Picto Diary - 28 April 2017 - Arabian Sea

Day At sea. Arabian Sea. Seven Seas Voyager.

On board lecturer, Clive Leatherdale, provides a historical overview of Saudi Arabia.

Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, shown here in his early twenties on 1909. Ibn Saud, led the Wahabbi movement through which he was the first to consolidate power throughout the Saudi peninsula. Ally of Britain, as he rose to power, through the efforts of Col. William Shakespear (no "e" and no relation). Fathered eighty eight children which is one of the reasons that the Saudi royal family numbers over 10,000 today.

T.E. Lawrence formed an alliance Faisel, to create "The Arab Revolt" against the Ottoman Empire during WWI.

Feisal, a bitter enemy of Ibn Saud, was a son of the Sharif of Mecca, who was driven away from his post by Ibn Saud. Feisal was to go on to become King of Iraq - another brother became King of Jordan, whose descendants rule there to this day.

Above: Selected slides from Andy Jampoler's presentation on strategic waterways of the world.

I've done Suez, Bab el Mandab, Bosporus, and Malacca, shown above. Yet to do Panama Canal and Sunda Strait, also shown above.

SEGER TIME (4:00 PM) 28 April 2017

Seven Seas Voyager.

Arabian Sea.

Heading: 290.3 degrees
23 34 70 North longitude
61 38 78 East latitude
Wind direction: 294.8 degrees
Wind speed: 33.6 knots
Speed: 11 knots
Temp: 82.6F
Hum: 77%

Only 11 knot speed, but the effect is crankin'... crashing... into the strong headwinds...over white caps and moderate swells.

Manhattan

Shakey Davey's got a twelve gauge in his hand
It's sawed off to the limit
He's got a vague plan
There's this liquor store on Madison
There's another one down on Washington square
He's pretty sure no one's ever seen him
Down around there

The first one's birdshot the next four are double aught buck
The last one's a slug just for good luck
He's got his works in his pocket
He wants to score as soon as he's done
He can't wait to get straight to get long gone

He puts on his long coat scribbles off a short note
Sits himself down and waits for the sun to go down

It's right around midnight and there's still too damn many people on this street
He's walked all the way from Battery Park he's got sweaty hands and burnin' feet
He's desperate for a fix
His body's screamin' "Get me high"
He bursts through the door and lets one fly

Sunrise in the park and Davey's cold as stone
He got some bad merchandise and he was all alone
Two more unsolved mysteries a iot of paper pushed around
Most folks are just wakin' up in this great big town

Above: TIMDT in Observation Lounge. Seven Seas Voyager. 28 April 2017. Second day out of Mumbai at sea.

TIMDT's and Mwah's (sic) favorite place. Here... Arabian Gulf sunset, cocktails, classical guitarist. Nearing Straits of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.