Q&A with Concordia from the week ending November 15, 1996
Is it hard to work and sleep when the boat is swaying from side to side? Manhattan Beach Intermediate School, Manhattan Beach, CA
by Meredith Shake, 11/15/96
Yes, it can be very difficult to work and sleep when the boat is swaying. Right now, as I write, it feels like we are riding a giant rocking horse that never stops. Several students feel seasick and are not feeling up to going to day watch. Some activities during watch require snapping yourself onto something with your safety harness so that you can stay roughly in one place. Work that can be done in less detail can usually be done quite easily, however, jobs that must be done carefully are not so easy. It often takes twice as long to do those kinds of jobs as it would if the ship were steady.
Sleeping can also be difficult when your bed is constantly moving and never stays still. The most difficult aspect of sleeping is when you first go to bed, trying to find a comfortable position that will keep you in bed. This usually means sleeping on your back all night. Some students do not get much sleep because of the swaying. Fortunately, I do not have that problem.
Not that many scary things happen onboard because the Concordia is a very safe ship. However, on any sailing vessel there are bound to be a few incidents that make the heart beat a little faster. The first time aloft is bound to be a scary experience for everyone, but it is a fear that diminshes with time and experience. I am sure everyone has had a time when they had to grab something to keep from slipping or going overboard. All in all, the amount of safety equipment onboard gives a good feeling of security. Most of the fear on board stems from cockroaches, Captain's Inspection and morning aerobics, which are all far from life threatening.
We have used many different math skills on board in some unexpected ways and unexpected places. A couple of places we utilize our math include the chart room, in everyday conversation and, believe it or not, in the galley.
In the chart room we need to figure out wind speed, angles of direction and mileage (how many miles we have traveled, how many we have left, etc). In order to accomplish these amazing mathematical feats we employ addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and geometry skills.
Being one of the six Americans on board, I use miles, gallons, inches and Farenheit. Everyone else uses the metric system of kilometres and litres. When I talk with other students or crew, I have to convert their lingo to my lingo, which can sometimes be difficult.
Math comes in handy in the galley too. Especially when it comes to making dessert. Recipes in the cookbooks are not made for fourty five people so we often have to double and triple the numbers.
Ocean
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/ Class Afloat 1996-97
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