Crossing the Southern Ocean was a breeze compared to November 20 in the Ross Sea. King Neptune was in a bad mood that day. As the seas rose steadily, overboard sampling was postponed and many scientists took to their bunks.
Views from the bridge before the wind picked up speed.
The ship was noticeably affected by the changes in the weather, as were many people on the bridge at this time. (Not Captain Joe of course.)
The motion of the ship was easiest to handle on the lower decks. Here is a view from a porthole in the lab (01 deck).
Views from the bridge with waves breaking over the bow (approximately 30 feet above the waterline).
At the storm's height, wind speeds reached 60 knots and waves reached 20 feet.
Many who have journeyed southward would say this Ross Sea storm was just a drop in the bucket compared to the tumult of a Southern Ocean crossing. We were lucky enough on this cruise to have had only 5-10 foot waves for our crossing. After experiencing this Ross Sea storm, I was even more grateful to have had such a "smooth" crossing.