Monday Feb 2.09
Happy Candlemas, Groundhogs Day, St Bridget’s day to all!
I hope Balzac Billy didn’t get to see his shadow so that Spring will arrive sooner rather than later for you.
The 12-4 watch took in the stunsls just as we were coming on deck last night. There was a rain squall approaching on radar and the wind was becoming quite variable. The rain wasn’t too strong and the winds
didn’t pick up enough to force us to take in the royals.
We found a bottle hanging from the transom with a 2 page missive from the “Shellbacks”. Warning about
the coming cleansing of the polliwogs. There are 28 polliwogs aboard including the 2nd and 3d mates! The
note mentioned hairbrushes and “eating below in our own filth rather than in the clean Sea air” which has
led to much speculation amongst us polliwogs as to what the punishments might entail.
Just as we were going off watch we reset the stunsls and we are now sailing along at 4 knots SW by S.
More later…
Just got off of the evening watch.
It is warm and hazy with a misty grey sky. We have had steady winds all day with the occasional rain
shower from a passing squall. Pretty much like it was last night.
My noon sextant sight showed us at 2 and a half degrees North so we will be crossing the equator
tomorrow afternoon at this rate. There is still much discussion and anxiety amongst the polliwogs as to
what the shellbacks have in mind for us. I don’t expect that it will be too bad, unpleasant perhaps but not
much worse than a typical high school hazing. But then what is a “rite of passage” without some kind of
ordeal anyway. No matter what happens it is a link with the thousands of sailors from the past, present and
those yet to be born. It is a significant ritual, juvenile and silly as it may be, and as such it has a deeper
meaning for the participant who chooses to find it.
At least that is what I keep telling myself :-)
Thanks for reading.
KJ
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