Philadelphia to Antwerp - Grounded: A Down to Earth Journey Around the World - page 4

WHEN we wake the next morning, we can see from our window that we've passed through the mouth of
the river and into the open Atlantic. We're still close to shore, and the ship traffic is heavy. Other freighters
pass us in both directions.
We tromp down the stairs to the officers' mess for breakfast. There we meet the only other passengers
on board. They're a retired couple from Montreal, in their late seventies. Frank tells us he was an engineer
(among other things) long ago, but he quit the rat race in his forties to become a painter. He's still a hand-
some man, with a long straight nose and high forehead. Daphne, his wife, was a university professor. She
did genetics research, using mice as subjects. She's a bit mouselike herself—tiny, cute, and sharp featured.
Her white hair is pulled back girlishly in barrettes.
Frank and Daphne are bound for a wedding in Europe. It will take them more than a week to get there,
but they're in no rush. “We refuse to fly at all,” says Daphne, “unless we absolutely must.”
“Air travel actually used to be wonderful,” says Frank, looking wistful. “But they ruined it. They take
the planes designed for three hundred people and they fill them with five hundred. It's too crowded. And
the air circulation systems can't handle it. Which is why you always get that kid's cold.” Here he jerks his
thumb over his shoulder at an imaginary, snot-snuffling tyke in seat 47G.
They'd considered taking the Queen Mary 2 from New York to Europe (it still makes a regular transat-
lantic run—except in winter, when it putters around the Caribbean), but they decided it wasn't for them.
“It's just a cruise ship,” says Daphne. “We thought a cargo freighter would be immensely more interesting.”
AFTER breakfast, the four passengers are led out to the main deck, where we receive a required safety
lecture. It's delivered by the ship's third officer, a smiley Filipino guy named Gregorio. In halting English,
Gregorio describes the procedures for various emergencies.
First, he demonstrates how to use the “immersion suits” the ship has provided us with. These suits are
thick, one-piece, neoprene coveralls that zip over our clothing. They feature a built-in life jacket, a blinking
distress light, and a whistle. They'll help us retain core body heat if, for some unfortunate reason, we are
obliged to enter the frigid Atlantic Ocean without aid of a lifeboat. The suits look like a child's footie pa-
jamas—puffy, to provide warmth, and bright orange so they can be easily spotted from the sky. Daphne is
appraising them rather doubtfully. I picture her tiny frame bobbing gently in the swells, waiting for rescue.
The immersion suits explained, Gregorio moves on to the ship's alarm signals. Each different signal has
a specific meaning. One pattern of horn blasts signals an emergency, “like if the ship sinks,” as Gregorio
delicately puts it. If we hear this signal, we're supposed to gather at a designated muster station. (This as-
sumes the muster station is still peeking out above the waves.)
A second horn pattern signals a fire—in the event of which, again, we are to head for the muster station.
(Assuming the muster station is not itself aflame.)
The third and by far most intriguing alarm is for a security alert. “Like if there are pirates,” says
Gregorio. I ask if, in the event of a pirate raid, we should gather at the muster station. “No!” says Gregario.
“Stay in your cabins and wait for the captain to give instructions over the loudspeaker. Because the pirates
might be at the muster station!”
With his lecture complete, Gregorio leads us on a tour of the ship to familiarize us with its layout. There's
not much to it. The tall, multistory edifice at the back of the ship is called the superstructure, and it holds
all the living quarters and the navigation bridge. In front of the superstructure are the endless piles of con-
tainers, stretching up to the bow.
What's in the containers? The crew has no idea. If a container holds refrigerated items or hazardous
chemicals, the captain will be informed. (Refrigerated containers are tended by a crew member called “the