Paige Jehnke is a student at NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy. She is completing a sea project for the fall semester of her junior year in the engine room of the M/V Taku, a ferry which travels the Alaska Marine Highway. Paige is blogging about her adventures and has graciously allowed us to share her updates. (Please note that some updates are post-dated.)
Today is an exciting day to be in Alaska. It is Alaska Day. I don’t really know what that means though. Was this the day that Alaska was purchased? Became a state? Sarah Palin’s Birthday? I don’t know. Today on the Taku we are also giving tours of the ship in Sitka for the fleet’s 50th anniversary. The tours include the engine room.
During the tours, I was wiping. The 3rd A/E on duty was checking valve lash, which didn’t need to be done; while others were basically pretending to be working for the tours. After a few hours of re-cleaning things, I asked if I could take the bus into town. My request was granted. I left the control room, which had all on-duty engine room personnel in the space, with a skip in my step. Upon leaving the engine space I noticed an elderly couple on the lower level looking at the port main engine. I am glad that security is so tight.
Well I finally made it to a bookstore! Since my arrival on the Taku, I have not been able to get to a bookstore to replenish my reading supply. I took full advantage of this opportunity and purchased 3 books. It will be good for the “noodle factory,” as Fred the intern would say.
Some photos from the parade on Alaska Day, photos courtesy of Rich McClear. To learn more about Alaska day click here!
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