Day 6 - Starry Night
Today I finally got my sea legs so this evening I went for a walk around the top deck. Walking around the boat was pleasant enough, but I really felt like I found something special at the front of the boat.
At the front of the boat there is a huge open area. At night it is completely dark so the crew can see any oncoming objects in the sea. Back in girl scouts we learned this trick while night hiking. We would step out into the darkness, turn off all the lights, then close our eyes and count to 10. After the seconds had passed, our eyes would have adjusted to the darkness, and we could see as clear as day with only the scant moonlight and stars. Employing this trick on the boat I was soon able to enjoy the nighttime horizon, and look up at the stars which were brighter than any I have ever seen.
I wish I knew more about the gatherings of stars. I can always point out the big dipper and the little dipper. They are burned in my memory from when I was young girl. Once, I was sent on an errand after dark. To distract me from being scared, my mother drew a map of the stars with the big and little dipper pointed out. She told me to look for them on my way, and I have since then never forgotten her diagram. Sometimes I can find Draco and Orion, but mostly they all seem randomly generated.
The very front railing had fierce winds, so instead I backed off and laid down spread eagle in the center of the area. There, the air currents blew in a circular motion; such that I was never able to tell which direction it was coming from. First they would sweep across my face from the left, then the right, almost lifting me off the ground.
The air smelled sweet and fresh. I usually associate a very specific fishy smell with the ocean, but I have since learned that smell is confined to the coastal region, where items from the sea may have washed up. Out in the open water, however, the air is different. Here the air smells pleasant. I also love the way it makes my skin feel upon returning to the inside of the boat; moist and clean. My skin has completely cleared up, and my hair seems softer as well.
Lying there on the deck, watching the cloud formations rapidly pass under the constellations, I felt utterly relaxed. The gentle rocking of the boat reminded me of a rocking chair my mother used to have in our living room. The way my body would smoothly drift up and down, with the most subtle waves, I felt like if I closed my eyes, I would be back home in my childhood living room. If I could describe it as anything, the sensation was rather like sitting on a rocker on the beach.
It is strange to say how silent the noise was. With the waves crashing into the boat, and the roar of the engine, it was actually very loud. If I wanted to have a conversation with someone I would have had to shout. But, still there was something tranquil and calm about the noise. Perhaps the rhythm of the ocean faded into background noise, but it felt like the silence of being alone in a ballroom, where each of my sounds would echo forever.
It is odd to me how much being at sea reminds me f home and my childhood. I think every night I will try to take at least a couple minutes to lie out on the deck.
At the front of the boat there is a huge open area. At night it is completely dark so the crew can see any oncoming objects in the sea. Back in girl scouts we learned this trick while night hiking. We would step out into the darkness, turn off all the lights, then close our eyes and count to 10. After the seconds had passed, our eyes would have adjusted to the darkness, and we could see as clear as day with only the scant moonlight and stars. Employing this trick on the boat I was soon able to enjoy the nighttime horizon, and look up at the stars which were brighter than any I have ever seen.
I wish I knew more about the gatherings of stars. I can always point out the big dipper and the little dipper. They are burned in my memory from when I was young girl. Once, I was sent on an errand after dark. To distract me from being scared, my mother drew a map of the stars with the big and little dipper pointed out. She told me to look for them on my way, and I have since then never forgotten her diagram. Sometimes I can find Draco and Orion, but mostly they all seem randomly generated.
The very front railing had fierce winds, so instead I backed off and laid down spread eagle in the center of the area. There, the air currents blew in a circular motion; such that I was never able to tell which direction it was coming from. First they would sweep across my face from the left, then the right, almost lifting me off the ground.
The air smelled sweet and fresh. I usually associate a very specific fishy smell with the ocean, but I have since learned that smell is confined to the coastal region, where items from the sea may have washed up. Out in the open water, however, the air is different. Here the air smells pleasant. I also love the way it makes my skin feel upon returning to the inside of the boat; moist and clean. My skin has completely cleared up, and my hair seems softer as well.
Lying there on the deck, watching the cloud formations rapidly pass under the constellations, I felt utterly relaxed. The gentle rocking of the boat reminded me of a rocking chair my mother used to have in our living room. The way my body would smoothly drift up and down, with the most subtle waves, I felt like if I closed my eyes, I would be back home in my childhood living room. If I could describe it as anything, the sensation was rather like sitting on a rocker on the beach.
It is strange to say how silent the noise was. With the waves crashing into the boat, and the roar of the engine, it was actually very loud. If I wanted to have a conversation with someone I would have had to shout. But, still there was something tranquil and calm about the noise. Perhaps the rhythm of the ocean faded into background noise, but it felt like the silence of being alone in a ballroom, where each of my sounds would echo forever.
It is odd to me how much being at sea reminds me f home and my childhood. I think every night I will try to take at least a couple minutes to lie out on the deck.
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