Still at Sea

Another day at sea, and we try to keep ourselves occupied to help pass the time. The winds have calmed, which has lifted everyone’s spirit. More passengers have emerged from their cabins and showed up for meals today, which makes the ship feel less like a ghost town. I’ve been reading and contemplating a variety of topics, including elephant seals, blue ice, bird migration, whales, circumpolar currents, krill, fish blood antifreeze, the North Scotia Trench, photographic composition, and global warming, to name a few.

After being pestered by one of my buddies, the ship’s first mate, Bernd Buchner, showed a few of us how a sextant is used to determine a ship’s location. It’s a complicated process, but makes complete geometric sense. Bernd also happens to be a great teacher. Although all ships have electronic devices and GPS, it’s still required to know how to measure with a sextant to obtain licensure.

Bernd and Sextant



Sarah at the Helm (Watch Out!)



Many have been asking about our quarters on the ship. Accommodations are small, but to be honest, you really don’t need much space. Here is my cabin. It’s a good day, as the portholes are not sealed!



Here is the head (bathroom). I apologize, as I don’t have a wide-angle lens, but I think you can still appreciate the tight quarters. I personally think it’s safer to have such a small shower, as it gives you less room to fall about while bathing in rough seas!



Our ship is making great progress, and we should reach Stanley, Falkland Islands sometime early tomorrow morning. It sounds a bit foreign, to arrive in an actual port with a dry landing, gangplank and all, combined with a few thousand residents and buses! We haven’t been exposed to any real “civilization” for weeks. It will be a bit of culture shock. Perhaps some fish and chips accompanied by a Guinness on tap at a local pub will help calm my nerves!

Signing off, with a photograph of a rainbow from yesterday.