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Hello
STOWING YOUR GEAR
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Have you stowed your gear? This is what I have been doing. It takes awhile to settle into
life aboard the ship. One of the first lessons you learn while sailing is that when you put something down, it will surely move as the boat rolls from side to side. All of the tables have one inch high edges called fiddles to keep things from sliding off. The doors have hooks to secure them and all of the drawers have latches. On a boat you most keep your clothes in a canvas seabag instead of a suitcase. My waterproof jacket and pants, called foul weather gear, hang on a hook. It is a different way of living. One thing is certain. If you forget to put something in a secure place, the boat will soon dump it on the floor to remind you!
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WATCHES
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Pride II has now been sailing for two days. We do not stop the boat at night to sleep, but instead sail around the clock. The crew has been divided into three groups called watches which are on deck for four hours at a time. My watches are 4 AM to 8 AM, and 4 PM to 8 PM. For the crew who stand the night watches, it takes awhile for your body to adjust to sleeping in the day time, and staying awake at night.
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Sleeping was difficult last night no matter what time you settled into your bunk. The seven foot waves were confused - that means that they were not in any pattern. In response, Pride II rolled from side to side as she sailed up and down over the waves. Every so often she would heel or lean over twenty degrees causing the crew to slide around in their berths. We were all looking pretty tired this morning.
REEFING THE SAILS
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Due to the strong winds of 25 knots and the heavy sea, the crew reduced the number of sails to four. Normally Pride II would sail with six or seven sails. Through the night we sailed with two smaller sails forward, a large center sail called a foresail, and the main sail. At one point we reefed the main sail, which means we made it smaller by lowering the sail down and tying off the loose material at the bottom. Basically mates, it was a rough night at sea.
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Right now we are about 400 miles from Bermuda, which is due east of North Carolina. The winds are less and we having a smoother ride. We have been crossing the Gulf Stream all day. The Gulf Stream is a wide current of warm water that flows northeastward in the ocean from the Gulf of Mexico to northern Europe. This morning the air temperature became warmer because we were sailing in water that was 70 degrees. This warm water is what gives Bermuda its tropical climate for most of the year. After that biting cold on Saturday night, we are looking forward to visiting this tropical paradise! Imagine the coral reefs and pink sand beaches which are waiting for us there.
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Standing on the aft or back deck of Pride II at sunset, the scene was so typical of a tall ship at sea. The deck would rise and fall with each large wave which passed underneath. You could hear the waves rush past the hull as they rolled away like breakers on a beach. The gray sky allowed the sun to make an appearance through the clouds as the last hours of daylight faded on our second day at sea. Pride II was in her glory doing what tall ships like to do best.
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Tomorrow will be a busy day aboard ship. I will tell you about the duties of the crew, and teach you what it means to jibe. It takes all hands on deck to jibe, so on deck with you!
Your virtual crew mate,
Leslie Bridgett
YOUR THOUGHTS
- List the special devices used to keep belongings from sliding or falling on a moving ship. Where would you stow heavy items. Why?
- If there are 10 crew to work the three rotating watches (groups of people), how many crew work on each watch? If there are three watches who sail a 24 hour day, how many hours a day does each crew member work? If this time is divided into two equal time periods, how long is each watch (time of work on deck)?
- Name the two ways Pride II can reduce sail area when the wind builds.
- If Bermuda is 600 miles east of North Carolina, why does it have a tropical climate while North Carolina is more temperate (cooler) - like Maryland?
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