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Another day comes to an end
By Kenneth, logistics. 9 April. We've been sailing now
for a couple of days and still have a couple days of transit
left before we reach our next destination. The weather's
been …uh…variable. I'm looking forward to a good
night's sleep.
I'm climbing into my bunk bed, which actually sounds easier
than it is (you have to time it just right), and the trouble
starts.
I'm in the top bunk you see; now, I'm no NBA player so
there is some climbing involved. You need to get ready for
bed, put on whatever you wear for sleeping time; I'm wearing
lovely boxer shorts. Grey ones. Well, actually they were
grey at one time but by putting them in the same wash as
my new red T-shirt they now are a kind of greyish pink -
it's an acquired taste. So there I am with one foot on a
kind of small step, arm ready to pull myself up and waiting
until the Warrior takes her next plunge so I will be partially
lifted towards my bunk thus making it less of an effort.
Like I already mentioned, timing is crucial at this stage,
getting it wrong, as I did, will not only result in you
needing to put extra effort in correcting the situation
but you also look very foolish hanging there in your grey-pink
shorts. Luckily my roommate, Cees, was already sleeping
at that time. At least I think he was, though I couldn't
help noticing a small grin on his face as I pulled myself
onto the mattress.
Now I found myself trying to find the best sleeping position
to go with the motion of the ship. Normally this is not
a problem; the movement of the ship kind of sends me to
sleep when I'm lying in my bunk. Like a big cradle moving
back and forward, very soothing.
But not this time. Moving from one position to the other
wondering why I can't fall asleep. Was it the tea I had
just before going to bed? Maybe it's the gymnastics I just
did? Or is it the shorts, they not only turned pink but
they feel like they kind of shrunk too.
All the twisting and turning has no effect, I just can't
seem to go to sleep. The only thing that I manage to do
is lose my blanket in the gap between the wall and my bunk.
The gap isn't large but it's big enough for my blanket to
slip through and land on my roomie. He is in for a warm
night.
Lots of things have previously fallen down that opening.
Most of it Cees returns to me in the morning. There is,
however, the mystery of the disappearing sock. Not sure
if my roommate sleeps with his mouth open, but I never did
find that damned sock.
After a couple of hours of tossing and turning, it was
now nearly 4 am, I decide to give up and get out of bed.
I go towards the mess and make myself a cup of tea. I go
to the bridge where I find Cap'n Pete on watch. Listening
to the sound of the waves, looking at the dimmed lights
of the radar and feeling the movement of the ship kind of
relaxes me. I go on deck and look into the dark of the night.
I see distant lights of passing ships; now and then I see
the white foam of the ocean as she breaks against the Rainbow
Warrior. As I wander around the ship time passes. I see
the sunrise over the horizon and think to myself: this turned
out to be a good night after all.
Kenneth
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