The Harbor Whore and Clock Watching

 8 days to go. 

     Now that we have an assigned HQ (which I'm thinking about calling the Handyman Special), it falls on us to get into a proper crew rotation. This has resulted in my partner B working 8 weeks straight, and with me staying on rotation but working elsewhere for my first 2 weeks at work. 

       Sadly, I was given a babysitting gig about a week ago- that is, I would be boatkeeper/watchman on a laid-up barge that is awaiting the end of Covid to go back in service- a dream job, in other words... except that I would also be used to fill in where people are missing or short on crew. 

 So far it's been... unpleasant. I don't like change anyhow, and I don't like filling in in general. Without a baseline level of familiarity with a vessel, the odds of an incident increase, out of ignorance. Still, it's my job to be there and to be able and ready to do my job, so I go, elevated risk and all. 

 Right off the bat, before I even stepped foot on the layup barge, I get assigned for 48 hours to a hardworking, large unit to cover a guy who will be in 'on Friday morning, early.'  I buy groceries and soda to last me 48 hours.... and then spend 5 days there, waiting for the guy to show up. 

   I'm a caffeine fanatic. Now, I can't drink coffee as it will make me crap myself or at the least will give me debilitating intestinal cramps. I drink energy drinks and diet soda. Too much of both, if we're being honest, but even so, I have never gone on full caffeine withdrawal before.... and the next three days were busy, and not much sleep to be had. 

     Hey, so you know I learned that despite physical exhaustion from sleeping 90 mins to 2 hours twice a day, it is very difficult to sleep with a screaming headache that no medication will touch for severity... luckily I worked with a very quiet, nice guy, who like me wasn't a conversationalist at work, so we talked for a few minutes at watch change and not at all after. So that helped. It got bad enough that I drank coffee, and while I did not in fact poop my pants (VICTORY!), I was severely cramped and it was a near-run thing a few times... and the headache stayed albeit at a lesser level. 

 So, anyhow, the guy comes back to work at 3am, 3 1/2 days late, but off I go and 90 minutes later I'm on the layup barge, having sucked down a couple of diet pepsis from the tug (and Ohmergerd, thank you to those guys), and in bed. I get up at 9am, walk the half mile out to the gate from the dock, and stock up on sodas at the grocery store. I return, hump back all the soda from the gate (no cars allowed), and head back out to buy actual food, and bring that back too. 

 By then it's 4pm, and I shower, do laundry, and cook. 

 The phone rings. 

 Tomorrow they need me to go to Port Elizabeth to another barge for 'a few hours.' 

 Tomorrow arrives, and I am on a tugboat headed for Port Elizabeth.  The few hours change to '24 hours' on the hour steam there. Had I believed the text message I got, I would have been in trouble. Luckily, I packed a seabag for '24 hours' with a change of clothes, extra socks and drawers, a couple of meals, and 3 days worth of soda and energy drinks. 

 If they're gonna use me like a bitch, I'll bitch a bit about it, but it's work. Today looks like it won't be a hard day.