Written on : June 29, 2010
Day 11 of the voyage. There has never been more of a juxtapositional situation than here out at sea. The hellish parts are equal to the joyous parts and sometimes they are interchangeable.
First, there is the sea. M aptly said that being on the ship in rough weather is like being beaten up constantly by an invisible person. There is no such thing as equilibrium these days. I am constantly on the verge of falling or teetering off of something, the hatch on the way to the kitchen, the stairs leading to the head, the galley floor slick with sea spray that has washing in from a rogue wave before we had the opportunity to shut the porthole. Try to sweep a floor that does not stand still. Sometimes I get so angry. My body hurts. I have bruises in places I never thought possible. Yesterday, because of the mega-swells we have been riding for the last three days, about 100 gallons of water came shooting through the Synesthesia portholes on the starboard side (Synesthesia is a fancy word for the big room next to the galley where we eat). I have slipped on railing and stairs and hit my head, elbows, knees and bum.
But then of course, there is the sea (repeat intended)- big, bold, scary, massive. Again, on watch, I was on deck as the sun rose. Christine was helming and we were chatting. Intermittedly, I was checking the wind and surfing the swells on deck, trying not to use the safety rope, precariously balancing, bending knees, thinking of tai chi. The ocean rose to meet me and I felt like I was flying, riding the massive waves.
Tomorrow- I learn more helming!! It’s As crazy-fun and scary as riding a horse through an open field. Yahoo!
Day 11 of the voyage. There has never been more of a juxtapositional situation than here out at sea. The hellish parts are equal to the joyous parts and sometimes they are interchangeable.
First, there is the sea. M aptly said that being on the ship in rough weather is like being beaten up constantly by an invisible person. There is no such thing as equilibrium these days. I am constantly on the verge of falling or teetering off of something, the hatch on the way to the kitchen, the stairs leading to the head, the galley floor slick with sea spray that has washing in from a rogue wave before we had the opportunity to shut the porthole. Try to sweep a floor that does not stand still. Sometimes I get so angry. My body hurts. I have bruises in places I never thought possible. Yesterday, because of the mega-swells we have been riding for the last three days, about 100 gallons of water came shooting through the Synesthesia portholes on the starboard side (Synesthesia is a fancy word for the big room next to the galley where we eat). I have slipped on railing and stairs and hit my head, elbows, knees and bum.
But then of course, there is the sea (repeat intended)- big, bold, scary, massive. Again, on watch, I was on deck as the sun rose. Christine was helming and we were chatting. Intermittedly, I was checking the wind and surfing the swells on deck, trying not to use the safety rope, precariously balancing, bending knees, thinking of tai chi. The ocean rose to meet me and I felt like I was flying, riding the massive waves.
Tomorrow- I learn more helming!! It’s As crazy-fun and scary as riding a horse through an open field. Yahoo!
posted by Nikki Lyn Pugh | 6:18 PM
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