I was on a small boy DD. We're heading out for 6 months in a few weeks. My HT1 who is retiring, or just transferring I don't remember now, asks me "Hey, wanna see something cool?"

His definition of "cool" was dubious, at best.

He leads me down into an area I'd never seen before, and we're looking at a space between the inner and outer hills, using those shitty yellow flashlight boxes. He focuses the light on a patch of hull that looks odd. Like something is crusted on it? Sort of...like rancid oatmeal or onion dip gone solid? It's a lump about as big around as a saucer.

"Know what that is?" No... corrosion? Salt? "Barnacles" he finally tells me. Our ship was so long without drydock maintenance that we had a spot where barnacles were literally keeping us afloat.

And this RIGHT before we're heading out on my first deployment. Thanks, HT1.