(The next to) last watch

We're on anchor watches here at Hawsepiper's floating HQ-in-Exile. Tonight is my last night aboard as visiting (un)dignitary. This afternoon was a relatively serene one, spent transiting Hell Gate and anchoring off of Throg's Neck in NY. Along the way we passes scenic Riker's island prison, home of the rapists, thieves and former investment bankers of New York. The truly lucky of our freedom-impaired brethren can enjoy the scenic vistas of roomie-rape and gang violence from the comfort of the world's largest houseboat... a lovely monolithic prison barge.

   At any rate, I'm doing laundry and packing my seabag, because tomorrow night I'll head south to Philadelphia, there to muscle through ANOTHER 4 weeks back at HQ before I can go home. In the meanwhile, tomorrow we have to feed a dinosaur of a ship, the T.S. EMPIRE STATE, the training ship of the New York Maritime Academy- SUNY Maritime. We're anchored about a half-mile from her as I type, awaiting sunup.

 Anyhow, being a 50-year old relic, this ought to be interesting.