Sleep deprivation on the good ship Tioram
You know that people are recovering from the sleep deprivation of the watch system when the stories of the previous night reduce the crew to hysterics.
At night we use red lights inside the boat to help keep night vision for the crew inside and out. Moving around inside the boat in daylight involves rushing from hand hold to hand hold. But at night picture a washing machine on a wash that throws you from side to side with an irregular rhythm you find yourself with your face pressed up against bulkheads surrounded by swinging hammocks of fruit and veg and the occasional low flying unsecured missiles.
The joys of trying to escape from your bed at midnight or 4am watch change involves a leap of faith to try to coincide with the roll of the boat fine when you get it right painful and at best funny when you miss the beat.
The dance that we all do by day light around the cabin deteriorates at night to a drunken stagger usually ended by a contorted straight jacket like motion to get into your lifejacket. Crew do the dance together and sometimes break into all manner of break dancing elbows, faces clunking together to the beat of the Atlantic. Just when you think this cant get any worse or funnier dependent on your stage of ‘sleep deprivation’, someone will kindly hand you a cup of tea this usually improves your one handed dance routine !!!!
Alisdair has described the joys of our forward cabin amusement attraction which has left the rest of the crew considering taking turns on the ‘ride’ if we have time to get bored.
His description of last nights ‘ride’ involves a soft sleeping bag liner on top of another silky fabric sleeping bag. The boat rises and falls quite steeply from bow/front to stern/back as well as an occasional roll. We often surf down waves creating a head first bob sleigh ride particularly in the bow. Picture the scene of poor Al asleep being catapulted against the bulkhead one minute bashing his head and the next moment waking up to find his legs dangling knee bent over the bottom of his bed he has suggested leaving his clothes strategically placed to slip right into his trousers for watch change just like the scene from Wallace and Gromit.
Tony was finally defeated by our forward cabin ‘ride’ last night. He moved into my bed in an aft/back cabin it’s called hot bunking on boats where the crew share the same bunks on different watches.
His sleep deprivation kicked in this morning when he tried to escape from the bed for the 8am watch change. He found himself completely tucked into his sheet and was convinced someone had done this to him during the night. The twists and turns you do at night to brace yourself into your bunk left him straight jacketed!! He had also kindly adjusted his lee cloth ( a canvas side panel to keep you safely in your bunk) to narrowly avoid sharing Moira’s bunk
Mike has found a star shape brace position works well combined with feet hooked around a panel at the end of his bed. Moira and myself have resorted to ear plugs and extra pillows assuming all styles of brace positions.
Pat slept quietly and calmly last night forced to press his face against the bulkhead we have decided that more violent movements on the helm will keep him firmly pressed against the wall with an occasional head butt just to keep things quieter in the cabin!!!!
We look forward to more ‘rides’ and dance routines tonight oh the joys of sleep deprivation !!!!
Today we pass the geographical half way mark between Gran Canaria and St Lucia and have covered 1500nm through the water cause for a small celebration.
The sun is out with a steady 18 to 25 knots of wind from the East, sea state 3 to 4 meter swell and all is well.
Love to all our families and friends,
Tina ,Tony, Al, Mike, Moira and Pat.
Yacht Tioram sailing blog.....11 years sailing the seas and oceans. 