Day Five - At Sea

As of eight a.m. this morning Thursday, April 25^th we have traveled 1,378 nautical miles.  Right now we are cruising at 18.4 knots over an ocean depth of 16,430 feet.

I have been sleeping so well each night; maybe it is the gentle motion of the ship that lulls one into such a deep and restful sleep. I think perhaps the mind has been tricked into thinking the body has returned to the womb. Whatever the reason I am not going to complain.

Yesterday Mollie and I walked into the town of Nassau; it was only five minutes from the ship. We did a pretty good job of covering the main street from one end to the other and back again. For three hours we kept our bodies in motion and that is a good thing.

If I can get my act together in time I would like to attend a presentation of Maritime Talk: Finding the Lost. It’s all about what happens when you call MAYDAY.

This afternoon the Forensic Psychiatrist will lecture this time on Jack Ruby: Inside the Assassin’s Brain. I enjoyed the first one on serial killers so this might be a good one as well.

There is a four class series on how to learn the Michael Jackson “Thriller Dance”. Dare I even attempt this? But wouldn’t that be a hoot if I could learn it and I now I would have a new talent to show off at family gatherings.

Now that we are at sea for several days I may break up the writing time with some card playing. Lot’s of people are playing bridge, I won’t go there but I thought I might wander up to the card room and see if I can find a game of gin. That might be fun and if I still have my touch maybe I could win a buck or two.

Interesting tidbit in the latest Cruise Compass about Atlantic crossings and how they haven’t always been the glamorous event they our today with all the amenities the Mariner of the Seas has today.

Between the 1850’s and the 1920’s millions of European immigrants sailed across these waters to start a new life. With the growing demand, shipping companies began building faster, more spacious vessels. Then in 1870, the Oceanic raised the bar altogether, adding electricity and running water to its list of lavish amenities.

Imagine that kids, going off on Spring Break on a cruise without electricity or running water. “Oh, no, Mr. Bill.”

In the book I am writing I have a section from my Uncle’s letters that he wrote crossing the Atlantic on a troop ship to Europe during World War I. I am going back and revisit that while I share the same waters with him if not the same coordinates.