Last day's sail

Tues Aug 30

Just got off watch from a truly amazing morning!

Last night I enjoyed my night in by talking to Jayne on the phone (woo <3 ) and smoking my pipe on the welldeck while most of the crew played cards, strummed a guitar and laughed and joked in the salon beneath  my feet.  Two of my shipmates joined me Riley and Shane, they had pipes that they bought in France. During the crossing back it was suggested that nobody smoke cigaretttes only pipes to help with the ambiance for the filming :-)

We sat telling "no shit there I was" sailing stories in a lovely cloud of pipe smoke.

This morning we got an all hands wakeup at 6:00am just as the Sun was starting to rise into a totally clear blue sky.  There was a gentle breeze blowing from the North.

We got the remaining sails ready to set and then it was all hands to the capstan to rise the anchor. We had two shots of chain out (180') and hoisted one up, then the Captain ordered the lower topsails set and the yards braced around to make the ship hove to so that when we got the anchor up off the bottom we wouldn't move.

Once the anchor and it's sulphurous load of mud was hove up to the hawse pipe, we braced the yards around, set the jibs and spanker and started sailing.

The Sun was rising above the trees as we started to make way across the calm surface of the bay. It was silent, no engine or generator simply the soft swish of the ship passing across the small waves.

The Captain called us to the quarter deck and said "Leave evrything as it is and enjoy the next few minutes as we sail out of this remote cove into the Atlantic"

It was a marvelous thing to sail off the hook, handle the sails, and get our fine ship to sea with no smelly engine with its noise and vibration.

After we cleared the island that guards the entrance of the harbour we turned-to cleaning the ship to prepare for our arrival in Lunenburg tomorrow morning.

At around 10:00am we broke into watches and so my watch was on duty.

My trick at the helm was wonderful, we were sailing 'Full and By'. That is where we sail as close to the wind a we can, and my least favourite point of sailing from a steering perspective. I decided to use my new found skills and it was perfect!

The square sails are not set totally in line with each other, as you go up the mast each sail is set a little further off the apparent wind on deck. This is because as you go above the sea the wind actually shifts around a bit because there is less friction. So looking up the mast there is a slight spiral to the yards.  When sailing 'Full and By' you turn the ship into the wind until the highest sail just starts to luff, that is the windward edge starts to shake a bit. Then you fall off a tiny bit and bring her back to luff again.  This keeps the ship as close to the wind as possible.

The twist in the sails as you go higher on the mast.

Previously with my wild steering swings it was very scary point of sailing because I was always close to either getting the topmost sails aback, which is a really bad and potentially dangerous thing in a square rigger, or being too far off the wind. But with my new control it was easy to just keep the edge of the sail shaking. I was feeling pretty cocky by the time my trick was done :-)

After that it was scrubbbing and cleaning anything our AB could think of. Being a beautiful sunny day that was actually just fine..

Around 10:00 am we started the engine a, took in all the sail, and we are now motoring towards Rose Bay where we will anchor, probably in the middle of our watch tonight.  As we were mustering  Mark pointed out that this was likely our last full watch on deck, He thanked Shauna and I for being on the trip from Toronto. Erin our mate echoed the sentiments and then said the magic words "Watch Below".

Lunch was a bit subdued today, I think everybody feels the nearness of the end of the passage. For some that is 5 months from the time they left Lunenburg!  Always an interesting mix of "Yay I'm off this tub" and "I'm losing some close connections and routine". having only been on for two week that feeling isn't as strong for me but I feel it too.

More later.


We are still motoring South down the coast of Nova Scotia. We passed Halifax an hour ago. My off watch this afternoon was very pleasant, lot of sunshine a fairly calm seas.

We have had one Coatguard Fisheries vessel come out and tale alook at us, and we have been the search target for a local Sea KIng rescue chopper :-)

Lots of dolphins around here but they don't seem interested in playing in the bow wave like they do iin the tropics. Somebody suggested that because it is so cold in the water that they re too busy eating to play.

We had an "all hands to stow sail" call just before dinner. I went up to the foreyard with the Bosun and we stoowed the foresail. I felt like an idiot. I just can't get comfortable aloft now, I don't have confidence in the strength of my hands to hang on. I did OK I think but I felt slow and clumsy.  Might have to do more tomorrow once we arrive in Lunenburg as the plan is to take the rest of the sails off the yards and lower them to the deck while we are waiting to be cleared by customs.

We are still expecting to be coming into Rose Bay to anchor in the middle of our Watch so around 10:00pm.

Thanks for reading.
KJ