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.