"Back to sea, back to work. Departure was delayed 4 hours this morning, although that didn't affect me. We were supposed to pull out about 6:00. I expected to be underway when my alarm went off at 6:45, but we were still tied up. When I got topside about 7, on my way to breakfast, we had taken in the gangway, we had two tugs tied up to us ready to pull us out, the Peruvian port pilot was aboard, but nothing was happening. Then I noticed - no dockside workers to cast off our lines.
"At breakfast I learned that the initial delay was due to fog (it was quite foggy this morning), but somewhere along the way the dock workers disappeared. At 7:30, I heard the deck call the captain and ask if the line handlers, who were standing around idle at both ends of the ship, could be released in groups for breakfast. There was mumbling about putting some
cadets ashore to cast us off, then sending back one of our "fast boats" to pick them up. I don't know if that wasn't considered feasible, or if it simply violated port protocol. I was in class about 8:30 when I heard a PA announcement for line handlers to report, but we still hadn't moved when I came up at 9:00, even though there were now some dockworkers about. Shortly thereafter a Peruvian submarine left the naval base that adjoins the shipyard, so perhaps we had been delayed by them. Anyway, it was nearly 10 before we finally cast off, moved out into the fog, and vanished from Lima.
"Sunny with haze now that we're offshore a ways, but getting much cooler. Mid 60s, but we're moving south into a south wind so the wind-chill factor is quite significant. Definitely windbreaker weather to be on deck now. And perhaps full parkas in another day or two.
"Otherwise, back to usual shipboard routine. Classes through Saturday, Sunday free, then arrive Valparaiso Monday."
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