Tuesday 6 July 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Tuesday 6 July 2010 בס"ד

For morning watch I stood second lookout with nothing to report. I started to do holystoning when we got the order to loose and set all sail (we had been steaming). Finished at around 0720, then did a soapy deckwash. Ollie took some close ups of me swabbing the deck. I soogied the pinrails, and when 8-12s took the deck, they resumed our soogieing. Then we took in the main topmst staysl, which was making a downdraft that interfered with Donald's cooking. After breakfast, ended up in a discussion with Liam and Joanie about Jews and a condensed history of our diaspora when Mate Mike pulled Liam and I aside to join the on-watch in nipping the bunts, which prevents chafe against the sail by overhauling slack into the lines and nipping them to the jackstays with rotton cotton. I washed my two longsleeve shirts, the thermal and the button-down, and also a pair of underpants. Began to read “The Captain from Connecticut” by C.S. Forester again, and after lunch created a written list of all the things to be done in order to set the sails, such as casting off gear, sheeting home, etc, and read more. Throughout the day we saw a pod of pilot whales, dolphins, and a huge whale broach in the distance. Took a nap from 1430 to 1530, and at 1600 we had an intro lecture to celestial navigation by Mate Mike and Paul. At dinner we celebrated Jimmy's 27^th birthday, and after I helped do dishes in the scullery because Kate on galley felt seasick (we have had large and long Pacific swells all day). I then made the coffee for the oncoming watch, and we said farewell to our watchmates who had been selected as daymen. Liam and Nadja are going to be riggers and Nadia and Joanie sailmakers. Paula won't be BM anymore and will join our watch tomorrow.