21/05/2010 - Just Swell

Hardly slept last night,. The swell has increased and I spent the evening feeling like I was in a pinball machine being catapulted from port to starboard and vice versa,… at one point I discovered that if I lay in the recovery position, jammed one knee against the starboard side of my bunk and my other leg against the port, placed my arms under my pillow and jammed my elbows between the sides of my bunk I could actually sleep a bit as the boat lurched and bobbed around me!

I was up the t’gallants again first thing with even more swinging than previously, forearms still burning, but I am feeling more confident every time, even with the slippery shrouds!  Today’s sport was watching how many people got soaked from the waves coming over the side,.. at one point the charthouse and the mate were drenched as a wave managed to splash up to the Quarterdeck, bear in mind this deck is a good 2 m above the hatch deck!

Today’s galley crew was complaining about the waves,.. ha!  Listing to one side!  They should have been on galley last Saturday,… I dream of listing to one side!! They know nothing of tempestuous galley days!  I fart in the face of listing to one side!!!  Easy life!

We had a talk from the captain this afternoon and had the trajectory of the voyage so far explained to us and he then describe the route to Panama that we would be taking and the interesting weather phenomena that were taking place, apparently there was a low forming to the west that is normally indicative of a hurricane, but since a hurricane requires 29ÂșC water, there was no danger, but the “squally bits” were liable to worsen and we should be vigilant!

We began fishing with 2 lines off the stern of the ship today,… sooner or later we have to catch something!!

I discovered I can now recognize people by their silhouettes at night and by their feet and calves as they come down the stairs into the salon… 

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