OSC Joel Wifler

Underway again, on to the next destination. Getting underway on Sunday’s is always a blessing in disguise for those who need extra rest. But if you spend the third day of a port call resting after standing watch all night on the 2nd, the point is moot. So I’m a little bored.

Field day cleanups on Monday for a change…prepping for the next stop. We’re obviously close to somewhere as there are numerous oil platforms on the horizon. The burning plumes of fire from the natural gas emitting from the derricks look like street lamps in close proximity of each other. Like a small village at sea. It’s a first for me, as I’ve never seen a rig on the open water.

Arrived Malabo Equatorial Guinea, an island off of mainland Africa. I’m supposed to be attending an operations center for assessment, but the two members I’m to go with are unavailable to provide an updated departure time. Needless to say, this port call, like all the others before, has me on duty on day 2. This is getting old quick. Got off the ship on liberty and I think I would’ve enjoyed myself more if I would have stayed on board. Two hotels, three places to eat and a large residential area. That’s it, nothing else. For those on board able to take advantage of tomorrow’s soccer match, island tour or the Marathon Compound, consider yourselves extremely lucky as I’m not impressed with what was available to me today.

Not much to say after standing watch on the bridge this afternoon. I’m trying to keep it interesting, but where we are and where we’ve been thus far, it’s kind of getting redundant…in a good way. My duties, not withstanding, should be calm and quiet, as the “worst case scenario” is exactly what we’re trying to avoid and thus far succeeding. Perhaps something out of the ordinary will occur during my “all hours of the night” watch.

I thought that I’d be able to get about six hours of sleep this morning after my midnight to 0600 watch this morning. Unfortunately, once the quarterdeck watch changed at noon that was it for my nocturnal happiness. Pipe after pipe every five minutes for about a half hour, put an end to whatever dream I may have been entertained with. Such is life for a late night watchman.

I think some people need to be educated/reminded on “the six P’s” concept. Formation steaming today, steamed past three oil platforms with the EGN. Bob Marley has been rhyming his way in my head today, so I’ve been whistling various tunes here and there. Grilled to order steaks for the mess by John and Frank provided us a taste from home tonight at dinner. It was so good; I didn’t want to stop eating it. Mr. Marley and the Wailers even joined us in the background.

Turn to ships field day cleaning. Water tastes a little salty this morning, so I’m choking down small sips of coffee. Lots of folks are counting down their final days on board. It got annoying at twenty-six, imagine what twelve sounds like over and over and over. I’ve been fumbling with a dilemma the last few weeks; go to Las Vegas when planned or attend a retirement ceremony. I know that I’ll do the right thing, but it’s been fun joking about it with the retiree to be, especially when the L.V. skyline appears in a movie we’re watching.

PA1 Tasha Tully

Alright, I’ve already told you about the racks, this week is dedicated to the heads. For those of you who don’t know, a “head” is the nautical term for a bathroom. Each berthing area has a head, some are larger than others, but they all have the same sized toilets, sinks and showers. Some just have more of each or the main area is a little roomier.

The toilets are normal-sized and housed in a stall, just like most public restrooms, but the toilets are flushed with a vacuum pump, so it makes a loud sucking noise when you flush it. When you’re done doing your business you hit a button attached either to the bulkhead or the stall and it sucks the waste through to the vacuum collection tank and then into “Big Fun” (the sewage holding tank) and it eventually gets pumped overboard. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, but toilet paper can get flushed down the toilet because the system will get clogged. If, by some HUGE mistake, you flush something other than tp down the toilet, you may get a chance to find out why they call it “Big Fun.”

The sinks are stainless steel and rather small…an oval about the size of a dinner plate. There are both hot and cold faucets that are spring loaded so as to not waste water…which means that you can only rinse one hand at a time, awkward but you get used to it.

The Shower

The shower is a stainless steel box about a 2 1/2 ft square by about 7 ft. high with a curtain on one side to enter and exit. Everyone is required to take a sea shower not a “hotel” shower. A sea shower consists of 90 seconds of water. It doesn’t matter how you use it, but you only get 90 seconds. If you go over your allotted 90 seconds, an overwhelming sense of guilt grips you as no one can do laundry for a week.

Here is my preferred method of sea showering:

1. Turn on the water and take 20 seconds to wet down
2. Turn off water
3. Shampoo hair and wash face
4. Turn on water and take 30 seconds to rinse
5. Turn off water
6. Condition, shave, wash body
7. Turn on water and rinse for 40 seconds
8. Shower complete

Ladies, I haven’t told you about the joy of shaving your legs in the ship’s shower! Ah, you’ve been deprived of one of life’s most miserable experiences if you haven’t done it yet…if you have you know what I’m talking about. First of all, there is absolutely no room to maneuver in the shower, so, only by a bit of contortionism and strategic placement can one get ones leg in a position to shave it…and once your leg is in that position, it is very difficult to keep it there. Most of us ladies, sadly, shave as least often as possible.

I’m not going to get into the horrible circumstances of dropping something in the tiny shower stall, forgetting your towel or using any part of the head in high seas.

Well, I have to run, but I hope everyone back home is having a wonderful summer, complete with swimming pools, fried chicken and current news. We will all fare fine here...not only do we have relatively good air-conditioning, nearly dial-up internet and morale Saturdays, but we've also got a 40-odd inch flat-screen TV for about two dozen folks in the lounge, red "fruit drink" and reveille at 0630 everyday but Sunday.

Food Service Division USCGC Dallas (WHEC-716) July 2008 Europe/ Africa COCOM Deployment

Ira L. Weed Tamara Riley Josh McBride Robert Stous Brandon Pritchett Jessica Holland Jeffrey Mahar Dannette Jones Megan Sweeney Miles Kendziorski

FSCS FS1 FS1 FS2 FS2 FS2 FS2 FS2 FS3 FS3

Food Service Officer Messdeck MMA Senior FS Watch Captain Watch Captain Night baker / mid rats Cabin, wardroom and CPO cook Watch Captain Duty Cook Duty Cook

SN Jason Evans

The Deep Sink Blues The night is young But early tomorrow Inside the sink The dishes will wallow And I will dwell Amongst them there Aside from Spader Standing fair We wash and scrub As if no tomorrow Can grant us peace From this grim sorrow But that’s not here I still have the night To comfort the vision I now cease to fight Give me tequila! Song and dance! New worlds to travel Sudden romance Sweet following seas And breathing taking sights To inspire thee over   And over with might Moreover my patience Passion and zeal Thy heart's so strong Though sometimes frail During those days I wish to cease to travel On this blackened road of gravel Metaphorically speaking Todays actually bright Confused I am From the drink last night I shake my head To make it clear "you missed a spot, Yo look, right here" I grab the dish From spaders hand To whip it clean As best I can Continuing on A messcooks tradition Until its time Come to fruition

Photos

Capt. Robert Wagner gives a press brief in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, July 8.

BMC Kenneth Gouge, BM1 Terrell Horne, BM3 Daniel Surles and BM2 Ansel Jones look cool on the ship’s bridge.

ET2 Chad Hermann and IT2 Aaron Thresher take a break during special sea detail.

Ens. Kate Miller tries to dodge the camera on the ship’s bridge!

BOSN4 Jay Bealer (far left) instructs Dallas crewmembers how to “tip their hats” to say farewell to those on the pier after getting underway.

A reflection of Dallas’ bow on the Gulf of Guinea.

FS3 Megan Sweeney mans her billet during special sea detail.

DC2 Brett Malone and MK3 James Schmidt work on the pump in aft sewage.

CWO Ted Trost and SKC Carla Clark help exchange currency in Equatorial Guinea.

As the on-watch Force Protection Officer, GMC Bill Davis is armed and ready on the ship’s bridge.