Monday 23 August 2010 (RAROTONGA)

Picton Castle alongside at Avatiu, Rarotonga, Cook Islands; Monday 23 August 2010 בס"ד

Another port triple entry. Bad habit. Anyway, woke up at 0715 on Saturday and at 0800 mustered with the 8-12s for General Quarters. We were stationed on the well deck, and everybody had to wear their blue Picton Castle World Voyage 5 official t-shirts. There we saw the Cook Islands Voyaging Society's vaka (which is an traditionally-fashioned Polynesian sail canoe catamaran-type vessel) sail around us. We reduced our sails gradually and did plenty of handling. At one point I made my largest and stupidest error of the whole voyage yet; the call came to lower the fore royal, and for I don't know what reason, I started to ease the upper topsl halyard instead. I know damn well which halyard is the royal and which is the upper topsl, but I can't figure out why I jumped to the wrong one. Of course, the Captain saw this, and I could hear him say something from the bridge regarding my conduct. Luckily, I stopped after only about a foot of easing, and fixed it quickly. Still, I worry now that I've tarnished my image as a competent sail-handler in the eyes of the Captain, and can only hope to repair it as quickly as possible. We maneuvered into the harbor, and I was on the well deck spring hawser and threw the heaving line to shore (the first time I'd ever done that). Put on chafe gear, then we had a small ceremony signing off the trainees who were leaving, and welcoming the new trainees aboard. After we were cleared in, I went ashore with the Batcave girls and had some drinks at a bar across the street. Walked with Dapper and Jo into town and helped Jo find a hotel about 3km away (all the closer places were booked out). Also managed a three minute phone call to Karla to let her know I'm alive. Came back to the ship, and then went with a big group of us to Trader Jack's for dinner and dancing.

Got back to the ship the next morning at 0745 for breakfast. Jo wanted me to escort her to the airport, so at the last minute before watch I approached Shawn with a trade option, since he's on 12-4 and I'm on 8-12 for port watches. He and I cleared it with the Mate, and got the go ahead. I discovered that I received mail from home, and found a big box of candy from a certain “Fredmom Weiss” addressed to Michael Fred Weiss, and also a letter with some official business shtuff. I helped Jo pack up her gear, then Ti came by to the ship and I went with several batcave girls to provide moral support while they got tattoos from the world famous artist. Then came back, had lunch at Palace burger shack with them, and got a cab for Jo and I to take us to the airport. Her 1745 flight was delayed an hour, so I chilled with her a bit and then finally said about three separate goodbyes before she took off. I will miss her. Started walking back to the ship when Bracken passed by on a motorcycle and did a 180 to pick me up. We went to Trader Jack's looking for people, then picked up Pringles and CornNuts from the gas station and went to Frank LeTank's place. Frank is a former trainee and friend of the Captain, and several of us were there having a get together drinkin beers and tellin stories. It was also Chris and Bob's birthday, and they were both there too. While there, a young lady walked in and it turns out she's Pirate Pawl's daughter Pania who had sailed World Voyage 4. It was cool especially for David Brown, since they grew up together and he hasn't seen her in years. Anyway, we drank all evening and had some takeout burgers from Palace. After a while we all piled in a pickup truck and went to Trader Jack's. Unfortunately, they closed down shortly after, so I went to the ship and went to bed.

Next morning, woke up for 12-4 port watch at 0730. After a serious deckwash, David Brown and I painted port topsides while Tiina tended the boat. At 1000, a group of about fifty kids came to the ship and we gave them a tour. The funniest thing happened at the end when we were giving out Picton Castle stamp “tattoos” to them, and I got one and they saw my muscles. They all were like, “Show us your muscles!” and so I flexed my guns and they were like, “Ahhhh!” like it was the craziest thing they'd ever seen. I told them that my muscles were tiny until I met Shawn, and that he taught me everything I know. So they asked Shawn to flex his muscles, and he did, and they went absolutely ape. It was really, really, really, hysterically funny. When the kids left, we loosed all sail, then after lunch, David and I resumed painting topsides. I then ospho-ed some rusty spots on the well deck and painted the breaks in the welldeck and quarterdeck for a rapid monkeyshine effort in anticipation of the Windward Isles Sailing Company's presentation afterparty cocktail reception thing that we would have aboard. When they arrived, threw on my nice clothes, and mingled with government officials and prominent businesspersons who would be interested in the Zebroid as a regular transport and cargo vessel servicing the Cook Islands out of Avatiu. Did gangway watch to help them off towards the end. I was slated for 0400 night watch, so went to bed.