Just a picture I took of a yacht when I was attending S.T.C.W. classes in Ft. Lauderdale last month.

So it's another day on the Charles D. I found out today that we get our deckhand back, so I'll be up in the wheelhouse with the captain. I did a job with him today, it was an assist out of a dock in Newark. He let me do the job - put a line up on the barge, answer the commands coming from the other boat, "ahead easy", "back slow", "back half", "all stop", "take in your line".

I was doing fine, but at one point, he took it from me - I guess because I wasn't doing it exactly the way he'd have me do it. Exactly 10 degrees rudder instead of 12, or 800 r.p.m. instead of 830. I don't know, maybe I'm the same way when I'm breaking someone in, but I'd like to think not. Here's a guy who needs to be better than everyone else, never mind that it takes a little time to get the feel of a boat. You know the type, doesn't get that the other guy is just as effective, even though he does things a little different.

So I get through the job, get released, then when I'm backing away, he takes it again, says we're getting too close to the edge of the channel. Whatever, I'll give him that one, but why not just say " don't come back too much, there's not a lot of water there". Anyways, another few days and we'll get through this, be on the other side. Bottom line is: I know how to do this, and I'm pretty good at it too. I've been signed of by a few guys already, and there are a couple of dozen docking pilots between Boston and Philly who are more than happy to have me on the job. If he wants to be anal about it, than I'll just move on, that's all. One thing I don't want to do though, I don't want to get into a personality contest with the guy, he's the Master - it's his boat. I'll grant him his command presence. It's not for me to tell him how to do his job, even though I might disagree.