GREENOCK, Scotland — Life aboard the Sorlandet has started to change, for the better.
After four days at sea, the passengers are starting to open up, leave their inhibitions by the wayside and let their true colors shine forth.
Youths on the ship spend time playing "deck golf" while the adults play "Phase 10." The teenagers can often be found playing a rousing game of "Skip-Bo" or listening to their CD players. They may not be traditional pioneer games, but then again, these are not the pioneers.
Once the seasickness died down and the rains subsided, a happier, more cheerful side of the passengers emerged. Some say it's because of the sunshine, some think it's because they finally caught sight of Scotland, while others have a different idea.
"It's because I stopped swearing," Dave Mason, of Holladay, said with a devilish grin. "Also the longer I'm away from my children the happier I get."
For the first time in days passengers are up singing, dancing and smiling. They tell each other about themselves, play pranks on one another and swap jokes.
"Everyone is happier," said Kristi Monson, of Houston. "It's because 'The sun will come out (tomorrow).'"
Thomas Wiklof, of Sweden, thinks the change is due to people getting to know each other better.
"I think it's because we have got no air down here," countered Per Barkfors, also of Sweden. "Either that or we are tired, and getting very silly."
Wiklof thinks most of the passengers have opened up by now and the silliness will continue.
"There's not much more than can happen because we are already friends now," he said. "We can't get married, because we are already married; and we can't do anything else, because, well, we are Mormons."
The new life breathed into these new sailors is a definite change from a few days ago. For the first several days of the trip, more than half the passengers were seasick.
"I have never seen anything like it," said John Corall, the banjer sergeant on the ship. "Everyone was sick. Watches were out of the question. It was like a floating hospital."
Now that ears and eyes have come to an understanding (seasickness is caused from mixed signals being sent to the brain by the inner ear and the eyes), people have ventured from their beds and began to really take part in the ship's activities.
Three watches (white, blue and red) have been set up with two four-hour shifts a day. While on watch passengers are asked to help with lookout, helm, standby helm, fire watch, boy watch (man-overboard) and deck duty.
During lookout, trainees are placed at the fo'csle (bow) of the ship where they are to watch for objects that may appear. They ring a bell, two for port side, one for starboard and three for straight ahead, when they see anything in the ship's path.
Helm is one of the trainees' favorites, because they get to steer the ship.
Fire watch is one of the least favorite watches. Trainees do a thorough check of the ship every 15 minutes to look for fires or running water.
Deck duty is the easiest duty. Trainees are asked to be on deck in case there is a problem and they are the ones who get to go aloft. The crew gives them occasional lessons on knot tying, names of the sails and the different types of sailing ships.
"My favorite watch? It's a toss-up, probably helm, because you feel like you are in control of the ship," said Dave Gourley, of Salt Lake City. "Fire watch is the worst because it's meaningless — a busy job."
While previously trainees grumbled and complained at having to go on watch, the resentment has dissipated and a positive look on the job has emerged.
"Here on the ship you see that we all have to do these things, so we do them together," Wiklof said. "It's always easier when you do them happily."