Tuesday 11 May 2010

Picton Castle at Sea in North Atlantic; Tuesday 11 May 2010 בס"ד

Stood my anchor watch at 0300, which was not much unlike port watch except you must make sure the anchor isn't dragging. Went to bed after 0400 and woke up as per usual at 0715 for all-hands breakfast. Our goal was to be underway at 0800, but the Captain was ashore for official captain stuff until about 1030. We did some line reviews while we waited. Then the Captain told us we were going to do something that's never been done with a new crew; sail off the hook. No engine was going to help us out of the harbor. We set sails and braced to-and-fro to navigate our way out with the winds. Once we rounded Battery Point, we set sharp on a port tack and remained at all-hands until 1400, when we were well clear of land. The wind that had sailed us out died before this, and nobody complained when the “up-and-stows” came as we started to steam south. At 1400 the 12-4 officially took the first sea watch of WV5, albeit a half-length watch. During this time we rotated someone at the helm with Meredith and someone on the focslehead with Logan every twenty minutes to learn to steer and do lookout. I took the helm for the first time at 1420 and tried to keep on the PC on a SWxW 3/4W course, and although they had said steering under power is easier than under sail, I found the whole twenty minutes to be correcting my oversteering in either direction. For a while I was idle (as there was no shipwork to be done) and so Nadia and Niko quizzed me on lines and sail-handling procedures. It is starting to become instinctive and not just rote memory. At 1540 I stood my first lookout and after five minutes WT came up and told me that there was a weather system (rain squall) 3pts off the starboard bow, which I then reported to the mate. Shortly after, I sighted a pod of whales or other cetaceans broad on the port bow, about 3 shiplengths away and reported it. In all I saw four surface nearly simultaneously. I again saw them broad on the quarter. My watch was then relieved, and I went below to take a nap until dinner. After dinner I finished Mr Midshipman Hornblower and have remained below since it is quite cold and now dark on deck. I will stand my next watch in under three hours time. I had about thirty minutes today where I was keenly aware that today is the day when I finally began to do that which I've always wanted to do. I feel that, though not without trying, I've failed to make a man of myself yet, and now I may finally have the opportunity. I think often of Dad and wonder what he'd think of me. Sometimes I feel like him when I'm aloft, and that makes me immeasurably happy, but then I remember that I'm nervous, and I can't imagine a time when he seemed so to me.