IMPORTANT NOTE

Dear interested reader:

My laptop keyboard is on the fritz, and it was not possible to type any logs while underway since having left Rarotonga. Now that I'm in Suva, Fiji, I managed to buy a cheapo USB keyboard so that I can type again. However, because I'm a month behind on typing, it is not possible for me to catch up with typing while in port. There is not enough time where I'm not doing something, and when there is, I need to find adequate space to break out this keyboard along with a power outlet so that the computer doesn't die while I'm typing up logs. So, the logs from after Pukapuka will not be posted until we arrive in Bali, Indonesia. That still isn't until at the earliest mid-November, so I apologize for the wait. Thanks for following along with my adventures though. I didn't ever plan on typing up a blog until I found people had interest in my daily logs. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so check out photos at Flickr or photos and videos at Facebook.

- Mike "Fred" Weiss

Friday 17 September 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Friday 17 September 2010 בס"ד

First hour of morning watch I helmed steering SW xS1/2S. All sails were set except the gaff topsl, fore royal, and flying jib. Once I filled the log, I went to clean the galley and teach Megan how to polish the stove. However, half way through, we came out to the well deck to go over sail-handling with everybody, which is becoming a routine since I think a lot of people from the first leg were still weak on it (sometimes myself included), so they're amping up the teaching efforts. I have been studying more in my free time, and am actually quite confident now in all of my setting and taking in, and I think it shows. Anyway, we actually did some sail-handling when we feathered the yards, and I eased the lee braces. I also helped Nadja rig up a preventer line on the spanker boom (our normal line is MIA). Finished in the galley and started making coffee with Jan when a squally bit was coming close so I stood by while Jan finished the coffee. It missed us, and then I cleaned the mugs in the scullery. We got an assignment for tomorrow night to learn a knot or star to teach the others, but I won't be on watch because I got permission from Rebecca to take off for Yom Kippur the other week.

Thursday 16 September 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Thursday 16 September 2010 בס"ד

Got a weird wakeup and went looking for coconuts in my bunk before I realized where I was and what was going on. I woke up crammed into the sealing, meaning we were now sailing on a port tack. First hour of morning watch, we adjusted the braces to reduce chafe since it was quite rolly. Second hour I did 100 pushups with Rebecca. Stood third helm, steering SxW and then Due South. Final hour I made coffee and hot water with Dapper.

First hour of afternoon watch I was standing lookout with nothing to report. Rebecca came to the focslehead and when I asked what was up she said she was contemplating a bigger foresl. Second hour I wirebrushed and oiled ratchets, then third hour I went with Leonard to nip all the bunts. Fourth hour Leonard and I wirebrushed and corrosealed part of the windlass. After watch, Dapper and I got some coconuts emptied into a jar, in preparation for an experiment in making coconut hooch. Finished reading “From Kauri Trees to Sunlit Seas,” then after dinner played chess with WT (he won). Then added sugar and yeast to our coconut juice and poke a pinhole in the lid to relieve pressure before hanging it up in a quick-rigged gimble in the port forward corner of the forepeak to ferment. Hopefully we don't die or go blind. Just reviewd the manual, now bed.

Wednesday 15 September 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Wednesday 15 September 2010 בס"ד

It squalled throughout the night, but my night watch was relatively calm, the ship not swinging out of the NNE-SSE sector. Woke up at 0715, had breakfast, and did domestics and deckwash and soogie before two school groups of about 25 kids each came aboard. I gave tours to the students, having a translator teacher come along since most of the kids only speak Pukapuka language. Then the kids played drums and did dances on the hatch, often pulling us up to join them. After the two school groups, we got ready to go ashore again. We got ashore, and the Mate was trying to organize a trip to the airstrip motu at the south end of the atoll. Before we met up to do this, Dapper, Brad, and I went to Lima's (one of our passengers') house and asked if it was cool if we stayed with him. He said yes and after our motu trip to find him and he'd take us to another house of his. We almost went on the trip, but as were waiting at the beach, a squall approached and we saw the ship let go the mooring line and take in all sail before motoring away. Then the massive rainstorm passed over so a few of us found shelter at somebody's house and played cards on the porch until it passed. We then walked around a bit and found a little shop where we bought some soda (that we had previously unloaded from our cargo hold). Then we went back to Lima's, and he and his sons walked us to our house. His wife and niece were preparing it still, so the four of us walked around, checking things out, but then it would squall intermittently, so we'd stop and take shelter with other islanders for the duration. We did this for a while and met some nice people. Then we returned to the house and had a massive feast with coconut latkes (made from sprouting coconut, which is like cotton candy on this inside). We were then adorned with flower leis, and we headed off to the community center for the dance party, but stopped at the nursery first were everybody was pregaming. Shortly after, we got the dance party going with the Mate as DJ Pukapuka #1 Dance Pah-tay 2010. At first, very few locals joined in; they all pulled up on their scooters and watched us like we were weirdos (which we are). Then we learned it is the Pukapuka custom to dance only when asked by a partner, so we all kept going out and grabbing people and once we invited them in, they started dancing away. Crazy dance party went late, then an even crazier afterparty at the nursery. Good times. Went back to our place at about 0230.

Woke up to a massive breakfast feast, and then Lima took us around to show us the sights, which included a penis statue built into a curb, and the three churches of the island. His family presented us with three mini-shell necklaces each, then we went to his boat and bailed it out for him before he returned us to the ship (the PC had returned to mooring after the squall passed). Shortly after we got back aboard, she started moving close to the reef and in a minute we let go the hawser and motored away. Once we had everybody aboard, many many locals also came and sang and dance and ate with us. I also helped lash an outrigger canoe the Captain acquired atop the galleyhouse. Finally, they left us and we motored off, there being no wind. 12-4 took the deck and we tacked the yards around, set some fore-and-aft sails, and I removed chafe gear from the hawser upon the galleyhouse. I stood fourth lookout, and had to go and loose the flying jib and pass it around to the new tack. After watch, I took a shower because I truly stank awful of BO from the dance party still, and then I got a lot of photos from everybody and hung out in the fly-infested forepeak (Pukapuka is a lovely island, but has about 1000 flies per cubic foot, and we got some stowaways).

Monday 13 September 2010 (PUKAPUKA)

Picton Castle moored at Pukapuka; Monday 13 September 2010 בס"ד

Woke up yesterday at 0730 with all hands for GQ, although I was galley duty so I reported to the galley. Helped set up for breakfast as the Pukapuka boats came out, and right after, 12-4 was quickly sent ashore, thus ending my galley day. We were dispatched to the MP's house, and I hung out there for a bit with a few others while he took the rest to church. After they returned, I went walking with Dapper, Brad, and Megan for a while, and we found a relatively small coconut crab hanging out by a tree. Then two pickups drove by loaded with the rest plus the 4-8s, and we hopped in and drove around the reserve a bit. Then hung out at a beach where I passed out for an hour and a half. Woke up to find us chatting with some yacht dudes who have been coincidentally stopping at many places we have (they were at Pitcairn two weeks before us and David Brown recognized them). Then went for a walk around the beach, collecting purple sea urchin spines with Rebecca. Made it back to the MP's second house, cooked ourselves baked beans, crackers, corned beef, and YumYum ramen noodles. Then walked to another house, hung out with friends, and finally ended the night where I ate earlier, and slept on a mattress outside.

Woke up at 0745 to get on a boat at 0800 back to the PC to unload all the cargo. Got back, and jumped right into the hold in the wood pile getting out the massive amount of goods. It's a tight squeeze, but I'm small so I can cram in there and muscle stuff out. Then, I lifted out several dozen 50+lb sacks of salt, sugar, and flour. Joined in chaining stuff out when the boats would come, and WT had me saw some wood to jury rig a part onto the dolly for when we offloaded all the oil drums and propane cylinders. Finished at lunch, and napped on the aloha deck. Off watches were stood down, and we took the deck. Dan and I were organizing stuff atop the galley house, relashing things on deck, and other odd jobs, and finally worked on new chafe gear for our mooring hawser using plywood and hose rubber. A squall passed by at one point, and the crew got ready to let go the hawser and fire up the engine at a moment's notice, since we don't have much room to swing at all before certain reefy doom. According to Rebecca, we're either totally safe or totally piled up on the reef, with only about a minute or less in between the two, so if the wind that's holding us safely changes at all, we must react super fast. After work, took an action video from the main royal, then dinner and galley clean. Watched “Around Cape Horn” with Dapper, Bradford, and Megan, then showed them photos of Dad. Now set up my hammock on the aloha deck. Anchor watch for me at 0100.

Sunday 12 September 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Sunday 12 September 2010 בס"ד

Woke up a minute late for muster, but no problem. First hour, didn't do much except take in the spanker and I had to go aloft to overhaul a braille that got caught in the sail. At 0130, starting making dough for bread we'll cook for breakfast, and did that for a while since I don't know much about dough-making. Finished that, wirebrushed and polished the stove, then went to do final lookout. I reported a squall broad off the starboard bow, which passed ahead of us. We took in the foresl, which I eased from the capstan (not a huge deal, but it was actually the first time I'd ever done that). Then we took in the outer jib and I got the downhaul, then I went into the headrig to pull the sail into the netting. I knew we were nearing Pukapuka but I still couldn't sight it. Then I stowed the fore tgallant with Sophie and Nadja. When I came back down to the lookout, I stared intently ahead of us for a while, scanning the gray horizon, when at about 0350, I saw Pukapuka and reported it. Now bed, and I have to wake up at 0745 for galley, if not earlier for all hands general quarters.

Saturday 11 September 2010 (NASSAU)

Picton Castle at sea; Saturday 11 September 2010 בס"ד

So far, everything's alright. First hour of morning watch, I hung out upon the quarterdeck; second hour was a sail-handling review on the well deck with Nadja. I was on third helm, but didn't start til twenty after because we had a compass and helming review, and discussion about how to steer on Captain's orders (like when we come into a harbor and he calls out, “Half right, ease your swing, hard left, etc”). Took the helm steering NW xN1/2N. Final hour, hung out upon the quarterdeck. We passed the 10000nm mark during watch, and we flew the celebratory flag Megan had made from my old bunk curtain. We should be getting to Nassau at approximately 1000 if we keep up the current speed. Pukapuka tonight or early tomorrow.

Woke up at 1030with Nassau in sight. Right at the turn of the watch, general quarters was called for all hands. We started sail-handling for about half an hour or so as we hove-to off of Nassau. It was a bit sloppy overall, which the Captain addressed later. At 1230, I was unloading cargo from the hold and chaining it to the local boat. At 1310, I was put on helm, doing it by Captain's orders from the bridge like we discussed this morning, and keeping the ship from crashing onto the reef about three or four boat-lengths away. I think I did rather well for my first time “precision helming,” and I was complimented by Sophie on my vocal projection when repeating orders. I steered us away from Nassau heading NW xN1/2N before being relieved at 1430. Watched the Mate wiresplice a cable that we'll use for the Pukapuka mooring, which has no anchorage at all but rather a rock we can attach the cable to in the reef. Last 45 minutes of watch, did sail-handling drills with the royal and flying jib, actually taking in and setting them over and over, which I think we should do more frequently. Rigged up a power shower for the turn of the watch, rinsed off, and at 1630 had a discussion with our Pukapuka VIP (the CI Parliament guy) who told us about the island. Dinner was food given to us by the Nassau people, and after I planned with Dave and Robert for what to cook tomorrow, since we're Sunday galley. Who knows what we'll end up doing because it will end up being port galley. Then played chess with Davey, helped Lauren with her photos, and read more of Don Silk's book (the ship on the cover we saw wrecked at Nassau). All in all, a sufficiently busy 9/11, so I didn't have much time to dwell on this anniversary. I actually felt pretty good, since I'm making a man of my father's son. Who knew nine years later I'd be keeping a cargo sail ship hove to off a dangerous reef in the South Pacific?

Friday 10 September 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Friday 10 September 2010 בס"ד

Mostly clear skies for morning watch. In the hour there was a problem with the Monomoy boat gripes, but I didn't really do anything for that as there was already a team on it. So, looked at star charts with Nadja, Dan, and Brad, trying to figure out the “Bat” and “Big Johnson,” two constellations that I see but aren't actually drawn as a bat or male parts. Stood third lookout, and reported a rain squall dead ahead, which we caught the very tail end of as it passed us by. Fourth hour, more stars. After watch, I read about oceanography from Bowditch for a bit.

Woke up at 1030, read some more Bowditch, and got ready for watch. First hour of watch, I wirebrushed the anchor chains; second hour I nipped bunts with Josh on the fore and with Brad on the main. Refilled galley diesel with Clark, practiced knots with WT, then stood fourth lookout with nothing to report. I was presented with a coconut yarmulke from Nadja, since I'm now a tropical Jew. At 1600, we had a quarterdeck discussion about Nassau and Pukapuka, explaining that we're quickly dropping off a few things to a Nassau longboat, and then heading to Pukapuka, which has wire mooring things in the coral but no anchorage. We should be at Nassau tomorrow morning and maybe Pukapuka tomorrow night. Then the Captain pulled me aside and loaned me a book he thought I might find interesting. Read a bit more Bowditch, and after dinner had a long discussion with Joani and Robert about various Jewish topics (I'm wearing my kippah for Rosh Hashanah, and so I get the usual questions from my goyish friends). Came to the forepeak and had a candy binge with Dave, David Brown, Taia, Cheri, and Dapper, and we talked about everybody coming to my place in Scranton after the voyage and working like we do on the ship in exchange for food and beer. Now bed. I hope I'm very busy tomorrow so I don't have a lousy day.

Thursday 9 September 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Thursday 9 September 2010 בס"ד

Morning watch began with overcast skies, but no rain. Before muster I enjoyed a piece of bread with honey for Rosh Hashanah and had one sip of the worst coffee yet made before chucking it over (and trust me, we get some bad coffee, but at 2345 you'll drink anything to help get you awake). I stood first helm steering NNW and then NW xW3/4W. Second hour, I polished the stove, this time using Nadja's technique, which I like better: wire brush the stove, then dampen the stoveblack rag. The difference was quite noticeable, I thought. Halftime to 0300 I just sat upon the quarterdeck, then final hour I was the sole passenger watchman, standing midships and checking the salon head every fifteen minutes for puke and/or overflowing toilet. From the beginning to end, one guy who is sleeping in the hold came up for fresh air and passed out on the hatch, only to leave at the turn of the watch when a roll nearly slid him off.

Woke up again at 0945 from the baby crying. Organized photos and made a small pouch for my headphones form the fabric before lunch. First on watch, Jan and I began repairing Sophie's sea chest, which was trickier than we originally thought. During the second hour, a squall passed by and so we quickly moved the chest into the carpenter's workspace and took in the kites and spanker. Once it passed, we reset the main tgallant staysl and outer jib. Stood third lookout, and the weather was nice but nothing to report until the very end when I told Rebecca about a squall off starboard. Shipcheck was fine, but as an extra precautionary duty, we have to pump the salon head thirty times. Fourth hour I cleaned a planer, then hung out upon the quarterdeck to see if that squall I reported would get us sail handling. Talked with Tiina about linguistics for a bit. At the end right before muster, the Captain came out and told us to stow the royals, which were loosed for drying, so I ran up and stowed the main royal with Dave. I'm still not super great with the dog ear thing, but practice makes perfect. Upon laying down to deck, Rebecca and Paul noted that it was impressive my kippah didn't blow off when furling the royal, but I told them I've had lots of experience with yarmulkes and wind resistance. Read “From Kauri Trees to Sunlit Seas,” before and after dinner, which is quite interesting and relevant to what the Captain wants to do with Zebroid and also to what we're doing right now (I heard Mate Mike mention in Palmerston that Zebroid might be renamed the Tiare Taporo after a schooner that did runs in the Cooks), and the book also mentions some of our friends from Palmerston. Also hung out and shot the shit with the bros. It's 2300 right now, 30 minutes until watch wakeup.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Wednesday 8 September 2010 בס"ד

Stood 0400 anchor watch, and the weather was relatively nice. Lit the galley stove at 0430, and nothing of note except the wind shifted from ExN to E 1/2 N. Woke up at 0715, and at our 0800 muster, we heard the yachties talk over the radio that they were going to come over also for our farewell deck party, and there were about ten yachts taking shelter in the lee of the atoll from the nasty trough, which has made rough seas. Did domestics and deckwash, and started recoiling all the coils to look nice. Then the dory Sea Never Dry came back under tow and I was atop the galley house guiding her back with others. We saw some more humpbacks at this time. After this, yachties started showing up and boarding. I met a British couple, and when the asked me my name, I said, “Fred,” and the guy was like, “Okay, so what's your real name?” So I guess it's a British thing to call guys Fred when they're not Fred? I also met a Brazilian lady from Fortaleza, and I gave her a tour in Portuguese. I'm a bit rustier than I'd like to be, but I can definitely still speak it, which is good. All the islanders came aboard and we had a nice gathering. A few guys and girls did a recap of our dance on the hatch, myself included. I gave Paul some wood glue and my copy of “The Old Man and the Sea,” since sharks bite his fish in half all the time. I loosed the fore topsls, and when the call came to weigh anchor, I went to the chain locker (I guess it's not that popular, but I love doing it all the time) and taught Leonard how to properly flake the chain. Getting out was easier than the Captain expected, he later told us, since the anchor was wedged in good. Headsls set, then the courses and tgallants loosed and set, and our staysls too. We pretty much sailed off the hook, and once out of the lee of the atoll, the seas became quite lumpy, and with the wind blowing freshly, the new trainees got their first taste of sailing ship sharp on a starboard tack. We are now headed towards Nassau, where we'll unload some cargo but as of now there is no intent to go ashore. Then we head to Pukapuka (which has quite a reputation for voracious man-hungry women it would seem). We got a new trainee from Palmerston, Taia Marsters, who will be with us til Bali or possibly Lunenburg. Stood down at 1600, and worked on making a pillowcase from my fabric. After dinner, I got ready for the new year, said the lehadlik ner shel yom tov brakha in the galley over two matches with Megan. Blowed into a fake shofar made from an aluminum foil roll, and briefly explained Rosh Hashanah to those with me in the forepeak. It's not easy to be very observant of my traditions and customs at sea in a goyish ship, but I try. I'll probably wear my kippah for the rest of the holiday, weather and windforce permitting. Right now it is gusty, rainy, and quite rolly, so I'll see. Plenty of our passengers here have already upchucked, but I'm still doing fine as always (knock on wood). Finished my pillowcase, now going to try to get a quick nap in before morning watch. Shouldn't be too hard even though the baby in the salon has been crying for a long time. לשנה טובה

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Picton Castle at anchor off Palmerston Island; Tuesday 7 September 2010 בס"ד

Yesterday I slept in a bit, then hung out with Paul for a while watching him make some drums for us from freshly cut mahagony wood. After lunch, I went for a walk around, and eventually made my way to the men's dance practice at 1500. We learned two dances for the big island event for Tuesday, and it was pretty cool. We also made outfits out of palm fronds. Then I played some frisbee and a few matches of volleyball and found out I'm “married” to a 12-year old named Mehau who followed me around everywhere with her friend. After dinner, little Anne Marsters very patiently taught me some Maori beats on the drums. Bed.

Woke up at 0800, but slept in til about 0930. Had breakfast, then left with my watch on a 1030 boat run. We heard there was an earthquake by Fiji or Tonga somewhere a few hours earlier, but no tsunami warning. Just cleaned up the deck until lunch, then organized all the Frenchy's clothes with Tiina and Anne into Adult Summer, Adult Winter, Kids, and Miscellaneous, then stuffed them in the forward sole. Then cleaned up a terribly sloppy forward garbage bin that had nasty food plastics in and some grime water leaking all over. At 1530, half the watch returned to the island, and we did our dance and had dinner before returning. Then the other half went to eat. While on the island, the Captain performed the ceremonial hair-cutting of Melbourne's son (who is named Daniel Moreland Marsters after the Captain). The dancing was good fun, and the ladies had their stuff together. Came back to the PC, cleaned the galley, swept the deck, and worked on fixing my computer which has several keyboard keys not working at all (one of them, “O,” I need for my password!) I was finally able to log in as a guest and copy and paste the letter O into administrative preferences and just removed my password, when I saw it said Wednesday 8 September for the date. I freaked out, thinking I'd forgotten Rosh Hashanah, but after doing Tashlikh, I realized my computer is set to UTC, so it's Wednesday in Greenwich, England, but still Tuesday here. Phew. Hung out in the forepeak with Dapper and Jan and finished sewing my bunk curtains. Now to bed for 0400 night watch.

Sunday 5 September 2010

Palmerston Island, Cook Islands; Sunday 5 September 2010 בס"ד

Woke up at 0635 for galley duty. It was still pouring down hard, and the wind was gusting. Throughout the night I had several near heart attacks when the anchor chain would come slack and then pull taught at short stay and make a huge crashing sound in the spill pipes. I even think the chain jumped a few links in the wildcat of the windlass. Scary when you're anchored to a treacherous reef. Cooked fried eggs while Nadja made waffles and we served breakfast in the salon. After breakfast, cleaned the dishes, scrubbed out the grill from yesterday, and prepared sandwiches and salad for the oncoming watch. The Captain came back aboard, and pointed out to me and Nadja the crossing swells made in the lee of the island, as pertains to Polynesian wayfinding navigation. He also told me, “I've got a big book for you to read, Salt,” and I was like, “Oh I've heard of this book,” and he said, “No, I called you Salt.” I thought it was quite an honor to be called Salt by the Captain, although I'm positive it is because of the Hebrew מלח/מלח (melakh/malakh = salt/sailor) that I'd explained to him before. Got a shark tooth from the sharkhead, then boarded the Palmerston boat at about 1145 and came in the gusting winds through the reef. Landed and went right to Paul and Sue's carrying some supplies from the ship. We sat around talking, and had a tasty lunch. It is Father's Day in the Cook Islands today, and so all the menfolk sat around the table drinking and talking. I was there the entire day, which merged from lunch to talking to drinking to dinner to talking to drinking, and many people came in and out. I had a great time bonding with my host family all day long, and talked about their lives and culture and mine. I also learned Paul's name is actually Ngu Paura. Towards the end of the night, I had a good arm wrestling match with John, my Maori אחי (I taught him the Hebrew word for “my brotha”). I had heard the other day Paul had not been able to replace his watch for a long time and they had no clock, so I gave him my old Seiko watch that I've worn for years. Now I'm truly tired, and have left the dining hut for the first time today for bed.

Saturday 4 September 2010

Picton Castle at anchor off Palmerston Island, Cook Islands; Saturday 4 September 2010 בס"ד

Crazy day. Woke up at about 0800 or so, had breakfast with Paul and Sue, then hung out on the beach waiting for the boat to bring me back to the ship. Loaded up and got back to PC at about 1030. Began work wirebrushing the big BBQ until 1130, when I began setting up for lunch (which was prepared already), since I was put on galley duty. Did that, cleaned up, then we had a swim call til 1330, and we were all going off the rope swing. After, made marinade for chicken, and sorted through some pretty rotten spinach for a while looking for green pieces. While doing this, several humpback whales were surfacing nearby, but no exciting breaches. Cut up and prepared veggies for Nadja, and we had a workshop on ground tackle on the hatch. After, Leonard and Megan and I worked on getting the small grill lit and fired up. Then at around 1715, Dapper caught a small whitetip reef shark that had tangled itself up in the fishing line. At first we hauled it up on deck and put it in a tote, and we were going to kill it, but ended up setting it free because it was still a juvenile-looking guy. At this time it started raining, and I finished grilling for dinner at around 1900, so dinner was late. After dinner, Dan caught a second shark on accident when taking in the fishing lines, and this one was 2 meters long, so I filmed and aided Dan, Rebecca, and Brad take it on for the kill. It was pretty tricky, and Rebecca cut off its tail with a machete and we let it bleed out over the rail before taking it in. This of course attracted many several more sharks, but we were done fishing. Dan and Brad just gutted the second shark, and it's still pouring down hard. I'm pretty beat.

Friday 3 September 2010

Palmerston Island, Cook Islands; Friday 3 September 2010 בס"ד

I woke from my excellent sleep at around 0900, had some quick breakfast with Paul and Sue, and went off for a walk. I ended up walking around the island, and passing out on the beach again a few times along the way. Megan was like, “Fred, don't waste the day laying down sleeping,” and I realized that that was always my mentality at every port, and I'd waste no minute, but now we were on a teeny tiny island with lots of free time to actually relax, and that was quite nice. I circumnavigated the shore of the island on foot, checked out the school, met a yachtie family from one boat anchored here, and went back for lunch. Met up with David Brown, walked around, and the Captain showed us an old sail/row boat that they used to use here that has a very flat hull for the coral but was deep-V towards the bow and stern for sailing (I guess) and I thought it was cool. Hung out at a little table area listening to some sing-sing, then passed out on the beach yet again. I actually got a little bit red, which doesn't often happen, but hours asleep in the sun will do that I guess (although just hours later writing this I'm back to my olive tan). Walked around more, met some on on the beach and wrestled Shawn. Went to the volleyball court, played with the kids and the yachties and some of us before the pros came and destroyed. Messed around with some of the kids, and learned from the Pukapuka guy how to open a coconut using my pocket rig. Came back for dinner, then went to a guy's night out at Joseph's, where we had beers and played pool. Just got back now, used the outhouse (which was crazy because there were hundreds of cucarachas crawling around and I had to scare them all off before going), sat and chatted with Paul about potential fishing plans, and now bed.

Thursday 2 September 2010 (Part 2) (PALMERSTON)

Palmerston Island, Cook Islands; Thursday 2 September 2010 (Part 2) בס"ד

Woke up at 0745 for galley duty. Palmerston atoll was already visible and you could see the islands. Cleaned up breakfast and while everybody was unloading cargo, I constantly washed cups (hot day = lots of hydration), and helped Tammy and Shawn make coleslaw salad. We thought 12-4 would have the watch, but 4-8 ended up getting it, so I packed up my gifts and some things, then helped hoist Sea Never Dry off the galley house, then went ashore in one of the Palmerston boats. Made our way through the crazy reef, came to shore, and we all sat down while Melbourne Marsters read off the host family assignments. I, along with Liam, Nadja, and Paulina, went with Simon to his family's house. Paul and Sue are the heads of household, and we were greeted and shown around. We planned for 1830 dinner, so we went to the beach, and I literally passed out like a dead man on the sand while Liam and Paulina went snorkeling nearby. Liam told me after that he saw a ton of marine life, including white tip reef sharks that were checking him out. Woke up, saw the Monomoy sail around, and went to play volleyball with the locals. Had a lot of fun doing that for a while, and after went back for a delicious tuna and wahoo dinner. After dinner, everybody met up at the blue house for some drinks and local sing-sing, which was nice. Liam, Dapper, Robert, and I were playing around with the fist-sized hermit crabs that would crawl along. Now came back, and although there are a few tiny ants crawling on my mattress and I just killed a little cucarachita on my foot, I'm expecting a good, restful sleep.

Thursday 2 September 2010 (Part 1)

Picton Castle at sea; Thursday 2 September 2010 (Part 1) בס"ד

Morning watch started with an hour of passenger lookout. The first half hour, I was amidships, and not much happened (except a baby whimpering) until about 1230 when a big swell knocked some luggage and belongings off the hatch and I helped pick it up. Then swapped with Dapper for Aloha deck watch, where I only ended up helping a kid with the light to the breezeway head. Second hour was uneventful but the rolling swell got bigger. I stood third helm steering NW xW, and although the wind force was 1 at best and the seas were like glass, there was still that long, slow, huge swell that rolled us good. Fourth hour was spent refreshing my stars and constellations, and I did 100 pushups, 75 of which Rebecca joined, and 25 of which Nadja joined, and planks after each set, followed by stretching with Sophie.

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Wednesday 1 September 2010 בס"ד

First midnight watch in a while. Musters are on the quarterdeck because we have passengers asleep on the hatch. At the end of the first hour, we took in the spanker. Second hour had me standing amidships and welldeck watch, and Lorainne on the aloha deck to make sure the passengers are alright and help them if necessary. None of them woke up on my shift. There was a vessel that passed us port to port, and we temporarily altered course to pass. Also helped Nadja trim the main tgallant staysl sheet while on midships watch. Third hour I chatted with Tiina and did 100 pushups. I also let Rebecca know that A) I love work and you couldn't get me to stop working if you tried, and B) the exception to this is Yom Kippur, which is upcoming, and I explained to her that I wouldn't be able to work the two watches that fell on my Holy Day. She said that it would probably be okay. Then I stood fourth helm steering NW¼W. We were asked if we wanted breakfast wakeups, and I said yes, but we'll see how I feel when the time comes.

Got that breakfast wakeup, and realized that there's no way on Earth I'm getting out of my bunk for breakfast, period. Woke up at 1115 for lunch, then at watch stood first lookout without nothing to report. No ship's work because of the passengers, but I adjusted the extra awning (made of an old sail) and also stowed hawsers in the chain locker. Stood kid watch on the welldeck the last hour and a half and Dapper and I played with the kids and did pullups with them. Funny moment (caught on video) when we were doing pushups with the kids on our backs, when little Daniel grabbed Dan's rig knife and tried to kill. Hysterical. After watch, finished my bunk curtain and played chess with Davey. Now had a funny bro chillout with Dapper, David, and Dave. Nap.

Tuesday 31 August 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Tuesday 31 August 2010 בס"ד

Yesterday I spent the day doing last minute errands and communications. I won't go into the hour by hour description, but I mailed postcards, got a $3 “Ina and the Shark” Cook Islands bill, bought some hardware and fabric, called the States, emailed and Facebooked, hung out with friends, etc. Nothing too exciting.

Today was awesome. It's hard to explain, but I really feel confident that I know what I'm doing, and we had a lot to do, so it was good. At 0800, the 8-12s took the deck and did deckwash and domestics. At 0900, all hands mustered and we learned our new watch schedules. I'm back on the 12-4. Anyway, Bracken pulled me aside to help shore the massive amount of cargo in the hold. He and I were cutting 2x4s and drilling them in place to keep the cargo from shifting. I forgot to say: We're headed to Palmerston and Pukapuka (Tonga's been nixed) with a completely filled hold full of cargo, massive amounts of fuel and gas cargo on deck, and 20 extra passengers (six of them children). The ship is quite crammed. It's pretty cool. Did plenty of lashings on deck to secure cargo. When looking around, I really felt like I was in a different time, with tons of people crowded around the dock, passengers and cargo all about the decks, and we the crew handling it like we do this all the time. It was awesome and probably looked like a scene from a photo you'd imagine from 100 years ago doing the same stuff. I was running around taking care of this and that, getting ready for our epic passage (apparently it's been a long time since this type of mission was undertaken by a sailing vessel). At 1400, we said plenty of goodbyes and shortly after, we steamed out of the harbor (there were northerly light headwinds). I was on the focslehead dealing with our bow line. Then went to the chain locker and stowed four hawsers, and sweat a gallon. Finished the 12-4 watch lashing things in the hold, and then played chess with Davey. Started making new bunk curtains from the fabric I got, and finished one. A child safety “cage” was built to cover the forepeak hatch from children, and Logan threw bananas down at us and called us dirty animals. Took a super quick rinse-off shower, now bed.