How we prepare for rough weather

Ship: Roald Amundsen
Date: 14.03.2026
Position: North Atlantic
Nautical Position: 39grad 01,4’N 044Grad 20,4’W
Etmal: 119sm
Course: 045
Average Speed: 4,9kn

The waves are getting higher, so we have to prepare for rougher weather. But what do we need to do in a situation like this?

First, we clean our cabins and make sure that everything is properly secured and that the floor is clear. This means there are no shoes or other items lying around that someone could trip over at night.

We have lines under our beds so that our duffel bags stay in place and don’t slide around. To make sleeping more comfortable, we can also install lee boards under our mattresses so we stay safely in our bunks.

The galley also has to be made “seaworthy” for both safety and hygiene. We place damp kitchen towels under equipment and bowls so that things stay in place more easily. When we cook, the pots are usually filled only about one third of the way so the food stays inside even when the ship heels a bit.

Knives are always secured as well. We either place them under a cutting board or store them on the magnetic holder so they are safely out of the way. To make “Backschaft” (galley duty) easier when cooking and cleaning, we usually prepare simple meals like soups or similar dishes.

For safety on deck, we always wear closed shoes and use our harnesses during watch so we can clip in when necessary.
During our watch we also practice how to close the hatches properly and how to handle them carefully. When the waves get larger, a bit of water could otherwise find its way into the ship, which we want to avoid.

Some news from Herta, our sourdough starter: Today we baked the first bread with her. It tasted even better than our usual bread and everyone was happy to enjoy something a little different.

Today we also saw dolphins again and even a whale. Unfortunately I missed them because I was in the messroom at the time.

Grüße:

Toppsi Lotta: Liebe Lina, alles Gute zu Deinem Geburtstag. Jetzt darf ich Dich endlich wieder alt nennen. Liebe Grüße und einen wunderschönen Tag wünscht Dir die ganze Nordatlantik Crew und meine Wenigkeit. ❤️🥳🥰🎉🎂🎊 HDGDL!

Mona: Happy Birthday Linaaaaa, ich hoffe, Du feierst schön🎉🎉🎉❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Lotti: Happy Birthday liebe Lina! 🥳🥳🥳 Ich hoffe, Du hast einen schönen Tag! Fürs neue Lebensjahr wünsche ich Dir ganz viel Sonnenschein, Liebe, Glück, Glitzer und viele schöne Momente! Ich freu‘ mich, wenn wir uns wieder hören 🥰, bis bald!

Miriam: Alles alles Gute zum Geburtstag Linaaaaa🥳 ich hoffe, Du hattest einen wunderschönen Tag und hast uns nicht zu arg vermisst💗hab‘ Dich lieb und ich freu‘ mich schon aufs Eisessen😁

Ella: Happy Birthday Lina 🥳🎉🥰 Feier‘ schön

Maxim: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Mama. Ich hoffe, ihr habt auch ohne mich gut feiern können. Wenn ich auf den Azoren ankomme, rufe ich wieder direkt an. Ich hab‘ euch alle lieb. Bis bald.