Noon Position: Docked in Lunenburg, NS, Canada
Weather: Frost in the morning, clear sky, H 12c L 4c, barometer 1015
Frost! We woke up to frost this morning!! Granted at this time of year we could also be under snow, but still it was a shock to the system to see the hatch and deck sparkling in the sunlight. The first official sign of winter has arrived and thus the countdown to sailing has most assuredly begun.
Prior to being stood down for the day, sail handling training was the name of the game. Before the ship gets under way, the crew will have several more training sessions specifically geared toward becoming more confident with their sail handling. Halfway through the practice session the staff crew did a demonstration illustrating the pace at which sail handling must be done. Though it is often easier to learn new skills slowly, reaction time while sailing a tall ship must be speedy. While trying to learn sail handling at pace is certainly frustrating at times, it instills the importance of doing so efficiently and concisely right from the onset.
Ship’s Work: Continue tuning headrig. Training: set/strike/brace in watches; staff crew demonstrated the same at pace; repeat training with crew; staff crew row/commands training in Monomoy with the Captain.
Engine room: ran main engine for 2 hours at full pitch; replaced gasket on leaky start air pipe.