RTW ’23: At Sea

Ahoy, loyal readers! It has been a very exciting few weeks at sea, and I am so excited to share a little bit about this part of my journey with you! On January 7th, I boarded a 200 meter merchant vessel (MV), Blue Master II to start my month-long journey at sea to Africa. I had spent countless hours planning this portion of my trip, and once the day came, I was shocked at how easy the boarding process was. I was fully prepared for “airport security” style check in, but it was easy as handing them my passport and itinerary. They didn’t even check my bags! As soon as I boarded, I was amazed! It was so surreal to be stepping onto a vessel that I would call home for a month. There was some irony in knowing that although the boat, physically, would not be in the same place for any extended period of time, the boat itself would be the place I called home for the longest period of time during RTW. During this entire trip, I’ve never been in the same place for a whole month! A crew member showed me around the ship and pointed out some of the essential rooms I’d be needing during my time on board– laundry room, galley and mess hall, dining room, gym, and the pool. Finally, he escorted me to my quarters. When I arrived to my room, I was pleasantly surprised by my accommodations. My two room cabin was spacious and had a tea kettle and mini fridge ready for use. The room was even equipped with a personal bathroom, including a shower. There was so much space to store all of my things! It was definitely an upgrade from the hostels I had been staying in.

During the beginning of my trip, I spent a lot of time getting my bearings and acquainting myself with the vessel and the crew. It was tricky to navigate the early days without a schedule or routine, though my body and mind have been yearning for this break for quite some time. I learned that there are 26 people on board, including myself, the sole passenger on the ship. Everyone else on board has a rank and job to do! It was refreshing, really, to know that I didn’t have a job to do, and I could just relax. Before I started the RTW journey, I looked towards my time on the ship as my “shavasana”– resting and recovering. I was right! My body and mind need to rest and let it all go– everything I’ve done, and everything that has happened. Before the boat, there was so much to take in and so much to do– even the task of finding somewhere to sleep and eat each day took a toll on my body and mind. But now, on the ship, I know where I’ll sleep AND eat each night for about a month, which is a true luxury. My food is taken care of; I don’t have to forage for an open restaurant; I don’t need to figure out how to pay in a grocery store, or how to use a new kitchen in a hostel! The simple task of not having to even think about my meals is one more weight lifted from my daily checklist, and I am appreciative.

Something that I’ve taken note of is how vast the force of nature of the ocean is. The ship is 200 meters long and has so much weight, yet it sways and rocks like any other foreign object in the water. In the beginning, I was taking one or two dramamine tablets just to be on the safe side. Eating and drinking was okay, but I was traumatized from my previous ferry experience and didn’t want to take any changes. I think most of it is mental– at one point, I was up on the bridge of the ship, watching us sway back and forth, and I started to feel strange. I held on to the arm of a chair and stopped looking out the window, and instead focused on a conversation I was having with a crew member, which was fascinating. I’m still in awe when I hear people’s stories (more to come on that next week!)– you can have a simple conversation with someone, not knowing what their life story is at all. Then, once you learn more about them, more pieces start to fit together, and your initial impression morphs into something new. On a separate day, I was able to stand on the bridge and observe what’s involved in getting the ship to dock at the harbor. I was listening to the Captain and the local pilot talk, and it amazed me necessary it was to have a local professional on board. The pilot, who boards the ship from a harbor once the vessel is given permission to dock, called out the headings. He knew how to navigate that specific port, and was crucial in a successful docking. The two harbor tug boats stayed close to the vessel and the pilot radioed them periodically. With precision, as we got closer to shore, Blue Master’s crew started reading the crane for the gang plank and preparing the lines that would be needed. As the Captain saw people ashore also getting ready, he radioed his crew while keeping a constant eye on Blue Master’s position. The orchestration and cooperation between the Captain and his crew, along with the pilot, harbor tugs, and people at the shore, was so impressive! Everyone was focused and only spoke as necessary– no casual conversation at all– all eyes on the ships position relative to the shore. I observed it in amazement thinking back to the times I brought my little center console boat into Tempest Knob to pick up some friends. That was nothing in comparison to the intricacies of what I was watching the Blue Master do, but I think I had more appreciation because I’ve maneuvered a boat into shore. The same principles apply, just at a much grander scale. A grander scale. This trip, as a whole, is all of the things I love, just on a grander scale.

When I first arrived on the ship, the pool was drained and closed. About a week in, however, it was filled and I had the opportunity to take a swim! Swimming in the pool was more like body surfing in waves than leisurely floating or lap swimming in a regular pool. It makes sense, given how the ship sways, but I was not prepared for how many waves there would be! The Captain filled it up about three feet high so that when the waves crashed it wouldn’t spill out. I was so glad to have the handrail! I brought my goggles, but there was no way I would have been able to swim laps while heading straight into the waves the entire time– they were constantly rocking back and forth. THe pool walls are made of steel– it’s clearly an industrial pool, not a kiddie one, and I was by myself, so I just swayed with the waves and got wet. The best part was that the water was taken directly from the sea we were in, so I got to taste the salt water and feel the temperature of the ocean we were on! It felt a little chilly– but not too cold. More like the late summer water temperatures at Buzzards Bay. The pool was filled with the same Atlantic waters, which I appreciated! Aside from swimming in the pool, I’ve been spending time exercising my body and mind. Being on a ship limits how far I can go, so I’m thankful that there is a gym that I can move my body in. I practice weight training, yoga, cardio, and meditation. I’m so glad that I have a repertoire of things that I can do to mix it up. There is even a sauna, which is nice!

Part of my daily routine is to watch the sunset, sometimes the sunrise, and the moonrise. One of the amazing things about being out at sea is the 360 unobstructed view. I can walk a few steps and see both the beginning and end of the sun and moon’s arch across the sky. As much as the horizon stays the same, these events have slight variations each time due to the atmospheric conditions. One evening, as the almost full moon rose, I knew the less observable stars would be washed out, but the brightest stars shone through, like finding old friends in a new setting. Orion, the Big Dipper, and Cassiopeia (my BFF constellation) were upside down at that point as I was nearing the southern hemisphere. The distinctive “W” of Cassiopeia was an “M”. Orion’s shield was pointed down, not up. I laid the deck lounge chair flat and soaked it all in as the warm breeze floated by. The only sound was the constant hum of the engine room– which I’ve made peace with as background noise. As I focused on a star or planet (Jupiter was bright and high), it looked like the stars were moving ever so gently. It, of course, was the ship’s rocking creating this phenomena, but I enjoyed the playfulness of nature around me. It had the same effect as when you’re sitting on a train that is still, and another train starts pulling away from the station right outside your window. Are you moving? Or, is it the other object? It was the same feeling, only across the expanse of the sky!

On January 23rd, I crossed the equator from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere! I checked in with the bridge in the afternoon to find out what time we would reach 0 Degrees. I was informed that at precisely 22:20, we would cross over, so at 22:15, I made my way to the bridge. A Cadet from Poland was there, along with 3rd Office Andrii. For Andrii, it was just another day at work, but the Cadet was excited since it was his first time in the southern hemisphere, and I shared in his joy! The bridge is kept dark at night to make things more visible on the horizon, and the gages readable. WIth all of the instruments glowing, and the excitement of the countdown, I mentioned that it reminded me of the NASA countdowns I watched as a kid. I wanted to countdown out loud, but I didn’t. Instead, when the gage read less than .01 minutes, I started the video on my phone and captured the 0deg0min N to S switch! It was very cool to mark this RTW milestone on a ship, crossing the ocean. It was so much more tangible than flying over it in a plane! We stayed in the western hemisphere, as crossing over into the eastern hemisphere at the same time as the equator would have put us in a riskier area in the Gulf of Guinea, prone to pirates. We’ll cross into that hemisphere later! After the excitement, I went down to the lower deck where I could have the lights on. I did the sink experiment to see how the water drained at the equator– clockwise or counter clockwise. Interestingly enough, it went straight down the drain! No spinning at all! The day as a whole was so special for many reasons: crossing the equator, and approximately the halfway point of my RTW voyage! I also felt like I really hit my stride as a seafarer. I feel comfortable on the ship and have my routines, along with things to accomplish each day. This voyage has given me the opportunity to reflect, contemplate big questions, and, without distractions, find out what I naturally spend my time doing. I like that I naturally gravitate towards science experiments, astronomy, exercise, yoga, meditation, and learning new things. My curiosity, coupled with my desire to explore, are keeping me young at heart!

I finally feel very comfortable on board the ship. My conversations with crew members are causal and less formal than they were during the beginning of my journey. I’m accustomed to referring to the Officers by their titles, not their names. I open the door hatches with ease now, and I know which deck everything is on without having to look at the signs. Going out to the ship bow is not nearly as intimidating as the first time the Captain gave me a tour. Recently, I went out to the bow to see the sunset. Despite all of the wind, I felt confident! I snapped some pictures along the way, with a firm grip on my phone as the waves crashed at the bow and sea spray came up over the deck. It was the perfect cloudless sky as the sun dipped below the horizon on the last night before I see Africa for the first time in the morning. As I was walking along, I noticed that all of the new grey deck paint that the crew had been working on for weeks. Blue Master II is arriving into port all pretty, shiny, and clean! Until next time, dear friends: stay safe, stay healthy, and always remember to make space for what brings you joy.

Travel changes you.
As you move through this life
and through this world
you change things slightly,
you leave marks behind, however small.
And in return, life– and travel–
leaves marks on you.
-Anthony Bourdain