Pilot of Lumut - part 2

Every man takes pride in their lifelong pursuit whether as a career or a a practice that which he finds satisfaction in doing to the best of his ability and commitment, but time gradually removes our enthusiasm and passion leaving behind only memories of moments of complete sense of satisfaction with one's calling. A teacher or a plumber, a fisherman or a farmer irregardless of who we are or what our walks of life may be, we have in alol of us a sense of wanting to fulfill something that is of our own. Watching the pilot pulls out the sixhundred footer out of its berth and slowly eases her out towards the open sea was watching such commitment at work. This is meditation in action..

Machines, and engines, tools and gadgets are all there for us to use them  accordingly but the trust we have in our own innate ability to make things happen accordingly is much more satisfying. We control the computers on board this vessel to obey just the right commands o move this ship left or right fast forward or dead slow, it is our own sense of precision, our ability to 'eyeball', to make quick changes that is critical in any form of work large or small the undertaking maybe, we pride in our on sense of  ability to have a creative vision that drives this ship towards where we need it to be.

In any project in any thing we do that involves the collective effort of many each operating different equipment and tools related to the task,  a good  sense of communication is paramount especially for those who play the roles of command givers, the Pilot, the Ship's captain and the crew of all the vessels involved, such as the two tugboats in the water pushing and tugging the ship to keep it headed into the right direction like a piece of log in the river. It takes years of working and depending on each other's abilities that can create this collective mind. 

On looking all the way down the length of the ship towards the horizon, I felt like i was drifting along on a piece of log, I could barely feel the engine propelling this  cargo vessel. Only when a command is given by the Pilot is there a slight change in the whole structure of the ship. like a sigh of relief from deep somewhere down below.

How often do we dream of tanding upon the deck of one of these ships just to feel what it is like as we cruise along the  passing the islands and beaches along the way. How majestic  some of the ships anchored in the water casting a reflection upon the sea surface like a Monet painting.

I felt most fortunate that i was able to tag along with my cousin Captain Yahaya Merican, the Pilot of Lumut.. He has run out of counts as to how many ships he has boarded day and night out in the middle of the sea to bring them inot the harbor or drag them out of their beth and set them on their way back to where they came from. They were from all over the world, some were large and some were small, but they all get the same treatment with  precision and passion.
There is very little or no room for errors when you are handling a six hundred feet long ship even if it is along a  calm body of water in a shaded cove.

A sailor's life is both adventurous and boring.

There is grace and beauty is every vessel that is being put to sea.