Wednesday 17 November 2010

Picton Castle at sea; Wednesday 17 November 2010 בס"ד

In the morning, I was first helm, steering W1/2S. Plotted chart position, and then later Bracken was like “WHY DID YOU USE PEN?!?!” and I was certain I had used a pencil, so we looked at the writing utensil holder and an open pen had dripped ink into the bottom, tainting the pencil tip with the black ink we use to fill out our official log but never to mark our charts with. Scraped the focslehead deck, did galley wakeups, and watched as Nadja went aloft on the mizzen and wrote in the soot “WE "heart" CHRISSY.” Did a soogiedown, helped the sailmakers get their sails upon the quarterdeck, then watch below and had breakfast. I typed up the MOVEMBER article for the Captain's Log on the website, and then I wrote this log and then had to help carry sails to the quarterdeck. I began typing logs, as I'm nearly six weeks behind! Did that until lunch, had lunch, then continued typing before taking a nap. Before evening watch began, I rigged up the power shower for 1600. After that, we had piloting workshop part III, about set and drift, vectors, etc. I asked a question about the process to determine current is finding the difference between course and position and if that makes it CURRENT made good true, as it doesn't account for changes in the current, just the mean difference. I was told that technically, yes, I was right, but it's a dumb question because it needn't be that accurate to account for current changes in a few mile stretch of open water. I learned that currents are named for where they GO, not like wind, named from where it comes. A northerly wind and a southerly current move in the same direction. I relieved helm at 1745, plotted at 1800, dinner, and third helm again steering W1/2N. After helm, the wind started blowing, lightly, but it came aft a point from being a headwind so we were able to set most fore-and-aft sail, which was great! After watch, well deck workout and then washed my towel. I threw my Akamaru stinkwood overboard, as it was just too stinky and I was afraid with the heat and moisture in my bunk, it might get up and walk around and kill me in my sleep. Then I slept on the hatch.