There is no land at this latitude, so the wind blows uninterrupted around the world. Huge waves and storms can ensue, or it can be entirely calm. Crossing can either be “the drake shake” or a “drake lake.” We got a bit of both.

We woke around 8am and got a morning briefing over the loudspeaker. Expedition leader Michael would make this an every day ritual, announcing the air temperature, wind speed, and our daily objective. Today it is 4 degrees centigrade, with 40knot (gale force) winds and 4m waves. So, the objective for today is to get through it.

I did get outside for a quick video and breakfast, but felt fairly queasy and returned to the room to lay down for most of the day. The staff gave presentations about the birds and wildlife we can expect to see, and how to get the most out of photography with your smartphone. It’s good of them to focus on what most of the guests have; those of us with big lenses should know what to do with them already.

I was able to eat lunch, though Ruth wasn’t, and I still had to hold the table to keep from toppling over. Felt a bit better by dinner, and was able to sleep through the night thanks to dramamine.

Tomorrow, land!