in the doldrums...

You're probably wondering how someone on a 180-day trip around the world could possibly be in the dumps. Actually, it's not what it sounds like. We're not really depressed; we're just in the Doldrums. 

We all know what feeling down or sad is like. We don't need a book to explain that to us. But today we're in a different kind of Doldrums, as in where we're located physically. And with the help of the internet, I will share what that kind of Doldrums is like.  

Before modern maritime transport, the Doldrums could be far worse than depressing - they could be life threatening! Thankfully, we don't have to worry about the Doldrums in the ship we're on. In fact, we can look out and be amazed by the beauty of the sea and sky as we sail through the Doldrums. I take more pictures every time I look out from our balcony!  

 

look how smooth the sea is!

Just look at this sea! And there is no feeling of movement on our ship whatsoever. Normally we can feel if the ship is moving. Not today. 

 

just blue skies, blue water

no waves, no white capping

Here are 7 things you need to know about the area which has tortured mariners for centuries...

There's no wind here. The Doldrums is a low pressure area from 5°N to 5°S of the Equator. Winds are famously calm here, with prevailing breeze disappearing altogether at times, making it extremely difficult to navigate through.

It's a place for trade winds to meet other trade winds. The Doldrums is also known as the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), because it's where two sets of trade winds meet – and that's why conditions can be so shifty. Previously, it was known as the Inter Tropical Front, but in the 1950s experts discovered the significance of wind field convergence, and renamed it the Doldrums.

 

surface of the sea - smooth as glass!

It has a bit of a reputation. In fact, a pretty bad one. The Doldrums holds a distinct place in maritime history, having developed a reputation as a potentially deadly zone which could strand ships for weeks on end, causing them to run out of food and drinking water. In those days, with supplies running low, and scurvy setting in, delirium, starvation and cabin fever could all set in – and getting through this mysterious patch of Atlantic Ocean quickly wasn’t just a matter of first or last place, but life and death.

There's science behind it. The effects of the Doldrums are caused by solar radiation from the sun, as sunlight beams down directly on the area around the equator. This heating causes the air to warm and rise straight up rather than blow horizontally. The result is little or no wind, sometimes for weeks on end.

 

water is glassy

It can go from 1 to 100 in seconds. The Doldrums is known for being frustratingly slow, but it’s not just about stagnant calm winds. Often, it can move erratically between different weather patterns including violent thunder and electric storms.

It has nightmare neighbors. It’s preceded by an area known as the Horse Latitudes. Rumor has it that the area gained its name as Spanish ships transporting horses to their colonies in the West Indies and Americas would often become becalmed here, severely prolonging the voyage and causing water shortages which led to the horses dying, and being thrown overboard. *Becalmed describes a sailing vessel that is motionless because there is no wind. 

 

rain clouds over Doldrums

It's hard to predict. The actual location of the ITCZ gradually varies with the seasons. Over the oceans, the seasonal cycle is subtle, as the convection is constrained by the distribution of ocean temperatures. Sometimes, a double ITCZ forms, with one located north and another south of the equator, one of which is usually stronger than the other. When this occurs, a narrow ridge of high pressure forms between the two convergence zones.

So these things explain what is behind what has long been known as the Doldrums. Thankfully we don't have to feel anxious. In fact, what we feel the most when looking out at this phenomenon is a profound sense of awe and wonder for our God who created all of this beauty!! 

 

just smooth sailing

"How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small".  Psalm 104:24-25