Zaurak's Bimbling Blog
Tuesday 3rd December 2019
High swell
Today, we have swells of up to three metres coming in from the east. They are lifting the boat from the starboard aft quarter and sending us rocking at great angles. If you imagine putting down your tea and then rocking the table back and fourth through an arc of about forty degrees, this is how relaxing tea time feels. Now imagine doing that to your house and think about how many of your items you have to hold onto whilst dressing, washing and cooking. The crew on board each have their own techniques to wedge themselves into corners of their bunks in order to avoid being ejected unceremoniously from their beds whilst attempting to sleep.
Albert Camus summarised a similar experience in 'The Sea Close By': "The waves come from the invisible East, patiently, one by one; they reach us, and then, patiently, set off again for the unknown West, one by one. A long voyage, with no beginning and no end.... [...] This is how we must love it, faithful and fleeting"
Or in the words of one of the crew when the cutlery draw fell out of the cupboard: "f**k these b###dy waves!"