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How I spent my summer vacation

Memories of Chuck Blake

In Holly Loch, we had a last minute lecture in dry dock safety. Safety!? We'd just spend a light overhaul in floating dry-dock in rotten New London. Next question...why aren't the O-div'ers here? When we got topside we discovered that the O-div'ers had taken all the ships foul weather gear and left us in wet bluejackets. (Guess you had to watch everybody!)

This is how I spend my summer vacation, circa 1977.

Blue nose in diesel

This is me just after my bluenose initiation. It really doesn't show but one half of my beard and the other half of my mustache have been shaved off. And I have full razor-width whitewalls. Not visible is the Prussian blue and the Crisco. Hazing was still much in fashion. This picture was taken in 667's diesel generator room where I'd hidden. It was all for laughs but still just a bit too much fun. I was ready to be out of earshot of the laughter and wanting my turn in the shower. They'd pulled the fuses from the water heater so the showers were cold. But you know what? I've got that Arctic Circle / Bluenose poster framed and on the wall right behind this computer, so I must not have been too traumatized. On the caption I'd written that we were under 14 feet of ice when this was taken.

And then there was Joe Miracle
This is he. And a really good cook he was. This is on the bow in Lisbon Portugal. He'd just come up to cool off from the galley. Joe really went out of his was to add a little spice or a special touch to liven the grub up. He was really a chef. I wonder where he got off to...?

We tied up in Lisbon and I had the duty. The tide was more than we expected. The lines got real taught and then some gober had put a bight on line four so that the ship was holding the standing end down. MM2 Richardson and an unidentified O-div'er pondered the dilema while the tide continued to rise. (Another exciting time to enjoy!)

A sail to respect
Wands pood -- mm2 Charlie Wands keeps Bergall safe by standing roof watch in Lisbon. Doesn't the duty just suck when you been cooped up in a can for months and there's a whole world out there to see?

A friend in front of Mount Vesuvius
Naples Italy! I cheated the fates. I saw Naples and here I am to tell about it. I think we even had a few drinks.

Chuck Blake