July • 2006 IMSC students take a back seat - Irish American News

July 2006 IRISH AMERICAN NEWS 11
Emotional Pressure Cookerx
The Naomh Barbara and crew will have fi nished their
historic journey from Chicago to Ireland by the time
you read this. Coley Newell is the author. I wanted to
take this trip with the lads, but I couldn’t have done
any better than Coley in describing to the world what
the trip was like. (Cliff Carlson)
MONDAY JUNE 19th - 17:00 HRS. C.S.T. - 23:00
HRS G.M.T.- 22:00 HRS LOCAL TIME. SHIPS
POSITION - N 45*14. W018*36. WIND - 30 - 35
kts PRESSURE - 1022 mbs. TEMPERATURE - 50*
WAVES - 20-25 ft. WATER TEMPERATURE - 51*
MILES TO GO TO MAUMEEN - 625.
Steve told me a couple of weeks ago, while
the two of us were working a shift together, that
he sometimes feels the pressures involving the responsibility
and well being of the lives of the crew.
It was during some fairly scary seas, and he was at
the tiller. We’re all grown men, physically anyway,
and I tried to reassure him that there’s nothing to
worry about, that were very prepared etc. It did
no good of course, but now I know why. Because
I felt the very same pressures today.
The seas, the wind, everything picked up a
notch again today, the third day in a row of escalating
conditions, over the previous day. As I was at
the tiller this morning, I felt the same feeling that
Steve described to me. When the boat is in rough
weather, and you’re trying to keep course, you’re
constantly battling the swells, the wind and the
waves. From time to time, one of them will get
Naomh Barbara leaves New York for Ireland
the better of you and the boat will list, or lean
at an angle that would frighten all but the most
experienced men of the sea. An angle of 15* is
enough to let you know that your going. But when
you’re angle reaches 30* or 35*, it may not sound
like much, but trust me, it’s very, very frightening.
Especially when you’re at the tiller and you’re in
the drivers seat. You know the families of everyone
on board and you’re friendly with them all. The
water is at the top of the lee board, (the boat is
almost in the sea) at 40*. When there’s 25 tons of
boat under you at that angle, you have a 600 pound
rudder to fi ght from going the way it wants to go,
swells that are pushing you there and a nearly 40
mph wind that’s determined to put you down, that’s
when you start to worry about the lives of your fellow
crewmates and their families. Of course, these
boats were designed for the brutal North Atlantic and
the hazardous coastline of the west coast of Ireland,
and I know for a fact that when Steve was building this
boat, he stepped up the specifi cations nearly twofold.
These conditions will not get the better of this boat
and crew. Besides, we’ve been through worse, and we
know how to handle it. But it does get the mind going
though. The day goes by much quicker during these
conditions, everyone is alert and watching weather
patterns as soon as they come up on the computers,
watching the radar because visibility is limited because
of rain or high seas or watching the Ocean for any
sudden changes that may have an immediate eff ect on
us. These are the times we enjoy. There’s action and
suspense and everyone is on their toes.
Breakfast today was whatever you grab out of the
fridge and hold onto. Dinner was a mixture of canned
chili and packet soup, made in a big pot with the
usual bungee cords holding it down. Our side dish this
evening was bread and served with a very nice vintage
bottled water. That was as lavish as it was going to get
today. Too much rocking and rolling to deal with. Of
course, there’s the sweets and chocolates that complimented
dinner quite well. The only one that’s going to
make any money out of this trip is the dentist.
Throughout the course of our journey, I’ve had
the opportunity to experience a completely new set
of sensations and emotional highs. And lows also.
Today was a pretty good example of an emotional cement
mixer. Some of the emotions are fantastic, and I
wish everyone could be a part of. Others are emotions
that I wanted to experience for myself. A lot of them
though, many people will never get the chance to be
a part of. People everyday, live very full lives without
these experiences. I have my own personal reasons for
wanting to push the envelope, so to speak, and am very
happy that I got the chance to realize these last couple
of months, taking emotions and fears and real life challenges
to a diff erent level than most people will ever
experience. I’m thankful for many things in my life, but
being a part of this historical journey that we’re on and
everything that goes with it, is one that I will always
be thankful to Steve and the St. Barbara for.
Slán, Coley
P.S. There’s a very special girl out there celebrating
her 5th birthday today. Her name is Aoife Mulkerrins,
and Dada wants to wish you a very happy birthday and
wishes he could be there with you to celebrate. He also
wants to thank, Steven Jr., Roisín, and Aoife (Agnes of
course also) for the wonderful Fathers day wishes!