#20 BIPOLAR DISORDER


“I want a boat that drinks 6, eats 4, and sleeps 2.”
– Earnest K. Gann




R/V Knorr
July 17, 2001
12'13"N
55'32"W
14:50 ship time (GMT-3)

If you are paying attention, you notice our position has changed. In a westerly direction. Slightly north, kind of towards Barbados, you say. Exit stage left. Yes, we are steaming back to Barbados due to yet another medical emergency. I know that I never gave the reason for the previous medical emergency. Maybe an explanation now would be appropriate. There has been no official word on the previous emergency.  All questions have been met with serious sanctions. Apparently, the condition was deemed a private matter and the ones who poked around were told in no uncertain terms, that if they needed to know, they would have been told. And in a manner that eliminated any desire to ask again. Which is very surprising, given the size of the boat. Small towns and all...  Well, the supposition is that the condition was pregnancy, but no confirmation is available. The current condition is our electrician, who has been sick for more than a week now. In these cases, the captain is in contact with a medical consulting service which provides a doctor on the phone who directs questioning, diagnosis and treatment. There is a hospital on board with a pharmacy stocked with typical drugs. Our second mate is also a RN, also attends art school at Tufts U, and serves as a replacement mate during the summer. The rumor now is that the patient may have meningitis, of what form the rumor did not include, but has significant impacts. There are viral and bacterial forms, one contagious the other not, so the folk's initial exuberance with the thought of shore leave and the possibility of hanging in their favorite bar on the beach may have complications of the ship being quarantined. Too soon to tell, not enough info. An interesting side note to this is that the ship will be docking to refuel, unlike the last drop off just outside the harbor utilizing the pilot's boat. We are required to top our tanks due to hurricane season, and to preserve the ship's ability to run for considerable distance in case of a hurricane developing.  A wonderful cautionary action, I'm sure you'll agree. Especially that it should mean time to touch feet on land and do a little partying. In any case, the steaming time required to get back to Barbados and then head out beyond 200 mile national border, means little time to do much more science. The plan is to go just outside the boundry and do stations there. Three of us are considering jumping ship, myself included. Primarily for me, to attempt to reach Seattle sooner. We had set our other trip up when my return date from Barbados was on the 23, so my family will already be in the NW awaiting my arrival. Also, I may get a chance to actually tour the island, what a marvelous concept, no?

Last night Mike and I explored the portion of the ship as yet uncharted. Once again, two yahoos on the move, we advised the bridge and gained permission to enter the bow viewing chamber. Many large ships have a
protruding rounded projection below the waterline on the bottom of their bow.  This is a hydrodynamic device which provides reduced water resistance and improved efficiencies. This ship's such structure is designed with seven 8" glass windows in it's chamber and a ladder down 4 levels providing access. It was 6:00pm, we were heading west into the sunset, and the water was aqua-green. We were 5-10' under the surface of the  water with waves coming at us at 13 knots. What a rush, what a trip! I felt so vulnerable as we were in the first portion of the ship that would make contact with a lost and floating container. Water was sloshing about our feet, as we were standing on THE bottom of the boat. Pumps for the  lab's clean seawater system were humming and sucking water from a thru hull fitting that we had to step around.  It was hot, dark, dank, scary and then the green glow of light pouring through these little ports. Like another world calling us... 

So I continue to be amazed at the bipolar nature of this cruise. One day it's a cruise ship, the next a slave boat, back to cruise ship... We are currently in the cruise mode. Trashy
novels, steamy with sex, murder, intricate mysteries, hangin on the fan tail, sitting in the sun, working the tans, nashing with the crew, movies in the afternoon, blowing time.

Will we hit the bars in Barbados?

Will they surround the ship with navy PT boats and draw blood from all of
us? 

Will I get to cruise around the island for days visiting various beaches, bars and art galleries?

Will I be quarantined in third world hospital and spend the rest of my sabbatical recovering from some tropical disease?

Stay Tuned, you never know what's gonna happen...

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