Ship's (e)motion

Yesterday's casting of ashes at sea was a bit hairy. There were a lot of mourners, for a start: many of them getting on in years and needing help to move around the lifeboat. Then there was the sea-state. Fine for us, who were used to it, but quite challenging for people not used to a smallish, skittery boat in a swell, especially once we had stopped for the ceremony, out at sea and beyond the shelter of the Garoupe. Finally, we had the complication of leaking diesel fuel from the auxiliary pump, which covered part of the deck with an incredibly slippery film. The general skating about, coupled with the rich aroma of the fuel, and coming on top of the understandably fraught emotions at a funeral, had some people looking for the sick bag, and one person had to be held to stop her falling overboard as she repeatedly 'fed' the fishes over the side. Still, they all did magnificently in the circumstances, keeping a brave face. We did magnificently, too, as there were only four of us crewing, all oldies, including a colleague from another station who was helping out.