Out in the middle, 2nd day between continents

Saturday, November 05, 2016
Open sea, International
Day 7 Out in the middle, 2nd day between Madeira and Bermuda

Most people don't realize that a UNESCO World Heritage Site lies under the Atlantic Ocean, right down the middle .

        "The mid ocean ridge systems are the largest geological features on the planet. The                     Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) is a mostly underwater mountain range in the Atlantic Ocean         that runs from 87°N -about 333km south of the North Pole- to subantarctic Bourvet               island at 54°S. The MAR is about 3 km in height above the ocean floor and 1000 to 1500 km     wide, has numerous transform faults and an axial rift valley along its length."                             http://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/504/

And here we are, sailing right over the mountaintops of the largest range in the world.

We’ve been gaining an hour a night for the past two nights, which is helping everyone wake at 5 or 6 and wait for breakfast to begin at 7. No problem getting to sleep with the rocking, but it’s difficult to sleep late. However, today it’s not just rocking: the boat is jerking . The sky is gray, water has swells and white caps, and moves up and down. I can hear a howling off our balcony. It’s supposed to be much worse this afternoon. I started the Bonine as a precaution after yoga class.

The day started early with coffee, juice, and omelet, followed by fruit and yogurt. By the time I got back to the cabin, Jacques was awake, reading in bed and looking at the angry ocean. While he had his breakfast, I took a yoga class, a challenging yoga class. It wasn’t the poses because I know how to modify to suit my level, but it was trying to stay balanced in a moving room on deck 12 forward as the ship took twenty-foot waves and the water splashed out of the pool to beat against the classroom window. Additionally, the adorable instructor had a South African accent, part of the 60 nationalities. But it was worth lying there, breathing, feeling the rocking, hearing the water splash on deck 12, and just become part of the movement.

Then back to the cabin and a Bonine. Rocking and rolling continued all day. Restaurant staff was told to secure all supplies to prepare for a rough night. We went to sleep to rocks, rolls, and thuds. Only two more days to Bermuda!
Other Entries

Comments

2025-02-11

Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank