Thursday 13 May 2010

Picton Castle at Sea; Thursday 13 May 2010 בס"ד

The night watch started out drizzly, so I had my foulies on. We started to do regular hour-long rotations on helm and lookout; only since we were hove-to there was no need to have helm and we had two people on lookout. Adrienne and I stood second lookout from 0100 to 0200. When we relieved the lookouts before us, we were told of a ship in the distance off starboard. At first it appeared to be going away, but we were spinning and then after a while I noticed it was getting considerably closer. I reported this to Rebecca, and she told me that they had changed course, that they were not obeying the rules of the road, that she was in contact with their captain, and that they'd pass about 1nm off starboard. That happened, and later on my lookout I hared a sound 3pts off port bow which sounded not unlike a distant river through a forest. I reported this, thinking it might be a weather system. Rebecca said nothing was on the radar, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be rain or winds. After my lookout a new ship was sighted off port bow, so maybe that was the source of the mystery sound. After 0200, we not on lookout had a “halftime show” where we tell stories or disclose talents to pass the time. Logan told the joke about the woman with the glass eye at the bar, but started it with telling how he worked at South Street Seaport on the Lettie G. Howard, which I confirmed with him later to be true. At around 0300 we started bracing the yards square and some people up and loosed sail. I went to wake up the focsle and forepeak people on the next watch, but apparently I suck at wakeups and only succeeded with Dave. Nadia woke the focsle for me. At the turn of the watch we started setting sails. There was a moment of confusion hoisting the fore upper topsl yard when port side got cockbilled. Logan went aloft and found that a gasket coil from the upper got snagged in the footrope of the lower. Anyway, I was pretty proud of how well I knew the lines in the dark and assisted some fellow trainees too. My night watch was sent below at 0435.

I woke up again today just for lunch and then started my watch. I again was designated second lookout and got no helm duty. I tacked down Conchey and coated her with Penetrol; however there was a paint locker fiasco as the last watch left it cluttered and disorganized and then slops got on deck. WT said, “Those bosuns who yell all the time at everyone; this doesn't happen to them.” I relieved Georgie from lookout and this time brought my binoculars with me. Shortly after I started, I noticed a very tiny figure on the horizon off starboard beam. After checking my binoculars, I confirmed it was a ship and reported it to Rebecca. I was pleased with myself for my prompt observation. Other than than a pod of dolphins dancing in our bow wake, I saw nothing else on my lookout. I did a ship check, and then reported back to WT for work. I actually didn't do much, save going into the sole a few times for ratboards. It was a bit difficult getting them out from underneath a dozen or so turnbuckles, but I did. Towards the end of the watch, when I was in the sole again, Tina and Jan startled me from what apparently was a one minute nap. I was quite embarrassed, and can't quite figure how I dozed off, but they thought I might be in trouble since I wasn't moving. After watch I read some of Master & Commander and practiced knots. The Captain called an all-hands muster on the quarterdeck, and told us three things: 1) we're about 400nm east of NYC, 2) tomorrow we'll be in the Gulf Stream, and 3) about the time we enter will be our first experience with a gale, according to forecasts. After dinner I became a personal trainer again (forgot to write that yesterday) and helped get Jo ready to do chinups. Our top speed today was 9kts, with almost all sails set. That's probably as fast as we might ever hope to go.