Because the ship was in sight of land (and that didn't go with the photo op) they moved the ship around so that the land would not show in any photos of the president.

My husband, who unlike me is apolitical, asked what he was doing in that outfit. When I was in NYC this week people were talking about it and singing "Macho Man." It was soooooo very masculine! The helmet, the straps around his legs looking as if he had on a codpiece.....