Saturday, November 22nd, 2008
The seas really picked up last night and the ships is rolling quite a bit. We are still headed due west with
the wind just starboard of due aft.
I seem to be getting my sea legs I only get queasy while sitting below typing but not standing or lying.
Went aloft on watch lat night to furl and gasket the mainsail and we furled the t’gallants and main t’gallant
staysail.
Steering with the wind due aft and a following sea is interesting, the waves lift the stern and shove it one
way or the other which has to be taken into account when correcting the course. There is spoke or two of
play on the linkage which makes it even more interesting.
We are sailing long at a great pace 6-8 knots, the mate says we hit 8.5 knots last night and probably
averaged about 7.
Sleeping when the ship is rolling like this is a compromise between lying comfortably, like I normally do
on my side, and trying to avoid rolling around in the bunk. I found that lying flat on my back with one of
those blowup neck pillows to keep my head from rolling worked well.
Today is my first stint on galley duty, with Bruce and Corey, so I don’t have to stand regular watch for 24
hours. Carrying food around when the ship is rolling is fun, sort of.
Not having to stand watch means I can watch the sea for a bit.
Waves are interesting, they appear to be solid and independant things but in reality they are transient
artifacts of the interaction of the sea with winds and other waves. Like a life which is moved along by the
winds of time and influenced by the passage of other people, I hope they are enjoying their time as much
as I do.
Thanks for reading.
KJ
P.S. Here are some pictures from the passage.
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