Between the two poles

[Xtracho]

Headed north to deliver one of our vessels back to the states. Took this pic yesterday as we crossed the equator.

[Serk]

Do you get to claim to being an Honorable Shellback if it's a non military vessel?

For that matter, do I get to claim the status if I crossed the equator in a 1950's Soviet prop plane in Africa? (Come on, what's more dangerous, crossing it in a US Navy ship or a 1950's Soviet prop plane, I should get some credit for that! )

[henry 008]

that's pretty cool. isn't there some type of hazing ritual you do to 1st timers crossing the equator?

[bigguy]

That is cool.

[czuch]

I dunnooooo,,Everybody knew me on my ship and the Domain of Neptunis Rex was quite an ordeal.
You get head of the line privelidge if one of your "friends" thinks you are still unworthy.
I think I got 4 olives from the royal baby.
50's Soviet prop job in Africa,,,,,,,,,,,real close.

[Xtracho]

This is my fifth crossing. Been an honorary shellback since 2010. My first crossing I stood at Neptune's Court and crawled through ship's garbage. We did have one polliwog on board this crossing. She's a bridge officer fresh from the maritime academy. We weren't too hard on her at all. In fact she only got the equatorial baptism. We stopped, put the boat in DP (dynamic positioning) right over the 00.00.000S and shoved her into the water. We stayed on position for about an hour because we have two other boats in our convoy & they had some polliwogs aboard also.

And yeah Serk, I'll take my crossing on the boats anytime over an old Soviet Wind Beater. That's pretty cool too!

[Thunderbolt]

Have you ever had any interest in Ham Radio?  I and a lot of fellow ham radio operators enjoy making contact with folks on board ship that are making their way from port to port on ships.  The whole world is divided into Maidenhead Grid Squares and as they pass through those grids and talk to each other they send what we call QSL cards to confirm the contacts.  There is one guy from the Ukraine that we have talked to for 20 or so years.  His name is Yuri Bodrov and is from the Ukraine.  He is on board an oil tanker if I am not mistaken.  He travels from Texas up the East coast.

[Xtracho]

Never thought about HAM radio. We only make these crossings when we are delivering my company's vessels to work sites in other countries or returning them to the states when their contract expires. It would be intriguing, though, to have HAM equipment on board & speak with folks world wide.

[Hoser]

One of my brothers crossed when the USS Enterprise on it's maiden cruise from Norfolk to Pearl Harbor for Vietnam service.  Had to go around the cape cause it was to big to use the panama  canal.  Replaced the Forestall when it had the  fire during the attacks on Hanoi .  He said it really hauled ass at battle speed, escorts couldn't keep up.  They did their shellback ceremony enroute.  Hoser

[Xtracho]

Yeah...those shellback initiations were pretty elaborate for the Navy guys. Very cool to read these stories about guys that have made the crossing.

[Serk]

What made mine even more interesting was the culture shock. I'd taken an Air France Boeing 777 flying business class from Paris to Libreville Gabon, had French hotties serving me fine champagne while flying over the Sahara, top notch service. Land in Gabon, go through customs and go to the domestic terminal.

Bam... Different world...

The plane was scary enough, but the ancient barely running farm tractor that was used to taxi us out onto the run way was just too much...

But hey, life is about the adventure, right!

Would love to hear more of your job and life Xtracho, what you do fascinates me, although I know almost nothing about it, just little bits from my time doing IT from an oil company really...