Hubby and Wifey's Blog

FHM called me lonely sailor when they publish my letter in there 50th issue. They call me lonely sailor because I'm so very lonely in my letter. I'm like a man alone in the island, a needle in the middle of the grass, A lost man in the jungle. I accept that I'm lonely sailor and that is right for me. I am a sailor who travels across the sea. A sailor encounters heavy and bad weather land life and sea life. I always encounter tragic pain life. Maybe this is the life of a lonely sailor to be demolished, to be taken over granted. I don't know what to do. i must be strong. I must face all the large waves that will destroy my dreams. Is there any solution to my life? If there is solution how come I'm still the lonely sailor?
In all that I encounter a problems and heavy weathers. I think this is the most disaster and painful of all. A disaster of my heart, my soul, my everything. I can't control my ship to sail in safe shore. The large waves pull me to the depth of there angry, dangerous circle. I don't have time to explain. They urgently want me to suffer there consequences as the lonely sailor. Born to be hurt, born to be like this, to be lonely forever. Every single minutes and hours they pound, beaten and slice my heart out. It's just like the song "SINAKTAN MO ANG PUSO KO" by Michael V. That's what happening to my heart now.
I may not survive this tragedy but I'm happy. I'm happy that I've love for the last time in my life. Thank you very much; you gave me a little time and experience to love. A love of a life time that will never be love to me. I'm full... full of emptiness, bitterness and loneliness. I must accept that this is the life of a Lonely Sailor.

Polaris (α UMi / α Ursae Minoris / Alpha Ursae Minoris), more commonly known as the North(ern) Star or the Pole Star, and sometimes known as the Lodestar, is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole (42′ away as of 2006), making it the current northern pole star.

Polaris is 431 light-years (132 pc) from Earth, according to astrometric measurements of the Hipparcos satellite. Concerning the detailed physics, α UMi A is an F7 bright giant (II) or supergiant (Ib). The two smaller companions are: α UMi B, an F3V main sequence star orbiting at a distance of 2400 AU, and α UMi Ab, a very close dwarf with an 18.5 AU radius orbit. Recent observations show that Polaris may be part of a loose open cluster of type A and F stars.

Polaris B can be seen with even a modest telescope and was first noticed by William Herschel in 1780. In 1929, it was discovered by examining the spectrum of Polaris A that it had another very close dwarf companion (variously α UMi P, α UMi a or α UMi Ab), which had been theorized in earlier observations (Moore, J.H and Kholodovsky, E. A.). In January 2006, NASA released images from the Hubble telescope, directly showing all three members of the Polaris trinary system. The nearer dwarf star is in an orbit of only 18.5 AU (2.8 billion km;^[2] about the distance from our Sun to Uranus) from Polaris A, explaining why its light is swamped by its close and much brighter companion.^[3]

Polaris is a classic Population I Cepheid variable (although it was once thought to be Population II due to its high galactic latitude). Since Cepheids are an important standard candle for determining distance, Polaris (as the closest such star) is heavily studied. Around 1900, the star luminosity varied ±8% from its average (0.15 magnitudes in total) with a 3.97 day period; however, the amplitude of its variation has been quickly declining since the middle of the 20th century. The variation reached a minimum of 1% in the mid 1990s and has remained at a low level. Over the same period, the star has brightened by 15% (on average), and the period has lengthened by about 8 seconds each year.

Recent research reported in Science suggests that Polaris is 2.5 times brighter today than when Ptolemy observed it (now 2mag, antiquity 3mag). Astronomer Edward Guinan considers this to be a remarkable rate of change and is on record as saying that "If they are real, these changes are 100 times larger than [those] predicted by current theories of stellar evolution."

Because α UMi lies nearly in a direct line with the axis of the Earth's rotation "above" the North Pole — the north celestial pole — Polaris stands almost motionless on the sky, and all the stars of the Northern sky appear to rotate around it. Therefore, it makes an excellent fixed point from which to draw measurements for celestial navigation and for astrometry. The antiquity of its use is attested by the fact that it is found represented on the earliest known Assyrian tablets. At present, Polaris is 0.7° away from the pole of rotation (1.4 times the Moon disc) and hence revolves around the pole in a small circle 1½° in diameter. Only twice during every sidereal day does Polaris accurately define the true north azimuth; the rest of the time it is only an approximation and must be corrected using tables or a rough rule of thumb.

Due to the precession of the equinoxes, Polaris will not always be the pole star. Over tens of thousands of years, perturbations to the Earth's axis of rotation will cause it to point to other regions of the sky, tracing out a circle. Other stars along this circle were the pole star in the past and will be again in the future, including Thuban and Vega. Polaris has been close to the actual position of the north pole for over 1000 years and during the course of the 21st century it will continue to approach the exact theoretical position, reaching its closest approach on 24 March 2100 (almost 0.45° away). Subsequently it will begin to pull away.^[4]

In the Northern Hemisphere, it's easy to find Polaris by following the line traced from Merak to Dubhe (β and α Ursae Majoris, also known as the Pointers), the two stars at the end of the bowl of the Big Dipper (or Plough). One can also follow the central point of the "W" shape of Cassiopeia. Polaris is not visible from the Southern Hemisphere except from an elevated position near the equator.

Polaris's fame as the North Star has given rise to a persistent misconception that it is the brightest star in the sky. Although Polaris is a relatively bright star and is conspicuous since no other stars of similar brightness are close to it, it is nowhere near the brightest; it is actually the 48th brightest star in the night sky. The brightest star in the night sky is Sirius (see List of brightest stars).

There is no real southern pole star. The only star visible to the naked eye that is close to the south celestial pole is the dim Sigma Octantis, sometimes called Polaris Australis. However, the bright Southern Cross (Crux) points fairly accurately towards the south celestial pole.

To the Bedouin people of the Negev and Sinai, Polaris is known as الجديّ al-jadiyy, "the billy goat". It and Suhail (= Canopus, α Car) are the two principal stars used for nomadic wandering at night. Due to the fact that it was circumpolar and hence always visible, it became associated with a steadfast nature, as opposed to Suhail, which disappears below the horizon and hence 'flees'.^[5]

A monkey's head is the emblem of the Mayan god of the pole star.^[6]

There are different kinds of fire aboard the vessel and here in land. Every fire have there own weakness or extinguisher. Fire is a useful in our lives. How we can cook food if there is no fire? How we can mold ceramic's and metal without the help of fire? Sometimes fire is our enemy, fire can kill people, and destroy life.
There are 4 classes of fire namely Class A, B, C, and D fires. Class A fires are composed of combustible materials. A combustible material leaves ashes when it burns. Examples of this are paper, wood etc. They leave ashes when they burn am I right? By the way Fire has 3 sides. Every side is composing of an element. Namely Oxygen, Heat, and Fuel. Fire needs this three side of a fire triangle to produce a chemical reaction that starts fire. Oxygen the air we breathe, In the atmosphere there are 21% of oxygen. Like us fire need 21% oxygen to create a chemical reaction. If the percent of oxygen will be 10.8 to 11% below there will no combustion exist to the fire, because fire cannot breathe because of lack of oxygen to his surroundings?

Fuel in short Pangatong. In every fire there is pangatong na tinatawag. Thats the use of fuel in Fire triangle. Wood, papers, gasoline that is the pangatong or fuel in fire triangle. I know that the wood and paper are belong in the Class A fire (combustible materials) But in the Fire triangle paper, wood etc (leaves ashes are belong the Fuel side of the fire triangle).
Heat is the one who give ignition to the fire triangle of the fire. With proper Fuel, Oxygen and a spark fire will be created at once. If you remove one of the side of the fire triangle fire will not be started or there will be no fire at all. Example for this is a room, the room is on fire, inside the room there is composition of fire triangle. 21% oxygen, fuel, and heat. If you reduce the percent of oxygen by closing all boundaries of the room. Oxygen will below to 11%. The fire cannot breath and the fire will be stop at no time. If you cool down the fire by means of water the temperature of the room will be decrease and the result the fire will be stop again.

Class B fire include all liquids that emits vapors. In this drawing the k is included to the class b fire. I know that is not a flammable liquid but it is a liquid and while burning it’s include to the class b fires. I know you will ask again the wood, paper etc is fuel. Yes I know there are fuels in the fire triangle but in classes of fire they will be in class a fire because they are not liquid and do not emit flammable vapors. The vapors of a flammable liquid that is the one burned by fire not the liquid. In cooking oils because of very hot temperature it emits hot vapor but not flammable vapor that attracts the fire to react it and create a chemical reaction. The fire extinguishing for class B fire will be the foam. Foam is a chemical bubbles that mix in the water. The bubbles stop the joining of the oxygen and the heat, fuel and it is called smothering. Foam is applied by bouncing to the side (banda in tagalog). It cannot be applied in direct because fuel will be disturbed and it will create a massive spread of fire.

Class C fire is composed of electrical fire. Short circuit is the best example of this class fire. The extinguishing agent for this fire must be a non conducting extinguisher. The best agent will be Dry powder extinguisher. Its particles are non conducting to electricity. Its stop the oxygen mixing in the electrical fire. If you use water and foam for this type of fire you will be getting electrical shock because the two extinguishing agent is conductor to the electricity. Another type of extinguishing agent that can use in the electrical fire is the Carbon dioxide. It can use also to Class A and Class B fire. It minimizes the oxygen on the fire and its cooling agent too. The disadvantage of Carbon Dioxide to the Class B fire is allow the re flash of the fire. Carbon Dioxide is use in ship in case of fire. It is use in the engine room space. Other type of agent that can put down the electrical fire is the Halon but the IMO (International Maritime Organization) restrict the use of the Halon because it destroys the Ozone layer.

Class D fires, the best example for this class is the Magnesium, Titanium, Lithium. The fire extinguishing agent for this kind of fire will be the Dry chemical. It’s same as dry powder but when you use dry powder to the burning metal it will have a violent reaction the metals. Like the water and the foam, they will be a violent reaction to the burning metal when you apply this kind of agent.
So... now we know what the classes of fire are and how they will extinguish properly.

Do you already hear this song? It's a love song of a broken hearted. It explain how pain and how cruel love is. It's just like loosing a very special friend. They don't know what to say than Goodbye word to each other. This song is my companion 6 years ago. Until know this song is already my friend, It's already stamped to my mind, my heart and soul. It is very difficult to have this experience, the experience of falling down to the bottomless pit. I suffer a lot of pain, deep down to my mind and heart this pain exist. I don't know what to do in times like this. I don't have any friends and a companion. I just listen to this song and somehow it relieves my pain. It's very hard to recover when you already fix your dream, then suddenly your dreams will just fade away because of arguments, misunderstanding and you’re not meant to each other.
Loneliness, emptiness and bitterness that are what I feel right now. It's just like I've been smashed by an anchor. A 2565 kilos anchor drop into my heart. I can't carry it, I can't remove it. I want to recover but I'm afraid to do it. It's all in the mind, that’s what they say.. How come? How come you can remove it in you minds if it’s already fix and stamped. Months, years, centuries maybe this emptiness will be removed. They say time will come and come what may. I wish there is a type of mind that can be formatted like a computer. If that will happen, there will be no sad people who are listening to this music, no tears will be falling. There will be no emptiness, bitterness, loneliness and heartache. Charge to experience, that’s what they say when we encounter this unforgettable problems. But it always happens so all must be charge to experience... Just to learn? Every single day in your life, we always have a problem like this. It's not charge to experience anymore but you must rest your heart to the pain it suffers. Days, months, years, centuries maybe that is the right time to rest your heart. I need to be alone in a lonely space room while drinking my beer, Staring at the empty broken window, my tears slowly falling and dramatically. While listening into music titled...... I can't find the words to say goodbye.

Seaman.. What is seaman for us? Others said that seaman is seaman loloko and seamaniiwan. Sounds funny but that’s what they call us. Why? Because when we arrived at the port there are plenty girls’ waiting for us but that was before. They wait for our money to spend to them. Of course we spend it like a million dollar man not knowing we already spend too much for a night. Kayo nga ang makulong sa barko ng 2 weeks to 1 month na di nakakakita ng tao. Kayo kayo lang for sure gimik ang habol ninyo sa port which seamen do. Now all of the night life of a seamen are already over. There is ISPS code; it’s a security in port that applies all over the word. So the one million dollar man is over because there's no more life night for us, no more girls. We can enjoy and spend our time going to the mall. That’s the only left for our privileged specially tanker boys. I belong to a tanker ship; I already have a 26 months experience (2 contracts). Yup we all know that the salary of a seaman is over the edge. Much higher on the workers here in Philippines. We can buy a car in one contract (10 months) but it depends on the rank of a seaman. Other knows that all seamen have the same work on board but the truth is every seaman has different work on board. There are Deck department who navigate the ship. Preparing papers and maintenance of the ship. There are Engine department who is in charge on maintenance machinery on board the vessel. We do have a rank on board so we can distinguish if we are ratings and officers. Ratings and officers have very different life. If we apply to the military the enlisted personnel are the ratings and the officer is the officer on board. Officer have a higher salary than the rating, on privilege, work and responsibility.
Before i belong to the deck rating department. Our job is to maintain the ship in seaworthy. We chip rust, wash the deck, paint the ship and any other maintenance needed in the ship. As you can see in the picture we are called the marines. Paints, oils, and cargoes are in our cover all. This is my life before as Ordinary seaman on board the ship. Yes we know that seaman have a sosyal type when we are in land. We have the latest technology, new jeans, T shirt and any thing that is expensive. In short may pagkaarte kami. We do that kasi mahirap ang life sa barko. We deserve to feel and do the rich men do. But in the real side look at the picture above. See how dirty we are, were just like a marines. Sabi nga ng iba eh sosyal na construction worker kasi we earn US dollars and eat delicious food on board. From Hot and cold weather we just work. We just think all of our love ones just to finish our contract and have a better life in the Philippines. Paki intindi nalang kung masyadong depress and homesick ang relatives nyo on board. Just understand there situation. Far far away from love ones that’s the work of the seaman. Sometimes we are lack of sleep because of operation on board. When we are arriving on port morning or evening, hot and cold weather, holy week or Christmas there are no exemption because the important is the work and to deliver the cargo on time.
This is how we are paid; they pay for our happiness, our time, and our love ones. We take this contract to feed our love one and to have a better life in the Philippines. This is our profession, this is how we live for, to be a seaman but others see us that we are unfaithful and not to be trusted. Every people have different personality. Like a seaman we have different personality, Kung seaman na ba eh di na matino ang pagiisip? manloloko na ba? Seaman has fastest life span on earth. Why? We stayed on ship a year. We only stayed 1 to 2 months on our loves ones. We already take 1 year in our life while aboard the ship. So mabilis talaga ang buhay ng seaman dahil nagtatagal kami sa trabahong barko. We need to be respected too. We are human beings have heart and soul. Now seaman na ang niloloko kami na rin ang naiiwan. I know sasabihin nyo wow pagtangol ba ang seaman. If you will encounter or talk to some seaman, you will be shocked because of there tragedy stories on there wives. Sometimes I ask myself nakakatakot mainlove coz marami sa kabaro kong seaman which an pA officers iniiwan ng asawa. Pati ang ipon ubos walang natira. Di ko naman nilalahat but syempre nakakatakot din sa side naming mga seaman.

I remember when I board my vessel assignment when I was a cadet. That was November 2003. My Captain was a Croatian and he wants to buy something outside the port. Where are in New jersey that then. He asks me if I'd like to come with him to go ashore. I told to my captain that I have my duty sir. He asks to me what time is your duty. I told to my captain that 0400 hrs. To 0800 hrs. And 1600 hrs. to 2000 hrs. So my captain told me we will go ashore after my duty in the morning. We will leave the vessel at 0900 hrs so you can prepare your self. I agreed to my captain that I will come and join him to go ashore in New Jersey. I told to my self wow New Jersey cool! I can go shopping there and see how beautiful this place. Because of the 9/11 in New York, all of the ports on that area agreed to the US coast guard that all ship personnel are not allowed to go ashore because of some security matter. But in our position the port in New Jersey allowed us to go ashore. With the supervision of the US coast guard.
I finish already my duty and i quickly prepared my self because I and my captain will go ashore. Then my captain called me because we will now go ashore. My captain planned to go to mall which we can go shopping. We have an agreement that we will be at the meeting point after 3 hours to shopping and go where ever we want. I always go to gadget's stuff coz I'd like to buy laptop in the states. Laptops in the states are very cheap and affordable. I'd go to ipod shop and look what’s new in ipod after that I just walk around the mall and have fun.
3 hours had passed I've already proceed to the meeting point. My captain told me that we must eat first before we go back to the ship. Then my captain told me how about we go to star bucks. I told to my self huh star bucks??? amm that’s very expensive coffee and I'm not a sosyalero type guy to have a coffee there. Any way i just agreed to my captain that i want to have a coffee libre kasi eh hehehe. Then he ordered a coffee a pure one for him and i have a coffee with milk. I sip the coffee and wow its taste great and its very cheap price too. When i have a time on port I always buy a coffee on star bucks. Here in the Philippines I'm not a star bucks coffee person. 3 in 1 are enough for me but if I'm in the states totally a star bucks person ako. Because it’s so affordable not like here in the Philippines sobrang mahal. In Los Angeles if you want a star bucks coffee naka vent machine lang sa port office. So you can have a star buck’s coffee any time.

Vow..... Every human being does this so called vow. Why people do this vow? Maybe they want to prove themselves from someone they love. They will be faithful and do there best at all means. They will prove that they have a word of honor. Some use this vow, for an example for word of honor. Other uses this vow just to flirt, just to fool around, other making this just for fun. When you passed the board exam you use the vow to oath, you will vow to the best of your ability that you are responsible to your new position. Others use it as they promote to there position, promoted to the next rank.
Vow... easy to say but hard to do. There are "some" people do it. Others can be so truthful to there vow and they didn't notice that the one whom they vowing is the problem. How can we use this vow on the right place, the right time and the right people? Some people who are vowing use a thing like "Dog tag". Dog tag in the academy means, it's a claiming tag of your love one. Example before you enter the battle field, you must wear your dog tag. In case that you die in the battle field your dog tag will be the key for claiming your body. One piece of your dog tag will be remaining in your corps then the other piece of the dog tag will be given to your love one for claiming your dead body.
I admit that I vowed before, I vow to my best of my ability, belief, honesty, and courage. I want to vow to let the person believe that I'm true, believe that i have a word of honor. I can't imagine using a vow just to be like this, suffering from pain. On all what we are doing even to the extent of our lives, Vow will be useless. Useless on some, the reason to the one who vow and the one who has vowed. Is there any person on this earth can still be trusted to be vowed? I think there’s no more left here on earth can be trusted in being vowed. Is there anyone believe on vow and accept it like a treasure on there on? No one can tell who will be the one, who will be accepted and will agree to the INFINITE VOW.

Half Crazy... Why do I say that I'm half crazy? It's because I suffered a lot of pain right now. I don't really know why it's happening to me. I give all, I love all, all of my all I already given to it. It's so hard to think why and how could I change myself. Yes I know I'm happy right now but there's something missing on it. I don't know how or when I will be recovered my self. Sometimes I told myself I'm ok now but deep inside I'm not. I know that I'm the only one who will help myself. I know the cure but I don't want to take it. I want to be like this but till when?
I wish this to end but I think it will not. I already have my phobia. Sometimes I fall but after a day my feeling will be gone because of phobia. I'm just a fragile glass on the table. Just one mistake and I'll be shatter into pieces. I know not all are alike but what if i try again but in the long run it will be the same hurt once again, same as what happening to me, I will hurt my heart again. I want to love but love doesn’t want me. I exert effort to have my love of a life time but in all of my hard work and patience it will be love.................loveless.
I want to get out of this; I want to be happy as other people who live in this heavenly called earth. How, what, when, and why. That's what I think of, when I woke up in the morning till I go to my bed. I just make my self busy everyday. I know that this is a lesson for me, first and last lesson in my life. I don't want to be like this but I want to be like this. I don't know how or what to decide. My heart is purely beaten and killed. I'm just a half crazy man on this earth believing that i will be cured or healed someday. This is my half crazy life...

FHM Philippines, One of the leading Men's Magazine here in the Philippines. There are many things and lesson in this mag. It's not just an ordinary paper that has sexy ladies on it. They tell some hint's to win girls hearts on this mag.
Any way my class mates in high school introduce me this mag. I just look at the cover of the mag and the cover girl before was Aubrey miles. I have no idea what’s inside of the mag. All I know is just a sexy pic's on a hot chick inside of this mag. I board my vessel assignment that was Nov 2003. I bought a copy of this mag onboard the ship. Time pass inside the ship and I browse the mag and I find out that it’s not just a sexy mag but it's also a book of knowledge. I read the letters of the fans and it's very interesting to read it.
it became part of there lives, good and bad times. When I go ashore in Boston Ma, I'd called to the Philippine and asked my relatives to send a copy of this mag every month. Then my wish was granted, every month i have my own copy on board the ship. I can finish reading the mag from 8am till 10pm nonstop. I gain knowledge what’s happening in the Philippines. I'm updated on what’s new and what’s hot on the gadgets and on the fashion. I decided to send mail on FHM and I'd just tell then what life on board and how FHM help me to overcome my homesick while on board the ship.

I'd never dream and think that my letter will be publishing in this mag. It was Aug 2004 the cover girl is Aubrey Miles FHM gold 50th issue. I tell to my crew mate that my letter was publish on the mag and they told me how come that you send mail? I told them that everything is impossible if you want to happen.
On my 2nd vessel assignment that was July 2006. Same procedure on board the ship I have a copy of the mag every month. I've read the letter column and I notice that there’s some seaman who are sending letters and they include there pictures. They prove that FMH helps them on board the vessel to overcome homesick. So I decided again to write in FHM and i include my picture. We are going to Boston Ma and from US Virgin Island to Boston it will take us 4 days navigation. Then on our 2nd day in the middle of Atlantic Ocean we encounter a hurricane. The hurricane was very strong; He emits show and large swell. Working outside for deck maintenance was canceled due to hurricane. Then I think of a cool stunt for my picture. I'd get my copy of FHM in my cabin and I go in the Lifeboat deck. The lifeboat deck was cover with snow and I ask my crew mate if he can take a picture on me together with my FHM. He takes my picture on my cool stunt and I send it to FHM. After a month I see again my letter with picture in the FHM. That was May 2007 issue.

0600 hrs. Feb 18, 2008 I'm in the bus and I'm on my way to my class in UN when i see on the television bus that the US government will contribute to the Philippines a weather system upgrade worth 15 million US dollars (this source came from television news). We are for that there are some countries that contributing there technology to us. Almost all of our resources, technology, gadget's, etc came from the contributions of the other country. We need it badly that upgrade because we can't afford to buy our own or make of such equipment's. We only buy equipment that will earn profist like upgrading the LRT trains, fly over’s with toll gate fines. This equipment earns a profit to our country but in case of public use and information we only depend to the contributions of the other countries. Here's some example, like in the Military equipment they have there equipments since world war 2. Some of our military equipments have already been refurnished to the extent that the fixer cannot already fix it any more. Like for example our jet fighters and helicopters in our armed forces. Our greatest officer pilot from the military are resigning to there position and find them self working on an international airlines. Our military pilots have great piloting technique because they can land the air craft that the passenger didn't notice that they are already been landed. What is the greatest reason to our pilots in the military shift there profession in commercial planes. 1. There salary is very low. There are so many taxes but the salary is very very low. 2. They are afraid to die not in the battle fields and in call of duty but because of our super old airplanes they malfunctions in the air like when they test flight the plane it will trip and they will crash and the reason for that is to old equipment. I've seen before where the bullets of our country where made. The factory was located in Bataan. The equipments are come from Japan. If you remember in World War 2 we defeat the Japanese army and as bayad utang or danyos perwisyo to the Philippines they give us the machine that can make bullets. So let us think how many years had been past and still we use the equipment given by the Japanese. Our country cannot buy latest equipment for making bullets and bullets to our arm forces are very important. They protect us from terrorism. Do you get my point?
Back to the main topic, when I was in the United States, I was working in the ship and when we are in the port of America. We can watch t.v on there country coz we will be having there signal in television. On there weather system they are using Sonar Doppler system. A new technology to monitor the weather and they can advance it by 5 to 7 days. Guess what the US will be contributing to us. Yes you are right there Sonar Doppler equipment because they invented a new Weather system In short pinaglumaan nila. They exert effort to there equipment. They do not depend on the other country, they become rich country and they are deserve to be rich because they exert effort to there equipment. Not like in our country, our government is just like Juan Tamad waiting the fruit to fall in his mouth. Kung sa totoo lang we need urgent upgrade on our weather facilities. Because of super old weather facilities Nagrereport na mali like they will report na tomorrow's it will be rainy and there will be thunderstorm in our country so the classes are suspended. Then what happen tomorrow will the nice and sunny weather and there no misunderstood for that day. Do you get my point?

ETA or shall we say Estimated Time of Approach. All big transport like ships, and Airplane use ETA. Why do we use ETA? we use ETA so that we will know when we will be in our destination. Its just a Estimated it's not a exact. If you compute your ETA that is you arrival to the place of destination. On ship ETA change by deviating a course, currents, swell, increasing or decreasing speed, encounter storm in the middle of the sea and any disaster like engine brake down etc. If you compute your ETA and your speed is 15 knots on that computation you will be arriving on the destination if you will maintain that 15 knots speed till you arrive in the port. ETA computation is easy as 1, 2, 3, all you need is a ordinary or scientific calculator. You must have a total distance, a total distance is the distance from your position to the place of arrival. You can compute the total distance by using your position (latitude 1 and longitude 1), you must know the (latitude 2 and longitude 2) thats the position of arrival. Computing this total distance is different than computing your ETA. Computing the total distance you must need a special program and in manual computation you will apply the sin, cosine rules. Any way back to out main topic.

For Example We have a Total distance of 4000 nautical miles, Speed of the ship is 16 knots, and the date today is January 5, and you position time is 1530 hours. Thats all we need to compute the ETA of our ship.
1) First Divide the total distance to the speed of the ship
4000 nm/ 16 knots = 250
2) That answer 250 we will be add to you position time.
250 + 15.5 = 265.5 (to convert the 30 mins to hours( 1530 hrs. 30 min just divide it to 60 and you will have a 0.5 answer).
4) the 265.5 must be divided to 24 hours.
365.5 / 24 hrs = 11.0625
5) your answer 11.0625 must be added to the date of you position.
11.0625 + 5 = 16.0625 (the 16 in your computation is your date so its January 16th you will arrive to you destination. You must have time for you ETA.
6) your whole number 16 must be remove to .0625 to get the hours of arrival. so it must be like this. 16.0625 - 16 = 0.0625
7) your answer 0.0625 must be multiply to the 24 hours to get the hours of arrival. 0.0625 x 24 hrs = 1.5 ( so you have whole number 1 and that will be 0100 hours. You must have the minutes of arrival. to remove the 1 on you answer subtract it by 1 ( 1.5 - 1 = 0.5).
8) To get the minute the 0.5 must be divided to 60 minutes.
0.5 x 60 min = 30 this your minutes on your ETA computation.
You will arrive in your destination by January 16th time will be 0130 hrs (01:30 am). Thats the ETA on your position time. What if the time of your destination is different form you (Zone description). Same procedure but you must apply the time difference of your position and your destination port. This computation is the basic part of finding the ETA. Thers alot of computation on ETA this method was came from my deck officer Chief officer Valdez. Before when i was a cadet his position is 3rd officer. Now that I'm a 3rd officer he is now a Chief officer.

It's March 2005 I've been in Hawaii. I can’t remember the exact date but i remember that 2 days after we arrive in Hawaii my US visa will be expire.
We arrive in Hawaii by means of our ship. We will be loading a gasoline in the port. Sad to say that we stay in the middle of the sea. We just see islands I think 5 miles away from us. Did you know that anchoring in the vicinity of Hawaii Island is prohibited? It’s because the Hawaii have many cave to there sea. When you drop anchor you will not going to heave it because it will stock to the cave down to the sea. Another fact about anchoring is prohibited in Hawaii it's because the cave down to there sea is where the whales live. Cave in there sea was so big that whale can live there. Imagine that you drop the anchor about 2625 kilos to the cave and you hit a whale. Sad for the whale isn't? We don't anchor but we use our one of our mooring line. The method is SBM or single buoy mooring. There is a floating buoy ahead of us and we put there our line and tighten it. There is underwater cargo hose that they will be connect to our manifold. We recover it the loading hose by using our crane to heave the cargo hose. The loading operation last for 7 days. So we decided to catch fish a very large fish. It's just like a fish festival, all of us in the ship have a fishing rod and every one is fishing. Here are some pictures of fish that we catch.

7 days loading so our captain decided to get service even it is very expensive. The service which a super cat ferry cost 1,000 US dollar one way round trip cost 2,000 US. It will take us 1 hour travel to arrive in the city by means of the super cat ferry. After an hour waiting we arrive at the city. We walk and we go to the fishing kit store to buy some fishing gears for our fishing while we stay for loading. After that we go to mall and see what inside of it. Shopping, shopping, shopping that’s all we do in the mall. Then my crew mate tells us that there is a beach near to the mall a topless beach. So we decided to go to the beach. The name of the beach is almoana beach we look around and we see a lot of pretty ladies and we see doing topless on the beach... ( i cant publish the picture because of pornographic and we didn’t ask permission to take pictures. In this site porno is prohibited). We stay in the beach till sunset and the captain decided that we go back to the ship.

7 days had passed we already finish our loading of gasoline. So our next port will be Korea. We will discharge our cargo to South Korea. From Tropical Island now we will go to cool and freeze country. There lowest temperature there is negative 20 so I must prepare my winter gears. Estimated time of approach in South Korea is 2 weeks.

Glodenco Dormitory hmmm I wish I can stay there again. I have memorable and unforgettable experience in that dorm. I meet different people who will take different Board exam to be successful in there lives. To have a license in your career you must take a board exam to the PRC so you can use your profession as per requirement. On my profession which is Marine deck officer in short SEAMAN. We must take a board exam to be an officer on board in foreign and local vessels. To be a captain of the ship, you must take 3 board exams. The first board exam will be the position of 3rd officer. A 3rd officer is the lowest rank officer in deck department. We are in charge in Safety equipments and paper work in port. Of course you must know to navigate the ship by yourself. That’s a deck officer, then after a year of experiencing to be a 3rd officer you can upgrade your rank to be a 2nd officer the navigation officer. He is in charge on doing the way points correction of the charts and he is the medical officer on board. After a year of experience to be a 2nd officer you can now take your next board exam which is the Chief Officer examination. Chief Officer has 3 stripes on his shoulder board. The 2^nd highest in command in deck department. He is the cargo officer and he is the one who's in charge of the care and condition of the cargo. He is also the one who is in charge in deck maintenance. He passes the command on the foreman of the ship which is the bosun, the highest rank rating in deck department. So before you can be a captain you must all be to that rank.

We are one happy big family! When there are celebrations for birthdays we contribute and surprise the celebrant. We are brothers and sisters here in the dorm even we don't know much all of us because we are busy to our reviews. Sometime we have a time out to our review and we talk and talk and talk. Cracking some jokes and makes a silly thing. Like one of our dorm mate see a mice and he shout out load like a macho like this..... Ahhhhh daga! daga! pare daga while he is hugging one of the dorm mate. We laugh like a hell likes there’s no tomorrow. Sometimes we eat together on one table and telling some story about there life and about to there reviews. We have different time to review some of the cpa board exam review in the early morning and me I review at the time of 3pm to 12am. After a month my dorm mates who is reviewing for the CPA board exam will now take there exam. They are very prepared for the exam, they wake up early and prepare there things. It’s just like a gladiator preparing his armor to fight on there courage and country.

At last the examination on CPA board exam is already finished. You can see the happiness of my dorm mates that they made it on the top but they must wait for the result after a week. You can see the expression of different face, some are very happy because they are sure to pass the exam but some are don't know what will happen to there exam. They are worried because the examination for them was very hard. 1 week pass and the result are publishing on the news papers. Some of my dorm mates shout for joy, screaming and laughing. Calling there love ones that they pass the exam. They thank God because God guide them to pass the exam. Unluckily some of my dorm mate did not pass the CPA Board exam. 6 months of studying, hardship and memorization but they did not pass the exam. They are crying and some just stare at the news paper and ask God why this is happen why I don't pass the exam and some say God i know that it is not my time. I will take again the exam and I will not loose hope to you God. I understand the feeling who failed in thre exam. I admit it I also failed on my last exam June 2006 for Officer in charge in Navigational watch. 2 months of study and sacrifice but i didn't pass the exam. All the passers decide to buy some food and drink for there celebration of passing the exam Pakain in short. We pray that we will be having a good life and guide as to our path. After we finish to pray kanya kanya na kami sa pagkain. We don't know each other kase pagkain na yun eh hehehe.

Guess what happened to me? After 2 months studying, reviewing in Glodenco Dormitory. Thank you very much God i pass the Officer in Charge in Navigational Watch licensure exam. I am now a deck officer, a Jr. 3rd mate officer. I will board my next vessel assignment this coming June. To all my dorm mates in Glodenco Dormitory i make a music video for us who make the sacrifice and achieve what we want to achieve. I hope you like this Music Video. See you after 3 years for my Board exam in Chief Officer Examination