I miss the early morning breeze, the fresh salt air, and the structure found aboard a ship. From the simplicity and necessity of a ships daily ritual comes a comfort which I have never been able to replicate ashore. No where but on a ship have I ever appreciated a bed so much. In the belly of a wooden sailing ship a narrow coffin like space, lined with a 3 inch thick foam mat, and with a thin slightly mildewed curtain has been for me a place of shelter, tranquility and calm it is as a mother kangaroos pouch must feel to her baby. In the narrow forward cabin on a small research ship with the bow thrusters waking me when as the ship struggles to keep station, I have found peace unmatched by the enormous queen pillow topped mattress which we recently purchased off the show room floor. No amount of pillows nor any thread count of sheets will ever match the safe and serene sleep I have found on ships.
Thinking about this comfort now I hope my husband is feeling that same comfort as he settles into his bunk, on his ship. He arrived on board early this morning after a long flight to Trinidad. During our brief phone conversation this afternoon on the sat phone he mentioned being terribly sick with a stomach bug similar to one I had weeks ago. I was so lucky he was with me to help me through it and now I wish him a speedy recovery and comfort in his bunk. (Most call them racks, I call them bunks... it's habit I never dropped from my time traditional sailing ships.)
After dropping above mentioned sailor at the airport yesterday I proceeded to deal with his departure in the best way I know how. Cleaning. I started with the dishes in the late morning around 11 and then noticed that the silverware sorter needed a scrubbing and so did the entire drawer. Then it was on to the kitchen floor which received a sweep and a hand scrubbing including the spot underneath the recycling container which often gets skipped when in a hurry. Then as the floor was drying it was outside to water the plants, dead head the flowers and dammit if the car didn't need a good shining up as well. The car, engine, and tires all scrubbed it was only logical to move on to the interior of the car but the shop vac was in dis-repair so a quick Internet order later and the missing part is on it's way. Since I couldn't vacuum the car the laundry presented it's self next and managed to keep me busy for a few more minutes. When all this was done I looked at my watch and noticed it was only 1:30 pm. Drat. Time goes so slowly when you are counting down 28 days. Well a lawn chair, nail file and Glamour magazine managed to relax me a little bit and ease me into the late afternoon and begin to enjoy my time alone. A long brisk walk with the dog topped off the day and made me tired enough to rest my eyes at bed time.
Keeping busy is what you do on a ship, the ships clock never stops and the routine begins again every 24 hours. I'm happy I'm not at sea but I hope I can bring some of the structure, the routine and the comfort of ships life in to my home life.
