Doldrums

Every experienced seaman knows our position more or less if he sees this picture. The clouds, the quiet ocean, it must be well inside the Doldrums. It is a wide band north and south of the equator. From the southern and northern hemisphere, tradewinds are blowing towards the equator, resulting in a vertical ascending flow and quiet weather with showers within sight and typical clouds. The Doldrums were feared by ancient seafarers on their way to the south atlantic ocean. Days and days without wind meant also no progress at all, beside the speed of the ocean currents.

Coleridge describes the Doldrums in his 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner'

All in a hot and copper sky,
The bloody Sun, at noon,
Right up above the mast did stand,
No bigger than the Moon.

Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.