The view from Dave's office (c) Greenpeace / Walsh
This morning I woke up at 6:50am, and could feel the ship rolling from side to side. There was a strong sea outside, but I felt lulled, cradled by the waves, and dozed off again. It's quite a contrast. Yesterday, we had blue skies and warm sun... today its driving rain, strong winds, and a good swell. We're not talking Perfect Storm waves here, but it's rough enough for our third day at sea. As I write, there's some slightly green crewmembers seeking refuge in the wheelhouse.
In case your wondering what we get up to all day...
7:30am - wake up call, from whoever is on watch.
7:30am-8:00am breakfast
8am - cleaning. That means scrubbing floors, the galley, the heads (toilets), everything. There's 25 people spending a long time together on the Rainbow Warrior, so we have to keep the place spotless, ship-shape.
9am - down to business... our specific jobs
Midday - lunch
6pm - dinner
It gets dark here around 5pm, which cuts out any serious deck work.
Yesterday was a busy day. From mid-morning to mid-afternoon, I was shooting and editing photographs. Then for most the afternoon and evening I was hidden away, organising stuff for the web. I finally made it to bed around midnight.
This morning, some of the logistics, engineering and deck crew were out in the rain, doing some work on our campaign equipment. It was raining, and there was 30-knot wind, but it wasn't very cold. Some of the campaign crew sat in the wheelhouse, discussing content for the web.
I spent the morning hanging off my desk, as the Warrior rolled from side to side. Other Greenpeace web editors had warned that I shouldn't expect to be as efficient when at sea. It made for good advice - It's pretty hard to think, never mind type, when the ship is moving like this.
I'm based in the radio room, where I've got two portholes to peer out of. As I sit here, the sea is lashing against them, and I can see a dark coloured bird - a petrel, perhaps, skimming the waves in search of food. We call it the radio room, but it's really where all the communications stuff is... the satellite gear, the phone setups, the video editing equipment and so on. The ship has a computer network, with PCs for the crew to check emails etc. Some of us have our own laptops, so we can just plug in anywhere there's a connection.
Tonight, we head north, into bad weather. Everything has to be tied or locked down in some way. The chair I'm in is tied to the desk, and my camera bag is strapped to the leg of a table. Laptops are stowed away in cases, where they can't move around. Nothing is left to chance...
Coming soon - the lowdown on food and our accommodation. And some postings by crew members!
Comments
Getting seasick just looking at the top photograph
What qualifications do you need for your job. It sounds really interesting.
I'm 18 and want to be a wildlife photographer, your job sounds perfect.
I know your busy but if you have time, I'd like to know what type of University education, etc. I would need for a similar job, or the training you have.
Keep up the good work
Thanks for saving the planet
-Dylan Jones, djones86@rogers.com
Posted by: Dylan Jones at May 29, 2004 08:46 AM
Found this page quite by accident, last time I saw Rainbow Warrior was in 1986 off the coast of Wales, UK. Reading with interest what your day is like, rather you than me! Have a good trip, Be safe...Be well!
