The Long Jump
Knotty Girl
Tanya/Roberto
Tue 25 Jun 2019 16:27
Regular readers of this blog will be familiar with mid-Atlantic missives on the subject of life at sea. The East-West crossing of the Atlantic during ARC 2017 allowed your humble narrator (Alastair) to conduct vital research on different ways to present oneself for ones watch - often resulting in hilarious consequences (see earlier blogs on this page).
Today, we look at the post-watch activity of trying to get back in to bed. In my case, this requires the coordination of a number of crucial elements in order to be able to reach my berth for the week, which is the top bunk in the guest cabin. Let me explain:
Currently, we are on port tack. We have been for two 1/2 days. It is blowing between 20-25 knots, so the top bunk is therefore quite a lot higher up in the air than I am. In addition, it is not that wide, so a great deal of practice is required to achieve the perfect landing. To get enough speed to make the jump in the first place, your run-up should ideally start across the passageway in the heads (loo) opposite. This can be an issue if there is already someone in the heads... a story for another blog perhaps.
So far as your landing goes, three options are open to you:
1. Land short, therefore dropping you in to the bottom bunk currently occupied by someone else
2. Land long, soaring over the bunk itself and clattering in to the window opposite. (Worth checking that the window is shut before you attempt this, otherwise you will be spending some time in the Atlantic…)
3. Land well, such that you are able to lay still for a few hours until you are woken for your next watch
These options are easy to explain to you, dear reader, given that I have tested all three this week. Thankfully, the weather models suggest that the low pressure system we are currently in will pass to the south tomorrow, giving me the chance to get in to bed on Thursday and Friday without having impersonate Greg Rutherford every six hours.