"Michael" wrote in message ...
Ole Thom IS KingNeptune in my book. Thanks Donal . . .always good to return
home. This must be what ten years of this or so . . . . and several name
changes but just plain Michael will do from now on.

Good news today! We thought the budget was going to be a bit sparse for a
while but the 12-16 hour days are going to continue. If this keeps going a
bit longer I'll be back on the water three four months ahead of schedule . .
. .times awasting!

Make Hay while the sun shines.

Get your unlimited any oceans asap. My Uncle ran a supertanker and
brought home around 300K a year and only worked 6 mo a year running
between longbeach and valdez. He went unlimited in WWII.


Nice thing about that and the retirement
fund is you can draw it out after you stop working and in whatever amount
you want. Makes a nice nest egg and keeps the taxes down.



Now I can deduct for almost everything. Either from this job, as a small
boat skipper, or as a published writer. That Canals On Wheels article for
example will make the cost of trucking the boat a complete writeoff. I
think that trip is going to be more than one article. Much more.

What do they pay you an article, Ive had a few published in Sail
magazine and they only paid 350 dollars.



Back to the professional maritime world. A young guy, or even one retiring
from something else could do a lot worse with license or on the deck. Also
. .every one else was bitching about no jobs?????? I was getting 30 to 50
hours OT per week. We were short handed in the industry most of the time.
Getting better but back in the early nineties, the first gulf war, an
ordinary seaman could pull down six figures gross on the ammo ships.
Captains were hitting the federal pay limit ceiling.


Yeah..... But your going were someone elses tell you to go. It's OK
but it nicer to find a way to make the same dough and not have to
follow someone elses orders.




So what else. BIOT runs a major sizefishing control operation in the
Chagos. It's a huge natural preserve. I think the staff is up to 30-40 or
a bit more now including the Royal Marines. Been all around the island by
bicycle but didn't camp out.

How long did that take 6 hours? IIRC the isle is only 3 miles long
and 1 mile wide at it widest point. Is the plantation still standing?
Did you see any coconut crabs? They were endangered in the 80's....
tasty to!


Bug season. If it ever opened up for cruising
and club med's etc. I'd try for the Sunsail or Moorings franchise! But you
can still go to the rest of the archipelago did you know that? About 30
good islands with multiple anchorages available. Just don't go to Diego G.

Is deigo offlimits to non military? And the diving thing, They would
not let anyone dive when we were there, I do not think it had anything
to do with not having a decompression chamber. Id tell you what is
does have to do with but its most likely still a secret.


Say Joe! Let me know if you want a burgee or DGYC club hat. I bought out
the store this last time.

Sure let me know how much it cost and I stick a check in the mail
THANKS! I still have my crackerjacks and my Westpack silk jacket
complete with hand sewn dragons I had made in Hong Kong. Will have to
decide what to sew it to. Had a pair of custom shark skin crackerjacks
but they fell apart.

Enough for now we are down river in the morning. . .. 4-8 watch and I'm
steering first. Where's my French Roast???

French Roast..........Oh the shame of it. Please switch to American
Roast, and BTW only order freedom fries to go with your burgers.

You still on the Shasta? Isnt that the sister to the Bellatrix? One
fast ship from what Ive heard.

Joe


Michael