Fortean Times

It Happened to Me…

Spectral mariner

I was invited to a hen party in Amsterdam in September 2006. My fellow hens were all flying over to Amsterdam, apart from me (I hate flying) and a good friend who kindly said she would keep me company on the ferry from North Shields to Amsterdam. It is an overnight crossing and in September can entail quite rough seas, which indeed it did. A short distance from North Shields we really felt the seas. My friend retired to our cabin to sleep it out. I don’t suffer from sea sickness and wandered around the ship, which was almost empty as most people were doing as my friend did. I ate by myself in the restaurant except for a few hardy truck drivers, and watched the cabaret dancers struggling to keep standing in the entertainment lounge. I actually found it magical to have the ship almost to myself, even though with each step the ship left my feet in mid-air one step and uncomfortably grounded the next.

Eventually, I went back to the cabin, check on my friend and try to sleep. I slept well until I awoke at about 5 or 6am, although I’m not sure of

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