Free Time at Sea
Wednesday, February 15th, 2006
Before I joined the Picton Castle, I often wondered what I would do with my free time at sea. I knew what I wouldn’t be doing–talking on the phone, watching TV, surfing the internet, shopping with my sisters, going out for coffee or meals with friends. One thing is for certain, there is no shortage of time when you are at sea. Sometimes I have to look for things to do, but I never have to look very far. Here are some of my favourite free time activities at sea:
- Reading. I have always loved books. When I was a kid I used to get in trouble for reading in bed by the bathroom light when I should have been falling asleep. I brought a few books with me but certainly not a year’s supply, so that’s where the ship’s library comes in. There are three shelves in the salon stuffed full of any kind of book imaginable. I think I have read more in the past nine months than I have in the past five years. Reading is my number one favourite free time activity.
- Craft projects. Before Christmas I decided to make each of my shipmates a bracelet with hemp and beads, which turned out to be a lot of work. I brought all kinds of glass and plastic beads, strings and wires with me and I have been collecting shells from a lot of different places to make fancy jewelry. I recently finished my ditty bag by tacking in the wooden bottom. I started knitting a pair of mittens in the Pacific Ocean and although I only have half of one mitten done, I hope to have a pair by the time we return to Lunenburg. I also have cross-stitch kits just waiting for me to open them and start.
- Keeping a journal. I try to write in my journal every night, not a lot, just a quick recap of the day’s activities. I found out in Bali that my parents have been keeping a journal at home while I’ve been away, and I want to have something to share with them when I get home.
- Talking to my shipmates. It’s amazing how much time can pass during a good conversation. There’s bound to be someone to talk with on the Aloha Deck or the Well Deck, and since the crew is a collection of interesting people, there’s almost always something interesting to talk about. We discuss the weather, ship’s work, our shipmates, food, good books, and strange dreams, and we tell stories from home.
- Watching DVDs. I never thought that I would watch movies or TV shows on board, but a lot of my shipmates have laptops and they prefer having friends to watch with. The girls of the Bat Cave have recently become obsessed with The 4400, Ollie’s most recent TV series, and we have watched an episode every night for the past few weeks.
- Napping. I used to be terrible at napping, waking up grumpy and un-rested, but since I joined the ship I have become a champion napper. I can hardly remember the last time I slept through the night between watches, so usually a small nap in the day is necessary. Sometimes the problem is when a short naps turns into a longer one, but that’s not always such a bad thing.
Editor’s Note: Maggie is a trainee from Brampton, Ontario. A resident of the After Cabin (nick-named the “Bat-Cave” before being restored), she is with the Picton Castle for all of our Fourth World Voyage.
