Pocket Dimensions - Time

"Time waits for no man"

- someone who never held the night watch

As mentioned in my previous post, the physics of your pocket dimension do not follow tightly along with the path of its parent.

Time here follows that same trend.

Almost everyone is familiar with the sensation of seconds stretching ever on, droning dialogues delivered drearily drawing dawns to dusks, we understand the basically morphic nature of time.

This same principle is present upon the sea, though to an extent I would expect is impossible to achieve without strong herbal assistance or very specific forms of head trauma.

Sitting on the deck with naught to look upon but the eternally marching ocean, rising and falling in staggered line upon staggered line, impassively passing around and under as you plough inexorably onward to the barren horizon.

The gentle hissing and crashing of the waves forms into a wall of white noise, becoming the background hum of your existence, as substantial as silence.

Each cresting hill you pass over is as the last, the only indicator to your progress made, a string of digits entered into your logbook, filled with identical entries, a change in word alone.

Occasionally a ship slips into view, noiseless and indifferent in its approach before it too begins to fade and eventually disappears from view once more on its own lonely journey through the rippling deserts of the sea.

If this sounds idyllic to you, congratulations! You'll last longer than most during the isolate depths of the salt water Sahara, but it would be unwise to assume that you will stand strong eternal.

Silence swings no sword to the minds of men, but just as the stream starts swayed by the stone, in time the rock is rent by the river.

So too will your mind be maddened by time stretched thin by silence.

(Studies on Sensory Deprivation have shows strongly that extended periods of isolation and lack of stimulation are terrible for your mental health)

Examples:

1. Segregation Psychosis

2. Vsauce Video on Experiencing "White Room" Isolation

Not to be overly contemptuous of the quiet.

In its depths dwell not only the abyssal bed of insanity, but far above, lies the Epipelagic domain of relaxation and a disciplined mind can find, between the two the twilight tranquillity of the meditative Mesopelagic realms.

But the longer within it you dwell, the deeper through the strata it draws you.

Time here is gravity.

I can personally attest to some of the deleterious effects of extended periods on helm with no distractions.

During our passage to Tunisia from Spain, my mp3 player decided that it was done with this noise and packed out on me, our autopilot was not operating properly so passive reading was off the table too and still, we had days to go (The whole trip was about 19 days to be precise due to weather and issues).

For a while, it was no problem at all, Tom was merely a shout away when I needed him, I had water and some snacks and a store of all my favourite music, playing at will in the confines of my own head.

The issue was, we were some time from shore, days in fact, in the open waters of the Med.

We were not in danger, but were well and truly miffed by our luck thus far and hoping to get the last while over and done with as soon as possible.

During this time, I began to notice the effects the silence was having on my mind as little by little, it stripped away the walls of my sanity.

Time began to stretch, checking the clock for the next log began to nibble at my nerves as minutes became hours.

My memory began to suffer too, forgetting the words to songs I had known for years, or parts of the beat became impossible to recall. In time, I found the inside world becoming as silent as the outside.

I started to get the troublesome feeling that I was being targeted by the weather as every time I glanced down at my book for a brief reprieve, the wind seemed to pick up and fluke sideways, snapping my attention instantly back to the steering that had been so automatic moments ago.

Before long, the hint of voices called from the surf, occasional snippets of words or sounds emerging from the steady, constant splashing and hissing of the waves.

Over long stints, the claws sink deep and it begins to feel as if you may have been there forever and have forever still yet to go.

The opposite can also be true though.

When mentally occupied with your own thoughts, a good book or delightful conversation, the minutes can fly by (Keep an eye on them, you don't want to miss that log entry!) and the passage becomes timeless, existing in a perfect now with none of the stressors or worries, anxieties or irritants of the world ashore.

Your boat truly becomes your own paradisiacal palace beyond the troubles of the world.

Some tips to aspiring chrononauts though, to ensure the seas of time do not draw you too deep while you explore:

1. Get a music player of some kind and load it with hours of songs and lectures. Audiobooks and albums are the antivenom of choice for when the fangs of silence sink deep. A long voyage is also the perfect time to learn new things, the sunlight, a laudanum for the usual ache of exhaustions long lectures can provoke.

2. If you've got an autohelm, use it on occasion. Standing behind the wheel makes your legs lock up and back ache if you slump, which will make the whole trip all the harder to appreciate. Get a wind-vane controlled one for blue-water cruising if you can afford it, but we have a compass-driven one at the moment that works for breaks. But keep and eye on power consumption as in gusty conditions and stiff seas they can guzzle power down.

3. Connected to number two, get some books. Not an Ipad or Kindle in my opinion as electrics & the sea do not mix. Even the saline moisture in the air will wear your wire-ends away in time. Sure, books are a risk too, but cheaper to replace when the water gets its way.

4. Shorter shifts are better (In my opinion). We have always done longer shifts on my vessel. Usually content with books and music to stay on helm for up to 12 hour stints, but when things go wrong (And they always do eventually) you may find yourself cursing that decision. 12 hours in cruising conditions can be tremendous fun as you surf the sea to your own personal soundtrack, but when the wind picks up and your music is drowned out by splashing seas and screeching gusts, you'll feel like the dead when you do get to finally turn in. As an aside, how garbage are you going to feel when that storm rolls in at the eleventh hour and keeps all hands on deck for an extra six? You're adrenaline'll pull you through, but you'll wish it hadn't

5. Company cannot be overvalued. We currently sail with just the two of us. But we have sailed in groups of three, four and more during the Solent days. Having more people aboard during long stints is crucial for your sanity. Staggered shifts and the possibility of swapping when you get stiff or unexpectedly tired makes the voyage into a cruise. Talking and card games also keeps your mind active and keeps everyone happy, which prevents that ever-present risk of cabin fever at bay.

6. Snacks and drinks are another crucial feature of any voyage. Aside from the obvious twin benefits of nourishment and energy, they provide a lesser-appreciated role as saviour of senses. To imbibe and ingest are a fidget of sorts, which when all else fails can provide brief reprieve from boredom when needed. Particularly when batteries deplete, autohelms mutiny and others are occupied. So keep around a flavour saviour, just in case.

7. Caffeine! The salvation of all sailors! Executioner of Exhaustion! Custodian of Concentration! Warden of The Weary! Be it Tea, Coffee or even Energy Drinks, have some available at all times. Fatigue fells focus and tired minds, tragedy finds. Tiredness can also amplify the effects of time dilation, sucking the fun out of anything you do to stave off the brunt of boredom. It is a necessity in my opinion, a support for all other methods available. (Don't overdo it though. There's nothing quite as wretched as finishing shift to find that the angel gently pushing you forward was secretly steering for the cliffs of insomnia.

8. The final asset, the addition of which must be assured, is the preparing and focussing of your own mind. Prepare for the silences as best you can. Meditation is a great practice to cultivate calm and comfort within the bounds of your own head, which is key as you're soon to spend a lot of time in its sole company. Despite the rest of the list, it is possible and quite likely that long periods of silence will occur. Maybe your mp3 player dies. Maybe cabin fever creeps despite your best efforts. Maybe Everything breaks down at once and all you are left with are the thoughts in your own head. Just as you bring your life-raft in case all other preventatives fail, so too should you pack a preserver for your sanity. Take pleasure in the little things, watch for dolphins and whales, count clouds, hum to yourself, philosophise about life, plan for the future. You have the time here to make room for all of the little things that fall by the wayside ashore, things that in our modern world of constant convenience and never-ending noise often go overlooked. The simple pleasures that can seed simple - yet no less powerful - joys.

There we have it, my list of basics to help you keep from becoming a slave to the ravages of time.

A powerful force, one not to be trifled with lightly, it puts all else into perspective, possessing the power to transform a carefree cruise into a stressful slog.

Do not underestimate it, but do not fear it.

If you come prepared, it will be more than happy to fade into obscurity, allowing for the perfect moment to prevail and your travel to be timeless.