Ever feel like the new kid at school?

Today was my first real day on the job.  LOTS to learn, even though we've been studying for a couple months.  I spent a couple hours going over the systems on the boat I'll be driving most frequently, then did a few dockings.  Oh my goodness, that is a snug situation... that big ol' ferry looks close enough to reach out and touch.  It really is a matter of "threading the needle" bringing this boat to the dock.  And then do a 270º turn to land it.  I only had enough time to do that twice and managed to nail it both times.  The captain doing my training said, "Nice job!"  I was thinking, "Even a blind chicken gets a kernel of corn once in a while." ;-)

After that short bit of training, we moved to the other boat (the big boat) to take guests out.  No one had seen whales before we departed, so it was a best guess for what direction to head.  Mike (my training captain today) decided south... and it turned out to be the right choice.  No one saw Orcas today, but we did see 3 or 4 pretty active minke whales.  When we called it in on the network, another half dozen boats were there in very short order.  Our guests got to see harbor porpoises, California sea lions, a Stellar sea lion, a couple bald eagles, seals... and beautiful weather and mostly calm seas.  A great day on the water!

And then more training - a staff meeting followed by man overboard and fire drills.  I finished the day with 9 1/2 hours.  An easy day compared to what I worked all last summer, but still a bit overwhelming with all the new information overload.

So, like the first day of school, you start with a new outfit - what you see at the bottom of those pants is the flannel lining (yep, like built-in longjohns)...

Joan sent me off with my captain's bag and a jacket...

As soon as I got to work, they "outfitted me," with a company vest, shirt, caps, and a jacket.  I look like part of the staff.

I had my hands full all day, but I did manage to get a view from the helm, with guests on the bow...

If the first day is any indication, it's going to be a very interesting summer.  :-)