I’ve heard people argue about the best acne treatment. I’ve heard that salt water air is good. I’ve heard you should put toothpaste on big zits. I’ve even heard of people spreading mashed potatoes on their faces. This last one is probably not advisable unless you’ve got a lot of potatoes, they’re not particularly hot, and you left off the gravy.

Speaking of potatoes, I have to mention the food on the battleship when we were ship-sleeping. The whole battleship operation was run by civilians, but the young Portuguese girls from Fall River made the chow line experience memorable. The food was good and the mood was pretty authentic. They were not rude. They were, for the most part, exceptionally polite. But they ran, without a doubt, a no nonsense operation. You grabbed a tray and cutlery, they plunked down your loaded plate, your milk and your extras.

The dinner we had on the ship was actually pretty darn good, especially considering that they ran some 600 people through the line in a little over an hour. Breaded chicken cutlet with mashed potatoes and gravy. Corn and a buttered roll. Even chocolate pudding for dessert. And it really wasn’t bad.

Sure, there were plenty among the 600 who griped. I suppose it is to be expected when you cram that many people together at close quarters, far from their comfort zone. To me, though, the point of the adventure was to try and get a sense of what it would be like to live on the ship. Yeah, it might not have been the most comfortable experience at all times, but…well, like I said, wasn’t that the point?