Six Days At Sea Begins!
Quite a learning experience for me; I quickly learned two astoundingly handy new knots, how to steer a compass course--more on that shortly--and how to plot our course and position on a chart, as well as becoming familiar with the boat's extensive electronics. I also got used to the 3 hours on, 6 hours off watch schedule. That worked quite well once we started sleeping in the cockpit of the boat. It also rotated the chef duties: whoever finished watch at 1500 cooked dinner.
Weather kicks up, and I drive the boat!
My first-ever watch steering a compass course on the open ocean: nighttime, 20-25 knot winds, 8-10 foot seas, and unfamiliar boat. Captain Jerry had to take the wheel and get us back on course four times, finally relieving me of helm duty 15 minutes early. I felt like a complete idiot and knew the next two weeks would entail me being basically useless.
Weird Dreams at Sea!
They say people have weird dreams at sea, and they're right. Once I got to sleep, I had very odd--but kind of sexy--dreams about Katie and me on our boat, sailing this bizarre phosphorescent sea on the S/V Sovereign. In the dream, we saw a giant sperm whale breach, but it had bright South American poison-arrow-frog coloration. Why, I wonder, would a 60-ton whale need markings that say, "I'm poison, don't eat me?"
Close Call!
My afternoon watch the next day, there's a blip on the radar. It becomes a spot on the horizon. Then a ship. Then a big ship. Then a big ship that's on a stinkin' intercept course! We hailed her on the VHF for 10 minutes. No response. We finally had to turn off-tack to avoid being run over. Much FCC-approved verbiage from us over the radio. Finally they acknowledged our existence. Beware the freighter Fre Pride out of Milan:
To be continued!
Bigger boat have right of way mon
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