0
Gather ’round, ye landlubbers and salty dogs alike, and listen to a yarn spun from the very salt spray and diesel fumes of the late 20th and early 21st centuries! This here’s the tale of Blair Humes, a man who tasted the sweet life of island cruising before feeling the deep-sea tug of the world’s vast oceans.
Our story begins in the sun-kissed shores of Hawaii in the late 1980s. Young Blair, fresh off the boat, so to speak, found himself aboard the American Hawaii Cruise Lines. Not down in the engine room or on the bridge, mind you, but rubbing shoulders with the vacationing folk as a Bellman. It wasn’t long before the siren call of the dining room lured him in, first as an Assistant Waiter, then a full-fledged Waiter.
Now, Blair wasn’t your average server. Each port of call was a new canvas for his adventurous spirit. While the other lads might head straight for the nearest pub, Blair was waxing his board, ready to carve some Hawaiian waves. Honolulu, Hilo, Kona – each offered a different break, a different feel of the Pacific under his feet. And when the surf wasn’t up, you’d find him with his nose in a guidebook, exploring ancient temples, lush rainforests, and the vibrant pulse of island life. He wasn’t just seeing the ports; he was living them, striking up conversations with the locals, eager to learn their stories and soak in their culture. And let’s just say, a young lad in a crisp uniform occasionally found himself enjoying the amenities of the swank hotels ashore, a little taste of the good life between voyages.
But the allure of the open ocean, the truly deep blue, soon beckoned. Blair traded the predictable routes of the island hopper for the unpredictable journeys of deep-sea vessels. Container ships stacked high as buildings, hulking bulk carriers swallowing mountains of ore, the slick black majesty of oil tankers, and the specialized hum of AT&T cable-laying ships became his new world.
He signed onto vessels that crisscrossed the globe, charting courses through all seven continents, from the icy grip of Antarctica to the scorching heat of the African coast. He sailed the seven seas, from the tempestuous North Atlantic to the tranquil South Pacific, navigating the five oceans and etching three full circumnavigations onto his soul.
On another voyage, the Liberty Sun, laden with bulk grain from the WHO, sailed into the troubled waters of Sri Lanka during their brutal civil war. Blair witnessed firsthand the human cost of conflict, the stark contrast between the bounty he delivered and the hardship endured by the local population. It was a sobering experience that etched itself deep into his memory.
But perhaps the most harrowing tale came from Guinea, Africa. After a day spent exploring the local countryside with a land pilot, eager to experience the land beyond the port gates, Blair found himself in grave danger. Right there, in front of the supposed safety of the port, he was ambushed and taken hostage by a local militia. His freedom hung in the balance, the price of his release, the negotiation between his captors, the port captain and his own ship’s captain. It was a tense standoff, a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of life at sea and in foreign lands. Thankfully, his captors eventually released him, shaken but alive.
As the new millennium dawned, Blair, a seasoned and Re-certified Chief Steward, found himself sailing closer to home, though still on the vast Pacific. He signed onto container ships for Matson and Tote, plying the familiar routes from the West Coast ports of Long Beach, San Francisco, and Seattle to the welcoming shores of Honolulu and the rugged coasts of Alaska.
But Blair’s impact wasn’t limited to the galleys and mess halls. In 1995, a vision took root in his artistic mind. He, Blair Humes, the seaman who had seen the world, conceived of a new identity for the United States Merchant Marine. He felt a deep calling to bring a fresh wave of awareness, respect, and understanding to the countless men and women who had served, and continue to serve, in this vital but often unsung branch of maritime service. For commerce and conflict, for free trade and prosperity, the Merchant Marine had always been there.
And so, this culinary artist, this artist of the sea, who spent sixteen years traversing the globe, visiting over 45 countries, and navigating every imaginable waterway, now presents a New Century Heraldry – a memento for those who know, respect, have been, or are serving the United States Merchant Marine in both peace and war. This, my friends, is just a yarn of the long and winding voyage of Blair Humes, a testament to the adventurous spirit of a seaman who truly lived a life less ordinary.
Aye, so there ye have it, shipmates! Take what heart ye can from this here yarn o’ Blair Humes, a true son o’ the sea. Now, if ye be feelin’ generous as a bosun on payday, then cast yer eyes towards yonder treasure chest. Dig deep, me hearties, and toss in a couple o’ shuckles for the sake o’ them that still brave the unforgiving waves. Plunder our Slop Chest, if ye will, for ’tis filled with treasures rare and few, first editions that’ll shiver yer timbers with delight. But dally not, lest the tide turn against ye!
Got a tale o’ yer own from the briny deep? Spin us a yarn, we’re all ears! Share yer Sea Story and be put on the charts, but heed this warning, ye scallywags: speak a foul word ’bout the Captain, and ’tis a keelhaulin’ ye’ll be gettin’, sure as barnacles cling to a hull!
Avast,
/.BH
