I'm writing to you today from the bridge of my current ship, USNS John Lenthall (T-AO 189). I've been aboard for over a month now; I relieved my old friend Lewis M. as Lenthall's Operations Chief so he could fly home to take care of some paperwork, and when he returns I suppose I'll be moving along to yet another hull. This is the way of the Mariner, signing-on and paying-off of a ship, then reporting to another. Sometimes we stay with a particular tanker or dry-cargo ship for the minimum four-month passage, and sometimes we end up staying aboard for several years. Considering our nomadic lifestyle, it's no wonder we tend to travel light!
I've actually sailed in Lenthall before; back in 2013 I came aboard for a short hitch as an "augment" before a billet opened up aboard Big Horn. I like this ship; she has a good crew and a great Captain, and despite being one of the oldest hulls in the Fleet she is quite homey and comfortable. Maybe some day I'll find myself here in a more permanent arrangement, but for now I plan to enjoy the cruise!
For me, a large part of that enjoyment lies in my principal hobby aboard ship; photography. Life aboard, weather, wildlife and of course the many ships we encounter in the course of a voyage; there are plenty of subjects available to the maritime shutterbug. I rarely come up to the bridge or venture onto the deck without my camera; you never know when "a picture" will present itself!
With this post I'm beginning a new project as part of my "All @ Sea!" e-newsletter series; I plan to post a new photo each day during my current cruise to reflect some aspect of the experience of the Mariner for my Shipmates ashore. If you'd rather not receive these missives please let me know, but I hope you'll join me for this voyage. I think it'll be a chance for me to "stretch" as a photographer, and a lot of fun as well! So enjoy the daily image, and certainly feel free to write with comments and critique.
Tom Epps
Operations Chief
USNS John Lenthall
Today's Photo: The Greek frigate Spetsai loiters off the north coast of Crete on a calm morning.
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