Ole Thom IS KingNeptune in my book. Thanks Donal . . .always good to return
home. This must be what ten years of this or so . . . . and several name
changes but just plain Michael will do from now on.

Good news today! We thought the budget was going to be a bit sparse for a
while but the 12-16 hour days are going to continue. If this keeps going a
bit longer I'll be back on the water three four months ahead of schedule . .
.. .times awasting!

Only regret is not doing this back when I first planned on it. Getting
sidetracked seemed like a good idea at the time. Oh well . . .lessons
learned .

In case any of you talk with any one who wonders about working full time on
the ocean let me put it this way. This year and last year (including
military retirement) and doing 11 plus months each year . . .are going to be
the only time in my life I made six figures gross. Barely but a legitimate
six. And If I'd been smart enough to do what I wanted back when instead of
listening to everyone else That 100 soon 200 tonlicense would have been a
1600 then unlimited version and that six figures would be for six months
work. Hell the deck officers get base pay every damn day of their lives if
they work six months or more! One day for one day vacation pay. On the
deckplate we get one for three. Nice thing about that and the retirement
fund is you can draw it out after you stop working and in whatever amount
you want. Makes a nice nest egg and keeps the taxes down.

HEY! thats another good point. We get huge tax deductions. Thisyear I
dropped down to 12.5% effective. They didn't even quibble about it. Nor
about the change to the year before. Sending out a 1099 for 'services
rendered, book keeping, bill paying, storagefees etc. ' over two years
helped a lot too! Didn't mind getting some of that money back at all.

Now I can deduct for almost everything. Either from this job, as a small
boat skipper, or as a published writer. That Canals On Wheels article for
example will make the cost of trucking the boat a complete writeoff. I
think that trip is going to be more than one article. Much more.

Back to the professional maritime world. A young guy, or even one retiring
from something else could do a lot worse with license or on the deck. Also
.. .every one else was bitching about no jobs?????? I was getting 30 to 50
hours OT per week. We were short handed in the industry most of the time.
Getting better but back in the early nineties, the first gulf war, an
ordinary seaman could pull down six figures gross on the ammo ships.
Captains were hitting the federal pay limit ceiling.

So what else. BIOT runs a major sizefishing control operation in the
Chagos. It's a huge natural preserve. I think the staff is up to 30-40 or
a bit more now including the Royal Marines. Been all around the island by
bicycle but didn't camp out. Bug season. If it ever opened up for cruising
and club med's etc. I'd try for the Sunsail or Moorings franchise! But you
can still go to the rest of the archipelago did you know that? About 30
good islands with multiple anchorages available. Just don't go to Diego G.

Say Joe! Let me know if you want a burgee or DGYC club hat. I bought out
the store this last time.

Enough for now we are down river in the morning. . .. 4-8 watch and I'm
steering first. Where's my French Roast???

Michael