Chaosbutterfly

Talk about perfect weather.  Last Thursday we had our make ready for the Coast Guard inspection, which didn’t happen until Friday.  I was wondering if it would happen at all.   When it did, it was relatively painless.  We managed to spot the Coast Guard’s “sick” guy they took aside to have a simulated heart attack during the fire drill.  We had been going over those drills for what seems like months and for a while there, we were wondering if we could pull it off.  Having lost a lot our early 1st year volunteers and a lot of our experienced volunteers to Ike, it’s been tough going.  We’ve lost our old rigger, he didn’t return after the storm.  Stories are he took being laid off personally, I really hope that wasn’t the case.  We currently have a guy by the name of Jami White temporarily as Boson’s mate during daysails.  He’s a big name in tall ship circles and is an awesome guy.  We all covet his amazing carabiners.  lol.

This year we started out with a different captain, Walter Rybka of the U.S. Niagara,  and it was a little difficult for us crew to get used to his style.  On the shake down sail, we blew most our tacks.  This was all due to communication errors.  We had wind, but we all started out tacking that turned into wears because we couldn’t get Elissa’s nose through the eye of the wind.  I think the first one was a miscommunication between the captain and the helmsman.  Our helmsman didn’t understand the command was to keep moving the wheel instead of stopping.  Terminology thing.  And, the second tack that turned into a ware was because our mast captains didn’t understand the term, “Shiver the yards.”  On a square rig, that means to point the yards into the wind so they luff the sails.  We didn’t know that.  Not a term we use.  On Sunday he also commanded the fore to take down the Flying Jib,  We don’t have a flying jib, but the Niagara does.  :p I suspect training will be a little different next year when we incorporate a few of these new fangled “Niagara” terms.  I sailed Friday and this Sunday.  I pulled a double watch Saturday night from 2200 to 0200 and still managed to get on as a guest on Sunday and stay awake.

That was a little adventure.  It was a little full guest wise so around 4 of us tried to get on a s standby crew.  Only 2 of us made it so the rest of us went down and put ourselves on the standby guest list.  All of us made it on the guest list.    Just because you are a guest, doesn’t mean that they won’t put you to work.  Once crew, always crew it seems and I worked on the main for the most part with the only difference being I could sit down from time to time if I felt tired and the mast captain couldn’t do anything to me. :p

We usually end up with a large portion of our guest list being elderly rich people so I also wound up helping a lot of our guests who managed to get sea sick.  You can spot them pretty quick, they loose their smiles and start looking a little stern as they try to hold their cookies.  They get a little cranky too.  You often have to talk them down a bit to get them to move to the leeward side and to the main hatch.   I carry around a pound of crystallized ginger for these occasions.  Often if you get them to lay on the hatch and close their eyes and turn their heads to the side they feel much better.   Staring at the horizon helps a little, but in my experience, they really need to just lay down to get them smiling again.  Sea sickness can happen to anyone.  We always say out there is a wave with your name on it.

Last night we came in and partied at the dock.  A lot of old crew has shown up for this year and I met people who had been involved on the ship back in the 80s.  One of the crew has a 30 ft plastic boat and he came by and took a few of us out for a little tour of the harbor.  We had a blast out there.  His was a little simple racer that apparently came in 2nd place a few years ago at the Harvest Moon Regatta.  I don’t remember what kind of boat it was, some off California brand, like Bahama Cruiser or something.  I don’t remember.  He had the main hauled to the center of the traveler and we just steered by moving the jib around.  It made sailing her pretty easy.  I think everything is easy when you are used to trying to handle a hand pulled square rigger.  I don’t think that guy really knows much about sailing as he does know about drinking beer.  :p

I needed off today.  I’m burnt and tired.  They had scheduled the youth crew sail today.  That is two sails in one day.  They start out very early and leave the dock around 7 am.  It’s a fun sail, but  brutal on the body.  I am not to sure if they even went out right now.  I haven’t heard them on the radio and I know there is a small craft advisory so  they may have stayed on the dock.  If so, I feel sorry for those kids.  They will be terribly disappointed if they don’t get to go out.

I should have pictures later.  I offered to take a few pictures using a friends camera and she’s going to send me copies on disk.  We took a plethera of pictures.  More later on that.