Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 15:23:10 -0400
Subject: web page #2
Picture: Ship wave

From the Drake passage, Monday June 14: Well... we mustn't have rubbed Magellan's big toe hard enough or long enough... for that apparently only protected us until about noon yesterday: from then on, it has been quite rough.

On my way down here, I ran into Tom, the first mate, and asked him, on a scale of 1 (smooth) to 10 (very bad) how he rated the storm we are in: he answered "a 6"... Thank you, that's quite enough for me! We were going to do some experiments yesterday and today, but they included getting water samples by tossing an instrument over board, but this got cancelled: it would be too dangerous to have someone on the icy deck, with waves crashing overhead. The waves which have been relentlessly pounding on us are 7 to 8 meters high (20 to 25 feet) and when they hit the boat just right, it is as if a giant fist had just clobbered us! The ship not only has an up and down motion from front to back, but at the same time, it rocks from side to side: I feel like a piece of clothing in a poorly balanced washing machine!!! My stomach has been telling me it does not like this at all, especially at meal times... I do not recommend this way of going on a diet! The weather has forced the ship to change course: instead of heading directly to Palmer station, we will be going through a passage between the continent and islands, where it will be a lot calmer. We should approach the entrance around midnight, so there are still a number of hours to be tossed like a cork. Many people have put on their anti-nausea patches, including me (as well as my acupressure bracelet) and since there is not much to do, many are lying down and waiting for calmer waters to reappear. That's what I've been doing too, and at one point the ship tilted so much that I almost got catapulted from the bed! We can no longer see anything out of our windows, which are covered by a thick coat of ice and snow, as are all the decks and outdoor equipment. I took a picture this morning of a wave crashing on the deck, and will send it soon, That's it for today, I'll write more when I don't have hold on to the key board and the mouse to prevent them from sliding back and forth...

Especially for my 7th graders: I swear at some point this morning when I was looking out from the bridge, I saw Poseidon's face in one of the big waves...Told him to please hold his horses! Also one of the mates told me "the Drake can be as bad and mean as Hades". Bye for now, will get back to you in 24 hours or so.

PS One thing you learn very fast under these conditions is to always have one free hand, ready to grab at the handrail or at a table or whatever else is there, otherwise your course is very much like that of a drunk! Going up and down the stairs especially can be a challenge, as well as opening doors and not having them slam right back on you. Now, remind me, why am I doing this??? (just kidding!)