Friday 28 May 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Friday 28 May 2010 בס"ד

Morning watch started as when we left Anguilla... humid, overcast, and drizzly. We set the inner and outer jibs, which increased our speed by 0.2kts, and with that we had all of our fore-and-aft canvas spread. I did the usual slacking of gear lines, and learned about slacking sheets and clews for royals and tgallants. I stood third helm and steered SW. At the end of my helm it had stopped raining and I noted in the log that the skey was 7/8 stratocumulus. Jimmy and I made hot water and coffee for the oncoming watch, and I thought we might set some topsls at the turn, but we were relieved without event.

Day watch was also overcast and rainy, but now chilly as well. Niko and I de-sanded the forepeak, which involved unlashing, moving, sweeping underneath, and re-lashing all the sea chests and other things. I sanded a woodsaw, then stood third lookout. At 1445 I saw a bright orange floating object one ship's length away broad on the port bow, and reported it to Rebecca. She scoped it out and saw it was some buoys of some kind, most likely lost from another boat. The weather cleared up, and while I was in the hold inventorying wood products with Michael, we heard that a large Mahi fish had been caught. After watch I had a freshly cut sashimi piece of it, which was delicious and strange since it had just been swimming happily in the Caribbean not an hour before. A scheduled MOB drill took place at 1630, and on a nice day with small seas and everybody prepared, we lost sight of the bright yellow oversized “head” within three minutes. The rescue boat was lowered, and the Oscar flag lifering buoys were deployed, but otherwise it was a slow and controlled drill on deck. Very useful since we're out of harbor. I tied gangion line onto all six pairs of my glasses and sunglasses with constrictor knots (I only had done three before with Seine twine), had dinner, and read. The 8-12s just took the watch wearing rubber boots, meaning there are lightning storms. Shabbat shalom.