Started today with learning some lines after a run to the warehouse for sails. Meredith taught our small group about setting and taking in the headsls, 3 of 4 of which we have bent at the moment. There is the foretopmst staysl, the inner jib, the outer jib, and the (not yet bent) flying jib. All are for-and-aft sails that are triangular. The sail has three parts, the bottom is the foot, the top that is bent is the luff, and the outer end is the leech. The corner connecting leech and foot is the clew, the corner connecting the foot and the luff is the tack, and the corner connecting the luff and the leech is the head (I think...). To set a headsl, you must haul the halyards, which are on the well deck, cast off the downhauls, which are forwardmost pins on the focslehead, and secure the appropriate sheets, which are aft on the focslehead on port and starboard sides. The sheets attach to the clew, and there are two; so you must make fast hte sheet in order to prevent the clew from flapping wildly. Some wind will make the blocks go crazy, so they are aptly known as "widowmakers" or "bullet blocks." Avoid them when taking in or setting headsls. Anyway, the procedure is prety much reversed to take in... you haul the downhauls and cast off the halyards. After learning this, I actually forget what I did next because so much happened today. After lunch, I returned to capstan duty and hoisted up the main tgallant and royal yards. I almost went rowing again, but Jimmy hadn't yet gone out so I let him go in my stead. I laid in to some jobs here and there. Then we had another training session with the entire crew rotating about the decks to different masts and we learned about bracing and setting and taking in the squaresls and headsls. We are going to be drilling more and more on this in the next week and certainly when we're underway. We then had to furl the sails and I admit, I had my first fright. I was climbing the starboard main shrouds and it was raining a bit and quite windy. About halfway up I got nervous and came back down. Mate Mike told me to go to the headrig instead, so I did and learned to furl the headsls form Shawn and Nicksa. I was still very tense though. I better get over this because I want to be comfortable with going aloft at sea when I'm needed most. For dinner we had crazy delicious fish, and I told Donald that just when I thought I couldn't love fish any more, he had to do this to me. After, I taught Jimmy the bowline and clove hitch and rolling hitch, then we went to the Banker where I did some internet. Tomorrow Karla and Bob arrive. I'm on galley duty, so hopefully I'll be able to finish quickly.
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