Rain. It was raining a little bit this morning when I woke up. Now, the sun is shining though, well sort of shining, sort of ish. It’s not as clear a day as our night watch was a few hours ago. I was on watch from 00-04 am again. I think it’s my favourite.
During our watch we had to brace a little bit to starboard, and the sheet of the course ended up in the water. There is something about the water, so full of life, it’s burning, glowing. Quite literally. As I was pulling the rope out of the water, I couldn’t help but stop for a couple of seconds, to admire it.
The full length of it was covered in glowing algae, bright blue green little lights, and I thought to myself, if ever I was to haul on a rope made of stars, it would look no more beautiful than the simple sheet of the course, comparable to the belt of Orion itself. later i was washing my hands in a bucket, and as i was stirring the water, the little lights appeared again, thousands of them, and for a few minutes, i was holding my own little bucket of stars.
I have seen the algae almost every night for quite a while now. When I look over the caprail I can see them floating by, mirroring the night sky. A sea full of stars, a bucket full of stars, a rope full of stars.
Yesterday I was organizing the paintlocker, for whatever reason. I really enjoyed it though, which is odd, considdering the fact that I am most probably the most unorganized person to ever step on board the Tres Hombres.
After my watch, I went to sleep for a few hours. I was woken up by a bell ringing. 3 short... Then someone screamed "all hands on deck, man overboard, man overboard"
I tumbled out of my bunk, and ran on deck, everyone was pulling the lines, bracing, I went to tack the jibs, to pull or slack, whatever was needed, and in my head I was going over the trainees and the crew, thinking, calculating how much time we had before hypothermia would kick in. It was a nice day. Sunny. Warm. But still the north sea. It's not known as a caribbean climate.
I was pulling on the ropes as fast as I could, running from port to starboard to tack, but there was no wind. She didn't want to turn. I was watching as the lifering was drifting by, no more than 10 meters further North-West. It was empty. I could feel my body go cold. We had to tack again.
I ran aft to be spotter, and as I was standing on the caprail, i heard the Captain say quietly with a grave voice: "Wow. She really doesn't want to turn. What must this person be thinking. watching us sail away" I could feel a cold river run down my spine, as I spotted the lifering. with no one in it.
I told the Captain that I had eyes on it, but it was drifting further and further away, and the waves would make it disappear for a couple of seconds, before it would return to my sight. I could feel my heart pumping as I heard the order: "Launch the MOB -boat, get the whip, ready on the bow- and stern falls, don't think, don't stop, just pull"
Second mate embarked the boat. I saw him sail towards the lifering. I took a deep breath as he grabbed it. The drill was over.
We coiled the ropes. We fixed the sails to get on the right course. I did a roperound to make sure that all of the ropes were in the right place. We ate. We did our watch. We joked. We laughed, and we had fun. We ate some more. Then we slept.
We went on watch again. Today was a sunday kind of day. I painted the wedding gift, i plan on giving to my mother on her wedding day. A knotboard. I went aloft with two of the other people in my watch, we were sitting on the Topgallant yard, and afterwards the Course. Just talking. Getting used to the heights. There is no bonding like aloft bonding.
It started raining so we went down. We are getting to know the Danish summer, since we officially sailed into Danish waters a couple of hours ago. We caught a lot of fish, well someone else did, I wasn't particularly involved. It was a nice day. A really nice day.
And yet I can still feel the cold river down my spine whenever I think of Captains words: " What must this person be thinking. Watching us sail away"
We went on watch again. Today was a sunday kind of day. I painted the wedding gift, i plan on giving to my mother on her wedding day. A knotboard. I went aloft with two of the other people in my watch, we were sitting on the Topgallant yard, and afterwards the Course. Just talking. Getting used to the heights. There is no bonding like aloft bonding.
It started raining so we went down. We are getting to know the Danish summer, since we officially sailed into Danish waters a couple of hours ago. We caught a lot of fish, well someone else did, I wasn't particularly involved. It was a nice day. A really nice day.
And yet I can still feel the cold river down my spine whenever I think of Captains words: " What must this person be thinking. Watching us sail away"
Greetings from Victoria
On heading 310 heading home
Speed 5,4 knots
Sailing with fair winds and followong seas
And i wish the same to you
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