a whirlwind stirs

After a month and a half of captivity in the UAE, I'm breaking out of this place. Starting September 4, you can follow my travels from the UAE to the UK where I'll stop in London and Southampton for business meetings. From London, I return to the UAE for a quick meeting about upgrading one of our vessels to DPS-2, and then I really escape to New York for a few days. New York is followed by Georgia, where I'll be packing for the great move out to Houston. My unloading time in H-Town is short lived because I'll be flying to Portland, ME in order to drive to the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. Bath is followed by a long car ride to Newport for the Newport Boat Show. While in Rhode Island, I'll visit the Hinckley facility in Portsmouth to checkout the T-24R, Haida's new tender. (Haven't heard of...

Read more »

Posted in: announcements,traveling

making waves goes full time

Just as Aaron Sorkin returns to prime time with a show about cable TV news, Making Waves is going full time. For the last two years, I've been interning for an offshore logistics company in the heart of the Arabian Gulf. As of July, I'm now gainfully employed as the company's naval architect and marine engineer. While this is pretty stellar for me, the whole affair is even more stellar (read: stellar-er) for you. As the boss said when I moved into my Houston office, "Houston is your home base, but your office is an airplane." I travel often. (In fact, in September I'll hit a new city every 2.5 days from September 3-20...) All of that traveling means great pictures and stories (can you say TCNs on a plane?) for you. I can't wait...

Read more »

Posted in: announcements

for all you boat people

In the spirit of the tour dubai series, it's time for a few engineering escapades. Martin Oliver, the company's Middle East Manager, has been keen to ensure that Tophi and I have been taken to see some of the marine engineering feats undertaken in this fine country.Recently, Martin, Tophi, and I made way for the Dubai office of the American Bureau of Shipping. We met the office's Chief Engineer and Principal Surveyor-- two very nice gentlemen. They offered us additional contacts at other companies that would be willing to show us new offshore platform construction. After hearing about what's happening for ABS out here, we quickly moved on to the day's main attraction: Dubai Maritime City.Most developments in Dubai revolve around some central...

Read more »

Posted in: dubai,dubai maritime city,engineering escapades,tour series,work photos

all roads lead to abu dhabi

I've had more opportunities during this trip to the UAE to live life drive in the fast lane. When Captain Scott had to leave for a few days, I was given the keys to one of the company cars so that Tophi and I could get to work each day. Those few days went by accident free, and now it appears that I can be trusted behind the wheel. Visitors don't normally drive when they come to the Emirates. Local drivers are notoriously aggressive, but I have had training during my years on Long Island. A recent survey asked UAE drivers (mostly men) what they thought about their driving abilities. Almost 25% of those surveyed admitted that they engage in "risky" driving behavior -- the other 75% lied.Recently, Tophi and I had the pleasure of taking the Sharjah...

Read more »

Posted in: abu dhabi,anticipation,leisure photos,traveling

sharjah after the storm

The winter months in the UAE bring relief from the 120°F summer. Winter is also the "rainy season." I say "rainy" because the average annual rainfall in the coastal region of the UAE is less than 5 inches. (A south Georgia thunderstorm laughs at the puny rain clouds of the Emirates.)With hardly any rain, there is little reason to invest in a proper drainage system. When it does precipitate, the rain amounts to a light drizzle. After several days of on again, off again drizzle, Mother Nature opened up on January 28.Tophi and I were just about to head out for a walk to neighboring emirate Ajman when the storm hit. The power was knocked out, and our hotel's restaurant was leaking badly around the doors and windows. We were trapped in the restaurant...

Read more »

Posted in: ajman,leisure photos,sharjah,weather

tour dubai: part 3 - the dhow wharves and souks

There are a few sites that I always take my visitors to see. This post is the third and final in a series that covers those locations. And while my Nikon D5000 provides stunning images of the environs, you really have to see all of the glitz and sand to fully appreciate where we are. So come visit! (Or at least read the blog.)It has been unusually wet here in Sharjah and Dubai for the last week. It has also been quite chilly, even during the day. I'm not sure what's going on with the weather, but it has put a damper on going places.Our new hotel has also put a damper on going places. We're on the other side of Sharjah now, closer to Ajman, so it's more expensive to catch a cab to Dubai. This will be the final part of the tour dubai...

Read more »

Posted in: dhow,dubai,leisure photos,sharjah,tour series

posting delays

I realize that it's been over a week since I last updated you on Haida or showed you another stop on the tour dubai series. Last week, the company moved Chris and me from the Al Seef Beach Hotel to another place farther away from the port that had lower rent. Since the move, I have had trouble connecting to the internet, along with a myriad of other "difficulties."I've got more stories to share, so stick around. In the meantime, you could always take a look back through the archives or browse the gallery of pictures on my Picasa album.Scott has a new kite surfing board, but the wind here in Sharjah hasn't given time to play with ...

Read more »

Posted in: announcements,procrastination

sharjah desert park

After multiple trips to the UAE, I finally made it out to the Sharjah Desert Park home to Sharjah's Natural History Museum, Children Farm, and Arabia Wildlife Center. (I skipped the Children Farm... I don't want to know about that.)The Desert Park is a hefty drive out of Sharjah, so the distance has been cost prohibitive in the past. This weekend Scott is away, and George told us to take the car and see some of the sights. The car was useful for getting to part 2 of our tour dubai series, and we would not have made the journey out to the Desert Park without it.On to some pictures.The less than full parking lot for the Sharjah Natural History and Botanical Garden.The first hall within the Natural History Museum is filled with marine life suspended...

Read more »

Posted in: culture,leisure photos,sharjah

tour dubai: part 2 - the mall of the emirates

There are a few sites that I always take my visitors to see. This post is the second in a series that covers those locations. And while my Nikon D5000 provides stunning images of the environs, you really have to see all of the glitz and sand to fully appreciate where we are. So come visit! (Or at least read the blog.)Stop. Before you start making remarks that my tour destinations consists solely of malls, let's stop to consider what other tourist destinations Dubai has to offer?  ... Can't think of any? Right. This emirate is based on a commitment to become a shopping mecca.Eh... word choice. I'll glaze over that by introducing you to the Mall of the Emirates.The Mall of the EmiratesWhile the Dubai Mall may tempt deep-pocketed travelers...

Read more »

Posted in: atlantis,dubai,leisure photos,ski dubai,tour series

haida: now served with working engines

It's been a while since Haida has stretched her sea legs -- 10+ years. While sea trials may still be in the (very) distant future, the engineers gave a preview this week of what's waiting to roar to life.M.Y. Haida has been moored in Port Khalid, Sharjah during an extensive overhaul and refit for the last several years.Haida is powered by two Enterprise medium-speed diesel engines that produce about 1000 hp each. She's been reported to reach almost 19 knots, but sea trial data from 1947 report a speed of 16.7 knots at max engine RPM. Over the last year, the refit support team has been working to locate replacement head gaskets for the Enterprise engines. As you can imagine, it's not easy getting parts for an engine built in the early 1940s....

Read more »

Posted in: Enterprise,haida,haida photos,work photos