By: Purser Allison
Sunday Funday! Sunday at sea means a lighter work day for the crew. Although we are still a 24/7 ship and things still need to be cleaned, meals prepared and of course sailing, the crew will often work on their own projects or those of the ship. There was a splicing and whipping workshop for new crew that was also a chance for others to practice. Splicing is the process of weaving a rope back onto itself or to join to another rope. Sometimes it is to attach to another rope to extend the length and other times it is to create an eye. Whippings are to finish an end or secure the ends of a line to keep it from unravelling. Both are used daily on a ship and are important skills to know so it is good to have time to learn and practice. A few of the crew also made rope mats. It is a three step process that is repeated continually and seems simple enough but if you lose track of where you are in the process you have to start over again! Rope mats are both decorative and serve a purpose as they help to protect the deck in places where a block might rest.
Sunday is also the day off for our cook, Donald Church the Magnificent, so a few lucky chosen crew get to experience what it is like to cook for 46 people! It helps us all to appreciate the hard work that goes into keeping a crew fed, full, strong and ready for work!
Noon Position: 44°17′.7N 063°14′.4W
Day’s Run: 141.4NM
Passage: 329.6NM
Voyage: 3386NM
Distance to Port: 324.5NM
Course and Speed: ENE 5.9KTs
Wind: W Force 3-4
Weather: Good
Swell Height and Direction: 1-2 feet W