Pacific Odyssey - Leg 6

Today is our 31st day of the passage . . . wow; we´ve been out here a
long time, an entire 31-day month.  The weather changed drastically from
yesterday; periods of drizzle and rain permeated the entire day, with port
watch getting most of the rain.  The wind switched last night and is now
blowing out of the north.  The trysail, foresail and jumbo are up and we are
making good speed.  The motion is still relatively comfortable.  Today was a
pretty quiet, somewhat quiet and uneventful day.  We all deal with bouts of
boredom at different points in the day.  In a long crossing such as this, it
is almost inevitable.  You find yourself tired of all the things you usually
do to fill your day; tired of reading, writing, knitting, chatting, etc. and
tired of sitting in the same general area of the ship.  Usually all it
requires is mustering up the energy to start something anyway, or to find
someone to sit with and to start a conversation, or to join in an already
ongoing conversation.  There is lots to do out here, but we´ve been keeping
ourselves occupied a long time; small changes in our routine are a welcome
diversion i.e. catching and eating a fish, mug-up, a birthday, a swim stop,
discussion etc.  Chess is the big game right now with everyone trying to
play their tournament games on one of our 2 chessboards.  Jordan and Jose
started a game this morning and are still at it, one slow move at a time.
Several times they´ve had to take a photograph of their game and leave it
until the two of them are free to resume play.  Maddie and Kaitlin baked
cookies this afternoon for a mid-afternoon treat.  As everyone is running
low or is out of ´stash,´ cookies are very welcome and appreciated.  About
1930 this evening there was a wonderful feeling on the ship with everyone
being busy at something, somewhere.  I took note of what was happening in
each part of the ship and thought I´d write it down, sort of like a snapshot
of the moment.  For us it is now so normal to continue each day in this
moving community; it really is a wonderful thing.  Tonight I was able to
remind myself just how special it is and how involved everyone is in this
community and how comfortable we are here; this truly feels like home for
all of us.
On deck port watch, Sarah´s watch was laughing and chatting away, playing
games and keeping each other company from 1600-2000.  They ate their supper
on deck in the rain and it didn´t take away from their enjoyment of each
other.  Port watch seems to get the most rain, Jose from fore watch agreed.
Fore watch was in the galley doing the supper dishes to music from one of
their ipods.  Usually dishes in Jose´s watch ends with a good round of towel
snapping.   In the foc´sle Ian had just played chess with Simon and was
playing another round with Noah, while Simon and Steve watched.  Steve just
lost a wrestling match with Simon and was nursing a bleeding lip and a
slightly bruised ego (Simon is 6).  Jose and Jordan were continuing their
chess game.  Katie, Molly, and Keira were having some ´girl time´ in Katie´s
cabin, with frequent loud laughing and shrieking emanating from the cabin.
At the hold table Elske, Sara R., Liam, and a few others were letter writing
or writing in journals.  Some trainees were already asleep, preparing for
watch tonight.  In the after cabin, Tristan, Antony and Jacob were deep into
a conversation on bosun and mechanical related subjects.  Skipper was in his
cabin playing his mandolin while I was knitting and listening to some music,
enjoying a bit of time before putting boys to bed.  It is a full boat with
lots of things happening in every part of the ship, kind of neat to notice
it all at once.
Sara R. wrote in her journal of a normal day in the life of a trainee.  I
will insert it here; enjoy.
"I feel a shoulder shake and hear someone hoarsely whispering my name.
Drowsily I wave them away after asking what it´s like outside. Then I close
my eyes for that extra five minutes in my bunk.  Sooner than I´d like to, I
unhook my lee cloth, hop over Susan, use the head, and step into my foulies
(raingear) and harness.  I climb on deck to be greeted by a moon so bright I
can almost read by it.  My watch partner has beaten me to the wheel.  I
steer for forty minutes and then stand at the wheel for another forty
minutes while my partner steers.  We either chat or remain quiet, together
with Jose, our watch officer.  One hour and twenty minutes later, we both
return to bed.  Jose stays up with the next pair.  Too soon, the whistle
blows for breakfast.  It´s time to haul my 2 heavy duffle bags off of the
table and onto my bed.  We are eating in the foc´sle, which means that juice
jugs have to be held between people´s laps and bowls of canned fruit and
random utensils may fly across the table and onto the sole.  We read and
talk during breakfast.  After breakfast I take my 2 bags off of my bunk and
put them back on the table, now cleared by the watch doing breakfast dishes.
I nap, read a bit, write a bit . . . the morning passes quickly.  I am
eating early for lunch, 1120, as our watch is on 1200-4000.  After lunch our
watch sets the table for the following watch and then I grab my sunglasses,
sunscreen and a book and go on deck for watch.  The entire watch will stay
on deck together for the 4 hours, even if we are not steering.  If sails
need raising or lowering, our watch will do it.  There will also be work
watch for our watch; between 1300-1500 hrs, those who are not steering help
Jordan sand and oil the rails.  I realize I am chilly and need another layer
from my bunk.  Once I´m back on deck, I realize I´ve forgotten my knitting.
I return below once more only to find that second sitting has started and I
cannot access my bunk.  I forget about the knitting and decide to work on my
ditty bag, a turks head bracelet etc. to help pass the time.  After our
watch everyone waits expectantly for supper.  Groups are chatting, the days´
activity continues.  Our watch is on second sitting at 1800 hrs and the
smell of food pushes everyone towards impatience.  Finally the whistle blows
and we crowd around the hold table.  After a noisy, singing grace with much
clanging of cutlery, everyone passes down plates, and then the salt, pepper,
sweet chili sauce etc.  Conversation is lost whilst people devour their
first helpings.  By the time seconds roll round, we are talking about
politics, religion, relationships . . .  and then all of the boys in our
watch tackle Jose.  We do dishes to the tunes of Bon Jovi or Disney.  I scam
my favorite job, sweeping, and then the boys launch into a giant
towel-whipping festival before tackling Jose again.  The motion gets a bit
rocky after dinner and it´s a gamble as to whether or not the toilet seat
will fly off the girls head while you use it.  Everyone sits around the hold
table playing cards, eating Arwen´s baking or waiting until the galley is
dark enough to perform some secret sit-ups and push-ups.  Getting ready for
bed is a battle of waiting for the head to be available, pushing people out
of my way to get to my bunk, waiting with a mouthful of toothpaste needing
to spit, and again, taking my bags off of my bunk and onto the table for the
last time.  I snuggle up against my lee cloth, my knees wedged up by my
chest to stay as still as possible despite the rocking of the boat.  I plug
into my ipod to tune out the sounds of laughter and cries of card victory,
and fall asleep before my next night watch, when the day will begin all over
again.  Good-night, Sara R."
This is it for tonight, we have about 4 days before Hawaii; we are excited,
but also trying to live in the moment.  Good-night, Bonice.