Monday, September 13, 2021

A captain's first voyage

Captain Justin M. Jones (21 likes)
My son made his first trip as THE CAPTAIN, driving the 90-foot Glacier Spirit September 11, 2021.

Photos and comments from Carrie Ann Nash
So far one of the more eloquent and articulate narrations I have had the pleasure to hear
He did an amazing job They had a Chipibration after docking with champagne and pizza. He was embarrassed by the attention.

     Back in Fairbanks and I have time to relate some more impressions. I know that all the technical boat skills are super important, but being me, I sometimes focus on the narration. His was stellar. People listened. He had some jokes on the level of potato navigation*: When they first saw otters he explained how they grab a rock to use as a tool. Then. he told them that apparently some otters in this part of the Sound have not learned to do that yet. They haven't made it into the Stone Age...

     All the skippers point out a shape on one of edges of the Entrance Is. rocks that looks like a face. He gave a long explanation about a WWF-loving crew member who thinks it looks like Duane, "The ROCK" Johnson. At Bull's Head as a way of explaining that these sea lions are mostly failed, smaller males he said that these sea lions "have a lot of love to give", but unfortunately it didn't work out for them, because here they are. (or something like that.)

     And.. while working his way through an amazing amount of ice, determined to get to the face ( of Columbia Glacier). he said that if people were worried about the clunking and crashing noises of the ice, they shouldn't be because "this vessel has been built entirely out of styrofoam..."

Seen by Carrie Ann Nash at 11:49 AM

    I don't know what his long-term goal is, but all the captains were very proud of him. He exuded confidence and could probably take his skills lots of places in the future if he decides to.

It was great to see Ariel. That was a highlight for me!

Thank you, Carrie Ann


*Potato navigation was one of my jokes when I did this in the 80s. I would tell it on foggy days as we passed Potato Point. That's when it's so foggy you have to send a crew person up on the bow with a sack of potatoes. One is thrown every so often and if one doesn't splash, you turn away.


The captain, his sister Ariel, Carrie Nash (eldest 
daughter of Stan Stephens); Mary Helen 
Stephens, Carrie's mother.

Snapshots on the first day but one.

At the helm of a 151-foot
tall ship (2010) on the big ocean

In the beginning …
(24 Facebook likes )
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The Glacier Spirit;  (38 "likes" on Facebook)


  • HERE ARE SOME COMMENTS FROM A FACEBOOK 




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    Philip Munger
    So sweet. I hope he follows your sage advice better than I did almost exactly 40 years ago, Orca!
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      Tim Jones
      Thanks, Phil, not sure what that advice was, though. I read your news this week, hoping you are doing all right.
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  • Karen Lachance
    No way!! That is very cool Tim.
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  • Sharon Wright
    That's so fun to know! Like papa like son.
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  • Marian Nattrass
    That is wonderful and quite an accomplishment!
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  • Carole Trombetta Thoresen
    Wow, that’s awesome! Out of which Port?
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  • Mark Fuerstenau
    That's great! Following in the old man's footsteps!
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  • Jeanne Passin
    Fantastic! The Apple sure doesn’t fall far from the tree!
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    • 18h
Sailing with Chip   A tall ship on the big ocean
Sailing with Chip  A photo gallery

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The best way to know you are having an adventure is when you wish you were home talking about it." — a mechanic on the Alaska State Ferry System. Or as in my own case planning how I will be writing it on this blog.

"You can't promote principled anti-corruption without pissing off corrupt people." — George Kent

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The thing about ignorance is, you don't have to remain ignorant. — me again"

"It was like the aftermath of an orgasm with the wrong partner." – David Lagercrants “The Girl in the Spider’s Web.”

Why worry about dying, you aren't going to live to regret it.

Never debate with someone who gets ink by the barrel" — George Hayes, former Alaska Attorney General who died recently

My dear Mr. Frost: two roads never diverge in a yellow wood. Three roads meet there. — @Shakespeare on Twitter

Normal is how somebody else thinks you should act.

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My friend Gail: All waitresses are cute when you're hungry.

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A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity. – Franz Kafka

We are all immortal until the one day we are not. – me again

If the muse is late, start without her – Peter S. Beagle

Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain Actually you could do the same thing with the word "really" as in "really cold."

If you are looking for an experience that will temper your vanity, this is it. There's no one to impress when you're alone on the trap line. – Michael Carey quoting his father's journal

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I used to think getting old was about vanity—but actually it’s about losing people you love. Getting wrinkles is trivial. – Eugene O’Neill

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