Chasing Ghosts

It happened before I knew it .Five minutes in the chart room and out I see a flashing light right ahead at a distance of about half a mile.Pitch black night and a poorly radar reflective wooden hull had rendered the fishing boat invisible-until now.

It happened before I knew it...It felt like the fishing boat had materialized out of nowhere.And I began chasing ghosts.
Chasing ghosts is what we seafarers do best apart from not throwing up when the vessel is rolling and pitching violently.

Keep a proper lookout at all times , states Rule 5 of COLREGS , our Rules of the Road.

This I quote from memory
"Every vessel shall at all times keep a proper lookout by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the situation and of the risk of collision"

And so we are constantly on the lookout for things that are not there , because they just might be .

Keep a good lookout at sea ,my friend.Neptune's domain is moody .She hides ghosts where you least expect them.Keep looking- there might be unlit fishing boats , keep searching-phantom vessels might be adrift , keep looking ...unlit buoys are a hazard, keep looking , keep searching...there are ships with bored duty officers who want to play a dangerous game of 'chicken'...
Keep looking , keep searching , keep hunting , keep chasing -it is your duty to be alert , it is your duty to be vigilant , it is your duty to be paranoid.Keep hunting for ghosts my friend .They're not there-but they just might be.

While staring at the radar monitor sometimes one zones out.

What was that ?...

Is there something out there ?...

Fluorescent green echoes paint and glow on the screen only to fade away , dissolve into nothingness.Listen to the winds howl...there are no sirens serenading out at sea...they are wailing at their loneliness.Listen again...cup your ears, come closer...the VHF radio crackles and hisses periodically , speaking in an unintelligible tongue.On some dark stormy nights , the hisses and crackles of static begin to make sense...a message from the great beyond...Be afraid ...the ghosts have you.Beware .Do not trust the machines either.There are ghosts in the machine just as there are ghosts just beyond the horizon.Waiting...

Temp:
Dry :+10 deg c
Wet:+5 deg c.
Dew Point :-3 deg c.
Location :
Lat :31 deg 36 min North
Long:127 deg 13 min East.

It's cold and miserably windy.Quite a contrast to the sunny Australia we just departed from.

Rough seas , large waves with foamy white crests and swells over three metres...northwesterly winds that send shivers down your spine...this sun casting a pale shadow on the thick grey oppressive clouds...furious waves crashing into the hull and erupting as a spray of fine salty mist ...these should paint a good enough picture to you about my present condition.
A pair of seagulls glide over the choppy seas in tandem , often soaring high and then crashing into the deep blue sea.They emerge out -chasing flying fish - only to fail repeatedly. And then Repeat...Rinse and Repeat , as desired...rinse and repeat , their cycle of life continues.

Fishing boats pass so close that one can smell the days catch from the bridge.

Of course I'm exaggerating .

They pass so close that one can actually make out the features of the fishermen all huddled up , waiting patiently for time to dissolve.

I'm totally wrong.

A week ago , a month ago , a year ago if you'd have asked me , I'd say I'd be scared shitless at the sight of so many fishing boats .

I'm not .

I surprisingly remain calm and confident.

Chasing ghosts has made me stronger.Chasing ghosts makes you lose fear to certain extent.
Alone on the bridge for hours together , staring at the endless sea in her various moods , chasing ghosts , hunting them makes one stronger.


And then it happend.

It felt like the fishing boat had materialized out of nowhere.A Ghost.

My mind screamed for immediate action and my body followed.I altered hard to starboard, ran back to the chart room to check for sufficient sea room and proximity of navigational hazards , and ran back out to monitor ghostly fishing boat.I was still searching for an echo to be painted on the radar screen but it never did.
As the expression goes ,I was now forced to steer by the seat of my pants, ...Anxious...it was a matter of saving lives. Including my own.

The fully laden ship groaned and lumbered sluggishly to the starboard.I watched in relief as the fishing boat passed safe and unharmed but uncomfortably close.

I was thankful.Chasing ghosts just saved two lives, including my own.



Chasing ghosts-hunting them , is a necessary obsession.One wrong move and the ghost will claim you and haunt you forever.

So take my advice .While chasing ghosts, be relentless- though you will face your demons on your way, they are nothing more than distractions.

Be strong, be brave - these demons can be defeated...for you have the power .
Remember ....but do not forget the ghosts.
You may think I'm paranoid- but you'll thank me later when you've found them where you've least expected them.


For all of you who I missed to wish,
A Merry X-mas and a Happy New Year
Vikas
Bontang , Indonesia