Just after a day at sea, on the way to Mersin, we
experienced very bad weather and it persisted for almost eight days. There was
anxiety and restlessness as the ship was rolling heavily and violently at
times. Fortunately, the ship was loaded with a full consignment of bagged fertilizer,
a homogenous cargo, that has less chances of shifting. The Captain was on the
bridge most of those eight days. God was our only hope. I spoke with the captain
during my sea watch, and asked him if it was not possible to alter the course,
and bring the vessel to a somewhat safe and comfortable position? He showed me
the chart in use and said, “considering the approximate position of the vessel
at this time, there is no way we could do any alteration. If we alter the
course towards the east, the vessel would go more in to the Bay of Biscay, and
if we alter the course towards the west, we will be heading more into the
Atlantic Ocean.” Thus, to my understanding; alteration of the course would
bring the ship into more danger.
The Captain told me not to worry. According to the
stability calculations he received from the chief officer, and his own, the
ship can safely withstand the rolling we were experiencing. Even then, he was still
observing the situation all the time.
Due to prevailing weather, and for the suffering that
each one was undergoing, the morale of the people on board was low.
The weather persisted until the ship entered the straits
of Gibraltar. Some peace set in after that.
I thanked God, that all of us on board were safe!
Bay of Biscay
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