The Strong Mariner

A brief break from running for a moment to talk about my recent trip to Subic Bay. The Strong Mariner arrived in port, and I was responsible for loading it. Okay, I didn't actually physically load anything, but I did supervise, watch and take some pictures. It came in very early in the morning which means we had to be up even earlier. It did give me the great opportunity to get a cool shot of the crane getting ready.

Here's a shot of the Strong Mariner being tugged (pushed) into position along the pier. It was definitely a rust bucket, but she stayed afloat.
Here's a shot of the the first boat being craned onto the ship. It was a very long and slow process, but when you are lifting something that big, that heavy, and that expensive, you have to be careful about it.
Here's another shot of the boat being craned onto the Strong Mariner, this time from the top deck of the ship. It took nearly an hour from the time the boat was strapped to the crane until it was safely on the ship.
Not really related to the Strong Mariner, but since I was dealing with the Navy I thought I should also show you this picture. My Navy brethren, preparing for their 1 hour and 45 minute flight out of the Philippines, decided to set up their hammocks. You'll notice them lined up along the containers, going all the way back. The other side of the containers were identical with hammocks lined up along that side.
So the loading of the Strong Mariner was a success, and my time in Subic Bay was very enjoyable. The one downside, was that while loading the ship, the only pair of running shoes I brought with me to Subic fell apart. I had several hundred miles on them so it wasn't a complete surprise or disappointing (aside from the fact that I really liked them). Unfortunately, it left me with only my Vibram 5-Fingers to run in; which I did, once, without socks, which left me with large blisters on my toes, and put an end to my running in Subic. Not to worry, I more than made up for the lost miles this week.