Black Gold

January 10th, 2025. 51-25.3N, 135-39.2W,  1050E(+8)

“I found the pot at the end of the rainbow, and it’s full of black gold.”

So we sail on.

Sailing through rough seas, we load storm ballast to improve the ride. Still, cups go flying. Drawers come off the hinges and across the deck. We roll quite literally out of our beds. 

So we sail on to Valdez, the final link connecting the Alaskan North Slope with California and Washington. 1,300,000 barrels of ANSCO. 54,600,000 gallons. At $67.57 per barrel that’s $87,841,000 for a full ship. 

So we sail on. Through rainbows. Through fog. Through storms, and placid calm. Snow and rain. Smoke and sun. Black gold pays for the ship, her crew, and fuels our cars and economy. 

So we sail on, carrying the gold of the earth. The black stuff. The King’s Oil, or Devil’s Oil, depending on your perspective. 

So we sail on, carrying liquid gold. West Coast crude. Light sweet crude. 941’ of ship and 24 crew to navigate, maintain, load and discharge. The gold found at the end of the rainbow may not be shiny, but it’s certainly worth its weight. 

So we sail on, the green and black pot at the end of the rainbow, filled with our version of gold.