July 8, 2010
By Roman Shor
On shore, humans are accustomed to dealing with a stable and usually level surface called Earth. It remains where we left it, unless we live in California where it moves on occasion, and maintaining balance is usually a simple matter of keeping ourselves over our feet. Upon mastering this skill, we look for other amusements that make balance more difficult, such as gymnastics or skiing.
At sea, the hull of the ship – the SSV Corwith Cramer in our case – is a set of static and stable surfaces surrounded by the turmoil of the ocean around her. Not only does she pitch and roll with her heart's desire, she has an uncanny habit of settling on a certain tack and heeling over for hours on end. Up no longer is up, and the once upright bulkheads (walls), are now at crazy angles as we try to navigate them.
The first few weeks of the cruise were an entertaining affair, with sailors sliding down the deck or slamming into various objects with each swell or gust of wind. Just staying upright usually required a white-knuckle grip on the nearest line or shroud. Each of us gets our fair share of scuffs and bruises. Those not ordinarily tall still find ways to hit their heads. With several weeks of practice, we become accustomed to keeping our feet below our bulk while occasionally sounding our way down the companionways (by bouncing wall to wall with the roll of the ship to the dismay of those in adjacent berths) or waiting for a lull in the motion and then making a run for it.
Being ordinary human beings, we tire of merely maintaining our balance, so we seek new sources of entertainment by coming up with games to make it more challenging. We introduce products of a fevered imagination such as butt wrestling or the plank game. Butt wrestling, despite the name, requires no physical interaction between players. Two sailors stand between five and ten feet apart while holding a taut line between them. The line crosses between them, goes around their butt (hence the name), and is held by one hand at the hip. The object is to maintain hold of the line and to use it to throw the opponent off balance. Hilarity ensues when the random motion of the ship is added to the mix.
The plank game is somewhat more subtle. All participants stand facing forward (or aft) with a set number of planks between their feet. Once a player loses their balance they are out, and the number of planks steadily decreases until one, or no, player is left standing. It makes keeping balance in a subway car a walk in the park.
No wonder we hit our bunks and sleep like rocks at the end of each day.
