03 February 2003
Sea sickness - and song!
The Dove and Dolphin mission is well on its way to the Israeli port of Ashdod – but communication is proving difficult.The few messages that have got through by email show that the team is in good spirits despite suffering from sea sickness.
The are getting on well with the crew of the M V Barbara – spending some of their spare time together in song.
The following extracts from team member John Maughan from Boscastle in Cornwall describe life on board.
John – known as the Boscastle Busker – is hoping to lead sessions of songs of welcome and friendship with local people when the team reaches its destination.
You can follow the progress of the Dove and Dolphin mission on its newly created web site at doveanddolphin.co.uk or doveanddolphin.org.uk or doveanddolphin.com
Sunday 2nd February
10.46 am
Force five to seven so not as bad as it might be. It’s from the west so we’re rolling a lot.
Didn’t manage to sleep last night. Was very sick. Still queasy and the chef is cooking hare for dinner. Don't think I'll manage any.
It is difficult to do anything as you need to hang on all the time. I'm sitting on a stool at the moment with feet braced but still keep sliding sideways. David is the only other one who is unwell. Not sick yet but has stayed in bed.
I had a good chat with the crew and captain last night till late. Sang a few songs together. They have a set up just like Fishermens Friends. (Note: Cornish folk song group)
Sunday
3.36 pm
Sea is quite hairy now though the boat is obviously well within its limits. To the real sailors this is an easy run.
We are all knackered with sleep deprivation and the physical strain of hanging onwhile the boat rolls incessantly 35 degrees each way. Apparently it goes to 60 degs when they go to Iceland.
David still not up. He hasn't been sick and says he is OK, just on the edge of vomiting all the time.
I managed some hare, boiled potatoes and carrots for lunch. They all had red wine but I'm sticking with water for the time being.
We are at 48.17 north 6.25 west which is just past the isle of Ushant (Note: French island off Brest) if that's how you spell it.
Water is still shallow, about 100 metres so sea is very lumpy. We just went over
the biggest wave yet. Alton Towers eat your heart out!
Will reach deep water during the early morning so wave length should increase and passage should be a little easier.
Crew are all brilliant; really helpful with everything.
I’m trying to write a bit of a diary but it is incredibly difficult.
Sunday
6.20 pm.
Just had tea. All well apart from David. Have tried to make him eat oat biscuits but he’s too queasy.
Latest position 48.09 north 6.47 west, so we're still plodding on sea gradually been getting bigger all afternoon.
Just heard that we have a force nine coming up for the rest of the night. So we're going to do the bay in style.
Monday 3rd February
2.06 am
It is 1.30 am and I've just had my first two hours sleep, interrupted by another wave like a brick wall!!!
It is really spectacular, even at night to be in the bridge watching the bow rearing, twisting and crashing down into the troughs with huge columns of spray blanking everything out for a while.
David surfaced again for a short while. Still finding it hard to eat. They say doctors are bad patients!!
We saw lots of dolphins yesterday but the sea was so big they did not show up as well as usual.
I'm feeling great now, no sickness. Shared a whole box of chocolate biscuits with Heine (capt) and a few songs before I went to bed.
Sea has got bigger, if anything but we have altered course slightly so that we are running more with it now and the motion is a little easier.
Clinometer is showing us rolling to 40 degrees which is quite hairy… we are now half way across the bay
At 47.17n 7.35w. We are back to a good speed of 9 knots after being slowed to 3.8 at one point. should be off Spain by tomorrow night.
Monday
6.27 am
Still very hairy here. Haven't heard forecast so don't know how much longer it will go
on.
I went back to bed and had an odd cat nap but am looking forward to the Med where we should have beds that stay relatively still.
Clinometer was regularly pushing 48 degrees during the night.
end