Like a Tugboat, You May Be Small But You Are Powerful!

Tugboat pushes tanker into parking place
Tugboat pushes tanker into parking place in the port at Livorno, Italy
“Like a Tugboat, You May Be Small But You Are Powerful!” by Joan Y. Edwards
While on board the Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Enchantment of the Seas on September 30, 2023 we stopped for the day in the port of Livorno, Italy.  My daughter, Mollie and I went ashore and toured the Canal there on a little boat. That afternoon Mollie and I set on deck and watched the ships go by. I noticed a big tanker being led by a rope by a Tug Boat.   I noticed as more of the ship came in view, there was another Tug Boat behind it and they were going to help park the big tanker. Oh my goodness! Parallel parking at its most difficult level!
Tugboats are small but powerful!
Zahra Ahmed says in Marine Insight.com that an average tug boat has 680-3400 horsepower engines (500-2500 kW), but boats which are larger and venture out into deep waters have engines with a power close to 27200marineinsight.com hp (20000 kW) and a tonnage power ratio ranging between 2.20-4.50 tons for large tugs and 4.0-9.5 tons for harbor tugs.
Below is a video that is approximately 30 minutes long of the tugboats helping park the tanker. They first got it in front of the parking space. Then they pushed it in from the front.  The front tugboat stayed at the front. People on small boats tied the ropes from the ship to the dock in 3 places.  Tugboats untied the ropes that attached the tanker to them.
It was truly fascinating to watch. We even got to see another boat being escorted by tugboats. If you watch and listen to the video, you will hear me and my daughter, Mollie. My phone stopped recording right before the tugboats actually left the scene. I am very thankful that we were able to witness this and tell you about it.

Remember that although you may feel small, God gives you strength, energy, and knowledge to help you survive and park yourself into the places that allow you to be the best you can possibly be.

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Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards, Author
Copyright © 2009-2023 Joan Y. Edwards

 Flip Flap Floodle Firebird Book Award Winner Will this little duck’s song save him from Mr. Fox?

Joan’s Elder Care Guide Practical ways to help you and your elder survive.

Resources

Zahra Ahmed. “What Are Tugboats?” https://www.marineinsight.com/types-of-ships/what-are-tug-boats/

Sunset on the Western Mediterranean Sea

sun setting near Livorno, Italy on Western Mediterranean Sea
Sun is getting ready to drop
The sun is dropping closer to the Western Mediterranean Sea near Livorno, Italy.
Sun is dropping closer to the Western Mediterranean Sea near Livorno, Italy on October 1, 2023.
The sun has dropped into its place in the Western Mediterranean Sea near Livorno, Italy.
The sun has dropped into its place in the Western Mediterranean Sea near Livorno, Italy.
Painting trying to show the beauty of the sun dropping on the Western Mediterranean Sea near Livorno, Italy on October 1, 2023 by Joan Y. Edwards
Sunset on the Western Mediterranean Sea on October 1, 2023 – Painting by Joan Y. Edwards

“Sunset” by Joan Y. Edwards

The Sun rises to work for us every day.
Like you and me, it gets tired and sets in the evening.
Sometimes in the evening you and I plop into our chairs from fatigue.
Does the sun just plop into its chair to rest until morning?

My daughters, Lorrie and Mollie, and I enjoy watching the sun rise and set. On October 1, 2023, when I was on a cruise ship close to Livorno, Italy I experienced a beautiful sunset like no other I had seen before.  About 7:01 p.m. after we left the port of Livorno, Italy I joined Mollie watching the sun set.

Usually, I see the sun gradually go down. It did that this time, too. But this time instead of steadily moving little by little towards the hole in the sky where it meets the ocean, it looked like it dropped right into a little parking place for it in on the top of the ocean. Perhaps there’s an easy chair for the sun to plop into every day wherever it is. I am glad I got to witness it happening in Italy.

I took the photos and painted the picture, too. I hope you enjoy them.

Please leave a comment. If you have photos of one of your favorite sunsets, please share them with me. I will post at least 3 of them here for all to enjoy.

(Before Covid, I told my daughters that I would like to go to SanRemo, Italy and Rome, Italy to do research to add details to a novel I wrote called Immigrant Heart and one I am writing about going back in time to save Julius Caesar from being assassinated.  So they helped me plan this cruise to the Western Mediterranean  from September 23-October 2, 2023 to do my research and to have a wonderful time adventuring with them. We decided that doing a cruise and leaving luggage on board the ship while we toured different areas was a great way to explore Spain, France, and Italy in the Western Mediterranean Sea. And it was!)

You honor me by being one of over 1,938,024 visitors to read my blog. Thank you. If you’d like information about a certain subject, let me know. Please subscribe to receive an email when I post a new article to inspire, encourage, inform, and add humor to your day.

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Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards, Author
Copyright © 2009-2023 Joan Y. Edwards

 

Flip Flap Floodle Firebird Book Award Winner Will this little duck’s song save him from Mr. Fox?

Joan’s Elder Care Guide Practical ways to help you and your elder survive.

 

 

Writing, Inspiration