The Bermuda Triangle

After a beautiful sunny, albeit a little hot, day in Bermuda we are back to overcast skies and rain. It is sultry, though, so the swimming pool is again popular.

At noon each day the Officer of the Watch gives a report from the bridge of the ship's position, speed, bearing and extra information. Sometimes it's to do with nautical terms and other times it's interesting facts about our position or our next destination. Today it was about the Bermuda Triangle, which is where we are, and about all the ships and the squadron of planes that disappeared without trace in the area. He talked about the reasons for the disappearances. There are supposedly pockets of subterranean methane gas and if they bubble up to the surface a ship could lose its buoyancy and sink immediately. The Gulf Stream also flows rapidly through the area and that could carry away any wreckage.

There are other more way out theories such as that there are UFOs that have come down and taken ships or that the lost continent of Atlantis drags down ships.

Just after midday a group of us were on deck near the pool celebrating a friend's birthday when the skies darkened and the temperature dropped, quite suddenly. Rain could be seen sweeping rapidly across the sea. It reached the ship and hammered down, soaking everything and everyone, and then it stopped as suddenly as it had begun. In its place a thick mist rolled in. It quickly covered the open deck and it was impossible to see anything beyond the railing. The rows of pool chairs, which had been hurriedly abandoned when the rain began, were mere dim shapes in the fog. Even their bright blue striped cushions were indiscernible! The thought occurred that maybe we'd be eternally adrift, Marie Celeste style, but then it all cleared and everything returned to normal.

How's that for eeriness?

Tonight is another formal night. I'm tired of dressing up in my best bib and tucker but we'll do it, nevertheless. If you don't, it spoils things for others, some of whom go to a lot of trouble to look good. There's another cocktail party before dinner so I guess we'll have to go. They're usually boring, however at the last one we were talking to the captain and he invited us up to the bridge the next day,. That was exciting especially when we went out to one of the outside sections which extend over each side of the ship. They each have a glass floor so the officer in charge has a clear view below when the ship is docking. That day there were 40 knot winds and we had to hold on to the safety rope.

Rambling again. It's now about 5.30 pm and the sea is very calm and flat. It has been a strange oily white for a couple of hours. The aft horizon is almost invisible and forward it is totally invisible. Flotsam, or is it jetsam, has been floating past. The engines are making an odd droning sound, as well. Could it be shades of the lost squadron?

Very strange!