Tuesday 7 December 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Tuesday 7 December (a day that will live in infamy) 2010 בס"ד

Woke up early, but went back to sleep until 0715, and was still feeling miserable. Breakfast, then a rundown of jobs with WT. The jobs I assigned people today were:

• paint black overlap on wire seizings on shrouds

• scuff and paint red gunwale trim on the rescue boat

• scuff and paint black trim on the rescue boat

• clean and paint red sections of the quarterdeck waterways

• put primer on Captain's mess airport

• put primer on forward bulwark

• second coat of 30% white primer on fantail [funny story: I had to make a sign indicating the freshly primed area, so I wrote “THE PINK IS WET” and received many comments. Then we caught fish later, getting fish guts all over the new coating, and so not only was the pink wet, but it now smelled like fish]

• linseed oil the wildcats on the windlass

• scrub the entire superstructure down with soapy water

• wirebrush and corroseal part of the port cathead

• decksweep and clean brushes

I had to get a new 5 gallon bucket of white paint out, a new bucket of primer, pour new reds and blacks, mix white primer, etc. At one point around 1300 we anticipated a squall, shut down the works, but then it passed very quickly and we got back to work. We saw a pod of whales and before dinner about 50 or so dolphins feeding on flying fish. At 1600 we took in all fore-and-aft sail and stowed the kites. I stowed the main tgallant staysl with Pania. Finished work by 1645. After dinner, I was feeling better, but tired. Passed out before the capstan, then moved to the line locker, then eventually went below DTW. Seventh night of Hanukkah.