Wednesday 8 December 2010

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

Woke up at 0500 and moved back to the line locker. At 0600, laid in with holystoning, which was only fifteen minutes long before they did deckwash. The sea is glass calm, not a breath of wind. Wrote my log, saw some dolphins. Breakfast. Still didn't feel very well at all in the gut. Laid in with most jobs today. Jobs included:

• remove fantail grating benches

• label rubber pads for benches and overhauling

• overhaul bolts, nuts, and washers for benches

• scuff benches with successively finer sandpaper

• penetrol and varnish benches with hot coatings

• clean up fantail with water, TSP, 004

• paint entire fantail white from tgallant rail to waterway with overlap

• clean and paint port quarterdeck waterway

Other tasks today included:

• lay in with riggers taking down mainsl and fore royal for overhauling

• lay in with sailmakers storing old sails in the sole

• lay in with sail handling with fore-and-aft sails

I didn't personally do any varnish or quarterdeck waterway work, otherwise, I was here and there doing it all. Finished painting the fantail with six other people at 1630. Had to superfast clean the brushes so I could catch the power shower. After dinner, studied português lessons with Sophie, and spoke with Vicky about my illness. I haven't peed in 48 hours, I have terrible stomach pain, liquid stool, gas, and bloating. She thinks it may be giadia, and gave me some meds to take at meals. She also gave me hydration salts and told me to keep drinking lots of water, bedcuase not peeing is bad for the kidneys. Drank 64oz of water, then tried sleeping on the line locker. After a while, I relocated to atop the galleyhouse, trying to stay outboard to weather because the main topmst staysl is set and I don't want to have it collapse on me if it is struck. Bracken's birthday, and last night of Hanukkah.