Oil Platforms and Cargo Ships

As we approached LosAngeles, one of the busiest ports on the West coast of the US, we saw an increase in traffic along the shipping lanes which run like highways in the ocean along the coastline. Carrying freight or oil to exotic ports around the globe, these vessels can measure up to 1000 feet long, and they are so massive it would be easy for them to run us over without noticing, so we keep a watch on both our instruments and the horizon.

To make our life a little easier we have AIS onboard. This technology allows us to see a signal transmitted by larger vessels, and to track them on our Raymarine GPS plotter. We also have the ability to send an AIS transmission, making us more readily detected by other ships in our vicinity, thereby making passages safer. When we see a target on our screen, we can click on it to see detailed vessel information such as length, speed, direction, and often a destination location.

In addition to the cargo ships and tankers on the move, we have stationary hazards, such as the gigantic offshore oil platforms which rise like small cities from the water-world.  At night they are lit up like a Christmas tree, and during the daytime fishermen can be seen fishing around their base.

Offshore oil platform

Fortunately the oil industry is very aware of the hazards associated with oil spills and the ocean here is well monitored for quality. The biggest hazard at this time is the prevalence of red algae due to the wander water temperatures brought by Mother Nature herself in the form of El Ninio and the shifting jet stream. Being on the water makes a person appreciate a truism... Everything is in constant change. We cannot make life constant, whether good or bad, all things pass with time, so acceptance of change and adapting to that change is the best method of survival.