At sea

I saw a news squib about the return of the USS Stout after a 9 month deployment, with a comment about how sturdy those sailors must be.

There's another way to look at the matter.

When I was young I read of a Navy where a vast amount of sailor time was spent painting or chipping paint. When the ocean is always trying to dissolve your boat, I suppose that makes sense. At any rate, I was never eager to go to sea.

I guess they don't do that anymore.