A guide to: napping on board

To nap is to declare your environment so agreeable that you would allow yourself to doze beyond them. It is an exercise in letting go. So where should one nap on Bark Europa? I can offer no answer to such a personal question. Someone else may offer the simple platitude of “Wherever you’re comfortable,” but this ignores the subjectivity of comfort. Instead, I offer for your consideration the places I want to nap.

Starting aft, at the poop deck - Light air, clear skies

Sunshine is abundant on the poop deck. The occasional creak of the hydraulic steering assembly periodically reminds you of the dutiful helmsmen, and the constant company you have aboard Europa. The sounds and gentle rocking of the waves seem pronounced, like they’ve taken a duet in a sensory symphony. Snippets of cheerful conversation between officers and deckhands can occasionally be made out from pilothouse discussions, and their pleasant tones gradually carry you further into a warm and peaceful afternoon siesta. 

Main deck

I have not had the courage to attempt such a daring nap.

Sloop deck – Steady winds, sunshine

The zodiacs provide much of the napping potential here. They shield you from increasing wind, and retain heat from the sun magnificently. The result is a cozy backrest that can afford you a perfect reading spot (even on slightly windier days) that quickly becomes the site of an unintended but welcome nap. From here you need only lay back to watch the pillowy white clouds and skyward-stretching rig waltz back and forth across each other before a tranquil blue sky.

Bowsprit

Go no further, sleepy sailors. Bow sprit naps are simply not allowed! No matter how gentle the up-and-down motion of the hammock that envelops you, nor how peaceful the view of Europa’s stacks of sails, nor how long Tim is taking to sort out whatever line he’s meant to be coiling, do not nap! Your climbing harness has become the wax wings of Icarus. Enjoy your time on the sprit, but do not reach for the sun.

Deckhouse – All weather

Naps should not be taken in silent, dark, lifeless places. To nap is to express willing vulnerability and a comfortable respect for your surroundings, a sentiment that is meaningless in a vacuum. Here though, the dark wood interiors and warm lighting create an atmosphere like a familiar pub. Friendly chatter over card games and the wafting smells of tonight’s supper fill the air. The wind and rain are long forgotten, like they are kept out by laughter or Lizze’s singing more than by the bronze-rimmed windows. Find a leeward bench to prevent excessive sliding.

Belvo (our nap expert aboard Europa) agrees in the common merits of these spots, especially the poop deck. He also recommends ensuring that one’s time is split between reading and napping, which is of course the challenge. An accomplished napper must savor the limbo between a vivid experience that we are grateful to be a part of, and the peace and serenity that appears unique to cloud-like sailing ships blowing gradually across an azure ocean.