Stormy Seas! Frances Hopkins, January 12, 2013 So, King Neptune has thrown a bit of a spanner in the works.
Up until now, we have been treated to a rather benign Southern Ocean, with little more than a gentle swell to rock you to sleep. There is a certain wavelength and frequency of ocean wave that is perfect for swaying you off into a peaceful, blissful slumber. However, it is a fine line between this and being jerked and rolled into a state of frustrating sleeplessness. Last night was a fairly large step over the line, resulting in a rather fitful night for most. Not only was our sleep interrupted, but the science has suffered a false start too. By about 11pm last night, it was apparent that the sea state was too severe to risk carrying out any work on deck, let alone deploying any instruments over the side. So since then we have been sat with the pointy end to the wind, waiting for the weather to ease before we continue to steam along our cruise track. Access to the decks is also restricted when the sea is this rough, so all the watertight doors are dogged and permission is needed from the bridge if access to the containers on the aft deck is required. You can start to feel a little cooped in on days like today …
Jeremy, Clement, Ian and Glen( L to R) wave watching from the safety of the monkey island. Note the angle of the ship relative to the horizon! @ Francis Hopkins
Today was supposed to be an important day in the cruise itinerary: the start of our first bioassay experiment. The day would have begun at around 0200 with the collection of
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