Departure

The Ship departed from Fort Schuyler in the Bronx at exactly 10:00am on Monday May 18. The departure was spectacular with throngs of loved ones lining the sea wall near the Maritime dock to wish all their sailors Bon Voyage. My daughter Lisa and her boyfriend showed up to see me off but, because of security concerns, I couldn't get off to see them and they couldn't get on to see me. Thank God for cell phones and binoculars.

I had spent the night before on the ship to insure that I would be there. The cabin that I'm sharing for part of the cruise with an agent of NOAA was meat locker COLD.

The tugs that would pull us out under the Throgs Neck Bridge arrived about 9:30 as did a NY Fire Dept. rescue boat with an honorary spraying salute to our departure. By about 10:30, we were underway sailing east through the Long Island Sound. We had to anchor off Montauk Point to dispatch some inspectors and College personnel not doing the cruise. But, we discovered, we would be there a while awaiting a part for the Ship's email system that had to be flown up from Miami to the College, configured at Maritime, driven out to Montauk and delivered to us by launch! Luckily the Captain found a sheltered spot to anchor making for a pleasant night's sleep (in a refrigerator).

First blog@sea! (Kinda)

Hey y'all, this is Scott - Rich's son and guest blogger extraordinaire - reporting in with a quick update! Got a call from the man himself a few minutes ago: The ship launched at 10 this morning, and is currently anchored of the coast of Montauk. Dad's cell phone signal was kinda non-existent at the point I talked to him at, but we still managed to connect the call, so Western civ isn't entirely behind him yet. Soon enough, though, he'll be on his way with this crazy 80 day race around the world or whatever. But seriously folks, wish the man luck. It's not every day you get to take a trip to the furthest corners of the Earth and get paid for it, and I'm sure he has enough books and cigars to keep him entertained for the long oceanic stretches between destinations.

So, Adieu Rich Delbango, we'll see you in two months! Keep your wits about it in the choppy, pirate-heavy waters. And if the swine flu gets us all before you make it to the mainland, at least you'll have been insulated from it!

Bureaucracy

After battling morning traffic to the Bronx, I reported to Fort Schuyler for my first day on the job. When I got there I found out that my government issued TWIC card that I need to be allowed on the docks (and the ship), was sitting in someone's office in the Battery in Manhattan 15 LONG miles away. So, instead of working on preparing the library all day, I had to drive into lower Manhattan, on a rainy workday, to claim my card. GRRRRRRR! Consequently, I now have to squeeze 2 days of prep into a single day. Nobody said this trip was going to be easy, but it will be fun.

Track my voyage

There's a great new web tool that tracks every registered ship on the high seas. It is called Sailwx.info. Click here to track the daily progress of the Empire State VI.

Packing

What do you pack for 7 weeks at sea? I'll be thousands of miles from the nearest Wal*Mart for long stretches of time so I have to bring almost everything with me. Some things are easy to plan on like enough clothes for all types of weather and laundry supplies to clean them. Food is taken care of, but a few snacks are always good to have. And I can't forget a 2 month's supply of cigars.

There are some things you never dream of until the ship is underway. Things like duct tape to keep loose items from banging around as the ship rocks and rolls, and it does plenty of that. Velcro to secure small items. A bed rail to keep from falling out of bed. A comforter and extra pillow to supplement the institutional ones provided. I also have my electronic gadgets like my own GPS to chart the voyage, a short wave radio to hear the news of the world, a digital camera so I can post pics. my MP3 player, my laptop. Plenty of batteries and chargers for all are a necessity.

The ship has a ship's store that sells some small items, but it is better to be prepared. I have to carry a knife and flashlight with me at all times. What other librarian job requires one to carry a knife at work? Maybe one in a bad neighborhood, but I'm sure even there it is frowned upon.

Damn the pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates that is.

The major topic of conversation in my life since I announced my cruise is "aren't you scared of pirates?". I have to educate the listener that the current incidents of piracy are occurring off Somalia, some 10, 000 miles from where I will be sailing. Of course even the Staten Island Ferry is susceptible to piracy, but the chances are mighty slim in the waters that I will be sailing. Unless the current economic crisis drives the Scandinavians back to their viking roots, I think that I will be safe. I am sure though that anti-piracy training will be a new addition to this year's cruise along with the other mandatory safety training exercises.

By the way, the pirate in the pic isn't me as many have commented on. It is Patchy the Pirate, SpongeBob's #1 fan!

Getting ready

5 1/2 weeks to go. Got the itinerary, but it is confidential for security reasons until we arrive at each port. I can say we are going to an island in the Atlantic, an island in the Mediterranian, and 2 northern European countries. We're also going to cross the Arctic circle which will be the 2nd time for me. When you cross the Arctic for the 1st time, you become a member of the Order of the Blue Nose. We should be in the Arctic and Nortern Europe near the summer solstice. It is very disconcerting to have almost 24 hours of daylight. Better than the winter of perpetual darkness.

I'm still waiting for my dock security papers from Homeland Security. This is a new wrinkle this year. The world has changed considerably since 9/11. I'm gathering my supplies and uniforms. Khaki is the color when I'm on duty.