Took me 30 years to see the first one then I saw three within a couple of
weeks. I did learn a trick for seeing them more often and for sure with
more clarity. Use the binoculars. Still need the same clear horizon but
you see the green line forming along the top edge and then all of a sudden
it sort of withdraws upon itself to the top dead center of the sun's disc
and then sort of disappears. Lasts a splitsecond but you can see it better
that way. I didn't count the times with the bino's or the 20X Big Eyes
though.

As for Hazelwood he was asleep in his cabin at the time whichis wear most
Master's would be. The watches are run by the mates: Chief, 2nd and 3rd or
sometimes 2nd and two 3rd Mates. What he had to drink the night before was
irrelevent. What was relevent was the experience of the mate on watch, the
times that mate had transited the same area, standing operational
procedures, orders in the 'night book' and the experience level of the
helmsman. Even though it ended up with the mate being clearly at fault and
the helmsman trying to turn the rudder 'thinking' he was in hand steering
but actually was in autopilot. .. the Master is at all times responsible for
everything that happens on his/her vessel. That's the pitfall of getting a
license. Doesn't matter if you have a two ton sailboat tied up to a dock.
The senior license holder is always responsible.

Funny thing was up until then Exxon had the best record of any company
shipping tankers. They hired all the honor graduates from the academies and
then made them work deckplate before they could be ship's officers. Bad as
it was the whole episode was only what 40th plus in terms of barrels of oil
spilled. Well the new rules are emplace and we get to follow them . .. .
..shame it doesn't hold true for most foreign flag ships. Kinda like
Charley Tuna in American Samoa. The US canning plants buy from all
comers.....including the foreign vessels that net, and process and take
home, the dolphins etc.

OK time to bag it for the night. . . long day tomorrow.

MST