I thought I had gotten used to the swaying, and I had – but this is something else. The effects are not fun: Total lethargy, slight nausea and a spinning head. All I want to do is just lie down and sleep. I was told that you get used to this as well.
It’s the first time the weather has been this bad. Apparently, we’ve picked up the pace to get away from a storm that was about to engulf us.
We’ve actually been forbidden from going outside because the wind is so strong – and the crew have to move about holding special cords stretched out around the ship just for such circumstances.
(Sea storms, I learned today, are categorized on a scale of one to nine scale. Anything up to three is nothing good, but manageable. Four to six are not good, and you want to go around them. Seven to nine is very, very bad news and you really don’t want to be caught in those. From what I understand, category nine storms pose a serious danger even to aircraft carriers. Their metallic frames, apparently, can give way under the huge stress of intense storms.)
On a positive note, the weather did brighten up toward the evening and we snapped this amazing panorama:
We actually spent about half an hour just relaxing on the helicopter deck, despite the cold, and watching the sunset.
Maybe it’s because this is my first time in the open water – but I’ve started getting this feeling of incredible tranquility here.
You really begin to appreciate the sheer power and vastness of the sea.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.