31 May, 2000

Lost and Found at Sea!

May 31, 2000

Wednesday

Finding your way around the Healy is a little like finding your way through a maze. Narrow halls called “passageways” run the length of the ship (420 feet - almost one and a half football fields long). When you're walking down one of these passageways, it's easy to get disoriented. Even a map can't help you if you don't know the direction you're heading. The best thing to do in that situation is to step outside for a minute. Turn towards the front ("bow") of the ship. The "stern" is the back end of the ship. The right side of the ship is called "starboard" and the left side is "port". Now you can use the map to find your way.

You'll also need to be able to find your way up and down on the Healy. Steep stairs called “ladders” take you from the very bottom of the ship all the way up to the bridge where the captain navigates. There are 10 floors, known as "levels" (above the main deck) and “decks” (below the main deck) on the Healy. The main deck is an important place because that’s where the galley (kitchen) and mess hall (dining room) are!

All of the levels and decks are numbered to help you find your way around. The main deck is the first deck. The floors above it are designated as 01, 02, 03, 04, and 05 levels. Below the main deck are the 2nd deck, 3rd deck, 4th deck, and tank tops.

Climbing up and down all those ladders sure keeps us in good shape! If I go from my stateroom (bedroom) on the 02 level to the laundromat on the 2nd deck, how many ladders do I have to go down to do my wash? See what I mean!

It's not just the ladders that give us a workout. To find out how Susan and I are building up our biceps, go to her page:

Susan’s Entry Today.

Another site you might want to look up is the official Healy website. There's even a map of the ship. The address is:

http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/healy.

Well, it's time for dinner. Meet you in the mess hall. Don't forget your map!

See how steep the ladders (stairs) are? You need to hold on with both hands!

This is the stern of the Healy. The A-frame is used to lower instruments off the ship and into the water.

The ladder to get on and off the ship is called the "brow."

The front of the ship is the bow, and the back of the ship is the stern.