Scott of Bonita Springs, FL asks:

From previous comments, you have been having some big seas. How do you adjust your lifestyle to these seas?

Ray Danet responds:

Life does change during rough seas, but not too much. The hardest thing to handle was when we had to seal up the boat and in the hot humid weather it was very uncomfortable without air conditioning, which we just installed in Yap.

How bad are the seas when you stop cooking?

With both stabilizers deployed, cooking was not a problem. The problem was that we did not feel like eating or cooking. What did work out well was those Chinese noodles that come in Styrofoam (which we did not throw overboard)

Do you have a strap in the galley for the cook?

Unlike a sailboat with its angle of heel, we felt that we didn't need a strap, but the stove fiddles are a very good idea.

Do you have some level of cooking that is between "normal" and no cooking?

Again, on this cruise for this crew (Ray, Dave and Tom) when the weather got real bad, there would come a time where we would ask each other, "Do you want a big dinner tonight?" The answer was usually the same for the three of us. During the heavy weather, it was "no" which means no side dishes, nothing fancy - keeping it simple.

How do you eat in these conditions?

In all but extreme conditions we ate at the table or the wheel house table. The Chinese noodle cups we held in our hand in rough conditions.

When it is too rough to read, is there any relaxing activity that you do?

We've all found that it's never to rough to read and we listen to music. Also when it's rough, you find that you take a lot of naps when you're not on watch.

How do you adjust your engine room routine for heavy seas?

We always do an engine room check every hour, but it would be a bit dangerous to do an oil change.

What is the longest time you have had to put up with these conditions?

With both stabilizers deployed, I'd say it's say three days. But there were still other days where we didn't feel like cooking or eating a big meal.

Does your ice maker have problems with water sloshing out in heavy seas?

The ice maker has worked well in all sea conditions and the model we have aboard is a Sub Zero brand.

Back To Forums