High Seas Haiku

Crossing the Straight of Juan de Fuca in very high winds

Ferry rocks on waves

Teddy bear reeks of vomit

Seagull soars past me

Reviews

[emmajoygreen]

Brilliantly created if not a terrible truth!

[Michael Sun Bear]

True event. We were on the normally high speed Victoria Clipper, a passenger only ferry making round trips between Seattle and Victoria, B.C. This is a catamaran that rises up onto foils, the hull clearing the water, to obtain its high speeds. We were returning to Seattle on a winter’s day when a gale was blowing straight off the Pacific and down the Straight of Juan de Fuca. The boat was unable to use the foils in the 3 foot seas and the conventional hull rocked back and forth a good 20 degrees. The deck crew could not keep up; two would grab a puking passenger under the arm pits and half walk, half drag them out on deck to the railing to throw up there and get some fresh air. Fortunately the bar remained open. I loved sailing in rough weather anyhow, but alcohol is excellent at calming the nausea center in the brain. If you don’t wish to drink it, pour vodka on a napkin and breath in through it. It really works. We drank the entire way to Seattle, were never the least bit seasick, just enjoyed the show on the extra-long trip.

[emmajoygreen]

How extraordinary your words are to me but also intriguing. Love water, a once powerful swimmer but that is in water not upon it. I've only learned as a fully pledged adult to go on deck and look, nay STARE at the horizon if feeling queezy. However there was a time on a ferry betwen UK and France when the weather was atrocious, my friend and i were surrounded by very sick people, was terrible. but we daren't move from our chairs away from the bar, so decided after tonic water, to have THE drink each of us normally enjoyed to the full. And to our surprise, we realised that those three drinks we each slowwly drank over a course of 3.5 hours was fine. We had taken simple grated cheese sandwiches with us, plus a banana too. We resisted stupidity, grabbed some fresh - very fresh air, but and,., survived what many did not. Were we lucky or what, will we ever know! Msny thanks for visiting. Take care of yourself. :)

[emmajoygreen]

Forgive me please, should have immediately said that you are a wizard when it comes to haikus!

[Michael Sun Bear]

What a lovely compliment!