”Aarrgghh! Jesus fucking Christ… STOP IT!”
It is night. About 2 AM. And even though the outburst comes from the depths of a sleeping bag, their is no mistaking of the Irish voice of Diarmaid.
The reason for the outburst is the loud snoring in the dormitory. I am on my back in my sleeping back. With my hands under my head i stare into the ceiling. Given up on sleeping a long time ago. My irritation with the snorers have turned into resignation and with the outburst of Diarmaid i can't help smiling.
When a crewmember at the same time farts loudly, the laughter takes control of me in the hall of Lochinver's village hall. Usually the hall is used for cultural events in the small fishing town. I don't know what to call this nightly sound circus of snoring, farting and protesting. But to sleep through it is definitely not easy.
The snorers of the Sea Stallion - and we have some really competent ones - are this night a quartette which regurlary is increased into a quintette when a soloist temporarily joins in with a short solo.
Half an hour earlier, Theis went around the dormitory. One by one he shook the snorers and asked them to turn and sleep on the side. Sisyphus I thought, for as Theis had reached the last one, the first super-snorer had already started again.
I make a last attempt to fall asleep.
Put my head into the sleeping bag use my hands to cover my ears. Then I try to convince my body that it is not fully awake. But even with my ears covered, I hear sounds of snoring.
Then, God help me, a fellow crewmember yells in his sleep, beating wildly around him. Apparently hitting his neighbour, and is promptly told:
"What the fuck are you doing?!"
I give up. I get up and with my sleeping bag, ground sheet and the inflatable pillow I move to the entrance hall, right next to the main entrance. The pale light from the neon tube in the ceiling is annoying, but nothing compared to the sounds in the dormitory.
Still it takes a long time before I calm down. For now it is so late, that the "night-peeing-traffic" has begun. And it passes me. And the door to the toilet closes with a snap.
Tired from the lack of sleep I board the Sea Stallion next morning. And I look forward to my first watch "below." Even though the ship is considerably more cramped than a dormitory on the Scottish westcoast, you sleep much better.