Rough Seas

For the first time in our class history, the swells were bigger than we ever experienced before. To most of us this meant a fun break in the daily routine, but for some, it meant vomiting over and below deck.

When I made my way up to the little mess room to eat lunch, I could quickly tell that I wasn´t the only one who lost some important hours of sleep. The rough seas had made the boat rock in an unconventional way, making sleeping a matter of sheer will. When I looked at the agenda for today, I felt eased when I realized that I would be on deck as workforce. This meant I wouldn´t be thrown around in the galley for four hours straight. When I enjoyed the delicious Pad-Thai, someone shouted my name across the room. It was Moa, and before the question was asked, I knew what this was all about. As I already calculated in my head, Moa asked me if I could take her place in the galley. Moa gets seasick very easily and with these big swells, someone needed to replace her. Since we all depend on goodwill and teamwork here, I did not hesitate for a second before I accepted her request.

For four hours, all I heard were pots, frying pans, tableware and chefs tumbling around. It was a new surreal experience and one had to hold on to something every second. At the same time, we had to deliver food and service to our friends and officers. I must admit that it was a bit fun to fly around like there was no tomorrow.

Eight hours later it was time to get back in the galley again, our main tasks during this night watch were to make a midnight snack for the watch and to clean the cabin sole in the galley. These two tasks may sound easy, and they would be, without the big swells. I remember at one time when I sat down eating the midnight snack quesadillas, I was thrown off the bench and pushed against a door, in my footsteps followed a newly opened jar of marmalade, a breadbasket and some forks. One second later I heard half of the chairs in the big mess room fall over. Now we have a new perspective on sailing with Gunillla.

Viktor, Port watch