Fit for sea

Time is moving quickly now toward the day I board an Oldendorff vessel at the beginning of August (still waiting to find out where this will be). The past few months have been a whirlwind of preparation. Getting a "Fit for Sea" stamp of approval hasn’t been so much arduous as it has been intense.

There’s the physical side to it, of course. I’ve been managing medical issues since last year. I worked slowly and steadily with doctors to address a few persistent troubles, while also ramping up physical training and improving my diet. I went from a base of 10,000 steps a day and yoga twice a week to adding two weekly visits to the gym. That’s been a good shift.

We’ve always eaten a balanced pescatarian diet, so that part didn’t need much overhaul. The main change has been skipping the evening glass of red wine. I’m still a bit on the fence about it. But after digging into the research, it’s clear there’s not much to be said in alcohol’s favour, even in small amounts. So, for now, we’re saving it for birthdays. What happens after the voyage remains to be seen.

Sleep and stress have also been front and centre. For the last thirty years, getting more than six hours of sleep a night and keeping stress at bay has been an ongoing struggle. These two have never lived in balance in my world. Over the past year, I’ve made a real effort to reach seven hours of sleep a night and not work week more than thirty hours. It hasn’t been perfect, but there’s been noticeable improvement.

By the time I went for my Seediensttauglichkeit Zertifikat  (the German certificate confirming medical suitability for sea service) I was probably in the best shape I’ve been in for a decade. The exam went well. That was a relief to me and, undoubtedly, to Oldendorff as well.

Do I feel fit for sea? Hell no. There’s still a great deal of uncertainty. I don’t yet know where we will be sailing, what I should pack, or whether I’ll get seasick. And yes, there are moments when I ask myself why I’m so drawn to a journey that many around me see as slightly mad at my age.

But what keeps me anchored is the love and support I’m receiving. Even with their worries, those closest to me have offered nothing but encouragement. And that, more than any certificate or training plan, makes me feel as ready as I’ll ever be.