OSC Joel Wifler

Started season three of “The Office” this afternoon, I’d forgotten how humorous this show was. Fish call was piped and within ten minutes, three lines were reeling in blue fin tuna. I heard that wasn’t all that was caught today, but the tuna was all I was able to sample off the Barbie. Ice Cream is now craved by just about everyone in the mess these days as it’s the only dessert commodity that we left Charleston without. Ordinarily, I’d be okay with this, but rumor has it that there’s six to eight pints of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia on board (my favorite flavor) I hate hearing about this.

Greetings from Sekondi, Ghana. Our pilot arrived in full dress whites with knee high glossed black boots and his sword. I’m not sure why he thought a sword was necessary, but I imagine each navy has their own traditions. I’ll be attending an official reception on board this evening, for which I’m looking forward to. In preparation for guests arriving, a “vanity” curtain has been placed on the fantail, that partially covers our trash bins. Interesting idea there.

Took advantage of some extra Z’s this morning prior to standing one of the “hottest” afternoon watches this trip. I’ve the mid-watch again, and I think I’m finally getting used to it. I imagine that I’ll be dragging a little bit tomorrow during my trip to the Kakum Rain Forest for my canopy tour, but from what I heard from today’s group, it’s well worth the trip.

Kakum forest was great. The canopy walk was about 40-50meters in the air and spanned about a quarter to half a mile long. A nature walk through the forest afterwards was informative into Ghanaian history. Our guide, Clement, greeted us at every stop with a cheerful “hello” and always asked if “are you okay with me” and “are there any questions” to “may we continue”. The second half of the trip was to Cape Coast Castle, where apparently slave trade took place back in the 1700’s. I didn’t go inside, I was to hungry from trampling through the forest. I decided to eat and waited almost ninety minutes for chicken and chips. Got back on to the van, but not prior to being accosted by numerous beggars. The trip back to the ship was relatively uneventful.

Underway again, on towards our next destination. It’s good to get back to sea, less funds are spent by all. Photo swapping has become the latest past time as everyone is trying to compile the perfect spread.

Overheard an odd exchange on the fantail this morning that went something like this;

“Do you have a copy of the Health and Wellness manual”?

“I think so, would you like it now”?

“Not right now, go ahead and finish your cigarette first”.

I thought it was worth scribing, however I’ll with hold listing names to protect the innocent.

For our entertainment this evening, “Rock Band” was performed on the flight deck tonight. We’ve done this before, “Bagtastic” suggested this event and it was a huge success. This was the first time we had it under a full moon and that added to the ambiance of an outdoor concert. The “Spoonshank” group took top honors amongst the five groups that competed against each other on this PS2 game blown up on the big screen suspended from the hanger door. Afterwards, it was time to put a smack down on the spades table. Big and Lil Skillet cracked egg after egg after egg against our opponents, three games to none. Sizzling on cast iron…so to speak.

SN Jason Evans

Sea Struck The darkness harks unto the day I never know during which to play I sing and dance every now and then But usually stop around the evening of ten I'll go to my room where others lay And wonder why it is I play Clutching my chin my eyes look high Pouting my lips as if to cry I try to analyze it as alien clay Or the light on the sea From the moon in a ray Watching her sing and dance on the fly The sun, the moon the sea doesn't lie A boat she rocks quite far and fair While others wonder seeing her their And I on her Wondering why It is on the boat that others cry Even myself I mean who could see? The evil manifested inside of thee Towards others Not love Instead of which Should beat in our hearts   As would a switch Though what's real is sad For love is rare On the road of hurt Was it left their Now the boat Is just a temple To conjure stress as if were simple Shrouded by darkness How thy dwells with the night But during it won't thou burn so bright? Keep the hurt Only makes thee strong The wisest paths thy walk alone And always should You help your mate Even if they manifest you hate See through the darkness From inside the light Whom we all together Must journey and fight My wanderings complete I now lay to rest For with each coming day Lie's a new cunning test

BM2 Ansel Jones

Well, here we are, encountering some logistical hurdles and narrowing down a port in which to fix them. What does that mean for me? Time to prep some charts for entering port. The fun part - which port? Well it could be several different ones. So myself and another navigation Boatswain’s Mate (BM) grab a stack of charts and head to the mess deck where we can have a little room to work without too much interruption. Other than the occasional shipmate wondering where we’re headed. Will we get liberty? Are we gonna anchor? Which duty section is up? This is a perfect opportunity for starting a scuttlebutt about a five-day surprise port call. I try to refrain without much luck.

So we lay some track lines, mark some shoal water, and work through lunch. Now we just wait to find out which lucky chart will get the call. In the meantime, I look forward to a night of cards and a holiday routine of fishing all day. Stand a watch, eat some wings, check my knots and sharpen some hooks. Gotta good feeling about hooking something decent. That feeling proved good when I heard my reel make that sweet sound of something on the other end of my line. So I get my hook set and hang on. And it’s a good thing because whatever it is, it’s big, and it’s swimming furiously away from me. The action immediately draws a crowd of onlookers. Everybody wondering what it is, everybody throwing their bit of advice. They all want to see a catch and I don’t wanna let ‘em down. We wait and wait. This fish isn’t surfacing any time soon so I try to be patient and wear him out a bit.

After about an hour of tugging and reeling we get some color. Someone yells out, it’s a tuna! A yellowfin! Well, needless to say, all I can think about now is fresh grilled Ahi steaks, or delicious sashimi, anything other than baked chicken. I walk him around while several others try to rig something to get him onboard. Our gaff wasn’t going to hold this one. Everyone scurries to rig some line to pull him up by the tail (The ingenuity of a determined Coastie is a thing of wonder, by the way). Just as the rig is getting ready, we run out of time. After being on the surface for a few minutes, he fought a bit and snapped my line above the leader and we watched our dinner swim away, with my $20 lure in his mouth no less! Oh well, damn! Great fish though, and a good fight. I guess we’ll just keep trying. What’s that chief? Finish those charts!? Roger that. Til next time……..

FS2 Robert Stous

The former Coast Guard Cutter Sweetbriar, now homeported in Sekondi, Ghana.

For me this actually is a trip of a life time. When we pulled into Sekondi, Ghana, July 14 there were two old Coast Guard 180-foot buoy tenders moored to the pier. Almost seven years ago in October 2001, I was part of the decommissioning crew of the USCGC Sweetbrier when it was sold to Ghana. Before leaving for this trip I knew that we were going to Ghana but I thought that the chances of me seeing the “Old Sweet Pig”, as we affectionately called her, would be slim. But there she was and we were mooring up right behind her. I have always referred to that ship as “the best time I have had in the Coast Guard.” I don’t know that if it was my naiveté, or that it was my first unit or the camaraderie and the morale of the crew. It may have been the fact that Cordova Alaska is land-locked and the crew really had to stick together because we were, in all actuality, stuck together.

Captain Wagner, Dallas’ Commanding Officer, arranged a tour of the Sweetbrier the following day for me. Thank you, Captain!

CGC Sweetbrier

The last time I walked off that brow, in 2001, I knew it would be for the last time and I was content by that fact, here I was walking up it again seven years later. The Ghanaian liaison officer led Capt. Wagner and I down through the dog house on the fantail. That is actually the first time I ever used it because it was reserved for officers to transit during quarters.

Below decks I quickly realized that the all Ghanaian Navy had done was paint the exterior gray, change the name, and hang a commissioning plaque…the ship was figuratively frozen in time. The ship was exactly the way we left it in Baltimore harbor.

We first went to aft steering, and the desk off to the side was still there. It was the same desk that I and countless other of my shipmates sat and studied to get DCPQS qualified. Aft steering also doubled as the ship’s library, an office and a good place to hide during the work day.

After that we went forward, passing the chart of Alaska’s Prince William Sound still framed and hanging on the bulkhead, past the EO’s stateroom, past the ship’s office, past the Chief’s mess to the mess deck, all exactly the same as when we left it.

Old Lockers

The galley was a little rough for wear, but all of the equipment and utensils were there. I went below to forward berthing to check out my old rack and was surprised have no trouble remembering how to find it. I took a picture, and as I was leaving a Ghanaian sailor pointed to a locker. I told him that I couldn’t remember if that was my old one and he said “no, is that your name?” It wasn’t my name, but it was the name of a shipmate that I use to sail with. All of the racks and lockers still had the nametapes of everyone that decommissioned the ship! I had taken mine off to wrap around the handle of my sea bag when I left.

It was pretty surreal seeing everything the way it was. To this day you can look down at the buoy deck and, with the right set of eyes, still see the deck force working away scraping barnacles with Prince William Sound in the background. That’s what I did; and just for a moment I was able to become that green-horn cook again aboard the USCGC Sweetbrier.

Photos

Local fishing vessels beached on the shores of Ghana.

SN Kati Doucette, Third-Class Cadet John Jaskot and First-Class Joshua Smolowitz keep a sharp look out for small boats as Dallas approaches Sekondi, Ghana.

MK3 Kristen Esters and HS3 Caroline Gehring smile for the camera.

Dallas moored in Sekondi, Ghana, July 14.

Dallas crewmembers pose with their new friends at the Sekondi School for the Deaf after completing a community relations project there.

YN3 Reanna Wack and SN Jeremy Korenoski transfer stores from the messdeck to dry stores and the reefer.

Dallas’ soccer team makes a post-game presentation to their Ghanaian Navy hosts. Dallas lost the spirited match 6-4.

SN Anthony D’Onofrio strikes evening colors.

SN Jason Evans and SN Devin Gwinn show us some masks they purchased in Ghana.

YN2 Robert Jones fast asleep on a couch in the lounge.