My favorite poem is Sea Fever by John Masefield. It sums up for me my mindset for going to sea.
Sea-Fever
I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.
I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
By John Masefield (1878-1967).
(English Poet Laureate, 1930-1967.)
I have been lucky to have made many sojourns to the ocean. As I fondly remember these cruises I of course think of all the science we did, but more importantly, I remember the merry yarns.
We all have sea stories and we love to share them. They start the same way, I remember when . . .
So what are these sea stories like? I can tell you they stem from a close group of people working for a common goal. In our case, the Seacore drillers, the crew of the NB Palmer and the science team from several universities and colleges all have bonded over these two SHALDRIL cruises. Who can forget reaching over 100 meters of core in Maxwell Bay last year, or the crushing emotions when the drill bit came up with a cobble wedged into the rotary bit. I remember the Cornish flag proudly flying above the rig and its absence this year.
So we make new tales as we experience the daily happenings on the ship and of course we tell stories of past experiences. The best sea stories come from John Anderson our chief scientist. John has made 26+ research cruises to Antarctica. He started coming here around 1970, has been on several different vessels and knows Antarctica better than anyone I know. When John leans back and starts saying “I remember...” we all stop and turn to listen. So as I get up every day for my 12 hour shift, as I get frustrated with the ice and wind, I also have heard wonderful yarns, told a few of my own and have enjoyed the companionship of many wonderful people. Everyday I experience the awe and wonder of this place, I cherish each minute of being at sea. So here's a merry yarn. We had hat day yesterday. The drillers out did all of us with their tea hats. A picture tells it more than words in this case. This too will be a tale that will beg to be retold.
Pat Manley
Late Update:
We are coring into the targeted section! More tomorrow.
Julia
Julian, Neal, and Matt on Hat Day.
Do you have questions? Comments?
Contact us
