We had a major crew change in Korea, so today Hanjin Copenhagen held a general safety orientation. At 1020 hours, the alarm sounded and we went to our muster station along with our emergency gear. There was a roll call, and the 1st Officer led a brief tour of key areas. Fire is a major danger on ships, and so we checked out the fire fighting and hazardous materials gear; buckets and shovels of sand, extinguishers, hoses, rubber boots, gloves, masks and overalls.Sixteen of us also crammed into one of the bright orange covered lifeboats, held aloft by cables and winches. Hanjin Copenhagen carries two such boats, each with the capacity to take the entire crew. Inside is a simple molded bench with harnesses around the edge, and an elevated cockpit with windows for the pilot. This craft might save lives, but in close, stale confines (no toilet that I could see), you might wish for death in short order.

After the drill, I tried on the red neoprene full-body immersion suit in my cabin. It took me just under two minutes to drag on the thick overalls (complete with foot and hand coverings, and tight-fitting hood). Turns out “my” suit is one size too small, so I moved around stiffly like some seagoing, rubberized gingerbread man. It felt like being inside a form-fitting oven. But if you’re bobbing around on an ocean “sans bateau”, that’s the least of your worries.

Gone are the clear, cold, windy days of the Pacific. The water is dead calm, greyish green and a warm 23C degrees. We’ve been moving through a silvery haze all day. The sun made a brief appearance as a dull pink globe over the starboard bow, before vanishing again into the thick mist. We reach Ningbo, China tonight.