...and not a drop to drink

The vastness of the ocean is not a cliché.  The Captain’s noon report put us at 200 miles from the nearest land (Isla Guadalupe), which means 8-10 hours of sailing to get us there.  We’re moving along at a nice clip, 20-30 miles an hour, but we have a long way to go. 

I thought when we started moving I’d easily be able to tell which side is port and which starboard, but you don’t sense the forward motion on a ship any more than you do on a plane. 

Reflected in my mirror:  the ocean travels up and down about 2/3 of the neight

The ship rolls side to side constantly, but unpredictably.  Walking becomes a challenge and I look even more uncoordinated than usual.  We are all lurching through the halls, hanging onto railings and throwing ourselves at each other. (I’m pretty sure it’s all unintentional.) Mealtimes are particularly hilarious as we struggle to carry our plates along with coffee or soup.  I’ve been eating outside at every meal so the soup is important!

There are barf bags conveniently placed everywhere, and some folks look a little green.  I took a seasickness pill before leaving port and another yesterday morning, but I haven’t had any problems, so I’m skipping this morning’s.  I can feel myself developing new muscles in my legs as I shift weight to keep my balance.

If you are outside, you can see the water going by, but inside, the corridors look the same. It’s easy to run into dead ends (areas off limits for one reason or another) or to turn the wrong way.  There’s no deck where you can walk a loop, so some people walk back and forth.  I find the vertical traffic makes up for the horizontal:  everything I’m headed for is on a different floor. 

Coffee and tea are available 24/7 on 6.  Snacks are also available 24/7 and it’s a lonely post for the crew member on the overnight shift.  He told me yesterday morning he can read and play games, but he was practically standing at attention when I wandered by.

We used an average of 45 gallons of water per person yesterday.  Feeling very far behind, I took a shower this morning as we passed through a fierce rainstorm.  It’s surprisingly hard to keep balance on a wet floor with your eyes closed, even in a tiny shower stall.

Last night, I overheard one of the crew confirming that the water in the bathroom is not potable.  This puzzles me, since it the bathrooms are helpfully equipped with water glasses.  I guess I’ll run up to 6 to get some water to brush my teeth.