Bored on Mid-Watch

Aboard the USS Towers in the Western Pacific 1984-1988

There were several things you could do to pass the time.

If you had the helm and the sea was calm you could literally 'rock the boat'.

If the sea was flat and calm, you could start a rudder swing 5 or 10-degrees to the left followed by 5 or 10-degrees to the right. Do that three to four times you get a 'flow' going.

To rock the boat, you simply have to (while spinning the wheel back to the opposite side) grab and stop the wheel at amidships. If you've done it right the water will slam into the rudders and force the ship to roll to one side - not a lot - but very much noticeable when there isn't a wave in sight!

We're Taking on Water and it's Nothing New

Aboard the USS Towers in the Pacific 1985

It's not what you think. But we did experience several serious weather events while transiting from point to point in the Western Pacific. Several times Towers expansion joint was stressed to the limit and cracks developed in the area around the joint.

On this one trip the cracks happened pretty early in the storm and as we tossed around slowly getting to where we were going the mess deck continually took on water.

With each roll to port or starboard, seawater would stream into the mess deck.

That meant as the ship rolled back and forth, the water would slosh back and forth on the mess deck as well.
The 'dance' we all got good at was while we ate - we would lift our feet to avoid the rush of water moving from one side to the other.

Then you had to time your departure from the mess deck so you wouldn't encounter the wave as it sloshed back.

Life lessons are wrapped into every destroyer sailor’s stories. Life parallels these shipboard experiences, and you don’t have to look hard to see them. 

Biggest lesson was there’s not much you can do about many challenges except accept them and find the funny. Life is too challenging aboard ship to let it get to you to deeply. 

After all it’s this kind of weather that made being on a destroyer a lot of fun. You could climb a ladder without much effort, sometimes with no effort - just time the pitch of the ship and step to the next level without ever touching a step.

I’d we see the challenge coming - and plan - we can make the most of it.  See? Lessons from a rocking and pitching ship at sea play straight into the real world of everyday life! 

With 30 foot seas - you get a 60 foot troth in the waves. A destroyer isn't very big so it's like living on (and in) a roller coaster. 

You learn more than you think.