Wednesday 30 January 2013

Another Bouncy Day on the Drake


A full load of passengers on board Fram is about 230 people. Right now we have 145 guests and Fram is quiet.  Peaceful.     When you add a rough ride on the Drake, there are even fewer people up and about.  If you have your sea legs it is a very relaxing time. 
It can be mesmerizing to watch the breaking seas and giant Wandering Albatross soaring about.  On the other hand, if you forgot to take your motion sickness meds and you’re prone to sea sickness, then weather like we are having today is not such a tranquil experience.  “Hoo-ray and up she rises, hoo-ray and up she rises...”  can have different connotations.



The truth is that Fram is a very stable ship and while we had seas of four to five metres all day long, it is not a big deal on Fram.  Still, the gym sat empty, the Jacuzzis were drained, waffles were postponed until tomorrow, the seated dinner became a buffet, bridge visits were postponed from morning until afternoon, the elevators decommissioned and access to the outdoors was limited to deck seven.

Nevertheless, as always on sea days,  the lecture series continued at full throttle with talks scheduled on: Shackleton, The Geology of Antarctica, Albatross and Petrels, and The History of Whaling.
At 17:00 everyone was invited to join the Expedition Team in the Observation Lounge for a recap of the voyage.  The whole team lined up across the dance floor and responded to questions ranging from global warming, to landing procedures, to the stability of Fram in high seas! 
As we cruise steadily northwards the winds and the seas have noticeable decreased.  Now the seas are a comfortable three to four metres.  The forecast for tomorrow?  More of the same!