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The Project
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August 30, 2005
Working and Living at Sea Some people dream of going to sea and traveling the world. The sea has always been able to captivate the soul of people who look out over the horizon and wonder what lies beyond. The sea has the lure of unexplored territory and unpredictable adventure. Many books are written of the excitement and the promise of fortune at sea. Books like ‘Moby Dick’ and ‘Treasure Island’ are the classics. However, a visit to the bookstore will reveal many modern day adventures at sea. ‘Dove’ and ‘Maiden Voyage’ offer true stories about adventurous teens that have ‘grown-up’ during their sailing voyage around the world. There are many opportunities for careers at sea. A career at sea may begin with setting a goal and then pursuing that goal by working hard and learning as much as possible. People that work at sea are fishermen, mechanics, metal workers, wood workers, painters, cooks, mates, and captains. Many of these people may have started by working for fishermen or for seaside marinas. Other people that have an interest in the sea have started with an education from a college or a university. Students interested in going to sea may major in oceanography (the study of the ocean), marine navigation, or marine engineering. The New Horizon’s captain for this voyage is Murray Stein (Captain Murray). After he graduated from high school he went to Texas A & M, the Maritime Academy in Galveston, which is located on the Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Murray grew up in the Puget Sound area in the state of Washington. He grew up exploring the bay and the backwoods near his home. With the sea as a back yard and with a father who worked as an oceanographer, it is no wonder that he has pursued a career at sea. The captain has sailed large research vessels all over the world. “It’s all about seeing the world”. He has two favorite places that he would love to visit again: the Galapagos Islands and Easter Island. At the Galapagos he enjoyed diving among the submerged volcanic rocks and seeing the diversity of life in the sea and on the land. At Easter Island he enjoyed spending time with the people. “I find their social and economic structure a pleasant change”. Being at sea for long periods of times does have its disadvantages. It makes it hard to spend time with friends and family. Murray says “It’s hard to develop a lasting relationship when you are gone four months at a time and then shore leave (time off) is just two months” When taking large vessels out for their two-year expedition, he works on rotation and will fly home for leave time while another captain takes over the vessel. When the captain has time off he spends time on his sailboat. He enjoys sailing in the coastal areas. He would like to someday take his sailboat up to his hometown in Puget Sound. Even though the captain has spent many years at sea he feels that this is where he belongs and he hopes that he will always to be close to the sea. Today’s Math Problem: A retired captain wants to figure out how time he spent during the different times in his life. What is the fraction of time that a retired captain (age 72) spends in:
A fraction is a part over the whole (Part/whole). In this case, the whole is always 72 years. Be sure and reduce each fraction to its lowest terms.
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