Thursday, Oct 30 (at sea)

Slept late, too late, lunch. Tried to sit on deck, Way too cold. Picked up luggage tags, used ship internet to check flights. (Ship had an 'end of cruise special: 20 minutes, for $10, I think it was.) It took 38 minutes, their connection was so slow.

Got ready for dinner. Felt tired. Checked blood sugar: 70. OK, I get some juice first thing. Packed after dinner, making sure bags were under 50 pounds.

Shipped picked up it's pilot about 9:45 PM. I was surprised it was so early. If we are not scheduled to dock until 8:00 AM, I hope they took two pilots on board, or is the one guy going to work 11 hours straight through the night? Off in distance I could see 20 to 24 oil platforms, on the port side alone. I did not go to check the starboard side. About 15 minutes later we passed a buoy with a white strobe on it. I was also making regular sounds, like a ship's horn. Then we passed regular marker buoys, green flashing, off the port side. Ahead in the distance, a whole series of green and red marker buoys. How long will it take us to sail up river to the port? Ship has slowed, and is noticeably turning. Off in the distance now, so many lights, I can't, yet, tell if they are more oil platforms, or land. We've passed, been passed by, three other, smaller ships now. Of course, all of our port side, one a large pleasure boat (think multi-million, multi deck, with a working crew), the other two working type boats, maybe headed to oil platforms. They were not large enough to handle the open seas. All three were only about 100 to 150 feet off our side. As I was packing it was the sound of their motors that got my attention. 11:18 PM Passing an island with a small refinery or pumping station. Sprint phone service working.


Friday, Oct 31 we dock at New Orleans, and then home.