy ships anytime soon in the forseeable future.

So I flew to Japan from Honolulu on a pretty average flight. Though everywhere I went (even at the Honolulu terminal) I could find nobody that could speak English, so I was kinda like, hope this is my flight and hopped on board. At Honolulu there was one sign with about 12 flight numbers for 3 different planes, all boarding at once. I wasn't quite sure which one to go to, so I just kinda followed a crowd which looked like they were going to Tokyo (no, I'm not sure how you can look like you are going to Tokyo, but these people did). When I go on board, I found my seat, it was empty so I thought I was off to a good start.

Then we started taxiing away to take off and they were like 'Welcome to Japan air flight yadda yadda yadda'...they listed off 4 different flight numbers for this one flight....none of which were mine. since  After a slight 'oh shit' moment I figured I was at least on a plane to Japan and would figure it out when I got there. To make this long story short, I was on the right flight.. I knew for sure when I found my baggage at the baggage claim. That flight was 12 hours, then I caught a 2 hour flight to Fukuoku, Japan..then a 2 hour bus ride to Sasebo. Then after catching a liberty boat to the ship at anchor I was finally on board at about 3 in the morning.

We were at anchor in Sasebo for the next 3 days I think. I'm not 100% sure, I don't really keep track of the days and weeks. I'm pretty much only good for the current time and what I'll be doing over the next 24 hours or so. Anything before or after that window of time...I'm useless. I got familiar with the ship, met the crew (99 total on board), and got adjusted and moved in.

My room is pretty good sized. I have a queen sized bed, desk and chair, lounging chair, wardrobe, drawers, and still plenty of floor space to have an impromptu dance party when the moment strikes. I also get my own bathroom and shower. Oh, and a stwerards deptartment that cleans and makes my bed. I feel like royalty on this boat.

I mostly socialize with the officers on board. Not so much that I try to avoid the unlicensed the guys, its just how it winds up being. The officers and unliscened guys live on diefferent decks (floors), eat in seperate messes, and have seperate lounges. The only time I see unliscned guys is when I'm on watch or ashore (which hasn't happened much yet).

The officers are amazing...probably one of the best crews in the fleet. Pretty young, everyone is under the age of 40, inluding the Capt. So we all have that 'newer' method of thinking and are a little more laid back and relaxed than some of the old salts who hate electronic navigation doohickies and are all about the old fashioned. Everyone gets along great, and things run like a well oiled machine. I do a lot of work with the 2nd mate (navigator) putting routes on charts and in the electronic instruments, doing chart corrections, etc. He's a pretty comical guy, one of those types who doesn't try to be funny just is. And he can be a bit of a grump, but like mad scientist grump, not I'm an asshole grump.

We left Sasebo just over 2 days go to head for Yokosuka, Japan. We just pulled in a few hours ago in fact. Here we are unloading a whole bunch of explosives (I can't say any particulars to the public). We had them all sitting out on the flight deck for offloading when we pulled in today. Seeing 200 million buckaroos of explosive ordanince out on deck drives home what we are doing on here. Its the real deal now, this isn't the Junior League Amateur Hour. 

At sea I stand the 8-12, 2000-0000 watch. I was expecting to be monitored and have the Capt have one of the other mates stand watch on the bridge with me the first few times since this is my first ship and all. I've heard of that being done with friends that have had their first hitches. But he asked me if I knew what I was doing and I said yea...he said call me if things get outta hand and left. Then it was just me...with 100 people on board trusting me to not run into anything and keep the ship safe. Yet another Oh Shit moment occured. Of course, I knew the Capt wasn't just dissapearing. He has repeaters of the RADAR, ECDIS (electronic chart and plotter), engine controls, etc down in his office and stateroom...so I knew he was probabbly down there watching me closely. But knowing that he trusted me enough to be alone on the bridge meant something to me...so that was pretty cool.

On the way we ran pretty close to the coast, staying about 80 mile or so off. The area is pretty high volume traffic, so during all the watches I spent most of it dodging and getting out of the guys that had right of way...and making sure the guys that I had right of way over knew it and acted accordingly. Its almost like solving a big puzzle as you go...and as long as you know what you're doing, its a blast. It really makes me love this job.

So no we are in Yokosuka offloading. We are here for 2 days,then taking off to Chinhae, Korea. There we will offload some stuff and then load some other stuff. But the main thing we will be doing there is repairing one of the engines. Something got loose a while back and tore apart 2 pistons, so those are being replaced. Its expected to take about 4 weeks or so. I'll probably go ashore tomorrow morning and go for a run and check things out. I have the 1600-0000 (midnight) watch so prob wont do anything too crazy. I hear where we are in Korea there are some cool temples nearby to check out so that should be fun. As long as its not Busan again...I could do without that. After Korea we head back down to Sasebo for a bit and then head to Guam for something, though I'm not sure what.

So I think thats about all I got for in the way of an update. I'll probably be underway to Korea for New Years, no big deal, just another day of work...and overtime!! I'm loving the overtime here, it's treating me rather well.

Thats all I got! Take care-