As a ship moves through water, a wave forms at the bow and another at the stern. Between them a trough is created. The faster the ship goes, the deeper it sinks into the trough, a phenomenon called squat. Samson was driving the Macan at twenty-three knots—fast for this ship—so we were squatting deep, making it easier for the twenty-five-foot waves to slam across the aft deck where the Vietnamese detainees were being held.
