One moment it takes a great deal of effort to haul the body up those steps, then suddenly you're flying up the remainder, feet barely connecting with the rungs. Nearly every action requires a consideration of the ship's motion. In Southern California, where I live, weather gets taken for granted. At sea the weather is paramount. Wind, waves, temperature and pressure are recorded hourly.
Bad weather can bring misery to even the most experienced sailor.
It slows the progress of the ship and can even bring disaster. Day one out of Manzanillo, Mexico, was beautiful. Warm humid air, calm seas, and a soft breeze whispered of the tropics. In the afternoon a thunderhead grew. As we watched it form, the captain told a story of how such clouds come to be.