By Purser: Allison Steele
After leaving the busy Port of Quebec at 0700 yesterday, participating in the Parade of Sail as we went, we began making our way down the St. Lawrence River towards our next port. The St. Lawrence has some very strong current so we often don’t make significant distance despite our speed but we enjoyed the opportunity to set sails giving the new crew a chance to learn at a reasonable pace. We try not to motor much as we are here to sail but in times like these, it sometimes becomes necessary. We did, however, enjoy the silence of sailing for the day as we started to shake off our land legs and get back into routines at sea.
Later in the afternoon Captain Sikkema and Mate Gabe St. Denis held a workshop for the crew on splicing and ropework. It was a chance to introduce new crew to the different ways ropes can be utilised and a good opportunity for other crew to practice. It’s nice to watch the crew who have been on for a while master the skills they have been learning throughout the summer and lend a hand to new crew. It’s the evolution of a sailor and rewarding as a sail training vessel. Often you can see the excitement on a person’s face when certain concepts or skills seem to click and they start to understand the whys and hows of things as when you first sign on things can seem overwhelming. Often we hear departing crew tell us that it was not enough time to learn all they wanted to and are intent on returning… or sometimes they stay on!
As we fired up the engines at 1900 the silence is replaced by the gentle hum and slight vibrations from the engine. We have miles to go to our next port, which will be Norris Point, Newfoundland.
Noon Position: 48°31′.7N 069°04′.7W
Course: E 1/2 S 4kts
Days Run: 115.0nm
Voyage: 4525nm
Distance: 463.6nm
Wind: SxW 2kts
Weather: Warm